5 minute read
Transport Options
Getting a move on
Canada is a vast nation but there’s an array of transport options to discover it. Choosing how to get about plays an integral role in holidaymakers’ experiences, says Stuart Forster
Flight paths
Following a reduction in entry points and carriers in response to COVID-19, the frequency of air services and number of airports being served is now increasing.
Air Canada (aircanada.com), Air Transat (airtransat.com), British Airways (britishairways.com) and WestJet (westjet. com) operate flights from the UK to Canada.
Once in Canada, visitors can fly domestically with Air Canada and WestJet.
Air Canada’s budget subsidiary, Air Canada Rouge (flyrouge.com), and Porter Airlines (flyporter.com) count among the options for travel within Canada. Air North (flyairnorth.com), Calm Air (calmair.com) and Canadian North (canadiannorth.com) serve destinations in the country’s north.
Carbon neutral Harbour Air (harbourair. com), based in Vancouver, aims to be the world’s first commercial airline to operate only all-electric aircraft.
Cars and Rvs: On the road
The experience: Excellent highways and country roads, usually with light traffic, make Canada ideal for road trips in a rental car or motorhome. Self-drive holidays provide a framework for travellers to explore independently, with motorhomes known as recreational vehicles in Canada, a term
a kayak excursion during an expedition cruise
commonly abbreviated to RV. They present holidaymakers with freedom to explore the country at leisure during road trips, negating the need to book hotels.
With sleeping quarters for between two and seven people, RVs allow travellers to wake in the countryside or ready to explore cities. Typically, drivers aged from 21 years of age can get behind the wheel of an RV. Traffic is light in most of Canada, making driving a stress-free experience. Best for: Touring the Yukon (and neighbouring Alaska). Western Canada between Vancouver and Calgary. Exploring Québec, from its cities to the Laurentians. Driving between the small towns,parks and waterways of eastern Canada. When: RVs are ideal for summer travel (June until September in the Yukon; May until September in the west; May until October in eastern Canada). Key market: Couples; families; groups of friends; holidaymakers with time to explore. Key players: Cruise Canada (cruiseamerica. com), Canada Travel Specialists (canadatravelspecialists.com), Canadian Affair (canadianaffair.com), Canadian Sky (canadiansky.co.uk), Frontier Canada (frontier-canada.co.uk) What it doesn’t offer: The security of a guided group and someone else taking the strain of doing the driving.
Book It with... Canadian Affair
The Best of Canada’s West Holiday, from £1,495pp, includes return flights to Vancouver, 15 days’ motorhome hire with a 2,000km allowance, a suggested itinerary encompassing the Okanagan Valley, Banff National Park and Jasper, plus one night in a Vancouver airport hotel.
canadianaffair.com 0203 424 9797
Trains: Stay on track
The experience: Travelling by rail enables holidaymakers to sit back, relax and enjoy the country’s wondrous landscapes and passing wildlife. In some regions the network covers ground not linked by roads, such as northern Manitoba between Winnipeg and Churchill. The Canadian, which connects Toronto and Vancouver in three-and-a-half
take the ferry and bike across to totonto’s islands
days, and the luxury Rocky Mountaineer are two of the world’s iconic rail journeys. Carriages offer unparalleled views of fast-flowing rivers, rugged scenery in the Canadian Rockies, wooded areas, arid plains and the central prairies and farmlands.
Heritage railways, in some cases operating restored steam trains, are also popular. The South Simcoe Railway (southsimcoerailway. ca) and the White Pass and Yukon Route (wpyr.com) provide holidaymakers opportunities to take trips on scenic routes. Where: Several regions of Canada. When: VIA Rail operates services throughout the year. The Rocky Mountaineer runs from April until October Key markets: Environmentally aware travellers; Rail aficionados; 50+ travellers and those with time on their hands looking to explore the country beyond the main roads. Key players: Rocky Mountaineer (rockymountaineer.com), VIA Rail (viarail. ca/en) What it doesn’t offer: Timetabled departures limit spontaneity.
Book it with... Prestige Holidays
The Eastern Rail Explorer is a 10-day independent rail tour between Halifax and Toronto. Priced from £1,860pp it includes seven nights’ hotel accommodation and a night on VIA Rail’s The Ocean train, rail travel, city tours in Toronto, Montréal, Québec plus sightseeing tours at Peggy’s Cove and Niagara Falls. prestigeholidays.co.uk 01502 567222
Cruising
The experience: With more coastline than any other country, Canada has destinations in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans which are served by cruise ships. This is also a land of lakes and rivers that can often be experienced on sightseeing tours.
suggest clients see canada at their own pace by travelling in an rv
Expedition cruise ships journey along the Northwest Passage to remote locations such as Baffin Island.
And cruising is a way for holidaymakers to call at some of Canada’s remote settlements with a unique heritage, such as Haida Gwaii, the British Columbian archipelago that is nicknamed ‘the Canadian Galapagos’ due to its diverse nature.
Cruising is also a mainstream way of exploring Québec City and Montréal, which are both accessible along the Saint Lawrence River, and other coastal and riverfront cities.
Self-drive boats (leboat.co.uk) offers even non-sailors a way of gently touring the UNESCO World Heritage Site Rideau Canal between Ottawa and Kingston. Where: Maritime Canada; Arctic Canada, Central Canada, Western Canada When: June to October Key market: Mature clients; adventurers; those looking to do a cruise ‘add on’. Key players: P&O Cruises (pocruises.com), Princess Cruises (princess.com), Viking Cruises (vikingcruises.co.uk) Crystal Cruises (crystalcruises.com) What it doesn’t offer: Opportunities to explore inland scenery, unless booked as part of a holiday itinerary. And don’t forget... Cycle hire is a means to exploring Canada’s cities and more rural areas - for example, by following the likes of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail in the Okanagan Valley. Pull on a helmet and jump on an electric-scooter (eskoot.com) and tour vineyards and other attractions around Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Winter transport opens include exploring the frozen countryside while sitting on a sled pulled by dogs or powering along groomed snowy trails on a snowmobile.
Book it with... Windows on the Wild
Departing from May to August, the 10-night Queen Charlotte Islands – Haida Gwaii tour costs £4,595pp, including six-nights’ sharing a twin cabin, four nights in Vancouver and return flights from Vancouver to Sandspit.
