THE CHEAPEST DESTINATIONS Big savings for flexible travellers

THE CHEAPEST DESTINATIONS Big savings for flexible travellers

Want to get some insight into Canadians' travel priorities? Interested in knowing how airfares to top destinations across the country and around the world stack up? Looking for cost-saving travel tips? Cheapflights.ca, has issued its second annual Compass Report for Canada.

Based on an analysis of more than 11.5 million searches from six major cities (Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg) pulled from more than 73 years of collective search time over the last 12 months, the report delves into the most popular destinations on a national and local level, showing where Canadians are looking to go and what it costs to get there.

Starting with search patterns and priorities, the collective data revealed a lot about where travel search fits into our lives: the peak search time is from 8-9 pm, particularly on Tuesday nights, with a majority of searches – 60 percent – done on mobile devices. Additionally, we can see where, by region, Canadians seek to travel:

The global breakdown is North America (41 percent), Asia (29 percent), Europe (20 percent), Africa (5 percent), South America (4 percent) and Oceania (2 percent).

For those searching for flights within North America, 46 percent were headed to the US while 26 percent were pricing Canadian destinations and 28 percent spots in Mexico and the tropics. The ‘most popular’ search line-up is an interesting mix of the near and far. In a shift from last year, Cancun, Toronto and Paris edged out three US favourites - Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

10 Most Popular Destinations

1 Delhi, India
2 London, United Kingdom
3 Manila, Philippines
4 Paris, France
5 Las Vegas, Nevada
6 New York, New York
7 Vancouver, British Columbia
8 Toronto, Ontario
9 Bangkok, Thailand
10 Cancun, Mexico



The core of the report, however, is the ranking of the chosen destinations by their affordability as that is the guide to how Canadians' favourite spots compare in price. Here's the line-up of the 10 cheapest places to go, on average:

10 Cheapest Destinations

1 New York, New York $348
2 Boston, Massachusetts $375
3 Washington, D.C. $424
4 Chicago, Illinois $442
5 Fort Lauderdale, Florida $470
6 Cancun, Mexico $476
7 Orlando, Florida $478
8 Tampa, Florida $481
9 San Juan, Puerto Rico $483
10 Los Angeles, California $502


Once again, no destination in Canada broke into the top 10 ranking on price. Halifax did come in at number 11 with an average airfare of $509, followed by Ottawa, ranked 16 with an average airfare of $535, and then Winnipeg, which was number 17 on the list with an average airfare of $554.

VALUE HUNTING HINTS

For those looking to save on their next vacation, the Compass Report offers useful intel about emerging deal destinations and tips for finding the type of getaway they want for the budget they have:


Florida's deal destination: Fort Lauderdale ($470) is the most affordable spot in Florida. On average, it's $60 cheaper than flying into Miami ($530). Emerging tropical deals: While prices are climbing to some Caribbean hot spots, like Jamaica ($711) and the Dominican Republic ($744), airfares to some emerging Central America destinations such as Guatemala ($584) and Costa Rica ($585) are trending down. South America savings: Canadians can save more than $500 by flying to Lima, Peru, ($829) instead of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ($1,351).

Accessible Asia: Asia is getting more popular and more affordable. It's cheaper to go to Beijing, China, ($854) than to Dublin, Ireland, ($893) or Amsterdam, Netherlands, ($914).

Bucket list options: Is seeing an "active volcano" high on your to-do list? You have options. It will cost you about the same to view one in Hawaii ($724) as it would in Reykjavik, Iceland, ($731).


Looking for the charms of old world Spain? If you want cobblestone streets and colonial sights, opt for San Juan, Puerto Rico, ($483) or Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, ($560) instead of Barcelona ($948) or Madrid ($993) and save more than $400.

Planning a trip to India? Delhi, India, ($1,248) is the best gateway into India followed by Mumbai ($1,328) and Bangalore ($1,329).

More swap and save options:


Cancun, Mexico, ($476) over Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, ($560)
San Juan, Puerto Rico, ($483) over Havana, Cuba, ($640)
London, England, ($834) over Rome, Italy ($987)

he report also drills down into the 25 most popular destinations for those travelling from each of the six key markets, providing some valuable local insights. While many of the regional hotspots are traditional vacation destinations, some of the most-searched cities are tied to the increasingly diverse population of Canada, underscoring that travel is also about ties to family and heritage.

A prime example: Delhi topped the national list for most-searched destinations as well as the local list for Toronto and ranked as the second most popular with travellers from Vancouver and third with those from Calgary and Winnipeg. Likewise, Manila was the second most-searched destination for travellers from Calgary and Winnipeg and the fourth most popular spot for those in Toronto and Vancouver.

Toronto featured widely in regional lists as well, scoring the top spot on the most popular list for Calgarians and Winnipeggers and ranking number three for Vancouverites. It's also worth noting that the cheapest flight within Canada is that well travelled route, Montreal-Toronto, ($227).

