World Travel

[Asper Sarnoff]

For comparison, I've had friends fly to France last year for the World Laser Quest Challenge and they didn't pay remotely close to 1,400-1,500 CAD, it was about $700-800 direct out of Toronto via Air Canada. Flights within the E.U. are usually cheap as well.

For international flights not to America yes, Toronto (if you live in the Toronto area) IS your best choice when it comes to convenience and price - mainly because it's a direct flight. I was considering flying to Britain a couple of times in the past and flying out of Buffalo (where I usually fly when I'm going anywhere in the U.S.) or New York just isn't feasible price wise, surprisingly.

Toronto has been ranked among the most expensive airports to fly out of in the world for years now (the landing fees are just insane). but for direct flights to popular destinations in Europe I have found it more economically viable than driving down to Buffalo or doing a connecting flight to the U.S. (where they have their own cross border fees that add up.) Hitting up different countries to your final destination really adds up in cost.

I always get two one way tickets because I have found no difference in total price as opposed to getting a round-trip ticket. In my case often I end up booking two different airlines and get a better price AND better times/dates.

If I was flying to lets just say...India for example I wouldn't just search for "Toronto to India", I'd try and utilize a variety of cities/airlines to find the best combo.

Yeah, but the issue here is that I'm pretty sure you can't get direct flights from Canada to Norway at all, save for with Icelandair, which are expensive as hell, and only fly out of Toronto, maybe Halifax. Both Dras and Fira have to do at least one touchdown, and that brings the price up considerably. Especially since Norway's not part of the EU.

Somewhat surprised you can get away with two one-ways costing less than the round trip. It should be that way, logically, but when I look at flight prices, all to often a roundtrip will cost considerably less than a one-way to most destinations in Europe.

[Drasiana]

I live in Vancouver. Vancouver =/= Toronto. So I'm sure Toronto is great to fly out of, but that doesn't help me much, unless you're suggesting I buy a seperate flight to Toronto and then get a flight out of there, which at that point, the cost would equate to what it would be flying straight out of Vancouver anyway, if not more.

[Fira-Astrali]

there is a website called canadatravels.com that apparently gives you insanely low prices on tickets, but it doesnt fly directly into Norway, so you'd have to do what User said and get another ticket. Not sure how expensive it would be to do so though.

[TCPeppyTc]

@Drasnia. If you live in Vancouver, you should try to make it to Banff National Park ( If you havent already)

My family and I just went there this summer, and it is really great. Very picturesuqe and pristine, cleaner and more wild than most American National Parks I have been to. Lake Louise/ Morraine are must sees.

[Drasiana]

I used to live there, actually. But yeah, it is nice. Not sure why you instantly equated it to Vancouver though because it's a good fifteen hour drive from here.

I'll figure out this Norway thing eventually >:

[TCPeppyTc]

Your right. I just thought since both were in BC.

[Drasiana]

It's in Alberta, actually. It becomes the Yoho and Kootenay National Parks when you cross into BC.

[Asper Sarnoff]

I decided to look around a little on your options Dras. For the most parts, it's double touchdown, usually in the states, then germany. I'll not recommend that. Going trough the US always makes things more complicated. Though, they do give you less beef if you just travel trough.

Instead, the best option seem to be from Vancouver, to Heathrow, and from there to Oslo, all with British Airways. As an example, if you went in a couple weeks time, staying for two, I found some for just under 1200 CAD. Order as far ahead as possible, and you can sqeeze it lower than that. Flight time 14-15 hours, economy without full flex of course.

[Drasiana]

That's much better price than what I've been finding. Didn't think of using British Airways. Thanks for looking, Asper! That is definitely an option. Not that I have $1200 right now but WHEN I DO, damn it, hehehe.

[Asper Sarnoff]

Glad to help!

["User"]

We should all go to Norway and have a party or something lol. I'm sick of traveling in America (hit up 25 U.S. states and several dozen popular/not so popular American cities, mostly in the past 5 years) and my international travel is virtually non-existent - even though I've had chances to visit Cuba and Mexico and turned them down because of work and an expired passport at the time. >_<

Yeah, but the issue here is that I'm pretty sure you can't get direct flights from Canada to Norway at all, save for with Icelandair, which are expensive as hell, and only fly out of Toronto, maybe Halifax. Both Dras and Fira have to do at least one touchdown, and that brings the price up considerably. Especially since Norway's not part of the EU.

Like someone already brought up I found British Airlines pretty cheap for travel within Europe in general (didn't know that Norway wasn't a part of the EU). It's generally good advice to check out multiple sites and airlines and try and mix and match your way for the best deal. It takes time but it's worth it.

Somewhat surprised you can get away with two one-ways costing less than the round trip. It should be that way, logically, but when I look at flight prices, all to often a roundtrip will cost considerably less than a one-way to most destinations in Europe.

Logistically it should be the opposite in North America with a round-trip costing less than two one ways but yeah, that doesn't seem to be the case here.

Instead, the best option seem to be from Vancouver, to Heathrow, and from there to Oslo, all with British Airways. As an example, if you went in a couple weeks time, staying for two, I found some for just under 1200 CAD. Order as far ahead as possible, and you can sqeeze it lower than that. Flight time 14-15 hours, economy without full flex of course.

Yeah, that sounds about right. From my research I'd avoiding flying into the U.S. when going to Europe.

