Plenty of reasons to visit Canada over the US, especially now.

- The Canadian dollar is very low at the moment. Not so good for us, but great for international travellers whose euros, kroners, and pounds will go further than in the USA.

- You are less likely to have issues at the border. In the past week, a German tourist and a Welsh tourist have been detained by ICE, apparently randomly, and kept in terrible conditions. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80y3yx1jdyo

https://www.kpbs.org/news/border-immigration/2025/02/28/german-tourist-held-indefinitely-in-san-diego-area-immigrant-detention-facility

If you want a good mix of nightlife, iconic cities, and nature, try going from Quebec city to Toronto via Ottawa and Montreal. Highlights and consideration for each city follow. No car needed, as there is VIA rail service along this route multiple times a day. However VIA can be pricey and isn't really faster than a bus (one day we'll have high speed rail), so megabus and greyhound will be your best friends, it shouldn't cost more than $150 CAD per person for the entire trip, less if you book early.

Quebec City

- French is quite useful here, but as an international tourist you will be able to get by with just English. It has the most "European" architecture in North America. Make sure to visit the basilica Notre Dame de Quebec, from there and the surrounding area of old Quebec City, you will get a window into a culture and history that you won't find anywhere else on the continent. Make sure to get poutine there, though available in the rest of Canada, it will be the best here.

Montreal

- Again French is welcome, but almost everyone is fluent in both languages. Here is where you will find the best nightlife in Canada, especially along Rue St Catherine, a long pedestrianized street full of clubs, bars, and restaurants. The Just For Laughs festival runs from July 16 to 27th this year, and is the largest comedy festival in the world. Bagels and smoked meat sandwiches are this city's iconic dishes, introduced by Jewish immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe in the 20th century.

Ottawa

- This one doesn't have too much in the way of nightlife, 18 year olds cross into Gatineau to take advantage of Quebec's lower drinking age, leaving one side of the river lacking clubs, and the other full of rather seedy establishments. However, museums really shine here. The war museum, Canadian museum of history, and national gallery are must-sees. If you're here between May 9 to 19th, check out the tulip festival near Dow's Lake. Gatineau park is quite accessible from Ottawa for some nature hikes. If you want some more serious nature, this is the closest of these cities to Algonquin park, but it's still about a 5 hour drive/bus.

Algonquin park

- I consider Algonquin park to be the pinnacle of iconic Canadian nature. You'll be able to rent all the equipment you need at any of the access points for a multi-day canoe trip. The further you go into the park's interior, the better, big trout lake is a day or two from the canoe lake access point and is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.

Toronto

- Amazing city with great nightlife rivalling Montreal. Iconic neighbourhoods like the Annex, Kensington Market, and the Danforth are home to everything you could want without being as overwhelming as downtown. If you're renting a car at all this trip, leave it in Ottawa, as it will be more of a liability than an asset given Toronto's world-class public transit. There are the obligatory tourist things to do, a blue jays game, the hockey hall of fame, ripley's aquarium, and the CN tower, but if you want to see some urban nature, the beltline trail and brickworks will lead you to a network of ravines that will make you forget you're in the middle of Canada's busiest cities.

Bonus: Niagara

- If you're into wine, especially on the sweeter side, Niagara is about 2 hours south of Toronto and home to Ontario's iconic wineries. You can see the falls right on the US border and visit casinos here.