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Terms, conditions and restrictions apply; pricing, availability, and other details subject to change and/ or apply to US or Canadian residents. Please confirm details and booking information with your travel advisor.

You will visit the following 18 places:

Las Vegas

Las Vegas

Las Vegas – vibrant, noisy, megalopolis of people and frenetic energy – which bills itself as "The Entertainment Capital of the World", is an internationally renowned major resort city famed for its 24-hour casinos and endless entertainment options. The city is one of the top three leading destinations in the United States for conventions, business, and meetings. In addition, the city's metropolitan area has more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any other city in the world, and is a global leader in the hospitality industry. Today, Las Vegas is one of the top tourist destinations in the world!

London

London

London – noisy, vibrant, diverse range of people, ideas and frenetic energy – is the capital and largest city of both England and of the United Kingdom. Considered one of the world's leading "global cities", the city remains an international capital of culture, arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism, and transport all contributing to its prominence. Today, among international tourists, London is the most visited city in the world!

Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region. The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,193,031, but the Paris metropolitan area has a population of 11,836,970, and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. In 2009 and 2010, the city has been ranked among the three most important and influential cities in the world, among the first three "European cities of the future" according to a research published by Financial Times and among the top ten cities in the world in which to live according to the British review Monocle.  The city is the home of the most visited art museum in the world; ''the Louvre'' as well as the ''Musée d'Orsay'' noted for its collection of French Impressionist art, and the ''Musée National d'Art Moderne'' a museum of modern and contemporary art. The notable architectural landmarks of Paris include Notre Dame Cathedral (12th century); the Sainte-Chapelle (13th century); the Eiffel Tower (1889); and the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre (1914). In 2014 Paris received 22.4 million visitors, making it one of the world's top tourist destinations. It is also known for its fashion, particularly the twice-yearly Paris Fashion Week, and for its haute cuisine, and three-star restaurants. Most of France's major universities and grandes écoles are located in Paris, as are France's major newspapers, including Le Monde, Le Figaro, and Libération.

Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire "New England" region. The city proper had a 2009 estimated population of 645,169, making it the twentieth largest in the country. It is also the anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area called  "Greater Boston", home to 4.5 million people and the tenth-largest metropolitan area in the country. Greater Boston as a commuting region includes six Massachusetts counties:  "Essex", "Middlesex","Norfolk", "Suffolk", "Plymouth", "Worcester", northern "Bristol" County, all of "Rhode Island" and parts of "New Hampshire"; it is home to 7.6 million people, making it the fifth-largest Combined Statistical Area in the United States.

San Juan

San Juan

San Juan, officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista (Municipality of the Capital City, Saint John the Baptist), is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 658,304 making it the 42nd-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico ("Rich Port City"). Puerto Rico's capital is the second oldest European-established city in the Americas, after Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. Several historical buildings are located in San Juan; among the most notable are the city's former defensive forts, Fort San Felipe del Morro and Fort San Cristóbal, and La Fortaleza, the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Americas. 

Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada; 52% of its residents have a first language other than English. Classed as a Beta global city, the city is well known for its majestic natural beauty, as it is nestled between the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently ranked as one of the "best cities to live in" and is certainly a beautiful destination to visit.

New Delhi

New Delhi

New Delhi is a municipality and district in Delhi which serves as the capital and seat of government of India. In addition, it also serves as the seat of Government of Delhi. The foundation stone of the city was laid by George V, Emperor of India during the Delhi Durbar of 1911. It was designed by British architects, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. The new capital was inaugurated on 13 February 1931, by India's Viceroy Lord Irwin. Although colloquially ''Delhi'' and ''New Delhi'' as names are used interchangeably to refer to the jurisdiction of NCT of Delhi, these are two distinct entities, and the latter is a small part of the former. New Delhi has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission. It also has one of India's largest bus transport systems. Buses are operated by the state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), which owns largest fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG)-fueled buses in the world. 

New York City

New York City

New York City is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York metropolitan area. The city has a significant impact on global commerce, finance, media, culture, art, fashion, research, education, and entertainment. As host of the United Nations Headquarters, it is also an important center for international affairs. The city is often referred to as ''New York City'' or the ''City of New York'', to distinguish it from the state of New York, of which it is a part. Located on a large natural harbor on the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, New York City consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. 

Toronto

Toronto

Toronto, a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, television production, is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Its varied cultural institutions, which include numerous museums, festivals and public events, entertainment districts, national historic sites, and sports activities, are key attractions to the over 25 million tourists that visit the city every year.  Toronto is well known for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, the CN Tower. As Canada's commercial capital, the city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, the headquarters of Canada's five largest banks, and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, business services, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism. Toronto is placed among the Global Leaders in the Global Financial Centres Index, and is also consistently rated as one of the world's most liveable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Mercer Quality of Living Survey.

