Going to Canada!

[ByronBlack]

Inspired by the pictures of RobertMP's trip to Canada recently, SWMBO has been looking into holidays and wants us to book up for next year. So in light of that, after looking through the torturous site that is expedia, can anyone recommend a good company to book a package deal with?

I'm currently looking through a brochure by a company called 'Connections Worldwide' who do some nice tours, but we are looking to stay in one location and travel out rather than staying at 5 or 6 different locales as is the method of said company..

Also, what are the best places to visit? I've got Banff and some other national parks noted down, but are there any really amazing specific places that are worth a visit?

 

[mr]

If you go to Montreal, make sure you get yourself tickets to Cirque du Soleil's permanent marquee show. You won't regret it.

Cheers

 

[andy king]

Yes - Lee Valley Tools! :lol:

Andy

 

[Noel]

Forget about travel firms just organise the trip yourself, cheaper and much more flexible and you won't be stuck to a timetable. But then maybe some people prefer things organised for them but you'll see a better Canada doing it on a DIY basis.

 

[devonwoody]

I've never booked a holiday until I am ready to go, these days there are always empty seats and airlines needing some bums to fill them so why book in advance!

I've known of australia £175 return, yes not a typo, £175 return.

 

[Bodrighy]

I've never booked a holiday until I am ready to go, these days there are always empty seats and airlines needing some bums to fill them so why book in advance!

I've known of australia £175 return, yes not a typo, £175 return.

I keep hearing about these cheap flights but so far have only seen them from airports I can't get to going to places I don't want to visit. Any pointers as to where to look for them?

Pete

 

[devonwoody]

If its allowed to put this on the forum , my experience is "Austravel" are charter operators and if you get yourself on their books but never seem to do business with them they will send you tempting offers, I recall the week before and after Xmas they can be desperate to fill empty seats, no doubt other destinations and operators are in the same boat.

Mind you the last occasion I had to put the telephone down and keep my fingers crossed, yes they rang back with a lower offer.

Of course, like another thread of mine today, you must be prepared to go where there are adverts like the ceefax ads on TV, you can get some very useful telephone numbers there and start to bug them.

 

[woodbloke]

I've never booked a holiday until I am ready to go, these days there are always empty seats and airlines needing some bums to fill them so why book in advance!

I've known of australia £175 return, yes not a typo, £175 return.

SWIMBO flew out to here on Sunday night from RAF Brize Norton. When I go and see her in Feb it'll cost me £110...return - Rob

 

[ByronBlack]

Mr - Thanks for the suggestion, I'll add that to my list, I have heard good thing about them!

Andy - Fantastic point, It didn't even occur to me, I'll have to check with customs to see how much I can bring back!

Noel - This was my first idea [to organise it myself] but found it quite awkward working with all the dates, different companies etc.. I hate travelling as a general rule, so easier the better for me!

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

 

[LeeElms]

We went to Canada (for the first time) about a month ago. We booked via 'All Canada' (http://www.all-canada.co.uk/). This covered car hire and hotel bookings for Calgary to Vancouver over about 11 days, and the return via the 'Rocky Mountaineer' train (2 days). As far as we can work out, their price is quite comparable against booking the accommodation, car hire & train yourself. Their flight prices were however quite a bit higher than booking ourselves with Air Canada, so we arranged that separately.[/url]

 

[Paulg]

I have used Canadian Affair a couple of times (http://www.canadianaffair.com/)

 

[bjm]

I go to Vancouver regularly and generally use Zoom and although they are cheap they offer a very good service. It also pays to check out Air Canada as they occasionally have a good deal but rarely advertise the fact? You don't mention what level of comfort you will be requiring for your touring - 5* or tent?

Brian

 

[Taffy Turner]

Byron,

If you are going to Banff, then a diversion up to Lake Louise would be well worth it - the scenery is breathtaking. I have only been there in the winter - would love to see it when it isn't frozen over!

I have found that a good source of information when planning a trip like this is to pop into your local travel agents and pick up all their Canada brochures. Have a good read through them - they contain loads of useful info about suggested trips, places of interest etc. You can then plan your own tour and save yourself a bundle.

Regards

Gary

 

[RogerM]

Forget about travel firms just organise the trip yourself, cheaper and much more flexible and you won't be stuck to a timetable. But then maybe some people prefer things organised for them but you'll see a better Canada doing it on a DIY basis.

Absolutely right. Organising it yourself is just so easy. If you spend a bit of time at it you'll knock 30% off the equivalent package and it'll be exactly what you want. Find what you want on the net and then phone them for more info if needed. So easy when dealing with an English speaking country.

Vancouver is great, and if you like the "great outdoors" you could do worse than head up into Manning Provincial Park (in the Cascades on the US border) and then on to Jasper and Banff, and maybe fly home from Calgary. Or you could fly into Calgary for the Stampede and do the trip in reverse and end up in Vancouver. I endorse the comments about Lake Louise, between Jasper and Banff on the Icefields Parkway - one of the great drives of the world.

Keep some powder dry for a scenic floatplane trip

I never book anything without checking the reviews on
trip Advisor. Best travel site on the net IMHO. So get planning Byron - you'll have a brilliant time.

 

[ByronBlack]

thanks a lot to everyone for your hints/tips and links we have now got some great choices and selection. The difficult thing is deciding what to do, with so much there and so little time!!

 

[cadders75]

I went to Canada on my Honeymoon, what a wonderful place, so much space, the people are very friendly and most of the time its very clean.

Ottowa was a wonderful place well worth 3 to 4 days, lots of musems and architecture to see.

Banff was stunning, its worth going up the cablecar on Sulphur mountain the veiws are amazing, looking up and down the Rockies, lake lousie was very nice as well, my highlight was going to a little know place called Moraine lake, the veiw took my breath away, the lake had a covering of ice crystals, clear blue sky, i could have stayed for hours.

Lake Moraine and the 5 Sisters

[/img]

Jasper was also very interesting, once again superb veiws and some great walking.

Vancouver was also wonderful, sitting on the beach in Vancouver harbour, watching the sun go down over the Howe sound, beer in hand was simply stunning.

I would go back in a flash.

Just avoid Taronto, the place was awful, dirty and unfriendly, with only the CNN tower to go and see.

 

[Stu in Tokyo]

Well, as I'm a Canadian, eh, I thought I should chime in here.

All the places mentioned are great, really they are, and if you are on the way from Banff to Vancouver stop in at a lovely place called Kelowna, it is my hometown and it is a very nice place, a nice big lake, tons of wineries, etc.

Cheers!

 

[devonwoody]

One of the best parts of my holiday is when I question my fellow travellers how much their airfare cost and I learn that my fare is 50%less, and then I had also wink at the booking in lady at the luggage check in and get myself a seat next to the pilot or some other attraction .

 

[mr]

then I had also wink at the booking in lady at the luggage check in and get myself a seat next to the pilot or some other attraction .

Is it the uniform that does it for you ?

:wink:

Cheers Mike

 

[devonwoody]

No just the twinkle in my blue eyes.