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Getting there from Britain
The only economical way to get to Canada from Britain is to fly. The
main gateways into the country are Montréal and Toronto, but there are
also scheduled nonstop flights from Britain to Calgary, Edmonton,
Halifax, Ottawa, St John's, Winnipeg and Vancouver, and connecting
services to a number of other destinations. You can fly nonstop to
Canada from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Newcastle,
Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Though competition between Canada's two big carriers once kept scheduled
rates reasonable, Air Canada bought Canadian Air in 1999 to form one
major airline ; it remains to be seen how fares will be affected as the
companies were still operating under separate licensing agreements at
publication. Otherwise, there are a number of charter flights to the
more popular destinations, especially Toronto and Montréal. Canada 3000,
for example, is an international carrier with return flights from London
and Manchester to Toronto from £199 and can be booked only via Canadian
Affair, Bluebird, First Choice and Pioneer . It may also be worth
considering a cheap flight to the US , as the greater competition
between airlines on the US routes can produce fares to New York for as
little as £180 return in low season; from the US it's easy to get into
Canada cheaply by bus or train .
For a precise picture of all the available options at any given time,
contact an agent specializing in low-cost flights , which may -
especially if you are under 26 or a student - be able to undercut the
regular Apex fares. These agents also offer cut-price seats on charter
flights, though these tend to be of limited availability during the
summer. Package operators can also be a source of cheap one-off flights,
as they sell off any unsold seats at the last moment. Finally, be sure
to check the travel ads in the Sunday papers, and, in London, in Time
Out and the Evening Standard .
Getting there from Ireland
There are no nonstop direct flights from Ireland to Canada, though
British Airways and Air Canada will quote you through-fares from Dublin
to most major Canadian destinations, including the gateway cities of
Toronto and Montréal. Surprisingly, Aer Lingus does not fly to Canada.
All flights from Dublin to Canada are via London. Air Canada offers
flights to Toronto via London, and their fourteen-day Apex return fare
costs from IR£618, or from IR£711 if you're heading to Vancouver. From
Belfast with Air Canada a 21-day Apex to Toronto via London costs from
£497 return; to Vancouver, £506 return.
Students and under-26s should consult usit, which can usually offer the
best deals - their return fares from Dublin or Belfast to Toronto are
priced from IR£350 and from IR£488 to Vancouver.
It's often possible to save money by flying independently from Dublin to
London on a domestic carrier - British Midland, for example, runs seven
flights daily from Dublin to Heathrow with a Super Saver return at
IR£66, and an Apex return at IR£125 - to link into the Heathrow network
Getting there from the US
Crossing the longest undefended border in the world is straightforward.
Many visitors from the northern US just drive, as the major Canadian
cities - Montréal and Toronto in the east, Winnipeg and Calgary in the
middle and Vancouver in the west - are all within an hour's drive of the
border. However, if you're coming from Florida or southern California,
or want to go from New York to British Columbia, flying is obviously a
lot quicker. Travelling by train is another alternative, at least if
you're not in a hurry and want to see something of the landscapes along
the way, and there are a few bus and ferry options too
Getting there from Australia and New Zealand
Travelling from Australia and New Zealand, there are daily direct
flights to Vancouver, Canada's western point of entry, as well as plenty
of flights that involve stopovers along the way, likely somewhere such
as Honolulu, or perhaps on America's west coast. The direct options on
Qantas and Air New Zealand run A$1863/NZ$1899 low season, with other
onward destinations from New Zealand being well served by Air Canada
(Canadian Airlines shared flights with Qantas until it merged with Air
Canada.) You can expect to pay around A/NZ$500 on top of your main
ticket to the eastern cities of Toronto and Montréal and around
A$300/NZ$350 to Edmonton and Calgary. However, if you intend to do a
fair amount of flying around, you'd be better off taking advantage of
some of the coupon deals that can be bought with your main ticket and
cost US$100-300 each depending on the distance involved. A number of
flights stop off in Honolulu, Hawaii, where you can usually stay over
for as long as you like for no extra charge. Alternatively, if you don't
mind going via Asia, JAL and Korean Airlines fares to Vancouver include
a night's accommodation in their home cities and start from around
A$1500/NZ$1850 low season. However, if you don't want to spend the
night, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines can get you there from
A$1799/NZ$2099 with a transfer in their home cities.
Seat availability on most international flights out of Australia and New
Zealand is often limited, so it's best to book at least three weeks
ahead. Tickets purchased direct from the airlines tend to be expensive
and you'll get much better deals on fares from your local travel agent,
as well as the latest information on limited specials, fly-drive,
accommodation packages, stopovers en route and round-the-world fares.
The best discounts are through Flight Centres and STA (for students and
under-26s), who can also advise on visa regulations. You might also want
to have a look on the Internet; www.travel.com.au offers discounted
fares, as does www.sydneytravel.com.
Airfares are seasonally adjusted: low season from mid-January to end
February, and October to November; high season from mid/end May to
August, December and January; and shoulder seasons the rest of the year.
Seasons vary slightly depending on the airline |
