How much would this cost?

Okay my mom is asking me for a christmas list already..and more than anything I want to take a trip to canada. I would be staying with my friend there..and I would probably only be there like 5 weeks or so. So how much would a trip to and from Canada cost? The location I'd be going to is Ruthven Ontario. And it would be probably from Illinois.

Got any estimations? Because if it's going to be A LOT I won't even bother asking for this.

a fair bit of money.
You need to think about how youre going to travel there.
Bus, train, flying.. then think about the amount of spending money you will need.

When i went to australia by my self i went for two months and spent 2,000 euros

What is the nearest big city with an airport to both you and where you would be going?

Go on one of the following sites- travelocity, expedia, or orbitz. Find the closest major airport to where you live and where you are going and plug in when you want to go. Keep in mind that certain flights are cheaper- off times like a Friday night or the middle of the night. Some sights will ask if your travel dates are flexible. That should give you a good estimate. Hopefully you don't live too far from Chicago- that is a major hub and flights from there may be cheaper as you may not have to change planes.
Check out amtrak for train and peterpan or greyhound for bus trips.
I am going to DC right after Xmas and found out flying will be cheaper than the train.

I would try to pick another Christmas wish

A flight alone would probably be at least $150-$200. Plus food. Plus spending money. I am guessing you are looking at close to $1000 for that length of time.

5 weeks is a long time to be away from home.

I would not even consider letting one of my teens spend 5 weeks with a friend.

Is it a friend you are close to? Is it a life long friend that moved away? I am praying it is a girlfriend and not a boyfriend.

Bobbie

If you're not too far, a bus is probably cheapest. Check greyhound.com
But if the price of a plane ticket is not too much higher, it'll probably be more comfortable to go that way.

Ontario isn't very far...you can find out a ballpark figure by going to one of the travel websites like expedia or hotwire and entering the airport you will be leaving from and the airport you will be going to along with the departure and return dates. Assuming that you are asking only for the plane tickets and cabfare to and from the airport, I am guessing this trip would cost your mom less than five hundred dollars.

If you also asking her to send you with enough spending money for food and entertainment to last five weeks, that would certainly add a few bucks to the total cost.

Five weeks seems a long time to visit, wouldn't you be missing school?

I know that flights from Chicago to Toronto are about $350-400 usually return. Then you would have to find a way to get to Ruthven unless they will come into Toronto to pick you up.

If they can drive across the border, many people fly into Buffalo NY to save on money as flights into Canada are way more and half the time its easier to get to places from Buffalo - then flights would only be $200-250 return.

Obviously if you are flying out of anywhere other than Chicago that may be more.

Originally Posted by 4kids4cats

I would try to pick another Christmas wish

A flight alone would probably be at least $150-$200. Plus food. Plus spending money. I am guessing you are looking at close to $1000 for that length of time.

5 weeks is a long time to be away from home.

I would not even consider letting one of my teens spend 5 weeks with a friend.

Is it a friend you are close to? Is it a life long friend that moved away? I am praying it is a girlfriend and not a boyfriend.

Bobbie

Click to expand...

It's a girlfriend and we are very close.

Originally Posted by lakeriedog

Ontario isn't very far...you can find out a ballpark figure by going to one of the travel websites like expedia or hotwire and entering the airport you will be leaving from and the airport you will be going to along with the departure and return dates. Assuming that you are asking only for the plane tickets and cabfare to and from the airport, I am guessing this trip would cost your mom less than five hundred dollars.

If you also asking her to send you with enough spending money for food and entertainment to last five weeks, that would certainly add a few bucks to the total cost.

Five weeks seems a long time to visit, wouldn't you be missing school?

Click to expand...

Not during like christmas break or I could even take the trip during summer or something like that.

Originally Posted by Miss Mew

What is the nearest big city with an airport to both you and where you would be going?

Click to expand...

