Oh Canada

Canada is a big country!  Keep this fact in mind when making plans to travel here.

Greyhound Canada www.greyhound.ca is still the budget way to cover the vast distances involved in travelling Canada. A Greyhound trip can be like a fine tourist coach ride, with majestic scenery rolling past the windows, or you could be squeezed against a whiskey dipped street person, through a long sleepless night, while the bus jolts bumps and lurches through deserted logging towns. Greyhound pretty much covers Canada, and is the only budget way to reach many of the smaller centres and towns.

Regional airlines such as Westjet <>www.westjet.ca Jetsgo www.jetsgo.net or Air Canada's discount arm, Zip <>www.4321zip.ca often have deals that allow you to fly between main cities for around the same price as a standard Greyhound ticket (they still can't match Greyhounds 7 day advance purchase or companion fare though). Often a flight will take a fraction of the time a bus trip will eg. Vancouver- Calgary on the Tin Dog takes 12 hours, on Westjet it's an hour. If you're going to fly, try to get a window seat as a lot of Canada's most amazing scenery is going to pass beneath your wings. Airlines do not offer direct service to many of Canada's smaller towns.

Take the train, especially if you're planning on travelling from one coast to the other. A scenic way to watch the countryside rolling by, while still being able to relax and move around a bit. VIA rail does not go directly to Calgary, but you can join our tours from Edmonton or Jasper via bus link. Ask us for details.

Hook up with someone who has a car, and travelling gets easier. Many of Canada's best spots are 'off the beaten track' and a car is often the best way to get there, the downside; Cars, insurance and gas can all be expensive, and budget vehicles have a nasty habit of.....  breaking down.