Border Crossings (US-Canada)

[Netnorske]

Here in Washington we have numerous border crossings into Canada. I have traveled back and forth many times by car, but never on the bike....well....at least not my Nomad.

Sometimes there is quite a backup of vehicles....similar to our ferry lines here in Washington. Motorcycle protocol for the ferries is that bikes don't wait for the line. They go right past the lines to the ticket booth, then straight to the front of the line. First ones on the boat, first off.

The reason for this is obvious....it's hard on the bike mechanically and hard on the rider physically to inch your way along in what could be a 1-2 hour wait while on a bike.

I am planning a weekend run up to BC with the wife this weekend and it occurred to me that there is the potential for the same situation regarding border crossing lines. Does anyone know what the protocol for bikes is at border crossings? Surely they don't expect bikes to wait in those sometimes really long lines...especially in the summer, do they... :-/??

[ringadingh]

Yeh; you get to wait just like everyone else, try to pick a line thats moving well if you can. I always cross at Niagara Falls or Buffalo and sometimes wait up to 30 minutes or so. We shut the engines off sometimes and just push by foot a little to move up in the line.Thats about the only time I ever hear my fan come on.

[strobe]

Wait, wait, wait....not much you can do. I am not sure about the ferries on the coast, but the ones in the interior of BC do not give motorcycles priority....you get loaded onto the ferry just like any other vehicle.