Transfer times at Canadian airports?

As a Canadian, I avoid connections in Toronto if at all possible (have missed connecting flights there twice due to long lines in Customs and Immigration and/or Security).

Vancouver is the second busiest airport in Canada after Toronto, but I have connected there many times and never missed the next flight (a few times were tight depending on which direction I was going to Asia or Hawaii). Montreal is the third busiest airport in Canada, and while I have used it less than Vancouver, I've never had a connection problem there. Hope this helps.

When you book on Air Canada, they give you lots of options for connection times...many will be longer than one hour and I would go for one of those. I do not book tight connections like that - just because it's a legal connection time doesn't mean I want to risk it. I'd always rather have 3 hours in an airport to wash up, get something to eat and check my email rather than find myself stressed when my first flight is late and I have to run through an airport to try to get the next one.

Shar,

I also try to avoid connections in Toronto whenever possible, although I will be transiting through there again later this year (hopefully I don't have the same experience as my last trip through there).

I'm most familiar with Vancouver and would suggest that as your best option as it's reasonably easy to navigate (and a darn nice airport too, and has won awards). As Air Canada is the "national airline", they tend to get somewhat "preferential treatment" in the airports and have most of their gates in the same general area.

Of course, if the price and the timing is better through Toronto, then you could take a chance that it will work out well. I've transited Montreal a few times, and no problems so far.

Thanks for your responses. They are very helpful.
And since I get a clutch in my stomach just thinking about such tight connections, I will choose something better.
I've missed the most recent sale window so I have more time to research.
(Changing in Vancouver or Montreal turns the flight into 2 stops instead of 1, but I'll just think of it as more time to stretch my legs!)

Check the Aer Lingus website directly. I just booked a trip with them for less than the price shown on Kayak (which was already quite a bit lower than other airlines for my itinerary). I see they fly from San Francisco, so you should be able to get to AMS with only one change. I haven't yet flown them or changed planes in Dublin, but those who have say the airline is fine and changing planes in DUB is easy.

Another one you can try is Norwegian Air. The fly out of Oakland. The do Oakland to Amsterdam via Stockholm or Oslo 4 days a week in late October. Layover time is about 3.5 hours. Flights start at about $325 one way, Oakland to Amsterdam. Check the website carefully - it's a bargain airfare and they charge for extras but it's quite a deal.

Shar,

I can well appreciate your desire to minimize the number of stops, as that's an easier and less stressful approach. My flights just about always involve 2 stops, and I'm always looking for ways to minimize that.

There are all kinds of possibilities. Another option would be a direct Air Canada flight SFO - YVR, departing 10:41 and arriving 12:55. From there you could connect to a direct KLM flight YVR - AMS, departing 15:45, arriving 10:20 +1. That would mean retrieving your luggage and re-checking as those airlines are not code share, but there's lots of time for that.

The flights you mentioned earlier changing in Toronto should work, provided there are no unexpected delays.

One other question - were the Air Canada flights you were considering on Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge (there's a difference)?

I'm glad I checked back at this again.
It's a little complicated because I am playing around with open jaws into Amsterdam and out of Barcelona late October and mid-November.
I had forgotten about Norwegian Air out of Oakland, and that might be my best bet. I've got some flexibility around travel dates; I just want to be in Paris for most of the first week of November to meet up with friends.
Thanks again so much for your time and thoughtful responses.
The people on this Forum are the best!