Get away with an all-inclusive vacation to a sunny beach, or visit Ottawa and skate on the Rideau Canal,
Travel deals are on, so catch them before they rise again
To heck with visions of sugarplums. With temperatures plummeting, the only visions dancing in my head are of palm trees and white sand beaches. Fortunately, there are Boxing Day deals to be had on travel.
“Increasingly Boxing Day has become an effective time for many travel companies to offer deals and promotions,” says Gabe Saglie, a ‘deal expert’ with global travel deals company Travelzoo.
“The industry as a whole has figured out that, just like Black Friday in the U.S., on Boxing Day in Canada, there is a captive audience of people on the hunt for opportunities to stretch their buying power,” he says. Read on for tips on how to get the break you crave without breaking the bank.
Pick the right time to book
Flight comparison website SkyScan-ner predicts week three of the year will be the cheapest to book both domestic and international flights in 2017. The most expensive: week 43 for international flights and week 47 for flights within Canada in the leadup to the holidays.
And travel in low(ish) season
You’ll get the best prices on a tropical vacation if you know when travel is cheapest, says Saglie. Prices soar as high as Santa’s sleigh around Christmas, but tend to drop after New Year’s and begin rising steadily again through January and February.
They reach a peak in March when many schools take winter/spring break and we’re all longing for some sun. “If you’re travelling last minute, you’ll find it tough to find budget options,” says Saglie, “but by April they’re starting to loosen up again.”
Get an all-inclusive package
If you’ve got enough points for free airfare or you’re planning to be away for weeks, you might want to book your hotel and flight separately. Otherwise, bundling will almost certainly be more cost effective, with companies like Sunwing offering Boxing Day discounts of as much as 60 per cent.
Why? Because travel suppliers like Sunwing, Air Transat, Signature WestJet, Air Canada and Nolitours make bulk reservations and their superior buying power keeps prices in line.
Consider that a package deal to the all-inclusive five-star Grand Oasis Senss in Cancun rang in at $1,347 when checked recently on Redtag.ca. Book your flight and the same hotel separately and you’ll pay $1,582 for the all-inclusive room, plus a minimum of $415 for the flight.
Opt for the right palm-fringed beach
Caribbean destinations see the lion’s share of demand during the peak winter months, says Saglie, but you’ll still find good values on package beach vacations at destinations where there are “more resorts and more hotel rooms to fill.”
Good value locations for Canadians include Mexico and Cuba, as well as the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. And, says Saglie, Belize and Costa Rica are becoming more affordable as direct flights increase from Canada. Travelzoo is currently offering an uber-luxurious four-star resort in Belize for $183 per night (about $160 off ) until Dec. 31.
Take advantage of the Zika effect. As Saglie points out, travellers (particularly those at high risk such as women in their child-bearing years) may actively avoid destinations where the Zika virus is found. That takes in pretty much all of the Caribbean, Central and South America, the Pacific Islands and many U.S. states. If you’re not worried or plan to cover up and use bug spray, that could translate to better deals for you.
Visit the mouse with the mostest
Walt Disney World (in Florida) and Disneyland Resort (in California) are both offering a 25 per cent discount on a multi-day pass to woo Canadians leery of the exchange rate. And availability goes up dramatically after the first week in January when the kids go back to school.
Head south of the border
Cities like Chicago and New York go on sale in January and February, says Saglie. And prices in southern California don’t go up until March or April, although it boasts relatively good weather throughout the winter.
Embrace the snow
Don’t want to contend with our flagging dollar?
Stay home instead. Quebec City is enchanting in the snow, with its French empire roofs tufted in white and the rollicking Carnaval de Québec filling the streets with pinkcheeked children and intricate bluetinged ice sculptures.
Better yet: it’s affordable. Carnaval runs Jan. 27 to Feb. 12 and a twonight package for two at the majestic Chateau Frontenac, complete with ample buffet breakfast and passes for the Carnaval events will set you back about $761. (See carnaval.qc.ca for more packages.)
Other alternatives include schussing down the slopes at Blue Mountain with a little après ski fun in the Village (customize a package at bluemountain.ca/plan-your-trip/lodging), or a visit to Ottawa’s Winterlude Festival (Feb. 3 to 20) where you can skate the frozen Rideau Canal and watch outdoor concerts to the muffled sound of mittens clapping (ottawatourism.ca).