Affordable summer destinations (hotel, live in, prices)
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Any recommendations for cool places to visit in the summertime for good value?
I'm a city guy and have been to the big three many times each. Have also been to Calgary, Ottawa (twice), Quebec City (twice), Niagara Falls (3x), Banff/Jasper. So I'm no expert on Canadian cities but I've seen a decent number of them enough to know I love so much about them, especially for their respective population sizes.
Anyway, I'm wondering about the places I haven't seen yet, and how they might compare, particularly for a medium-ish stay during the summer (approx one week if a small town, 2-3 weeks for a medium to large city). Which places offer more bang for the buck?
Some thoughts on the places I'm familiar with:
I love Montreal and often hear about how affordable it is, but summertime prices tend to be inflated, at least for someone not looking in the right places I guess. I was very impressed by Jasper and Banff also, but obviously they get extremely pricey in the summer.
Places I haven't been to yet:
Edmonton - very intriguing, especially if it is a more artsy, more affordable version of Calgary.
St John's - also intriguing especially for its vibrancy/festivals. But I have the feeling it's not much cheaper than some of the larger cities that have more things to do.
Victoria - Never made it here though I've been to other islands near Vancouver. It seems to have lots of similarities to that greater region, but I'm sure has its own vibe and character that would be neat to experience.
Places I've never heard of:
Well obviously I can't list them here, but what places come to mind as under-the-radar or overlooked?
Thanks!!!
Tldr: what's your favorite place to spend some time in the summer that represents good value?
Not sure if you are open to travelling around a bit during your vacation but Halifax, St. John's and Charlottetown would be a nice 3-city Atlantic Canadian tour.
St. John's has the most character and uniqueness of the three but Halifax is about twice its size but is still an attractive and dynamic city of just under half a million people.
Charlottetown is about half the size of St. John's but has quite a bit of charm as well, and is one of the nicer cities of its size in Canada.
Of the other main cities in Atlantic Canada, Moncton is OK but quite utilitarian. Saint John (NB) has great historical bones but still has a way's to go in terms of its rejuvenation after decades of decline.
Not sure if you are open to travelling around a bit during your vacation but Halifax, St. John's and Charlottetown would be a nice 3-city Atlantic Canadian tour.
St. John's has the most character and uniqueness of the three but Halifax is about twice its size but is still an attractive and dynamic city of just under half a million people.
Charlottetown is about half the size of St. John's but has quite a bit of charm as well, and is one of the nicer cities of its size in Canada.
Of the other main cities in Atlantic Canada, Moncton is OK but quite utilitarian. Saint John (NB) has great historical bones but still has a way's to go in terms of its rejuvenation after decades of decline.
Thanks! Are those particularly affordable during the summertime? Which of those three would you choose if you had to pick just one for a week-long stay?
My uncle and aunt actually live in Saint John, although I haven't visited since I was a young kid so I didn't mention it. Could be a reason to check it out...but I could just as easily not lol.
Thanks! Are those particularly affordable during the summertime? Which of those three would you choose if you had to pick just one for a week-long stay?
My uncle and aunt actually live in Saint John, although I haven't visited since I was a young kid so I didn't mention it. Could be a reason to check it out...but I could just as easily not lol.
They'd all be about the same in terms of cost, though Newfoundland involves a ferry ride. Not sure what the price of that is these days. (I feel you when it comes to prices in Montreal and Toronto. They are insane. Montreal hotel rooms that went for 199-239 two years ago are now 450 a night.)
All three have enough to occupy you for a week provided you do some stuff in the vicinity as well.
Halifax is bigger and has more interesting towns and areas in the vicinity. Charlottetown would probably be second in terms of interesting human geography. All three have beautiful natural areas nearby, but my guess is that St. John's offers the most unique and impressive stuff on that front.
You can easily spend a week on PEI. The red sand beaches, red cliffs, outstanding seafood, folk music and locals make it a great vacation. It’s all about the county not so much the city of Charlottetown. A day in Charlottetown you are good, explore the rest of the island from cottage or B&B and you will be fine. Understand the tourist places are open mid June to late September so plan accordingly.
I posted a lot of information here about our experience on PEI. We have been visiting since 1985, driving 2 days each way from Philadelphia, Pa. Review the link and if you have any questions let me know.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I'm not a city guy, but I have been to Montreal, Toronto, Quebec City, Vancouver and Victoria. Of those my favorite is Victoria. We have been there several times, an Vancouver 1-2 times a year pre-Covid as it's only 2+ hours drive from home. Victoria requires a long car ferry ride from Tsawwassen. We do have a small airline (float plane) that goes there out of Seattle, and another ferry from Port Angeles, WA.
Historic downtown Victoria is quaint, somewhat reminiscent of old London, with pubs with names such as Boom & Batten, Bard & Banker, Garrick’s Head or Sticky Wicket. We liked to stay at a motel called "The Waddling Dog Inn" which is now a Quality Inn property in Saanichton, about 25 minutes from Downtown Victoria, 10 minutes from Butchart Gardens.
Butchart Gardens is our all-time favorite botanical gardens, and we even had high tea there a couple of times.
We have been to over 100 gardens in the USA and Canada and Longwood is in our top 3. Yes we have been to Butchart 2 times, amazing place but Longwood is better…lol
I stayed a week in Saint John, NB two months ago and found prices for everything to be reasonable, some things were even cheaper on account of the USD/CAD exchange rate. I'd recommend a weeklong visit to see the Bay of Fundy because there are so many different things to do there and New Brunswick is definitely quieter than many of the other provinces. PEI and Nova Scotia aren't that far off too. As I mentioned in another thread, if you like the New England scene outside of Greater Boston, especially coastal Maine, Cape Cod, or parts of New Hampshire, you'll probably like New Brunswick and the Fundy Coast.
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