With luxurious resorts, glitzy shopping plazas, restaurants, superb golf courses and over 300 days of sunshine a year, Phoenix has become a popular winter getaway for Canadians. And now, you can watch our very own Vancouver Canucks take on the Coyotes while you’re there with our upcoming Canucks Roadtrip!

For more information check out our Canucks Roadtrip section on our website!

Conditions apply. Ex: Vancouver. Package price is per person, based on double occupancy for total length of stay. Price is for select departure dates and are accurate and subject to availability at advertising deadline, errors and omissions excepted, and subject to change. Taxes & fees include transportation related fees, GST/HST and fuel supplements and are approximate and subject to change. Details of package can change without warning which are beyond the control of Flight Centre and the Vancouver Canucks. Coverage of RBC Medical or Deluxe insurance, or similar, for the full duration of the trip is mandatory for all attendees of the Roadtrip and can be purchased in addition to the package by any Flight Centre Travel Consultant. Proof of insurance policy required prior to travel. Promo Code: CanucksVIPCorpDiscount2012. BC REG: #HO2790

Did you miss our live webcast from the Vancouver Travel Expo? Fret not you can catch up on all the fun here on our blog. Tune in for interviews with Fiona Forbes, G Adventures, Intrepid Travel, On the Go Tours, TopDeck Travel, Contiki Holidays and more!

Do you live in Calgary or Toronto? We’re working our way across Canada this month to bring more Travel Expos to you! For more info go to flightcentre.ca/travelexpo and pre-register for you chance to win a trip for 2 to Mexico or the Caribbean!

Need some ideas of where to travel in 2012? Want to win some travel goodies? On Sat Feb 4th, 2012 we will be streaming live from the Vancouver Convention Centre for the Flight Centre Travel Expo!

To take advantage of all the incredible deals, giveaways, advice and presentations you need to be at the event, but if you are not in Vancouver this weekend, we will be bringing the Expo to you! On the live feed we will have special guests drop by, stream the live draws for incredible prizes, interview vendors, and have great online contests and giveaways.

So join us live and be part of the webcast on Saturday Feb 4th, at 12pm PST right here or tune in and chat from our Facebook page.

One of the biggest events in the Japanese Calendar is the Tokyo Cherry Blossom Festival which takes place from March 21st- 29th. Festival goers love to celebrate ‘Hanami’ (Hana’ in Japanese means flower and ‘Mi’ comes from the verb to watch) -put them together and you’ve got cherry blossom watching; which is what the festival is all about!

The most popular locations to join in the festivities are parks, castles, riverbanks, temples, and shrines. In Tokyo this means places like Ueno Park, Shinjuku Gyoen, the Imperial Palace, or Yasukuni Shrine, along with lots of smaller more local parties as well.

Although the flowers are main attractions of the festivals, a variety of traditional Japanese performing arts are hard to miss. Joining tea ceremonies held under cherry trees and checking out the vendors which sell various food and souveniors, including specialty food in the region is a must!

The city is an exuberant experience for visitors. It also hosts many museums and is the largest repository of Japanese art in the world. 

Then, of course, it would take forever to exhaust the shopping possibilities in this megalopolis. The more one explores Tokyo the more it becomes obvious that one cannot judge a book by its cover. Inside the modern buildings, the cultural life of Japan is very much alive and well. Interiors reflect the tranquil minimalist Asian style and taste of Japan.

Getting Around

Tokyo’s public transport system is one of the most efficient in the world and is clean and safe, combining an extensive train network, 13 underground subway lines and a bus system. Visitors usually find the trains (JR) and subways the best way to get around although the complexity of the underground network can be intimidating. Most stations have English signs. The Tokyo Combination Ticket (Tokyo Free Kippu) is a day travel pass that allows unlimited use of the trains, subway and bus lines within the city. Taxis are convenient but never cheap, particularly in rush hour. Taxis can be hailed on the street, except in some central areas, where they only pick up from taxi ranks. Drivers speak little English so it is a good idea to have the destination written out in Japanese. Driving a car in the city is not advised. JR trains are free with a Japan Rail Pass.

Book your Tokyo trip with Air Canada by Thurs Jan 26th to take advantage of their Asia Seat Sale. Round trip airfares departing from Canada start as low as $500. Contact your local Flight Centre consultant or call 1-866-502-4605 for more information.

It’s no secret that spending New Years in Sydney is truly an experience of a lifetime. Aside from the vibrancy of the city itself, the fireworks display is known to be one of the best in the world. I remember watching the Sydney fireworks on television  as a little girl and was so excited to finally experience it for myself in real life.

This year, Australia took things a step further by asking Sydney residents to record up to 6 seconds of video footage on their smart phones and upload them, via the freely provided Sydney NYE App. The following morning they released this short film capturing the night as it unfolded; following the stories of a few individuals and using clips of user generated content.

