We are traveling from Vancouver Canada and would like to spend 3 to 4 days in Barcelona and 10 days in Portugal.
Any suggestion on how to book an multi-city trip on line? Our trip is quite flexible both in date and city to visit. Just not quite sure how to start booking online by ourselves or should we just save ourselves trouble by booking through an agent?
Thank you in advance!
Michelle,
welcome.
try kayak.com
happy trails.
michelle,
Which airline are you thinking of using? Your two basic choices from YVR are probably Air Canada (or code share partners, which will probably include a short layover at FRA or other hub airport) or KLM (which will most likely include a short layover in Amsterdam).
It's very easy just to book directly on the airline website using the "Multi-City" tab. I normally figure out which flights I want, and then book them with a Travel Agent. The T.A. is often to find slightly better pricing or easier connections. Using that method also provides coverage under the B.C. Travel Assurance Fund (which all T.A. in the Province belong to).
I just did a brief check on the Air Canada website for YVR-BCN and LIS-YVR flights, and their schedules show two flights in each direction with a total duration of about 14 hours each way. Some of their flight combinations are MUCH longer, so choose carefully!
Happy travels!
Air Transat functions like a scheduled airline and will serve some European destinations from Vancouver, depending on the time of year.
Any airline search site that doesn't offer multi-city functions these days should be dropped as out-of-date and uncompetitive.
For short flights inside Europe you can use www.skyscanner.com or www.whichbudget.com They cover the budget airlines that do not appear on big international search sites. While their prices can be very low, most do not offer connections or luggage interchange with any other lines, so are difficult to use in combination with trans-Atlantic (or trans-polar) flights.
Even if you want to pay an agent, doing some of your own research will make you a better-informed customer.
Michelle:
I have gone to Europe numerous times from Vancouver. I have found that flying into Amsterdam via KLM is the best bet in my opinion. Easy airport to get around in. Connections seem to be great.
I would fly KLM to Barcelona and fly back Lisbon to Vancouver. You can book that directly with KLM on their website. Barcelona to Portugal could be a completely separate one way ticket on the cheapest flight you can find on one of the travel websites like Expedia. I always use Expedia, find the flight I need and book directly on the airlines website.
I would really think about taking the fast train from Barcelona to Madrid and then fly to Portugal. Madrid has lots to offer for a day or two and the train ride is nothing you will get in Canada.
Book a multicity ticket with any airline direct or through www.kayak.com www.onetravel.com I would fly from the US to Barcelona. Use a EU discount carrier to get between Portugal and Barcelona. Use your US carrier to fly home from Portugal.
Discount EU carriers: www.skyscanner.net www.dohop.com
You will have one reservation from the US to EU and back to the US.
A separate ticket for Barcelona to Portugal one way.