Manila

Manila

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is the home to extensive commerce and seats the executive and judicial branches of the Filipino government. It also contains vast amount of significant architectural and cultural landmarks in the country. The City of Manila Dubbed as ''Queen City of The Pacific'' by The Bay, and due to the central location in the Pacific sea trade routes, the city received the moniker of the "Pearl of the Orient".

Washington

Washington

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States founded on July 16, 1790. The U.S. Constitution allows for the creation of a special district to serve as the permanent national capital. The District is therefore not a part of any U.S. state and is instead directly overseen by the federal government. Within the District, a new capital city was founded in 1791 and named in honor of George Washington. The City of Washington, along with Georgetown and outlying areas within the federal district, were placed under a single, unified government following an act of Congress in 1871. It is for this reason that the city, while legally named the District of Columbia, is known as Washington, D.C. The city shares its name with the U.S. state of Washington located on the country's Pacific coast.

Tampa

Tampa

Tampa is a Gulf Coast Bay city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2000 was 303,447. According to the 2009 estimates, the city's population had grown to 343,890, making it the 54th largest city in the United States. The current location of Tampa was once inhabited by various indigenous cultures, most recently the Tocobaga. It was spotted by Spanish explorers in the early 16th century, but there were no permanent American or European settlements in the area until 1824, when the US Army established a frontier outpost called Fort Brooke at the site of today's Tampa Convention Center. The village of Tampa began as a small group of pioneers who settled near the fort for protection from the Seminole population in the area.

Orlando

Orlando

Orlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region. The Orlando metropolitan area has a population of 2,082,628 and it is the 27th largest metropolitan area in the United States, the 5th largest metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States, and the 3rd largest metro area in Florida. The city-proper population is 235,860 making Orlando the 80th largest city in the "United States". It is Florida's fifth largest city by population. Orlando was incorporated on July 31, 1875, and became a city in 1885.  

Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the state of Illinois. Its metropolitan area, commonly named "Chicagoland", is the 27th most populous metropolitan area in the world, home to an estimated 9.7 million people spread across the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Chicago is the county seat of Cook County, the second largest county in the United States by population. The city is renowned for its fascinating museums - including the Art Institute and its expansive collections, including noted Impressionist works; it is a city with an appetite for food, of course, but also for design, history, culture, finance, commerce, industry, technology, telecommunications and transportation.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Spanish for "The Angels", is the most populous city in California and the second most populous in the United States, with a population of 4.06 million on a land area of 498.3 square miles (1,290.6 km2). It is the focal point of the larger Los Angeles-Long Beach Riverside  combined statistical area, which contains nearly 17.8 million people. This makes it the 12th most populous metropolitan area in the world. Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated and one of the most multicultural counties in the United States. The city's inhabitants are referred to as "Angelenos".

Cancún

Cancún

Cancún is a coastal city in the popular vacation destination called ''The Mexican Caribbean'', more officially known as the state of Quintana Roo, on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Cancún is the municipal seat of the Benito Juárez municipality and a world-renowned balneario and tourist resort. It is composed of fourteen miles of pristine white beaches shaped like a number "7", home of the Mayan archaeological wonders, turquoise seas, a bountiful underwater world, and world-class vacation amenities. It is still considered the gateway to the Mayan World (El Mundo Maya). Mayan temples and ritual sites are everywhere, some smothered by lush jungle, others easily accessible. The Cancun hotel zone is almost entirely built around the tourist industry. It abounds with all-inclusive resort hotels.

Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok, also known as the ''City of Angels'' and ''Venice of the East'', will hit you like a ton of bricks. Its high-rise buildings, heavy traffic congestion, intense heat and naughty nightlife may not immediately give you the best impression — but don't let that mislead you. It is one of Asia's most cosmopolitan cities with breathtaking temples and palaces, authentic canals, busy markets and a vibrant nightlife that has something for everyone. When you do find a moment, pamper yourself with spa treatments, skyline-view bars, luxurious hotels, and excellent restaurants. 

Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, 28 miles (45 km) north of Miami. The city is a popular tourist destination, with an average year-round temperature of 75.5 °F (24.2 °C), and 3,000 hours of sunshine per year. Greater Fort Lauderdale which takes in all of Broward County hosted 12 million visitors in 2012, including 2.8 million international visitors. The district has 561 hotels and motels comprising nearly 35,000 rooms. Greater Fort Lauderdale has over 4,000 restaurants, 63 golf courses, 12 shopping malls, 16 museums, 132 nightclubs, 278 parkland campsites, and 100 marinas housing 45,000 resident yachts. Fort Lauderdale is named after a series of forts built by the United States during the Second Seminole War. The forts took their name from Major William Lauderdale (1782–1838), younger brother of Lieutenant Colonel James Lauderdale. William Lauderdale was the commander of the detachment of soldiers who built the first fort.

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