On the road to the Winter Olympic Games

According to Mike Milne, spokesman for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Seattle, compliance rates with the new regulations have been above 95 percent. “Most people,” he says, “have gotten the message.” Those that haven’t can visit GetYouHome.gov for more information.

One thing you won’t find on the site, however, is the fact that if you’re a U.S. citizen and you show up at the border with pre-WHTI documents, e.g., a birth certificate and photo ID, you should still be able to get home.

“It’s just going to take longer because we won’t be able to clear them at primary,” says Milne. “We’ll have to establish their identity and citizenship through the documents they may have and through our various indices. It’s just so much easier if you have the right documentation.”

Get up to speed before you go
So, assuming you’re good to go — and come back — there are a few other things you can do to smooth your way to the Games:

• Visit the Going to Canada Web site for complete details on documentation, prohibited items, traveling with children and other information.
• Consider alternate routes. As longtime Northwesterners know, the Peace Arch crossing can be grindingly slow, especially since it leads to surface streets into Vancouver. Consider using the Pacific Highway crossing instead by getting off I-5 at Exit 275 (aka Truck Customs) to SR 543.
• Know the wait times. Highway reader boards on either side of the main border stations show current wait times. You can also visit the CBSA and CBP Web sites, both of which provide hourly updates for their respective facilities.

Finally, you could also consider taking the train. The Amtrak Cascades is currently running twice a day between Seattle and Vancouver as part of a Games-related pilot program. A few days are already sold out, but reservations during the Olympics are currently running around 60 percent, says Vickie Sheehan, marketing and communications manager for the train.

Even more enticing, she says, train travelers can relax for the duration of their trip because they don’t go through Customs until they reach the Vancouver train station: “It’s a much easier travel experience to go across the border on the train than it is by car.”