Plan your trip with clear answers
Cross-border travel FAQ
Find the details that matter before a Canada–U.S. transfer: documents, pickup timing, vehicle fit, estimated fares and how your reservation is confirmed.
Travel guidance reviewed
Entry preparation
Documents and eligibility
Check both directions of travel for every person. The border guide explains the inspection process in more detail.
Does every passenger need a passport?
A passport is the most practical travel document, but accepted land-entry documents vary by citizenship, immigration status and age. Review the official U.S. and Canadian guidance for your circumstances, including the return journey and any connecting flight.
Does Canadian permanent residence let me enter the United States?
A Canadian PR card alone is not U.S. entry permission. Your nationality and purpose determine whether you need a visa or qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. Eligible Visa Waiver Program travellers need ESTA before a land arrival.
Can I use a Canadian eTA for a car trip from the U.S.?
An eTA does not replace a required visitor visa at a land border. Visa-exempt visitors generally do not need an eTA to arrive by car. Travellers eligible for an eTA only as an alternative to a visa for flying should check the land-entry visa requirement.
What should we bring for a child?
Bring required identification and relevant custody documents. A signed consent letter is recommended when one or both parents or guardians are not travelling. Verify the rules for the child’s nationality, age and travel method; consent does not replace entry documents.
Lane eligibility
Using NEXUS
Mention membership when requesting a quote so the complete vehicle arrangement can be reviewed.
Can we use NEXUS if only some passengers are members?
For a NEXUS lane into Canada, everyone—including the chauffeur and children—must be a member and carry the card. Check the receiving country’s lane rules too. Plan on standard lanes unless the full group and driver qualify; membership does not guarantee a faster arrival.
Crossing and arrival planning
Border timing and delays
Choose a pickup plan that accounts for your actual deadline rather than a best-case map time.
Which bridge or tunnel will my chauffeur use?
The route is reviewed around your pickup, destination, traffic and crossing conditions. Detroit–Windsor itineraries can involve the Ambassador Bridge, Windsor–Detroit Tunnel or Gordie Howe International Bridge. Other corridors need different crossings. Dispatch confirms the plan; no crossing is promised to have the shortest queue.
Can you guarantee a border wait or airport arrival time?
No. Queue reports are estimates and inspection time is controlled by border authorities. Share your airline’s check-in deadline or appointment arrival time so dispatch can review pickup. A stale or unavailable official report should not be read as zero waiting.
Are border delays included in the estimate?
The normal border crossing is included. If a traveller-related issue causes a border hold, waiting is charged at USD $2 per minute until the traveller is released. This is different from the normal border queue. Each passenger remains responsible for the entry documents and eligibility applicable to their journey.
What if we are sent for secondary inspection?
Follow the officer’s directions about documents, questions, the vehicle and bags. Secondary processing is a normal part of border operations and can include random checks; it does not by itself indicate wrongdoing. It can add time that neither the chauffeur nor dispatch can control.
Flights and pickup
Airport transfers
Give us the airport, airline, flight number and travel date, plus your onward destination.
Do you track flights, and where will I meet my chauffeur?
Yes. We monitor the arriving flight using your details. Tracking helps coordinate pickup, but landing is not the same as being ready to leave the airport. Your chauffeur meets you at baggage claim with a sign displaying your name, or at another meeting point agreed in your trip communications. Follow the airport and meeting instructions confirmed for your reservation. Keep your phone reachable and let dispatch know about a changed flight, delayed baggage or arrival formalities before heading to a different location.
How much pickup waiting time is included?
Address pickups include 15 minutes from the scheduled pickup time. Airport pickups include 30 minutes from landing for a domestic arrival or 60 minutes from landing for an international arrival. We track arriving flights. Contact dispatch about delayed baggage or arrival formalities and confirm charges beyond these allowances.
How do I choose pickup for a flight from DTW or SEA?
Select To Airport and provide the exact pickup address, airport and flight details. Dispatch reviews road and border time against the airline’s check-in deadline. Enter the date and time local to the pickup location. Check the airline’s document and baggage requirements separately.
Is a DTW arrival the same as the land crossing into Canada?
No. Any U.S. airport arrival formalities occur before the chauffeur pickup. The subsequent vehicle journey into Canada has its own CBSA inspection. Allow for baggage and airport formalities as well as the later land crossing.
Understand the estimate
Fares, currency and vehicle fit
Compare the complete itinerary and included items. An online estimate is not a confirmed fare or reservation.
Are estimates in Canadian or U.S. dollars?
Estimates are in U.S. dollars (USD). Review the currency and final fare before confirming. Published planning ranges apply only to the route and vehicle category described; they do not automatically apply to other cities, airport trips or return journeys.
What does the all-in estimate include?
Applicable cross-border fees, taxes, fuel surcharges and airport fees are included. Addresses, date, vehicle, stops and availability affect the quote. Confirm gratuity and changes outside the agreed itinerary with dispatch. Normal crossing time and traveller-related border holds are treated separately, as explained above.
When is the final fare confirmed?
Dispatch usually confirms availability and the final fare within 1–2 hours, but it can take up to 24 hours. For a departure soon, call dispatch. An online estimate or request acknowledgement is not a confirmed reservation.
How many passengers and bags can travel?
A sedan carries up to 4 passengers, with 3 recommended for comfort, plus 2 large suitcases and 2 carry-ons. An SUV seats 6 with captain’s seats or 7 with a bench; confirmed luggage alternatives are 6 large suitcases or 8 standard carry-ons. A Sprinter can carry 14 passengers with 14 large suitcases plus 14 carry-ons. Dispatch confirms bag sizes, the vehicle and configuration.
Can I request child seats, mobility aids or oversized luggage?
Include child-seat quantities, mobility aid details and oversized items in the request. Dispatch must confirm suitability, space and arrangements before booking. A displayed vehicle picture does not confirm accessible equipment or a particular vehicle assignment.
Request, confirm, travel
Booking, returns and changes
We recommend requesting at least 24 hours ahead. Last-minute requests depend on availability.
How do I book a private cross-border transfer?
Start with the service type, exact pickup and destination, and local pickup date/time. Add stops, then passengers, luggage and special requirements. Review the vehicle and estimate, complete the booking steps and check the final confirmation from dispatch before travelling.
Can I arrange a return trip?
Yes. Add the return when the booking workflow asks whether you need a return trip. Enter its date, local pickup time and addresses so both legs can be confirmed.
Can I book today or change the trip later?
Same-day service may be available; call dispatch for urgent requests. Tell us early about new stops, different addresses, flight changes or party changes. Vehicle, timing and fare may need to be revised.
What is the cancellation or cancelled-flight policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure for free cancellation and a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours and no-shows are non-refundable. If your flight is cancelled, we offer free rescheduling; contact dispatch with the replacement flight details to arrange the new pickup.
Put your trip plan together
Ready to arrange your ride?
Share the route, pickup date, passengers and luggage. Dispatch reviews availability and confirms the final trip details.