Travelling this spring? How to save money on your next trip

globalnews.ca:

As March break kicks off in parts of Canada, hundreds of thousands of Canadians are set to hit the roads and airports this week in one of the busiest travel times of the year.

At Toronto Pearson International Airport, up to 140,000 travellers are expected to pass through every day this week and nearly 1,000 flights will take off and land on peak days, according to the airport.

The Canada Border Services Agency is reminding anyone travelling for March break by car, plane or ship to “plan ahead and check border wait times,” which are typically longer on the Mondays of holiday long weekends.

Despite the high cost of living, many Canadians are not shying away from splurging on travel, new polling shows.

A report published Tuesday by American Express looking at global travel trends showed that 36 per cent of Canadians surveyed plan to spend more on travel in 2024 compared with last year.

“Canadians are looking to take longer trips compared to the global average this year, visiting multiple countries in a region or taking expedition or remote trips,” said Vanessa Crooker, vice president of brand, partnerships and lifestyle benefits at Amex Canada.

“With 44% of Canadians looking to travel during off-peak seasons, we’re expecting Canadians will choose to get their travel fix in this spring before the busy summer season hits,” Crooker told Global News in an email.

More than 1,000 Canadian adults took part in the survey by American Express between Jan. 31 and Feb. 8.

With an average of $8,824 for all leisure trips in 2024, Canada ranked second globally – after the United States – for the highest anticipated average money spent on leisure vacation.

“Regardless of the mortgage rates, regardless of inflation … people are travelling