World travel guide Canada: GETTING THERE

The only economical way to get to Canada from Britain is to fly. The main gateways into the country are Montréal and Toronto, but there are also scheduled nonstop flights from Britain to Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Ottawa, St John's, Winnipeg and Vancouver, and connecting services to a number of other destinations. You can fly nonstop to Canada from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Though competition between Canada's two big carriers once kept scheduled rates reasonable, Air Canada bought Canadian Air in 1999 to form one major airline ; it remains to be seen how fares will be affected as the companies were still operating under separate licensing agreements at publication. Otherwise, there are a number of charter flights to the more popular destinations, especially Toronto and Montréal. Canada 3000, for example, is an international carrier with return flights from London and Manchester to Toronto from £199 and can be booked only via Canadian Affair, Bluebird, First Choice and Pioneer . It may also be worth considering a cheap flight to the US , as the greater competition between airlines on the US routes can produce fares to New York for as little as £180 return in low season; from the US it's easy to get into Canada cheaply by bus or train .

For a precise picture of all the available options at any given time, contact an agent specializing in low-cost flights , which may - especially if you are under 26 or a student - be able to undercut the regular Apex fares. These agents also offer cut-price seats on charter flights, though these tend to be of limited availability during the summer. Package operators can also be a source of cheap one-off flights, as they sell off any unsold seats at the last moment. Finally, be sure to check the travel ads in the Sunday papers, and, in London, in Time Out and the Evening Standard.

Getting there from Ireland

There are no nonstop direct flights from Ireland to Canada, though British Airways and Air Canada will quote you through-fares from Dublin to most major Canadian destinations, including the gateway cities of Toronto and Montréal. Surprisingly, Aer Lingus does not fly to Canada.

All flights from Dublin to Canada are via London. Air Canada offers flights to Toronto via London, and their fourteen-day Apex return fare costs from IR£618, or from IR£711 if you're heading to Vancouver. From Belfast with Air Canada a 21-day Apex to Toronto via London costs from £497 return; to Vancouver, £506 return.

Students and under-26s should consult usit, which can usually offer the best deals - their return fares from Dublin or Belfast to Toronto are priced from IR£350 and from IR£488 to Vancouver.

It's often possible to save money by flying independently from Dublin to London on a domestic carrier - British Midland, for example, runs seven flights daily from Dublin to Heathrow with a Super Saver return at IR£66, and an Apex return at IR£125 - to link into the Heathrow network.

Getting there from the US

Crossing the longest undefended border in the world is straightforward. Many visitors from the northern US just drive, as the major Canadian cities - Montréal and Toronto in the east, Winnipeg and Calgary in the middle and Vancouver in the west - are all within an hour's drive of the border. However, if you're coming from Florida or southern California, or want to go from New York to British Columbia, flying is obviously a lot quicker. Travelling by train is another alternative, at least if you're not in a hurry and want to see something of the landscapes along the way, and there are a few bus and ferry options too.

Getting there from Australia and New Zealand

Travelling from Australia and New Zealand, there are daily direct flights to Vancouver, Canada's western point of entry, as well as plenty of flights that involve stopovers along the way, likely somewhere such as Honolulu, or perhaps on America's west coast. The direct options on Qantas and Air New Zealand run A$1863/NZ$1899 low season, with other onward destinations from New Zealand being well served by Air Canada (Canadian Airlines shared flights with Qantas until it merged with Air Canada.) You can expect to pay around A/NZ$500 on top of your main ticket to the eastern cities of Toronto and Montréal and around A$300/NZ$350 to Edmonton and Calgary. However, if you intend to do a fair amount of flying around, you'd be better off taking advantage of some of the coupon deals that can be bought with your main ticket and cost US$100-300 each depending on the distance involved. A number of flights stop off in Honolulu, Hawaii, where you can usually stay over for as long as you like for no extra charge. Alternatively, if you don't mind going via Asia, JAL and Korean Airlines fares to Vancouver include a night's accommodation in their home cities and start from around A$1500/NZ$1850 low season. However, if you don't want to spend the night, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines can get you there from A$1799/NZ$2099 with a transfer in their home cities.

Seat availability on most international flights out of Australia and New Zealand is often limited, so it's best to book at least three weeks ahead. Tickets purchased direct from the airlines tend to be expensive and you'll get much better deals on fares from your local travel agent, as well as the latest information on limited specials, fly-drive, accommodation packages, stopovers en route and round-the-world fares. The best discounts are through Flight Centres and STA (for students and under-26s), who can also advise on visa regulations. You might also want to have a look on the Internet; www.travel.com.au offers discounted fares, as does www.sydneytravel.com.

Airfares are seasonally adjusted: low season from mid-January to end February, and October to November; high season from mid/end May to August, December and January; and shoulder seasons the rest of the year. Seasons vary slightly depending on the airline.