Chicago

You could try Northwest Airlines website & type in sample dates & see what you come up with! Don't forget that now you need a passport to cross the border! If I was your mom, I'd want my daughter to enjoy a trip to Canada - it's a wonderful place to visit! I've been to Ontario twice - I love the rural life there - people are so polite & friendly! and they have so many cats, and heritage breeds of cattle & sheep - it's too awesome for words!

I am the queen of budget travel! I've done Europe and most of the US on a pittance.
Here are my suggestions:
One--reduce your amount of time you want to be there. 2 weeks is enough time to really get to hang out with your friend and spend some quality time w/ her without spending a ton of money, overstaying your welcome with her family, or possibly getting sick of each other--yes, its quite possible (ask anyone who's married! Just kidding)

Two--start looking now for cheap plane tickets, train or bus fares. Consider calling a travel agency that specializes in student travel. There are a number of them in the Chicago area--google "student travel Chicago" and you should get some results.

Three- Be prepared to rough it a little. I'm a big fan of saving money on meals by combining breakfast and lunch into one big midday meal. I'll have coffee around 8 or so after waking up (most hotels have free coffee) and then I have a big "brunch" at a diner or someplace kind of cheap so that I'm killing two birds with one stone. Plus, brunch is fun! It's nice eating pancakes at noon!

Four--Talk to your friend about some things you all can do together that are free such as boardgames, maybe doing a big puzzle together while you stay with her. Things to occupy your time so you aren't spending money you don't need to be spending. Last year, when my husband and I had just moved to Chicago, before we both found jobs and I started grad school, we were on a very strict fixed budget but were essentially on vacation in a new city--we found ALL the free things, free days at museums, coupons for restaurants, free parks, and really got to enjoy ourselves in our new town before reality kicked in and we had to start our routines. There's deals to be had if you look hard enough!

Good luck, and my suggestion for asking your mom is this: come prepared with some ideas of what things will cost, maybe even print up a "sample itinerary" from expedia or some other travel site. If she sees that you're serious and are putting effort into making the trip happen, she'll realize how much it means to you and will be more likely to say yes!

GOOD LUCK!

I wish you luck it olly gave you some good ideas. could be a fairly spendy present..

and there is of course the idea of a teen traveling alone...my parents were fairly strict about that. with a no you can see it when your older. which i did.

5 weeks is an afully long time. I would assume it would have to wait til summer. xmas break wouldnt be long enough? plus wouldnt that be family time?

I went to australia for two months, its summer time over there and it was christmas. Well i was 16 at the time. I Dont regret going there at all, i had my fun and realised who my friends really were.

I agree with others that maybe 5 weeks is a bit too much and reduce it down to three weeks. this way you can fit in all the things you want to do and have a great time!!

The plan is that if I do end up going I will be staying with my friend. She has a guest room that I would be staying in. As for "Spending Money" For like entertainment and stuff goes..that would be my money not my mom's. I hope to fly there if I do go..so all my mom would really have to pay for is the stuff to get me there. Like Passports, airline tickets, etc.

I did a little bit of investigating for you. Air Canada has some pretty good deals from Chicago O'hare to Toronto

In March for example it would cost around $400 airfare round trip.

You should check out the Air Canada website..very easy to use.

Originally Posted by Miss Mew

I did a little bit of investigating for you. Air Canada has some pretty good deals from Chicago O'hare to Toronto

In March for example it would cost around $400 airfare round trip.

You should check out the Air Canada website..very easy to use.

Click to expand...

Who knows maybe if I go out there I could see you too

My mom's saying she's not letting me go because she doesn't have the money..

Ruthven is a lot closer to Detroit than it is to Toronto. You're going to need plans to get from any airport to her home, probably at least an hour to Detroit, and likely 3 hours to Toronto. Sioux Lookout, on the other hand, is so far away, it may as well be another country.

And as far as I can tell, there's nothing to spend any money on, so spending money shouldn't be an issue. It is near Point Peelee, a wonderful natural area, where birdwatchers from all over the world congregate.

I'd check on the passport regulations; I have never ever been asked for a passport at the border, by either Canadian or American customs or immigration.