With the weight of student loans and a shit job market, it's easy to feel like you don't have the money to travel. But youth is fleeting, and who wants to only be able to see the world once you're washed? To each their own, I suppose, but we're here to help. We've put together some recommendations for places young Canadians (and Americans near the border) might be able to afford on a typical tight-as-fuck millennial budget.
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Some notes:Take into consideration exchange rates: The Canadian dollar is not that great right now, though it is rising. Exchanging money before going out of the country is generally a good idea.
- Hostels and cheap Airbnbs are your friends. However, do check the legality of Airbnb in the country you are going to before booking.
- Buying food from a grocery store instead of eating out every day while on vacay is going to save you a fair amount.
- Walk, rent a bicycle, or take public transit whenever possible.
- If you are going to drink, buy your own booze and pre-game instead of shelling out extra cash at a bar or club.
Under $500: Scrounging Level
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Montreal Everything is (slightly) cheaper in Montreal compared to other major Canadian cities (both of them). Just be forewarned if you are coming from Toronto, you might want to stay once you take in how much you'd save on rent there. Airbnbs go for an average of about $85 per night (note: if you want an Airbnb of the entire private home variety, that's going to run you more). If you don't want to take a bus and live in Toronto, you can get a rideshare for somewhere north of $30. There's incredible nightlife with a 3 AM last call (and the infamous after-hours club Stereo), a healthy art scene, real poutine everywhere, beer in convenience stores, and the Biodome (which houses four ecosystems). It's a great option if you want to feel like sort of like you're in Europe without having a passport.A Road Trip to the Nearest City Regardless of where you live in Canada, you can probably hop on a bus or drive to the nearest city for under a couple hundred. If all else fails, you could always hitchhike (not that we would advise that). (Or, go to the nearest cool US city: Minneapolis and Chicago are good options for Prairie kids, though you might run into the next budget bracket.) Make it an overnight trip and buy tickets in advance to a concert in said city.Rent a Cottage on Airbnb Even if you don't have friends with rich parents who own lakeside property, you can still get away with booking a cottage on Airbnb easily for under $200 per night. (But, if you do have a friend with a rich family home in Muskoka, do take advantage of that.) To be honest, convincing a friend who has a car to go with you is the easiest and cheapest method of pulling this off. Once you get to your temporary lakeside (or lake-adjacent) home, go hiking (it's free!) and rent a canoe or kayak for under $40 a day.
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A Wine Tour Yes, it's a bit bougie, but if you're with a group of friends, it can be fun. In BC, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, you can easily plan a day, overnight, or two-night trip to go on a wine tour with your crew. There are wineries in Kelowna, BC; Niagara Region in Ontario; and the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York. Important: Make sure you have a designated driver (limos are a good option and not always expensive as you might think when split between a group of people).Just Take Acid and Go to a Park
For those who can't spend more than $20 on a trip.
For those who can't spend more than $20 on a trip.
$500-$1,000: First Job out of University Level
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A Music Festival Depending on where you live, you might be able to get away with paying under $500. Multi-day festival tickets alone typically run into the hundreds though, and if you're going to be travelling to get there and partying extra hard (including overpriced drinks at the festival), you could easily find yourself in this bracket. Bring your own food (if it's allowed), stay hydrated, and if you can, camp out to save money.Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia For East Coasters, going to beautiful Cape Breton for a few days is a popular choice. Airbnbs are about $140 on average per night, and hotels will generally run you a bit more. Spend your evenings going on an old-fashioned pub crawl. Huge bonus: locally sourced and affordable seafood (including lobster) dinners.Maine Though this state is so far north it basically should be considered Canada, it's a vacation destination for some Canadians (especially those on or near the east coast). Bar Harbor is beautiful coastal, woodsy location and hosts the awesome Acadia National Park, which is 47,000 acres and on an island. However, accommodations in most popular tourism spots in the New England state can be expensive: Airbnbs go for an average of about $250 per night in Bar Harbor. Oh, and of course, there's lobster.Toronto It's expensive af to live here, but if you're just visiting, you can get an Airbnb (average price per night is around $100) or a hostel (there's several in the hippie-tourist-hybrid neighbourhood of Kensington Market). Last call is unfortunately 2 AM, but there is a healthy afterparty scene, especially in and around Kensington. Avoid King Street West clubs like the plague: expensive and awful. If you're into being in city parks, Trinity Bellwoods is a summer staple in Toronto; for some reason, it's a super popular location for public drinking despite it being illegal.
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