Just as in fashion not everyone is made to carry every style- or at least not in the same manner! Traveling is quite similar. In theory many vacation ideas seem attractive but the end result isn’t always what we predicted. Your special someone might convince you that an outdoorsy ski trip is the best thing ever but upon arriving at your ski hill not only are you mortified that skiing isn’t the most easiest thing to learn and secondly being bundled up in all that high fashion gear can be quite costly! On another hand you may be dreaming of a beach vacation only to realise that you are pretty much confined to the resort borders and there isn’t really a sense of adventure attached to the trip- was it really worth it?

FW decided to cut out all the glamour and lay it out straight for all of you.-type of vacation for type of person. Simple. Informative. Realistic.

The Dream Beach
Who doesn’t dream of white beaches and turquoise water? Laying in the sun and enjoying local food. Whether you are single, newly married or have young kids- this vacation type is very popular in the strong Canadian winters.

PROS: fantastic weather, local yummy food, all inclusive packages, fun for all different age groups, complete relaxation and rejuvenating effects.

CONS: restricted to the resort, safety factors outside resort, anything below 5 star really is not worth it, non all inclusive plans can end up costing a lot, have to pay for many features such as yachting or jet skis etc, hefty tans ( not such a bad thing), long story short-paying to hang out in a pool and not getting much culture.

JE T’AIME EUROPE
Ahh the love for Parisian streets and the Eiffel Tower is universal or how about Roman architecture- not to forget romantic Venice, sweet Tuscany , London Bridge and dreamy Santorini or Athens- oh how we love the European way of life. Living to enjoy life, working to live not living to work- this notion has brainwashed us through all the beautiful travel movies and our fantasy of running into a European lover. Canadians frolic over to Europe in the hopes to set new lifestyle rules and learn to appreciate what we have.

PROS: variety of culture differences to take in, amazing cuisine, lots of attractions such as museums, streets to walk, shopping galore, great all inclusive travel packages available as well as online deals on chalets, cottages to rent, cities that are made to walk on foot and the euro pass that lets you move around freely in all of Europe.

CONS: too much to see, can be overwhelming and exhausting. Not really for someone who doesn’t enjoy the arts, culture or history because Europe in known for that. Cobble stone streets can be a pain for strollers and young kids. It ends up being a hectic trip that leaves one feeling nostalgic upon return yet exhausted and happy to have returned to routine. Highly expensive!

DISNEYLAND
Anyone with young children learns quite quickly that just as us adults dream of vacations so do our tots. They set their heart of Disney land the first time they see the enchanted castle. It’s a beacon of hope that their world does make sense and most of all that all their favourite characteristics do exist!

PROS: it really is priceless to see the reaction of your children and loved ones to Mickey Mouse, Jasmine and Snow White. The rides and park are made for all age groups to enjoy and parents really get in the festive mood and embark on their adventurous streak with their kids. It’s a one stop shop for everything fun and family oriented. There are lots of amazing all inclusive packages that include hotel, flight and passes.

CONS: it really is for the kids so parents end up getting quite tired of keeping up with the entertainment level, it is quite costly and at the end of the day the whole vacation revolves around cartoon characters. It’s only good for kids 5 years of age and up because any younger and they won’t even remember it.

LET’S SKI!
The winter does bring a love for winter sports. Living in Canada, it would be a shame to not embark upon at least one winter sport- if you can’t snow board than at least ski, if you can’t ski then at least skate, if you can’t skate, then at least go tobogganing ! If you can’t do any of those then sit around the fireplace and roast marshmallows while others do sports. The love of cosy cottages and ski resorts is a favourite for many Canadian families.
PROS: much more cost efficient than bigger trips, extended family can join in and share the cost, lots of cottages and chalets are available from half hour to four hours away offering families variety of options to choose from. Cost of food is low since you take your own food and use the kitchens, lots of sport activities are available to do and it really is a fun family time type of getaway that can be as short as two days.

CONS: sometimes doing the cooking and cleaning can feel like you are still home, there is no five star feel to this type of trip, the electricity and plumbing can be an issue resulting in ruining the trip for anyone. Family time can be lots of fun or the other way of looking at it is that you are stuck hours away from home with the same people in a confined space
rides and park are made for all age groups to enjoy and parents really get in the festive mood and embark on their adventurous streak with their kids. It’s a one stop shop for everything fun and family oriented. There are lots of amazing