[Drasiana]

You know, for as much complaining about travelling to the U.S. as there is, I am used to seeing FAR MORE security in airports like YVR/Vancouver and YYC/Calgary. Albeit, those airports are set up much better than one like LAX.

["User"]

You know, for as much complaining about travelling to the U.S. as there is, I am used to seeing FAR MORE security in airports like YVR/Vancouver and YYC/Calgary. Albeit, those airports are set up much better than one like LAX.

If it's for travel to the U.S. than yes, the security is frequently more annoying and cumbersome in Canadian airports. Domestic U.S. flights have little security measures by comparison. Hence another reason for people who are traveling to the U.S. to fly out of Buffalo or Detroit if you're from the GTA or other areas in southern Ontario.

[Drasiana]

I never necessarily found it "cumbersome". Quite the contrary, considering YVR's automated check-ins, passport scanners and the little thingies where you scan your customs declarations. All that in the States seems to be done by crotchety elderly folks who couldn't care less about what they're doing. That and the fact that, yeah, you don't need your passport to fly domestic. The news is always BLA BLA AMERICAN SECURITY TSA BLA BLA but honestly, in the American airports I've been to, they seem to be less advanced than others.

I'm still waiting for someone on both sides of the border to ask me what my graphics tablet is though. I'm sure that big square of random microchips and wires looks pretty weird and I'm just as sure that all the aforementioned crotchety old people don't know what a tablet is. Yet mysteriously I have yet to be tackled by security. I did get my nail file confiscated when I was 12, though, because there was a tiny piece of metal on the end of it.

["User"]

I never necessarily found it "cumbersome". Quite the contrary, considering YVR's automated check-ins, passport scanners and the little thingies where you scan your customs declarations. All that in the States seems to be done by crotchety elderly folks who couldn't care less about what they're doing. That and the fact that, yeah, you don't need your passport to fly domestic. The news is always BLA BLA AMERICAN SECURITY TSA BLA BLA but honestly, in the American airports I've been to, they seem to be less advanced than others.

Haven't been to Vancouver's airport so I can't comment on that. What I do like about Canadian airports is that they all have NEXUS and that allows me to skip by customs lines and fast track my way into the terminal.

[Psygonis]

After Prague, several days ago, I think my next stop would be Vienna, in Austria. West Russia's on the list too. Steve mentioned NZ and Japan and I completely join him about it.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'll have to keep my further travels linked to sci. conferences only...

For long flights, it's preferable to break them down to several steps, for both comfort and costs purposes. When I had to go to Turkey for a conference, one month and a half ago, the direct round-way Montréal-Istanbul flight was about 2000€ (approx 2800 USD) and ~30 hours of flight, whereas doing Montréal-Paris-Ljubljana-Istanbul and then Istanbul-Paris-London-Montréal cost 1200€ only (~1700 USD) for a total of 22 hours in the air.

I usually use eDreams to plan flights.

[Fira-Astrali]

why are you flying from montreal? I thought you lived in france?

And if you want to see lacks securty, you guys should all just head on over to Trondheim Airport They have two halls, one for "nothing to declare" and "something to declare". there is no one there making sure you actually go down the correct hall, and in fact im pretty sure all the lights were off in the something to declare hall, as if they didnt want you to go in, i got into norway without talking to a single customs official :P

[Sarita]

Talking of customs. I dunno about in the rest of Mexico, but in Leon, customs is so EASY. Compared to Houston, anyways. It takes me hours to get through Houston, and only a few minutes to get through Leon. You literally fill out a declaration form on the plane, hand it to the guy (who isn't always guaranteed to speak good English, which is a pain, sometimes) and then put your luggage through a scanner. Then you get to hit a button that determines if your stuff gets hand searched. That's it.

<3 Leon.

On the note of places I'd like to visit, take Steve's list and add Spain, England, and Scandinavia (yeah, all dem countries.) Steve told me he "hates" Europe, though, so I might be alone on those trips, ha.

[Redeemer]

DON'T FORGET HAYLEYCON, IN SCOTLAND. Y'ALL BETTER BE THERE, Y'HEAR?

[FoxMcCloud]

DON'T FORGET HAYLEYCON, IN SCOTLAND. Y'ALL BETTER BE THERE, Y'HEAR?

OF COURSE SUGARCUBE WOUDN'T MISS IT FOR TA' WORLD

[Furygun81]

I don't get out of Hampshire much, just really been to London like ten times; Cornwall once; and Barcelona in Spain once as well.

[Sarita]

DON'T FORGET HAYLEYCON, IN SCOTLAND. Y'ALL BETTER BE THERE, Y'HEAR?

And then Weddingcon in 2013 some time. But shhhh.

[Redeemer]

And then Weddingcon in 2013 some time. But shhhh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ALwKeSEYs

[Fira-Astrali]

And then Weddingcon in 2013 some time. But shhhh.

omg are you serious!?

[Arashikage]

It's my hope to travel to Europe at some point, I really want to go to Germany, the UK, Ireland, and maybe even Russia. I heard Africa was pretty beautiful too, I wouldn't mind going there.

As for the places I've been, really it's just the US, I've been to New Hampshire, Connecticut(Where I live), New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, DC, Delaware, Virginia, North and south Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

I gotta travel more >.<