TeqTaq

I am seeking help.
I was told I am going to Edmondton, Alberta.

Can anyone help with closest airport from East Coast of USA and what kind of place Edmondton is?

Anything will help. Also cheap ticket to Canada - any web that is good for this?

Thanks

ltt

there's an airport just outside of edmonton city limits. it will cost you about $20 if you take a shuttle or taxi into the city depending where you are going.
http://www.edmonton.ca/portal/server.pt - there are segments on this site for "visitors" and "attractions & recreation"
check out air canada
or from wherever your coming from you could fly up to ontario and check out westjet.ca
can't give you much help unless you tell us what you like to do; where are you staying; what time of year are you going to be here; for how long; will you have a rental car.

TeqTaq

Thanks.
I am probably going end of March and will stay in Mariott and will be busy working.

I just need to get cheapest tickets and get there somehow. I was told to fly to Calgary. Ontario you say? Well, I'll check intot his.

How far is this from Ontario or Clagary to Edmondton?
I saw flight on aircanada right to Edmondton. Does it make better sense?

Thanks again

SallyCanuck

Why fly to Calgary if you're going to Edmonton? You'd just have to get on another plane to Edmonton or rent a car and drive. So yes, fly direct. It's 299 km from Calgary to Edmonton.

SusanInToronto

First of all, it's Edmonton, with only 1 "D". It's the capital of Alberta, and at the end of March, will probably be still quite cold. I went to university there back in the 70's and it was cold, believe me! It's been many years since I last was there, so I don't have any current information. I know they are famous for the West Edmonton Mall, which is apparently "more" than a shopping mall. I wouldn't fly into Calgary if I was supposed to be in Edmonton. From Ontario (assuming it's Toronto, Ontario), it would be at least a 3 - 4 hour flight to Edmonton.

TeqTaq

Susan,
what do you mean assuming it's Toronto, Ontario?
And thanks for the tip.
So no Calgary!

TeqTaq

I am still much confused because when I go to aircanada.com and enter YEG airport - as a destination point - it takes me to Toronto and Calgary and all but no Edmonton.
If it is a capital - shouldn't Edmonton have an airport?

Cruiseryyc

Where are you coming from? You most likely have to transfer flights in either Toronto or Calgary as there probably is no direct flight to Edmonton. Instead of entering YEG, enter Edmonton.

TeqTaq

I do enter Edmonton but it shows me flights to Toronto and never further to Edmonton.
I can fly from NY, AC, Philly.

luna

I live in Edmonton. I echo the request that you tell us where you're flying from.

Unfortunately, even though we are the provincial capital and have a population over one million, most direct flights to Alberta go to Calgary, which is where the business head offices of most of our oilfield industries are located. For the cheapest flight, you would have to fly to either Toronto or Vancouver (depending where in the world you're coming from) or Calgary, then take another flight to Edmonton. Westjet is a very good, customer-friendly, inexpensive internal airline.

The Marriot is downtown. I think the shuttles from the airport go there, if not, it would be an short cab ride from the nearest drop-off location downtown. Be warned, Edmonton taxi fares are quite high. In November, a 1.5 mile trip on a cold morning cost me almost CDN $8.00 before tip. There isn't a lot of sightseeing to be done downtown, but just across the river is Old Strathcona, a strolling/shopping area with tons of unique ethnic restaurants and eclectic shops. It's also a high vehicle traffic street and a prime location for panhandlers, as well as crowded with university students, since the U of A is close.

Try checking the major airline(s) from where you are for the cheapest flights to Toronto or Calgary, then look at both Westjet and Air Canada for connectors to Edmonton.

It is unusually mild right now for February (daily high temperatures of 1C to 5C and overnight lows no colder than -10C), but March is traditionally known to have some nasty weather surprises. We are north of the 53rd parallel of latitude, so spring weather comes late - we have, on several occasions in recent memory, had severe snowfalls in May. If you can get into some outdoor technical layers - a fleece jacket with a heavy nylon/hydrenaline/polypropolene shell to go over it, this will cover you in mild to severe cold weather. Gloves are advised, as well as some kind of boot that can take muddy slush (like a hiking boot, and some kind of hat that will cover your ears.

