TORONTO--(Marketwire - Jan 17, 2012) - With the holiday season now behind us, the sad reality is sinking in that we have months to wait until the next holiday break or to get a glimpse of warm weather. Cheapflights.ca, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, has come up with a plan to defy the gloom (#DefyTheGloom). Rather than upping your dose of Vitamin D capsules, Cheapflights recommends planning a vacation getaway to one of its Top 25 Most Cheap and Cheerful Destinations.
Cheapflights has crunched the numbers to come up with its list of must-go-to escapes, guaranteed to fight the post-holiday gloom without breaking the bank. This guide is a ranking of Cheapflights.ca's top 25 vacation spots around the globe based on a variety of factors such as weather, airfare and how far your Looney will go once you get there.
"With the holiday decorations all packed up, many Canadians are starting to feel the gloom of the cold and dreary winter season," says Lauren Sullivan, site editor for Cheapflights.ca. "We recommend fighting the winter blues any way you can but, of course, think finding a getaway that is both fun and affordable is the best way to defy the gloom. To that end, we've created our Cheap and Cheerful list of destinations (and a Facebook giveaway) to help you plan just the trip that will bring a smile to your face."
Below are the first 10 destinations to make the list of Cheapflights.ca's Top 25 Cheap and Cheerful Destinations:
| Rank | Destination | |
| 1 | Cancun, Mexico | |
| 2 | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | |
| 3 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| 4 | Bucharest, Romania | |
| 5 | Fort Lauderdale, Fla, USA | |
| 6 | New York, NY, USA | |
| 7 | San Diego, Calif, USA | |
| 8 | Miami, Fla, USA | |
| 9 | Los Angeles, Calif, USA | |
| 10 | Orlando, Fla, USA |
Not surprisingly, Florida still remains a Canadian favourite. The Sunshine State is the most popular destination on our list, earning five of the 25 spots - Fort Lauderdale (No. 5), Miami (No. 8); Orlando (No. 10); Fort Myers (No. 14) and Tampa (No. 17). The beaches, warm weather and accessibility make Florida an honorary 11th province for Canadian snowbirds.
Mexico continues to be a popular hotspot for Canadians, earning the top three spots on our list with Cancun (No. 1), Puerto Vallarta (No. 2) and Mexico City (No. 3). Mexico, from the Pacific to the Gulf, is ideal in January and February for those looking to escape the cold, sip pina coladas and bask in the sun. Though troubling headlines have come out of some parts of Mexico lately, there are spots where it is still sunny and safe. Alternatively, if you're looking for a sunny retreat, other warm weather beach destinations to consider include resort getaways in the Dominican Republic (Nos. 12 and 18), Jamaica (No. 16) and Bahamas (No. 20).
Some less-than-predictable results include Bucharest, Romania (No. 4), Hyderabad, India (No. 11) and Kalkata, India (No. 13). These locations all reflect the upside to going a little farther and offsetting higher airfares with big savings on ground costs such as accommodation, food and transportation.
To view Cheapflights.ca's complete list of Top 25 Cheap and Cheerful Destinations visit www.cheapflights.ca/promos/cheap-and-cheerful-destinations/.
Methodology
Cheapflights.ca took its 100 most popular destinations from December and ranked them based on a combination of factors, namely average round-trip airfare, weather in January and February, recent currency performance, ground costs and third-party rankings on safety for visitors. Our Cheap and Cheerful list comprises the top destinations based on that analysis.
The Great Escape
Our Cheap and Cheerful list is meant to inspire people to shake off the gloom of the season and make true on their travel aspirations. To go one step further, Cheapflights has also launched The Great Escape giveaway on Facebook. The winner of this sweepstakes competition will receive $3000 CAD in travel money to plan an escape to a cheap and cheerful destination of their own choosing. Cheapflights is also giving away travel must-have Kindles every week in the run up to the grand prize draw. The contest is open worldwide, so jump in and get ready to get away.
About Cheapflights Media
Cheapflights Media is an international media network helping over 11 million visitors a month find top travel deals. Our Cheapflights brand was launched in 1996 and pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users. Today, users compare a wide range of deals from hundreds of partners including online travel agents, consolidators and airlines to find the very best flight deals. With a mission to be the starting point for travel, Cheapflights works to deliver the industry's best airfare bargains, expert tips and inspiration. There are currently Cheapflights sites in the U.K., U.S., Canada, Germany, Australia & New Zealand, France, Italy and Spain. For more information, visit www.cheapflights.ca. Our newest brand, Momondo, is a leading travel search engine for finding comprehensive worldwide pricing and availability on airfares. Winner of several awards, the site is ideal for users on specific travel schedules. For more information, visit www.momondo.com.
Contact Information:
Contact Information:
Dalia Blumenthal
Publicist
Tel: +1 416-926-1967
Mobile: +1 416-788-4573
E-mail:
Web: www.cheapflights.ca
