Have most Canadians travelled to the "Old World" or overseas at least once?

[niwell]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

A trend I've noticed is how much millennials like to travel compared with baby boomers. It might have something to do with the generally lower cost of international travel today compared with 40 years ago, but I also feel as though other people my age who make similar amounts of money to me are spending a proportionately large amount of money on international travel compared to me. Among people my age that I know, I'm one of the only people who has not traveled overseas in recent years (though I have traveled in Central America). One of my coworkers went on three international vacations last year and one vacation to BC, something that would be financially unthinkable for me. At the same time, my parents and their similar-aged friends have done very little international travel in their lives, and have zero interest in travel.

I think this really depends on personal situations and philosophy. By the time they were my age (mid 30s) my parents had traveled to most countries in Western Europe and probably done more travelling than I have within North America. And I would say I've done a fair amount.

In my age group I know people who have basically traveled the world, as well as those who haven't left North America. It really varies.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Sometimes even less than that! I got tickets from Toronto to Japan for $600 roundtrip. Meanwhile my parents are flying to Ireland via Iceland for all of $300. On any trip I've been, the flight itself has always been the lowest cost, relative to accommodation and spending money. And thanks to Airbnb, the former is still less than what it used to be as well.

Aside from severe poverty, the only real reason for someone not to travel in this day and age is for lack of interest.

If you look for flight deals it really is quite affordable. Airbnb is also key.
Plus I find booking well in advance means that the money has been long accounted for by the time you actually travel, which is nice.

Last year I flew to Denmark for less than $400 on WOW (which is very no frills but that's fine) and also flew to Johannesburg on Ethiopian air for about $1000. Both trips ended up costing about $1800 all in once airbnbs, food and drinks were accounted for. 7 days in Copenhagen and 10 days in JHB.
And I don't feel like I scrimped on anything - I try not to worry about price too much on vacation. Copenhagen certainly isn't cheap once you are there...

I'm in the process of booking a one week trip to New Orleans with my girlfriend for March and it will probably end up around the same per person. At the end of the day overseas isn't really much more expensive.

[Beedok]

I am dirt poor, so I've not really travelled. Didn't leave Ontario until University (and that was just visiting Gatineau).

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by niwell

I'm in the process of booking a one week trip to New Orleans with my girlfriend for March and it will probably end up around the same per person. At the end of the day overseas isn't really much more expensive.

I was thinking of doing a short, slightly longer-long weekend trip to New York or Chicago or something in the summer, since I'll already have used up the rest of my 2018 vacation time by then but would still like to get out somewhere else for a bit - even though I wasn't particularly stoked on going anywhere in the States. And that's when I realized - it's not really any more expensive if I just use that time and go to Berlin or Barcelona or something instead. Sure, the flight's a little longer, but cost-wise it isn't really notably higher to go to Europe instead of the US.

(of course, ironically, both still tend to be cheaper than flying to somewhere else in Canada)

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Cheaper travel, but could it also be that younger people are more likely to talk, post on social media and discuss their travels too than older people?

I think you hit it right on the head with social media. FOMO.

[khabibulin]

Originally Posted by esquire

Also, I'd wager that people in the major gateway cities are more likely to have gone... with a good seat sale fare you can go from Toronto to Europe or from Vancouver to Asia for $600. It's much more expensive from "interior cities".

But that said, I think the general trend is that of an overall increase, if for no other reason than because the cost of overseas travel is pretty low relative to what it was 40 years ago. Imagine if economy and premium economy got lopped off all overseas aircraft and all you were left with was business class and first class prices. That's pretty much what the traveller was facing in, say, 1972.

Yes. I posted this anecdotal story in the "Those were the days" thread in July, 2017.........

"It may have been more civil, but you paid for it! I remember my first flight to Europe was about $800 in 1980. That was for a return ticket from Winnipeg to Amsterdam. I don't even want to think how much that would be in 2017 dollars. Stayed for 6 months to make it worthwhile! Flew with KLM on a 747. As far as security, it's a different world now."

[khabibulin]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

A trend I've noticed is how much millennials like to travel compared with baby boomers. It might have something to do with the generally lower cost of international travel today compared with 40 years ago, but I also feel as though other people my age who make similar amounts of money to me are spending a proportionately large amount of money on international travel compared to me. Among people my age that I know, I'm one of the only people who has not traveled overseas in recent years (though I have traveled in Central America). One of my coworkers went on three international vacations last year and one vacation to BC, something that would be financially unthinkable for me. At the same time, my parents and their similar-aged friends have done very little international travel in their lives, and have zero interest in travel.

Probably also due to the fact that they are having fewer (or no) kids themselves.

[Pinion]

Millennials also love to get those sweet 'gram shots.

One place I lived (Deep Cove) was pretty much single handedly ruined by Instagram because everyone wants this shot to pretend they're amazing outdoorsmen/women (it's about a 30 minute walk from the road):



This is what it actually looks like:

Quarry Rock by Natalie Caldwell, on Flickr

The parking situation is so bad now that it got to the point that tourists were knocking down "no parking" signs.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

And that's when I realized - it's not really any more expensive if I just use that time and go to Berlin or Barcelona or something instead. Sure, the flight's a little longer, but cost-wise it isn't really notably higher to go to Europe instead of the US.

(of course, ironically, both still tend to be cheaper than flying to somewhere else in Canada)

The issue is that you effectively lose a day when you travel to Europe because you have to spend a whole day flying back. You also only get half a day on the day you arrive, because you arrive late in the morning and it's already past lunch when you drop everything off and have the change to get out. I've thought about taking 2 vacation days and doing a 4-day weekend getaway to a European city, but that ends up being 2.5 days for exploration and it's kind of hard to justify.

There are now some non-stop flights from YYZ to places like Ponta Delgada in the Azores and Cartagena, Colombia. These are a little more in the cards because they're 5 hour flights, not 8 hour flights, and the time differences are reasonable. They're also pretty exotic.

[niwell]

Yeah the problem with going overseas is the extra 2 days it takes not the price.

A couple friends and I go to Chicago every summer for the Pitchfork festival and can take a Porter flight Thursday evening after work and be in the city early enough to grab dinner and have drinks. I usually book the Friday and Monday off but could conceivably only take 1 day off and be back in Toronto Sunday evening.

[bless-u]

I'd been to US, Europe and Asia. I actually worked outside of the country for a period of time. I reckon a lot of people travel for career related reasons especially during the time when the domestic economy isn't as strong. Also, with the multicultural mindset, it comes natural to a lot of people to travel back to their country of origin more often. Many Canadians have duo-citizenship. There are more than a million Canadians currently living abroad and travelling back and forth.

[kel]

Since 1998 I have stuck to a promise to travel outside North America for a minimum of two week every year. In 1998 my first trip was to Southern England. Some other highlights where 2001 Russia, 2002 Australia and New Zealand for two months, 2004 Eastern Europe and Turkey, 2005 Central Europe and Germany, 2008 India Sri Lanka, 2010 China, 2013 Argentina Chile and Antarctica, last year to South Africa Botswana Namibia and this year will be the first time we donot leave North America as we have our daughters wedding in South Carolina and 3 weeks later another wedding in Mexico but 2019 looks like Japan is the go to location.