Border Crossing

[fishman]

We are crossing into Canada at International Falls in several weeks and because of the way it has to work this trip we will be crossing the border around 10 am on a saturday am. I know this could be a bad time to cross as far as wait time. Has any one crossed into Canada at International Falls on a Saturday am the pass several weeks that can give me an idea of the back up and wait time that they have experienced?

If we hear that this is a real bad time, we may try and leave earlier and drive all night to get there early to miss the wait at the border.

Thanks.

[Fred_G]

The longest I have ever had to wait at that time is 30 - 45 minutes. It's really a pretty fast operation.

[Elmo]

Crossed Thursday at 10 am sharp and was a little over 45 mins. I was Never asked this one before, but wanted to know if I had any building supplies that I might be taking to Canada. Good luck

[Figure-8]

Crossed two weeks ago, Saturday at 2pm and it took about an hour or so. Coming back last Saturday we got to the border early around 8am and it took 15 minutes (third car in line), easiest crossing we ever had back in. Our new question at the end of the questioning was "Do you have any Canadian's your bring back?" US Customs agent we had coming back in was pretty cool, even had a sense of humor, said he had to ask to see if we were paying attention. We didn't get searched either coming or going but others in our group did.

[Babamel2]

I have often crossed on Sat in Aug around 9 - 10 am. and have had relatively short waits (2 - 3 cars). I would not expect a long delay. My group is going in a week we will cross Sat. Aug 20 around 9 - 10 and we don't expect much delay. But things can always change.

[MoWalleyeguy]

Over the last holiday weekend July 2nd Sat at 8am we got stopped and asked to go into the imigration office for a spot check and that took 35 EXTRA minutes. Total time was maybe 45 minutes.

Coming back we must have had the same "funny guy" because he had a decent sense of humor (man that was a first)... but our wait total was maybe 35 minutes and that was July 9th at 9am. Decent line of cars when we arrived.

[Elmo]

Mowalleye my spot check in Dec in New Brunswick was a 2 1/2 delay took everything out of my truck that would come out but my seats. She found a cork screw/bottle opener in my glove box and the pointed screw part had her worried I guess, she asked me what I had in mind to do with it? Thought she was trying to be funny, I told her if Canada had some good wine or beer I might use it on a bottle to open it. PISSED her off! She really went through it ALL. So it is good to have someone at the crossing with a open fun filled mind. Crossed back to Minn. at Grand Portage instead of the Falls. And it was fastest maybe 1 min. at the most. If the guy did not want to know how the fishing was and would I go back to the same lake, I could have been across in 30 sec. "Elmo in Missouri also"

[Markrnl]

What did you have in mind for a cork screw bottle opener? What a question then when you give her the correct answer she gets mad. I suppose she thought you would make it into some kind of weapon or stop at the first beer store and load up with beer to open as you drove down the highway. Lord knows what would have happened if it would have been a Swiss Army knife she had found.

[bailey]

We crossed at around 11 am on a Saturday morning in mid July and only had a 10-15 minute wait and no problems. Just asked to see our drivers licenses and where we were going. Our line was moving slower than other lines so we had a chance to watch the procedure. It seemed the lines where the women were checking took longer for each car, like the women were more thorough. (just an observation, perhaps they were new or something) They were really asking a lot of questions with each car ahead of us, but luckily, they changed shifts before we got to the front and we got through without delay.

I think they check groups of guys more than a couple (man and woman). that's my theory and i'm sticking to it. so take your wife instead of your buddies.

[DanL]

We crossed over last Saturday at about 11:30 AM. It was about a 10 minute wait.

[Jeff A.]

We crossed at International Falls last Saturday about noon. Expected about a two hour delay like last year; I was shocked to drive right on to the bridge. We waited about 10 min. Then we caught a line of crap from the officer. What a wonderful change from everytime we ever crossed before. We have never been hassled in the past just felt like we were bothering them when we crossed before. I feel the customs people deserve an at-a-boy for the way we were treated coming home.