The last stop anyone wants to make during their vacation is to the hospital. It can be a huge damper on your trip. Yet thousands of visitors make unexpected stops to Canadian hospitals and emergency rooms because of injuries, allergies or general illness every year. It can happen to anyone. Fortunately, Canada's healthcare system is regarded as being among the best in both quality and affordability.

While resident Canadians enjoy free healthcare, visiting patients are charged a fee depending on the type of illness and length of stay. Costs range between $1,000 and $2,000 and are mostly covered by health or travel insurance, which travelers should get before hitting the road.

Emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But because Canadians do have free healthcare, the wait times can be long unless the emergency is critical. Private walk-in clinics are a good alternative to the crowded waiting rooms for non-emergency consultations only. Appointments are not needed while costs vary by medical attention and clinics.

To find walk-in clinics, check the Yellow Pages in the Canadian phonebook under "Clinics, Medical". The 911 emergency phone service is also available in Canada and can be dialed from any payphone and cell phone, even if a local carrier does not service the cell phone.

Travelers looking for more information about health and safety in Canada can visit the Canada International website.