After all of that, it will probably end up that we have a period of really warm, balmy weather when you're here and you won't need those things - but they may be necessary.

Cruiseryyc

I suspect what you're seeing is the flight from NY to Toronto, there will be one right underneath that would be the flight from Toronto to Edmonton. I just checked the Air Canada website for flights from NY to Edmonton and there are several a day (although from some strange reason the connection is in Vancouver!!)

Cruiseryyc

On second thought, you should pick up the phone and call a local travel agent - I think you need their help more than ours.

SusanInToronto

TeqTaq, Ontario is a province. Toronto is a city. You asked how far Edmonton was from Ontario. That would depend on where you started out in Ontario!

ShelliDawn

TeqTaq,

If you were told you're going to Edmonton and its for business, shouldn't your company be making the travel arrangements? If not, as Cruiseryyc mentioned, a travel agent is probably a good idea based on your comments.

Tobie_T

There are no direct flights from NYC etc into Edmonton.

The closest direct flight out of the States for you would be Chicago/Edmonton.

<<Edmonton to Chicago
United Airlines has 2 daily flights from Edmonton to Chicago, for a total of 136 seats daily.
The on-time percentage for these flights is 61%.
The cheapest roundtrip fare from Edmonton to Chicago is $ 467.>>


US carriers like Delta, United, Continental and NorthWest as well as Air Canada all have a stop somewhere----Chicago, Toronto or Calgary.

Agree that contacting a travel agent is a great idea since you definitely need help sorting out your connections, stopovers or flights in general. Good luck.

BAK

Re>and what kind of place Edmondton is?<

It is a giant city, built on flat land, with a very large river valley cutting through the middle.

Downtown is packed with tall office buildings, and it looks a lot like major United States cities, or at least the downtowns of many.

EXCEPT dowtown is quite civilized at night, it is hard to find slums, and the weather can be very cold.

Many stores will be familiar, just like in the USA.

It is farther from the Rocky Mountains than many people think, and so you can't go visit for a day on a weekend.

If you are going to work in Canada, make sure you have the proper credentials and permits.

BAK

ShelliDawn

BAK,

Of course you can visit the mountains for a day from Edmonton. You just have to be prepared for it to be a really long day (and get up early) because it's a 3 hour drive to the mountains. And I'm not being facetious; it's done all the time.

Don't forget, in Alberta, people will drive between Calgary and Edmonton (another 3 hour drive) and back on the same day to see a hockey/football game between the two teams.

Borealis

There are many direct daily flights from Toronto to Edmonton, my hubby frequently flies on business between the two places. And I'm sure that there are many flights originating on the eastern seaboard of the USA that fly into Toronto (largest city in Canada).
Try the Air Canada and the WestJet websites for domestic flights in Canada.
Don't fly to Calgary - the extra hassle is not worth the time or effort, plus the planes that they use are flying buses (or flying culverts !!)

Which Marriot are you staying at?? Best to check - there is one (with a casino) outside of the city limits about 20 miles from downtown.

Edmonton is one of Canada's large cities with a population of over a million people (metropolitan area). There is a downtown core that is getting more vibrant by the day, and a very busy area south of the downtown (on the other side of the river valley) where the large University of Alberta campus and associated medical and nanotechnology research centres are located.

Don't believe the myths you might hear about our weather. The only thing that is true is that March is very variable, so it could be warm and sunny just as easily as it could be cool and cloudy. It could rain just as easily as it could snow. If it snows and you are familiar with east coast snowstorms, you will laugh at the pitiful amounts that accumulate here.

Enjoy your stay here in Edmonton!!!

TeqTaq

Thanks for thei wealth of the info!
I think I had mentioned I can fly from NY, AC or Philadlphia.

Thanks and let me go gwet those fares.

And it IS a business and I have paid lodging but not transportation. Business are different you know!