Travellers are flocking to cities and small towns in the path of today’s total solar eclipse. Cruise lines are positioning their boats to be in the path of the sun, and airlines are touting routes that will give passengers the best views.
A total eclipse will slip across Mexico this afternoon (April 8), and then make its way northwest across Texas and the U.S. Midwest before it hits Niagara Falls, eastern Ontario, southern Quebec and New Brunswick. Folks in Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland also could get a great view of an astronomical event most people never get to see.
Approximately one million visitors are expected to trundle into Niagara Falls, which many experts say will be one of the best places to see the eclipse.
Some hotels in the city began jacking up rates in advance of the big show, with a few charging as much as $1,600 CAD for a room last night.
SiteMinder.com reported that hotels in Buffalo were charging almost three times more for a room on April 7 this year than they did on the same date in 2023. The site also noted that bookings for hotels in Dallas were up 67% compared to last year.
Air Canada on the weekend was touting its top eclipse-viewing routes, including Toronto-Austin and Montreal-Dallas. We’re guessing that not many pax were begging for aisle seats on those planes.
CBS News reports Delta today will have two special eclipse flights, one going from Austin to Detroit and the other from Detroit to Dallas. The two flights sold out within 24 hours.
Both routes were chosen to take advantage of the solar eclipse, and Delta said the pilots will tilt the planes at a 30-degree angle to give passengers on both side of the plane a great view.
Cruise lines also were getting in on eclipse mania. Two of Holland America Line’s ships, Koningsdam and Zaandam, were set to stop today in Mazatlán, Mexico, the starting location within the path of totality.
The Weather Network predicts a fair amount of clouds in southern Ontario in the morning, but things could clear up a little as the eclipse totality time approaches (around 3:18 p.m.). Things were expected to be better in Quebec, so eclipse lovers might consider a quick flight from Toronto to Montreal, or out to the Maritimes.
U.S. transportation officials have warned of traffic jams on major routes in Texas, Ohio and other states.
THE NEXT BIG ONE
Eclipses aren’t rare, but experts say the chances of one passing over your house are rare; maybe once every 375 years. Which means eclipse fans need to plan ahead.
If you have a client or friends who just love these sorts of things, be aware that the next TOTAL solar eclipse is expected to hit Iceland and northern Spain on Aug. 12, 2026. The Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca) also are expected to be hot spots for the eclipse.
