Have questions about your upcoming trip to Halifax? We may have an answer for you!
Use this page to find answers to any questions you might have about your upcoming trip to Halifax!
Halifax is located on Canada’s East Coast, and is the capital city of the province of Nova Scotia.
Halifax has a temperate climate and hold true to all four seasons – Warm, sunny summers – crisp, colourful falls – cool, snowy winters – warm, (something rainy) springs. Check current Halifax weather conditions.
Check out this blog; it has detailed descriptions of each Halifax season to see what suits you!
Free Wifi is available on the Halifax waterfront, Dartmouth waterfront and in Grand Parade Square.
There is also free Wifi available at the Halifax International Airport, most coffee shops and libraries, and most hotels will offer Wifi access to patrons as well.
The entire Halifax region has a population of at least 414,129 people (as of 2014)
Yes, Halifax is extremely pet friendly, with many pet-friendly hotels, patios and shops. In the summer, you will pass by many shops that have a full water bowl waiting for fido outside their doors.
Tipping is standard practice in Halifax and across Canada with a standard minimum tip of 15% for servers in restaurants, bars and other establishments. Tips can also be given to drivers, tour guides, spa therapists, hairdressers, bartenders, hotel attendants, etc., at your discretion.
Effective March 15, 2016, some travellers may need to fill out an eTA – electronic travel authorization – before boarding a flight to Canada. To complete your application for an eTA, you will need your passport, a credit card and an email address. An eTA costs $7 CAD and is valid for up to five years. Click here for a video tutorial or click here to complete an eTA application.
Immigration Regulations – American citizens (or permanent residents) entering Canada require valid passports. Visitors from a country other than the United States must carry a valid passport and, in certain cases, a visa to be eligible to enter Canada. All entrants must fill out a declaration for Canada Customs. Visit Canadian Border Services for more information.
Click here for a list of accessible transportation services, restaurants, activities and more.
Insure My Trip keeps an updated list on all travel alerts and warnings.
You can exchange your currency for Canadian dollars at authorized currency exchange counters in Halifax and at the airport. You can also exchange currency at banks and financial institutions across Nova Scotia. To approximately calculate your exchange rate, try the Bank of Canada Daily Currency Converter.
The majority of businesses throughout Nova Scotia accept major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Debit (bank) cards are also readily used (Interac, Plus and Cirrus networks). Credit and debit card charges will appear on the purchaser’s statement, converted to the home currency.
Click here for a list of public washrooms on the Halifax waterfront.
The Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) is applied at a single rate of 15% to a base of goods and services. Visitors may be entitled to claim a rebate of the HST paid. For rebate forms and more details, visit Canada Revenue Agency.
Both of Canada’s official languages – English and French – are spoken throughout Nova Scotia. However, English is the most commonly used language in local restaurants, shops, and businesses throughout the region.
The area code 1-902 must be dialed for long distance calls into or within Nova Scotia.
The Time Zone for Halifax is Atlantic Time.
Visitors to Canada are strongly urged to obtain health insurance before leaving their home country. Canadian hospital and medical services are excellent, but a hospital stay can be costly without adequate insurance coverage. Visitors taking prescribed medications are advised to take a copy of the prescription should it need to be renewed during the trip.
Nova Scotia prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages to anyone under that age of 19 years old.
If you have any additional questions about Halifax, please contact or visit the Halifax Visitor Centre on the Halifax waterfront or the Halifax Stanfield Airport. If you are seeking travel information for Nova Scotia, please call the Tourism Nova Scotia Travel Planner’s line at 1-800-565-0000.
Fire, Police, Medical, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) can all be reached by dialing 911.
Discover Halifax has Travel Guides and Maps pages filled with travel resources. Click Here
New Year’s Day – January 1, 2019
Family Day – February 18, 2019
Good Friday – April 19, 2019
Easter Monday – April 22, 2019
Canada Day – July 1, 2019
Natal Day – August 5, 2019
Labour Day – September 2, 2019
Thanksgiving – October 14, 2019
Christmas Day – December 25, 2019
Cellular and mobile devices are popular in Nova Scotia. There are several major mobile service providers including Bell, Rogers Wireless, Eastlink, Telus Mobility, and Virgin Mobile.
Click here for information on getting to and around Halifax!
Click here for a full list of ways to get to and from the Halifax Stanfield Airport
Click here to get inspired!
Downtown Halifax is a great place to visit, but probably not the place you want to take your RV as the streets are narrow and parking is limited. Our advice is to park your RV at the Woodside Ferry Terminal or Alderney Ferry Terminal in Dartmouth and take the 10-minute harbour ferry across the harbour to downtown (price $2.50). Downtown Halifax is very walkable, and visitors should have no problem getting around the city on foot, while your RV is tucked away for the day!
