Attention, Budget-Watchers: 4 Canadian Alternatives to U.S. Hot Spots

[RNCollins]

Attention Budget-Watchers: 4 Canadian Alternatives to U.S. Hot Spots
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/23/travel/canada-budget-travel.html

By Elaine Glusac / Frugal Traveler / The New York Times / nytimes.com / Aug 23, 2019

“It’s no secret that frugal American travelers can stretch their budgets wherever the United States dollar is strong. One such place is, conveniently, our northern neighbor.

For the past year, the dollar has fluctuated between 1.30 and 1.36 Canadian dollars, effectively offering a discount of about one third to American travelers visiting Canada, compared to 2010 when the currencies were close to parity.

Canada, of course, has a wealth of attractions apart from offering value, including plenty of places to escape the crowds in its vast 3.8 million square miles, which are inhabited by a relatively sparse 37 million (compared to roughly 329 million Americans in similar footage).

For those seeking a good buy and fewer crowds, the following destinations offer possible Canadian corollaries to popular sites in the United States — including a big city, wine region, rural retreat and mountain town....”

Many of the wines from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley are only sold in the region. Above, the CedarCreek Estate Winery in Kelowna.
Photo Credit: Stuart Isett for The New York Times

 

[bogey21]

Back in the late 70s or early 80s when I worked in Canada and was paid in US Dollars out of NY I would deposit my check in a Canadian Bank and get (I think it was) $1.07 Cdn Dollar for each US Dollar. How times have changed...

George

 

[CanuckTravlr]

Back in the late 70s or early 80s when I worked in Canada and was paid in US Dollars out of NY I would deposit my check in a Canadian Bank and get (I think it was) $1.07 Cdn Dollar for each US Dollar. How times have changed...

Tell us about it!!!

When we travel in the USA it means everything costs us 1/3 more than it did just a few years ago when the CAD was not only at par, but briefly at a premium, to the USD. Unfortunately, our income has not gone up by 1/3 to compensate.

In order to help offset the increased costs of US travel, we obviously eat out less often and dinners at more expensive restaurants have become much less common. Of course, staying in timeshare units using our points for accommodations has helped, since the value of those has not changed. C'est la vie!!

 

[isisdave]

Not to contradict the Canadians, but it was our take on our recent visit that prices in Canada (in Canadian dollars) were about a third higher than prices in the US for similar things. We're about to go to New Zealand, where their dollar costs US 66 cents, but hotel rooms that would be $120 here are NZD 200 there.

It's certainly true that wages have stagnated in the US in the last 30 years in comparison to prices, and I imagine it's the same in the True North. You guys must really hurt when visiting the UK, where a pound is going for 1.62CAD and a Big Mac still costs 4 pounds.

I wish the idea of "our currency is at discount because it's called 'dollar' " were true, but it really is just a marketing ploy.

 

[SmithOp]

I could be wrong but aren't currency exchange rates meant to balance out costs of goods and services between countries?

People rave about how cheap their vacation to Mexico was and in the next breath complain about the AI prices.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[easyrider]

There was a time that Painters Lodge was one of our go to places for salmon fishing because of how nice the resort is and especially the exchange rates. Back then the rate difference was about $100 cad = $65 usd.

I have friends that regularly buy vehicles in Canada to sell in the USA. Its so easy to buy these cars that I'm thinking about heading north.

Bill

 

[dioxide45]

I could be wrong but aren't currency exchange rates meant to balance out costs of goods and services between countries?

People rave about how cheap their vacation to Mexico was and in the next breath complain about the AI prices.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I don't think that is really what it does. People buy currencies based on how safe they think the investment is. Back during the last election in the US, the Mexican Peso went way down to the US$, this was because they thought Mexico wouldn't fare well given the political climate in the USA. Prices of goods didn't necessarily go up in Mexico. Mexico is still pretty cheap and only the Timeshare AI fees seem to be outrageous. AI resorts seem to be a pretty good deal for a vacation.

When a currency goes up in value, it can cause exports to decrease because they become more expensive for other countries to buy. But one can import more products at the same price. If a currency goes down, then the opposite is true. Exports can increase and imports become more expensive. The exchange rates aren't there to keep the cost of living the same in every country.

 

[Fredflintstone]

Not to contradict the Canadians, but it was our take on our recent visit that prices in Canada (in Canadian dollars) were about a third higher than prices in the US for similar things. We're about to go to New Zealand, where their dollar costs US 66 cents, but hotel rooms that would be $120 here are NZD 200 there.

It's certainly true that wages have stagnated in the US in the last 30 years in comparison to prices, and I imagine it's the same in the True North. You guys must really hurt when visiting the UK, where a pound is going for 1.62CAD and a Big Mac still costs 4 pounds.

I wish the idea of "our currency is at discount because it's called 'dollar' " were true, but it really is just a marketing ploy.

Just from my experience living in Canada but frequent the US, prices in Canada are overall lower than the US or at least comparable. Bill is right buying a vehicle in Canada is lower at the moment. I do find it also depends on State. For example prices in montana are lower than prices in new york or california or hawaii. Same as here though. Prices in Alberta are lower than west coast BC.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

For quite a few years, when I was skiing regularly and the $CAD was worth about 0.70 $US, I went Whistler regularly. With the exchange rate, day rates at Whistler were the same as day rates at Washington ski resorts (Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass), but the skiing was vastly better. Meanwhile comparable areas in the US (Big Sky, Sun Valley, e.g.) were about 30% to 40% more expensive. And the savings in lodgings were even greater - I could get condos at Whistler, in the Village and walking distance or free shuttle to gondolas, for about half the US prices.

When the Canadian dollar went to par with the US dollar, most of the difference went away. Lift tickets were similarly priced as US resort. Lodging was still cheaper, but by only about 10% to 20%.

 

[Tacoma]

Unfortunately Whistler ski area was taken over by a US ski company and prices have skyrocketed. Try Sunshine, Lake Louise, Kicking Horse, Revelstoke and the ski areas in the Okanagan if you still want good ski prices.
Joan