July 30, 2004 -- In August, going north is the smart thing to get away from hot and humid weather. So what could be better than travel to Canada during that month? We at Frommer's provide a few carefully selected bargains to help you get on your way.
Toronto is always fun, a remarkably cosmopolitan city with good food, friendly people and a multi-cultural outlook that comes up to the varietal standards almost equal to those of New York or London. United Vacations has some Toronto vacations that offer a savings of up to $100 for travel now through August 31. Sample trips include roundtrip air on United or Air Canada, three nights of hotel lodging, and 24-hour traveler assistance.
Prices begin at $414 out of New York City staying at Bond Place, $429 from Boston, Chicago or Washington DC, $459 from Dallas or Houston, $549 from Denver or Phoenix, $589 from San Francisco, and $594 from Los Angeles or San Diego. You can stay two more nights, the fifth one being free, if you wish.
At The Sutton Place Hotel, prices range from $424 out of New York to $604 from Los Angeles, with the third night free. You can also stay at the pricier Westin Harbour Castle or the Sheraton Centre, with the fourth night free. There are some fine print details and blackout dates, so be sure to ask. Contact the sponsors at www.unitedvacations.com or by phoning 888/328-6877.
It's cooler up in Newfoundland, where the dollar and a warm morning coffee go a long way. In fact, a buck will get you an extra night's lodging here if you take a package offered by Maxxim Vacations, a leader in travel up in these parts. Their "Voyage of the Vikings" tour costs $1199 per person (US), and gives you an eight-day (seven-night) trip, including roundtrip airfare on Air Canada from Boston. You'll visit the ancient community of L'Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, said to be the earliest village peopled by Europeans in North America. The summer of 1,000 AD will be recreated in a working Viking village, where you will hear music, attend a Viking "wedding" and taste traditional food. And you stay an extra night for just one buck!
Packages out of New York are priced at $1,299, from Chicago at $1,239, from Atlanta at $1,339 and from Los Angeles at $1,399. There are daily departures from August 15 through October 31, 2004. Included in the package are the airfare, the hotels, a seven-day car rental with unlimited mileage, roundtrip ferry transfers to Labrador and a boat excursion.
There's also a similarly priced Western Newfoundland Adventure package, and three fly-drive packages in Nova Scotia, on the latter of which you get a $100 free gas offer. The lowest priced of these is from $1,099 for seven nights, including airfare, lodging, car rental and some extras. For getting around, you get $100 worth of free gas. Contact Maxxim at www.maxximvacations.com or phone 800/567-6666 or 709/754-6666.
Note that the package prices above involving air transport do not include airport taxes or security fees.
Hit the Rails
If natural splendor is your thing, consider the United Vacations package that includes a rail tour departing from one of three Canadian cities (Vancouver, Banff or Calgary) and highlighting such wonders as the Continental Divide, Banff National Park, the Fraser River Valley and Kicking Horse River. A two-day RedLeaf Tour takes you on a marvelous train ride through the Canadian Rockies, which includes one-night lodging at the Sandman Downtown Vancouver and one night at the Sandman Downtown Calgary. Prices begin at $994 out of Seattle, $1,049 from San Francisco, $1,109 from Denver, $1,169 from Washington DC and $1,179 from Chicago. You can upgrade to the GoldLeaf Service, too, for an extra charge.
On the two-day rail tour, you get your breakfast, lunch, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages onboard each day, lodging for one night in Kamloops and services of onboard attendants. Book this only through the reservations center at 888/328-6877. The tours operate eastbound and westbound through the middle of October 2004.