Looking for advice about Canada

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  • CorrieV1976
    CorrieV1976 Posts: 320 Member
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    Ayyy?
    it's EH? LOL........To the OP - I lived in Canada for 26 years, its a beautiful place, I lived in Fort Erie which is close to Niagara Falls.
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
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    I'm going to say Halifax, Toronto and Edmonton (apologies to the West Coasters but I've not gotten there yet).

    As has been said, the climate across the country is diverse, Feb on the east coast is nothing like Feb on the West coast or the prairies. And each city is hugely different from the next and it's going to be hard to get a true feel, especially in the winter, for the places unless you've got a fair bit of time.

    It's not a bad thought to want to get a feel for the winter, but it limits you on how much you might be able to see in the allotted time, and yeah, unless you've got good experience with driving in the snow, you might not want to rent a car.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
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    I was living in Toronto for few months and I truly recommend visiting it :) I'm looking forward to going back there in the future!

    I hear Toronto is pretty much an arts/entertainment/culture mecca. Can't wait to visit, myself.

    Also, Margaret Atwood lives there. I fantasize about visiting and running into her on the street and spilling my guts about what a huge fan I am then apologizing profusely for wasting her time. :laugh:
  • Zeromilediet
    Zeromilediet Posts: 787 Member
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    Driving from Montreal to Ottawa to Toronto in February?! I hope you are comfortable with driving in the snow!

    Honestly, that is the worst possible time to visit Canada. Even Vancouver and Victoria are ugly in February. Bleak, bleak, bleak and rain all the time. Is that the only time your schedule allows you to visit?

    yeah ... if you're flying into Montreal in February, stay for couple days to see the city, then take the train to Ottawa and Toronto. Seriously, you don't want to be driving here in winter if it's your first visit. Fly to Vancouver or even better Victoria. In winter these cities experience winter as rain. Picture Edinburgh weather. The best of the two is Victoria and the island is awesome, but not in its glory in February.

    In-country flights are not cheap ... if you do, try west jet
  • cathcakey
    cathcakey Posts: 288 Member
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    Ok, the car rental idea is OUT! While we're both pretty good drivers, it doesn't sound worth the risk/extra time.

    Thanks everyone for the advice :-)

    There's a lot of planning to be done!
  • TromaRon
    TromaRon Posts: 228 Member
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    Niagara Falls is a tourist trap, but definitely worth seeing. Especially from the Canadian side. Take the Maid of the Mist boat ride to the base of the falls.
  • glenner
    glenner Posts: 160 Member
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    Good point about if you like us at our worse, you should LOVE us at our best!! I shop for bathing suits that way- when I'm feeling my fattest- same reasoning!! If you do come then, remember we aren't that crappy all the time LOL! We are a huge country though- when we had family come to visit they never made it out of Ontario- and still couldn't get over how we drive for 8 hours with only pit stops for pee breaks, not tea breaks!! I wouldn't recommend renting a car in the winter- my friends from Britain couldn't handle driving in snow until they lived here for a LONG time- although they laughed at how we drove in fog! It would also take so much of your vacation- unless you are here for a month or two! Both coasts are beautiful but if you are thinking of re-locating here think about this- east coast may be cheaper to live in but high unemployment rate. West coast is VERY VERY expensive to live in. I think Calgary is a place to look at- close to the mountains and supposedly tons of jobs. Good luck
  • kerriknox
    kerriknox Posts: 276 Member
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    HI!

    My husband is from the UK. We met while I was backpacking around Europe 11 years ago and moved here when we got married (Calgary, Alberta). We go back and forth a lot though and his family has been over many times.

    First off - Why February? Are you wanting to expose yourself to the worst weather to see if you can handle it before moving here? If so, I get that. Winters have definitely been the hardest for my husband to adjust to. If you are making a winter trip though I would stick to just one area. West coast would be great if you are skiers or snowboarders. It would give you an idea of all the great winter activities that help us get through the cold spells. If you could postpone your trip till summer I would recommend an across Canada journey. My parents were both teachers so as a kid we travelled across Canada twice bt car and tent trailer. All the way to PEI and back. It would give you a great idea of all the areas in Canada, but you would need to dedicate at least a month to it to really get a feel for each place and not feel like you are rushing. There are many RV rental companies that you could rent a wee trailer or Van from for the trip and just camp along the way.

    As for your questions......

    Does anyone know of any great deals for flight from UK to Canada and back?
    I agree with the other poster about canadianaffairs.com, we have booked through them many times. Also selloffvacations.com does flights as well and are often the same price as Canadianaffairs but their cancellation policy is better. With CanadianAffairs you have to buy their insurance to get any options for changing or cancelling. Also - depending on where you are flying from aer lingus also flies to Canada and when I priced out our trip this Christmas they were the cheapest by far.

