GO ASK JOAN:Your travel questions answered by JOAN SCALES
Cross Canada trains
Can you please advise me about seeing the larger/outdoors Canada by train and the likely best time to go? I don't mind if I go east to west or visa versa. - MC, Louth
One of the most famous rail journeys in the world is the trans-Canadian trip from Toronto to Vancouver. It goes three times a week, takes four nights and covers 4,500km though some spectacular scenery. Prices are from €460 each way. Another lovely train trip is from Toronto to Halifax in Newfoundland, via Quebec and Montreal. It takes almost a day and covers 1,350kms. You can break the journey in Quebec and Montreal. It costs from €115 one way. Details of these journeys on viarail.com.
From Vancouver, you can take another extraordinary train journey, the Rocky Mountaineer that cuts through those massive mountains via Banff to Calgary. This costs from €855 and takes four days and three nights. You can also combine the trans-Canadian and the Rocky Mountaineer into one looped journey from Toronto or Vancouver; it takes 12 days and costs from €3,199. See rockymountaineer.com.
The best time to go would be in May or June, when you can enjoy longer daylight, or also September. Prices are higher in July and August. There will be direct flights from Ireland to Toronto for the summer season, with Aircanada.comand Airtransat.com.
Canadian Affair has the whole trip by rail, with a side trip to Niagara Falls, over 14 days, staying in hotels along the route. Fares from €2,445pps. See Canadianaffair.ie.
If you have a lot of time and want to really explore Canada, Nagel Tours has a cross-Canada trip by motor coach in September/October, over 28 days, visiting all the sights and staying in nice hotels. From €3,370pps. See nageltours.com.
The Thomas Cook Far and Away programme has an 11-day fully-escorted adventure from Dublin to western Canada with a three-day trip on the Rocky Mountaineer and it costs from €2,465pps including flights and accommodation. See thomascook.ie.
Touring by motorbike
My father and I plan on travelling to Canada in late May/early June. He was born there but left at age 10 and he has not been back to his hometown, Regina, Saskatchewan, since. I am 22 and have never been to Canada, but we both have Canadian citizenship.
We would like to fly to New York and motorbike to Canada (me on the back). Is it possible in terms of rentals and crossing borders? Also, how long would it take to travel to Saskatchewan and what might be good pit-stops along the way? We have 10 days to two weeks. We are both interested in food, culture and outdoor adventure activities and hope to take in another Canadian city or two – not ruling out internal flights to save time. - EL, Dublin
That sounds like a fantastic trip and one you should definitely do on the back of a Harley-Davidson. A company called eaglerider.comhires motorbikes for touring holidays. It will also book accommodation and help you plan the route. Driving from New York to Regina will take about 35-40 hours, a four- to five-day journey, depending on whether you want to see something else along the way. You can take a route close to some of America's great cities such as Washington, Cleveland, Chicago, Toledo, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, and through the high plains of North Dakota to Regina.
On the return trip you could head towards Winnipeg and keep north of the Great Lakes and on to Toronto. From there, take a route to Buffalo, Syracuse and Saratoga Springs, to ride down the lovely Hudson River Valley back into New York. Search Triptiks on Google to find the American Automobile Association website and journey planning tool.
See the great outdoors
We hope to go to Canada in early May for a two week holiday with our seven-month-old baby. We are thinking of going east to Toronto and up to Algonquin Provincial Park, or to Newfoundland. Will black flies be an issue at that time of year? We would rather be outdoors than in tourist traps – somewhere with self-catering might be best? Can you advise us on internal flights and prices? - MW, Dublin
Flies first – yes it will be black fly season when you are planning your trip, but it will also be low season, so accommodation and transport will be less expensive. Repellent and light clothing will help keep the flies away. As you want to see a number of places, consider a motorhome holiday. During low season, up to the end of May, you can rent a motorhome for around €45 per day.
Algonquin Park offers lots of outdoors activities. There is camping both on developed sites and back country, as well as rustic hut rentals. See algonquinpark.on.ca.
The coastal area of Newfoundland and Labrador offers whale-watching all year round and in May, the humpbacks will be heading back from the Caribbean. See newfoundlandlabrador.com.
Airtransat will run a seasonal service from Ireland to Toronto and Montreal in May. Fares are under €500. Canadianaffair.ieis a specialist tour operator which can tailor a holiday with a motor home, car hire or hotels.
Email queries, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com