Vancouver is beautifully situated on the Pacific west coast of Canada, bounded on one side by the ocean and on the other by the stuning Rocky Mountains that rise up to the heavens. It is a relatively new town by most standards but nonetheless has a rich culture to match its natural beauty.

How to get there
Flights to Vancouver from the UK take about 11 hours, so it's by no means a short hop, however, if you know where to look there are plenty of options for relatively cheap flights. Vancouver is served by scheduled airlines direct out of London and Manchester with indirect options from others such as Belfast, Glasgow and Birmingham. In more recent years with the explosion of skiing holidays in nearby Whistler there are also plenty of charter flights during the winter season. Expect to pay a minimum of £300 for your fare but if you're not careful that could easily be more than doubled so it pays to do your homework on the best time to go and which airline to choose.

When to go
Vancouver has a pretty extreme climate which can get very hot in summer and very cold in winter so unless you're using it as a stop off either side of your skiing holiday it's not really the place to visit between November and February or March. Autumn and spring are perfect times to visit and also prime time to find cheap flights to Vancouver. The ski season rush is done and the school holidays are out of the picture so this is when to find the best value flights. Vancouver in summertime is, however, a picture and being right on the ocean it doesn't suffer quite the same intense heat as an inland city such as Toronto so you may be quite rightly tempted to visit then. It's advisable if at all possible to avoid July and August because of school holiday prices because this is when a flight to Vancouver is at its most expensive.

What to do
The city centre is characterised by modern high rise architecture giving it a smart, business like feel while the surrounding districts are full of interesting neighbourhoods and cafe culture. The best way to explore is on foot, taking in Gastown, the oldest quarter which is chokka full of cafes and shops. Next along is Chinatown, one of the largest in North America, Stanley Park is full of walking trails and a great way to experience the more natural side of the city. Don't miss the famous aquarium there.

Before you plan your trip let us show you how to get a great deal on your Vancouver flights. Once you've booked up why not use our hotel search to find a cheap hotel in Vancouver too?