Hey fellow fodorites,

I want to visit a friend studying in Vancouver in December. How should I plan my flights and itinerary? I'm on a very tight budget. The plan is to leave Singapore for Vancouver, then San Francisco, then return to Singapore. All this from 15dec to 3Jan.

Where should I spend christmas? Where can I get the cheapest tickets for my itinerary?

I suggest you go check with a local Singaporean travel agent. They will be able to get you the best rate. But the time you're going is PEAK SEASON, so expect to pay dearly.

You're likely to find very the fare pretty high on SQ. Have the agent check ALL the other alternatives if you're on a tight budget. Something like China Airlines, Korean, Phillippines, or even one of the Chiense airlines.

Hi there, thanks for the reply. Will approach a travel agent for help.

Another question: Where is it nice to spend christmas at? On a budget. Trying to decide between Canada or California.

Vancouver is cold and wet at that time. Usually no snow, unless you head up the hills. In the city, it's usually just above freezing, and rains/drizzles.

California will be warmer, and you'll not find snow in San Fran. To see that you need to head up the Sierra Nevada to Lake Tahoe, etc...

Overall, I don't think Cali is a "Christmas" type of destination.

Try Misr Travel in Singapore, they have a good website


www.airfares.com.sg

I have used them from Thailand to do cheap tickets for me ex SIN and never had any problems. They have fares and you can check by destination. I think perhaps you might get more of a Christmas type Christmas in Vancouver with all the snow! Depends if you enjoy the snow. Both Vancouver and San Francisco are great places. You should try and see if SQ or Cathay will let you fly into Vancouver and 'out' from San Francisco, I know SQ are excellent on this, anyway check with MISR and check local press for offers.

If you're on a budget you could consider using Priceline for San Francisco as they often have very cheap deals...see biddingfortravel.com for advice.

Also the ticket prices often go up around Dec 15th/Dec 17th so check ticket prices on the evening of Dec 14th to check if it's any cheaper.