Is it Loonie to visit Canada this summer? Not
with these tips
If the surge keeps up, the Canadian dollar, now worth
more than ever, wiping out the discount that has made
Canada an attractive travel destination for Americans.
''We're not the bargain we used to be for Americans,''
says Rick Boyd Past President of the
BC Hotels
Association. Like many Canadian Resorts and Hotel
operators, they have not raised there rates this year,
yet a room priced at $160 Canadian now costs $150.40 in
U.S. dollars compared with $141 last year.
The U.S. dollar has weakened against almost all the
world's currencies, but the effects have been
particularly noticeable in Canada over the past several
years due to its higher interest rates and strong
economy.
In 2003, when the Canadian dollar, known as the loonie
because of the loon pictured on the $1 coin, was worth
just 72 cents, a hotel room priced at $160 CAN would
have cost just $115 U.S.
''It's extremely challenging for Tourism, many travel
partners counts on American visitors for 50 percent to
60 percent of her business in the summer season.
Making travel more costly was the federal government's
recent decision to eliminate the rebate on a 6 percent
(GST) tax on lodging and other goods and services.
Tourism officials fear that the strong loonie coupled
with a U.S. plan to require passports or new identity
cards at land border crossings as early as next January
could add to what's been a 34 percent drop in U.S.
travelers to Canada since 2000.
What should you do if you've got your heart set on
taking the family to Canada this summer? While no longer
cheap, a Canadian getaway can still be affordable, but
you'll have to work to make your dollars stretch.
Here are some ideas:
• Shop for
hotels. Not many
bargains this time of year, but it still pays to
shop around. Most hotels don't include taxes in their
initial rate quotes, so be sure you're getting the
bottom-line price. In
Whistler, Vancouver and
Victoria, taxes add another $16 per night onto the
price of a $100 room.
Check the ''SAVE RATES'' offered by Allure Hotels at
www.allure-hotels.com .
Consider budget hotels, but make sure you're familiar
with the location, and find out what other travelers
have to say before booking.
Check out Hotels that include breakfast or free
telephone or internet access included in your Hotel
rate.
• Avoid weekend travel. Not only will you wait less
crossing the border, you might snag midweek discounts on
hotels and transportation.
• Use public transportation or ask at the hotel front
desk many will provide a courtesy shuttle. Avoid high
gas prices and hotel parking fees.
If you are staying in a Hotel in Downtown Vancouver most
attractions, Restaurants, theatres and Tours are all
within easy walking distance.
In Vancouver, B.C., for example, get around town with a
day pass ($7.50 U.S.) for the Skytrain light-rail system
(which has a stop right across the street from the train
station), buses and the Sea Bus to Lonsdale Quay and
Vancouver's north shore. See
www.translink.bc.ca.
• Head to ski areas. The best defence against higher
prices is to travel off-season. October through April is
generally the best time to find deals, but seasonal
bargains right now are in
Whistler, B.C.'s premier ski resort.
Hundreds of luxury hotel rooms go begging in summer, and
there are plenty of warm-weather activities such as
glacier skiing and hiking, mountain biking, golfing,
rock climbing or just relaxing by one of the pools.
• Extra Travel fees. You might not think of Canada as a
foreign country, but banks do, which means extra fees
are applied to ATM withdrawals and credit-card charges.
Check with your bank on its foreign transaction fees --
usually 1 percent on ATM transactions (some banks charge
an additional withdrawal fee) and from 1 to 3 percent on
credit-card charges. Larger banks tend to charge higher
fees than credit unions and small banks.
•
Canadian Border Crossing Canada road-border crossings may be
more congested than ever this summer with higher
security and more Canadians coming to the United States
in search of bargains.
Peace Arch
Border
Pacific Highway Crossing (Truck Border)
General Motors Place is home to the
Vancouver Canucks and
BC
Place home of the
BC Lions. These 2 stadiums
hold many Events
during the Year so check out our Events page to see if
there is something to interest you.
If you are attending a Game or Event at one of the
Stadiums and are hungry but want something other than
the expensive stadium food. There is a Costco right
there that offers it usually 7 or items that is about a
third of the cost. Another great place is the large
popular Asian market T & T, that sells many to go Asian
specialties. |
Here are some of the
Hotels
in Downtown Vancouver
that offer Great Value based on location.
Barclay
Hotel
Best Western Chateau Granville
Best Western Sands
Blue
Horizon Hotel
Bosmans
hotel
Century Plaza Hotel
Comfort
Inn Vancouver
Days Inn
Empire Landmark
Hampton Inn Vancouver
Quality Hotel Vancouver
Ramada Inn and Suites Downtown Vancouver
Ramada Vancouver Hotel
Sandman Hotel
St. Regis
Hotel Vancouver
Tropicana Hotel
Holiday Inn Downtown
Plaza 500
Hotel
Residence
Inn Vancouver
Best Western Downtown |
