The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Instead of hopping on a plane to travel, Michael Downie opts for the train.
"You have your bedroom, you get three meals a day, and you just look out the window and watch the country go by. You get to experience all of it," said Downie.
For the YouTube travel blogger, the journey is the trip itself.
With the spring break travel season approaching, those looking to flee the cold, wet Canadian snow for sunnier skies will likely be met with a hefty price tag for their getaway, with inflation and increased demand pushing costs up.
But Downie said there are cheaper ways to travel if you know where to look and if you're not afraid of the unconventional.
The Vancouver resident has travelled by train to most parts of Canada and the United States by Via Rail, Amtrak and the Rocky Mountaineer.
Most recently, Downie went from Jasper to Vancouver by train, as part of Via Rail's route called The Canadian which departs from Toronto and arrives in Vancouver four days later. The 24-hour stretch from Jasper to Vancouver costs as little as $190 for an economy fare or as much as $4,250 for the more luxurious option.
While on the tracks, Downie said he enjoys weaving in and out of the Rocky Mountains, stopping in Kamloops and participating in wine tastings on board the train.
"When people go somewhere warm for their vacation, and they come home and they lost their luggage, it's stressful," said Downie. On the train, "you just get to sit down, rest and relax as the train rocks back and forth. And you miss (the scenery) when you fly."
If you do choose to fly this spring, Barry Choi said those looking for a deal should avoid the week of March break if possible.
The personal finance and travel expert suggests travelling outside peak times instead, say, a week before or after. If that's not an option, Choi said travellers should consider destinations that aren't as expensive, like Portugal rather than Spain, or countries in the Middle East instead of those in Europe.
And once you're in the country, you can reduce costs by thinking more about your accommodations, noting those in the downtown core of cities cost much more than staying 15 or 20 minutes out.
"You always have to think outside the box," Choi said. Even simple things like looking for museums and attractions with free entry or loading up on groceries so you're not eating out for every meal can save you cash on your journeys abroad.
Really, it's about managing your costs as flights and hotels have become more expensive, and as travel dynamics have changed post-pandemic, Choi said.
"If you're trying to snag that last-minute deal to some far-off destination, it's just not going to happen," he said. "Most of the time if you're looking for a last-minute flight, airlines will charge even more because they know you need it."
It's important to pay attention to sales and vacation packages instead, said Choi.
Choi also recommends setting yourself up with a credit card that will earn you points toward travel.
"If you want to fly to Italy, you should start collecting Aeroplan points now," he said. Say you're not sure where you want to go, then choose any program, like American Express Membership Rewards or Scene Plus. Some credit cards also come with a "generous welcome bonus" if you can meet the minimum spending requirements.
To budget for your trip, prepare a rough estimate for what you'll spend on flights, hotels, food and entertainment, then work backwards, he said. If you're planning a trip that will cost about $3,000 and want to go in 12 months, you need to save $250 per month, for example.
Saving for travel rather than impulsively booking a trip is important, but what's more important is ensuring your debts are paid off beforehand, said financial educator Jessica Moorhouse.
"If you have really expensive credit card debt, that should be your priority because it can be a huge drain on your finances," said Moorhouse. Once that's paid off, you should also consider saving for an emergency fund which typically covers your cost of living for six months should an event occur where you can no longer work, like being laid off from a job.
Building upon Choi's recommendation to save little by little each month, Moorhouse suggests opening a separate banking account with higher interest rates for savings. Besides growing your money, keeping your savings in a separate account prevents you from spending it impulsively, she said.
While social media feeds are bound to be filled with travellers showing off their getaways this upcoming travel season, the fear of missing out shouldn't be a reason you're willing to risk your financial stability, said Moorhouse.
If you have that chance to go on a trip and you can't afford it right now, chances are there will be more opportunities to go in the future, she said.
"It sucks to go on vacation, come back home and continue paying for something that already happened. But if you find yourself in that situation, make a plan to pay it off by the end of the year at the latest."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2023.
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.