It’s examples like this that remind me how awesome technology can be when it comes to real-life experiences and travel.

This video brought a warm smile to my face and I had to share it with the community in hopes that it will inspire you to visit Australia one day in the future:

From all of us here at Flight Centre, Happy New Year!

Cheers to a new year, new beginnings, and achieving your travel dreams; whatever they may be!

Where would you like to travel to in 2012? Share it with us on Facebook, Twitter or in the comment section below!

Are you the ultimate Canucks fan? Would you travel anywhere to see them? Well lucky for you, we’re offering an exclusive VIP Fan Roadtrip offer for a limited time which includes roundtrip airfare to Phoenix, Lower Bowl tickets to the Canucks vs. Coyotes game on Nov 25th and so much more! For more info, check out our website or call one of our travel consultants! Space is limited, so take advantage of this offer before it’s too late!

This weekend we broadcasted live from the Toronto Travel Expo to bring our viewers across Canada interviews with tour companies, travel brands, bloggers, and not to mention some sweet giveaways including Disney Park Hopper passes, $100 Flight Centre gift cards and a two-night stay at the Congress Hotel in South Beach, Miami!

Did you miss out on these giveaways? Fret not, we’re always looking for ways to say thank-you to our online community by offering monthly giveaways on our Facebook page. If you’re on Twitter, be sure to follow us @FlightCentreCa to stay posted on future events and to take part in future giveaways.

Do you live in the GTA or Toronto area? Join us this Saturday October 22nd and Sunday October 23rd for the Toronto Travel Expo. We will also be streaming live from the International Centre for the Toronto Travel Expo

To take advantage of all the incredible deals, giveaways, advice, and presentations you need to be at the event but if you are not in Toronto we will bring the Expo to you. On the live feed we will have special guests drop by, stream the live draws for incredible prizes, interview vendors, and have great online contests and giveaways.

Some of the guests who will be joining us throughout the day include:

• Josie Dye of 102.1 the Edge and CosmoTV
• Evelyn Hannon of Journeywoman
• Mike Corey of Kick The Grind TV
• Canada’s Adventure Couple Dave and Deb from the Planet D
• Mariellen Ward of BreatheDreamGo
• The gang from Flight Centre Canada
• Sean Russo from G Adventures
• The team at Intrepid’s My Adventure Store
• Our friends at Contiki Holidays
• Omar from Sandals Resorts

• And many, many more!

So join us live and be part of the Webcast on Saturday October 22nd and Sunday October 23rd at 12 noon right here at FlightCentre.ca/Live

Have you always wanted to see the Taj Mahal for yourself and explore the Golden Triangle of India? If you live in the GTA/Toronto area, make sure you head over to the Toronto Travel Expo for your chance to win the exact G Adventures trip that our Flighties were lucky enough to experience last week!

Be sure to pre-register for your chance to win an all-inclusive trip for two to select destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.

In an atmosphere designed to excite and inspire, visitors to Travel Expo will have access to a wide variety of exhibitors covering all aspects of travel. To further enhance the buzz, there’ll be entertainment, informative travel presentations and prize giveaways. This event will open up a world of opportunity for the visitor and promote the diversity of travel styles and the almost endless options available.

Can’t make it to the event? Be sure to tune in for our live webcast to catch up on all the fun and win some travel goodies.

This month, we teamed up with MusiCounts and the Polaris Music Prize to bring two lucky winners to Toronto to experience the 2011 Polaris Awards Gala and explore the city for a couple of days taking in the sights and sounds.

The event took place at the iconic Masonic Temple which has been home to many live music shows since the 1960′s (including Toronto’s first Led Zepplin concert on February 2, 1969, during the band’s inaugural North American Tour). Today as the broadcast home to MTV Canada, the temple still maintains its old rustic charm and is hands down one of the best live music venues in Toronto.

After exploring the city for the day, our winners Anne from Calgary and Claudia from Yellowknife made their way to the Temple to experience some live music and discover some amazing Canadian talent.

One band in particular who seemed to be trending more than the Polaris Awards themselves was Toronto indie pop band, Austra. Fresh off the plane from Belgium, they delivered a phenomenal live performance which even had CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi in awe:

A big congratulations to Polaris Prize Winner Arcade Fire for taking home the $30,000 grand prize and an oversized cheque that they were thrilled to receive. Proceeds from this event went to the MusiCounts project which is a Canadian music education charity helping to keep music alive in schools across Canada. MusiCounts’ mission is to ensure that children in Canada, regardless of socio-economic circumstances and cultural background, have access to a comprehensive music program through their school. For more information check out their website: http://www.musicounts.ca.