    Where are the cities you'd recommend visiting?
    Everywhere. Canada is beautiful and has a lot of offer. From clam digging in PEI (my favourite thing from my last trip there) to the cafe's in old Quebec City, to the Rocky mountain hiking and Vancouver Islands beauty it really depends what you are into and if you are seriously planning to move here you'd be best to check it all out to find the best fit before committing to a move like that.

    How would you recommend travelling from place to place? Internal flights? Buses? Car rentals?
    I would recommend renting a van or small trailer and driving from one side to the other. Greyhound buses are available if you don't want to drive but it is a lot of time on the bus. You can also travel by train but it is not a web of train routes like in the UK there is basically one route across the country so you would miss a lot. If you had an area you wanted to skip you could do an internal flight but it is often fairly expensive.

    Good luck! If you have any more questions please feel free to message me. We plan vacations for our family all the time from the UK so have done a number of different routes in the West (we haven't taken them east yet, but that is on the list).
  • smrtcar
    smrtcar Posts: 104 Member
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    Fly into Ottawa (Heathrow to Ottawa direct on Air Canada) and skate on the Rideau Canal, visit museums and galleries, and eat tasty food. Take the train (http://www.viarail.ca/en) to Montreal and/or Toronto for more sight seeing, consider including Quebec City during the Winter Carnavale. Montreal and Toronto are expensive places to live, more so than Ottawa.

    I don't think there is a need to take an escorted tour but consider local tour guides (http://www.viator.com/search/ottawa). You speak the language, and French is not necessary in Montreal and almost everyone is capable of speaking English. Quebec City is a little more challenging outside of tourism area.

    have a great time.
  • linsben
    linsben Posts: 108 Member
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    Hey! i think your plan was perfect! Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa are all wihtin driving distance or train or even cheaper is the bus. I wouldnt knock the bus because if your looking for a cheap ride from Toronto to Montreal thats deffinetly the way to go when your in Ontario. I would use the Megabus or the Greyhound that leaves from downtown Toronto and then head to montreal and then take the train to Ottawa. I live in the arts distric of downtown Toronto and if you guys want a tour guide to show you around Toronto I'd be happy to offer my take on the city.
    But like everyone said both coasts offer so much as well and are very unique. I loved BC, vancouver and Victoria because of their obviouse beauty but the East coast stole my heart.
  • pnieuw
    pnieuw Posts: 473
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    Niagara Falls is a tourist trap, but definitely worth seeing. Especially from the Canadian side. Take the Maid of the Mist boat ride to the base of the falls.

    No Maid of the Mist in February...summer only.
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
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    I was tempted by the escorted tours, but I really want to get a feel for Canada as it would be day to day, rather than doing all the tourist attractions, if that makes sense?


    "Escorted Tours" have a completely different meaning in Montreal! Ha ha! j/k

    No seriously, our country here is so unique and there's far too much to see from coast to coast to be able to take it all in. I've been to most of the major cities and if you're looking for Uniqueness, definately Montreal and Halifax are incredible. If you hit the West coast, definitely Victoria as Vancouver Island is stunning! If you're into simply big cities, then Toronto and Vancouver are the giant Metropolises, and Calgary (Cowtown) is a stones throw away from the Canadian rockies with breathtaking scenery!

    February is outside of the tourist season for most of the country (save for the Skiing in BC and Quebec, so you'll be able to do lots withouth being swarmed by giant crowds. Keep in mind it can also be bitter cold like Hell has Frozen over in some places as well. Dress Warm. :-)

    Have an awesome trip!
  • Squible
    Squible Posts: 359 Member
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    I would just like to put my 2 cents in (or should that be toonie in? hah)

    My boyfriend has been to canada a good few times (he is from Londond UK) and he has had the cahnce to live there for a year twice.

    I was fortunate to go visit him in Vancouver for 2 weeks just after xmas in 2010. To be fair I wasnt too impressed for the first few days as it was just gray and cloudy and foggy and he had mainly been going on about the view of the mountains etc etc. Then when I saw those mountains and the sun come out and realised what a beautiful place it was I fell in love with it so much more.

    I was able to go back in summer 2010 for 3 months for a long holiday after I finished uni and it was fantastic. to be able to explore the whoel city and then north vancouver and we got to go to seattle and just spend time in one place and experience it all was great and we hiked around Lynn Valley Canyon (which I am currently having withdrawal symptoms, I miss it so much!)

    What I'm trying to say is although you want to see everywhere like other people have said Canada is a MASSIVE country maybe keep out visit to one city so you can truely soak up the cities atmosphere and you wouldnt just be doing touristy things but could find locals and try everything and be able to imagine what it would be like to live there.

