Tips on crossing the international border
These are uncertain times, and we recommend that anyone crossing the international border, by land, air or sea, carry a current passport along with a piece of photo-id such as a driver’s licence, and a birth certificate and/or citizenship card.
Please check with US Customs and Border Protection to ensure you have the documents you will need for crossing into Canada from the United States. Your valid travel documents will ease your passage into Canada on the way to the Festival and will definitely make your re-entry to the United States less complicated on the way back.
For a variety of reasons, crossing the international border into Canada has become slightly more complicated that it was last July. Please take extra care to ensure that you are not transporting anything into Canada on the way in, or into the United States on the way out which might bring you to the attention of the Customs and Immigration folks at either stop.
And finally, in this vein, it has been taking a very, very long time to cross the border, sadly, usually longer to enter the United States. You’ll need to build these times into your travel plans.
Useful websites
Road construction and potential delays on Washington and Oregon portions of Interstate 5:
Border Crossing Wait Times:
- Wait times entering USA
The Blaine Peace Arch and Blaine Pacific Highway crossings are at the top of the list. - Wait times entering Canada
The Douglas/Blaine Peace Arch crossing is toward the bottom of the list.
Vancouver Road Work
This map shows road construction and/or closures in the City of Vancouver which might help in driving into the city, particularly from the eastern suburbs.
Directions to the Park from USA/Canada Border at Blaine:
- After you cross the border, you’ll be on Highway 99 – stay on this. Eventually you’ll pass under the Fraser River in a tunnel. There will be a bit of a stretch of highway, then you’ll pass over a long bridge. Then you’ll end up on Oak Street, around 73rd Avenue (no internal freeways in Vancouver). Keep following Oak Street to 12th Avenue. [You'll be heading north.]
- Turn Left at 12th Ave. (you’ll be at the 800 block) and proceed along until you reach Alma Road, (which is between the 3600 and 3700 block).
- Turn Right at Alma St., proceed to 4th Avenue.
- Turn Left at 4th Ave. Follow the signs to Festival Parking.
