If you haven’t looked a map lately, let us begin by telling you this – Canada is big.
Trying to tell someone what it costs to visit Canada is nigh unto impossible, with the varying prices from city to city and province to province – but we can give you some tips to help you save money on a Canada trip no matter where your travels take you.
>> Tips for budget travel to Banff National Park and budget travel to Gwaii Haanas National Park
One of the most remote National Parks in Canada makes up a huge part of an archipelago of islands off the northwest coast of British Columbia. The islands are the Haida Gwaii, and the park is Gwaii Haanas – a hauntingly beautiful and sacred place to the Haida people.
Visiting the islands themselves is a bit of a challenge, and visiting the park requires even more planning. Here are some hints to help you visit Gwaii Haanas on a budget.
One of the biggest attractions in the entire province of Alberta is Banff National Park, the oldest national park in Canada. It covers more than 2500 square miles, and is home to the beautiful Lake Louise (not to mention several other lakes), stunning mountains, and many glaciers as well.
It’s an excellent spot for a holiday, except for one thing – Banff isn’t cheap. This is why it’s important to do your research when planning a trip, so you know where you can save money on your Banff vacation. Here are some tips to help you do Banff on a budget.
Planning to do some traveling this winter? Then the fares from Virgin America will make you happy. Book the ticket by November 29, 2010 and travel until March 16, 2011
The routes on sale are:
The Main Cabin fares are one-way. Advance purchase required (7 days). Fares do not include all taxes and fees. Seats are limited.
You can find more details about the sale on airline’s official website
Read more Virgin America Flight Deals
Thanksgiving is just couple of days away and probably some of you haven’t managed to book a flight yet…or don’t even have an idea where to head to. For you, Virgin America has some great fares. You can book the tickets by November 29, 2010 and travel until December 2, 2010. Advance purchase require (1 day).
The routes on sale are:
All fares are one-way and don’t include some of the taxes and fees. Seats are limited. These are all Main Cabin Select fares and include a little extra legroom, free food, drinks, and entertainment.
You can find more details about the sale on airline’s official website
Read more Virgin America Flight Deals
Planning to head to Canada this fall? Then how about booking a flight with Virgin America? The airline has just launched a sale with fares starting at $149USD / $145CAD (fees and restrictions apply).
You can book the tickets by October 10, 2010 and travel between October 6, 2010 and December 15, 2010.
The following routes are on sale:
You can find more details about the sale on airline’s official website
Read more Virgin America Flight Deals
Recently we looked at some of the budget airlines in the United States to help you save money on your next trip – but if you looked at the list of those airlines, you’ll have noticed that our neighbor to the north is sadly missing from the destination lists of most of them. That’s right, Canada gets no love from the big U.S.-based discount airlines.
That’s not to say all flights to Canada are going to cost an arm and a leg, however, or that the only budget airlines serving Canadian airports are products of Canada, either. In fact, many of the cheap flights to Canada you’ll find are on airlines with names you’ll probably recognize – you just might be on a much smaller plane than you’re used to.
Canada used to be blessed with more of its own home-grown budget airlines, but carriers like Jetsgo (who doesn’t love that name? I so love that name!) and Zoom Airlines have folded in recent years because of the nearly impossible task of putting the words “airline” and “profitable” in the same sentence these days. One budget airline from years gone by didn’t completely disappear, and for years has been operating charter flights only – but they’re poised to make a comeback into the discount flight arena in 2010. That airline, along with other discount carriers that fly into Canada, are listed below.
It doesn’t seem long ago that the Canadian dollar couldn’t buy you the cheapest spot in Monopoly. My how times have changed. The Canadian dollar has leveled against the US dollar and is only getting stronger. What that means for you, dear traveler, is that your vacations to Canada are becoming more and more expensive by the day. That pint of Molson is going to cost more. That gallon of maple syrup is going to eat away at your savings account. The medicines you can’t afford in the US…well, those are still a bargain but not as much as they used to be.
To offset the sticker price shock, United Vacations has a deal going where you can save $200 off your next trip to the Great White North. Their packages include deals on beautiful mountain spots like Banff, Jasper and Whistler. If city life is more of your thing, you can also visit Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. If you want to get your French on, Montreal and Temblant will welcome you to Parlez-Vous Francais.
The value of its currency might have changed, but one thing that has not is the fact that Canada is still an excellent country for both urbanities and outdoors folks to visit.
I recently spent a long weekend in Vancouver, British Columbia and once again came away thinking that it might just be the most pleasant city on this planet. The city’s setting is simply spectacular. The harbor is on one side, the snow capped mountains on the other, you couldn’t design a more beautiful backdrop for a city of tall, sleek, and skinny high rise buildings.
The other thing that really struck me was the number of foreign languages I heard while wandering the streets. Vancouver is a city that attracts foreign visitors and immigrants from around the world. One result of the diversity is that it is a place that has outstanding ethnic restaurants and neighborhoods. I am particularly found of an Indian restaurant called Vij’s. It doesn’t take reservations and if you show up a half hour before it opens chances are you won’t be the only one waiting in line.
With the 2010 Winter Olympics on the near horizon, Vancouver continues to build and to change. Now is an excellent time to visit before the Olympics crunch. It is also an excellent time to visit because Cathay Pacific has a great deal on flights from New York.
Did you know that Montreal, Canada is the second largest French speaking city in the western world? That is correct. Paris is number one. Montreal is number two. With more than a million and a half residents, Montreal is also the second largest city in Canada. Toronto is number one. Montreal is number two.
While it may be second in the record books, Montreal is anything but a second rate city. It is a cosmopolitan slice of Europe located right in North America. It is a city where a sentence may start in French and end in English. It is a place that is easy to wander, especially in the summer months. It is the home of a number of festivals, including the must-see Montreal International Jazz Festival in the summer. It has a vibrant nightlife and shopping that as good as you will find in North America. Montreal is a city with a rich history and a fascinating historic district.
Montreal also happens to be close by so instead of taking a flight across the Atlantic to experience a unique and vibrant culture, consider heading north of the border to a city that offers the best of both the Old and the New World.