    I would definately suggest Vancouver though it really is pretty amazing.
  • Fiesta80
    Fiesta80 Posts: 35
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    Canada is a hugely diverse country - and one of the largest in the world, so you will have to narrow it down a bit. ;-)

    Where you choose to visit would depend on what you're interested in. For instance, hubby and I are both outdoor buffs, and we love to wilderness camp, hike and canoe. The east coast has a lot of things that cater to the outdoor enthusiast. But if that's not something you're interested in, aim for the cities.

    My vote is for Nova Scotia....though, I'm biased (born and raised here)! The people are very friendly and down-to-earth (known for it), the beautiful rocky coastline, the lighthouses, quaint fishing villages, cheap seafood, and a plethora of outdoor activities such as hiking, wilderness camping, kayaking, canoeing, white-water rafting, whale watching, etc.

    Now I want to move to Nova Scotia :)
  • fitplease
    fitplease Posts: 647 Member
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    I want to go visit! Canada is such a mystery to me, but it sounds so nice!

    I wish you the best of luck as you visit the country. It's a great idea to see it before you move there. Why not go a couple of times this next year, to different areas that may interest you? That way, you can see more of it, in different seasons, and have time to mull it over in between visits.
  • worldtravelgirl98
    worldtravelgirl98 Posts: 18
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    I have only been to Canada once and this was to visit Vancouver and the Victoria. I loved it though. It is beautiful, clean, and has a lot of culture. I found Vancouver to be a big city with a smaller town feel. Good luck!
  • caribouisland
    caribouisland Posts: 6
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    If I could pick a place in Canada to vacation... I would go to:
    Old Montreal (Basilica) and the Ice Hotel
    Ontario - Niagara Falls
    Alberta - Lake Louise

    Check them out on-line... you will not be disappointed :)

    Also check out the VIA RAIL website for specials... travelling the Rockies by train is awesome!

    http://www.viarail.ca/en/deals
  • xo_jewel_xo
    xo_jewel_xo Posts: 696 Member
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    Thanks everybody!

    We're planning on coming for two weeks in February next year - time to really get a feel for the cold!!

    On the provisional list is:

    Fly to Montreal
    Rent a car and drive to Ottawa
    Drive to Toronto
    Fly to Vancouver and maybe then Victoria

    I was tempted by the escorted tours, but I really want to get a feel for Canada as it would be day to day, rather than doing all the tourist attractions, if that makes sense?

    Ok, poutine is definitely on my list!!

    I grew up in Toronto and moved to Victoria 10 years ago. The winters on the Island are much more gentle than they are in Montreal and Toronto! The climate in Victoria in February is moderate, usually above 0 celsius, probably raining (LOL) :grumble: , but a very small chance of snow. I loved living in Toronto as it offers everything! Victoria is beautiful and quaint. I hope you enjoy your visit.
  • poisongirl1
    poisongirl1 Posts: 93 Member
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    Another vote to visit Nova Scotia! It offers something other than your usual big cities (don't get me wrong, I love Montreal and really enjoyed Toronto, but the vibe and energy are so different). It's on the ocean, lots of sea food, wilderness, Bay of Fundy, fishing villages, great beaches (although you probably won't want to see them in Feb), everyone is so friendly and laid back, and you can try a Halifax donair! Halifax is a small city but has personality and tons of live local music (and alcohol, we drink a lot here...). Cape Breton has a lot of Gaelic culture, experience a ceilidh Nova Scotian style and see the beautiful highlands.

    I also have to put in a vote for Québec City (in particular Old Québec). If you visit Montréal it's only a 2 hr drive from there, and it's full of old world history, architecture and culture. Like Montréal, it is a French city but you can get by knowing little to no French, although it does have less English than Montréal (you don't need to know a WORD of French and will be fine on Montréal).

    Also, I've gotta say, you probably shouldn't visit in February. It's Canada, most places have bad winters. You'll probably get snowed in if you visit Québec in winter! So a warmer time of year would be best! I know here in Halifax, we typically don't get a ton of snow, but being on the Atlantic we have a ton of wind and it can get bitterly cold! It's hard to do any sightseeing when you either can't get around because of the snow, or you're just freezing your *kitten* off! And like other people have mentioned, you need to remember that it's a HUGE country, it'll be hard to try and visit each area, so you'll probably need to narrow your trip down.
  • linsben
    linsben Posts: 108 Member
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    If your moving to Canada then Winter will be your new friend for 5 months or so. Its really not that bad. I dont think you should be afraid to visit in any month because winter is beautiful and has only stopped me commuting to work 1.5 hours once last winter! so thats why i dont think you should be worried about driving or not liking it. Like you said, if you love it in the winter (which you will) you'll go crazy in the summer. Canada is soooo beautiful its nuts. And im not sure if you've heard of Muskoka. but its like paradise and only 3-4 hours north of Toronto. Its covered in fresh water lakes and the roads are blown into the rock of the Canadian shield. I want to move around there when i start a family.
    Good luck picking a province to live in, such a hard decision.

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