Canada’s Top and Hottest Destinations; France and Italy are Red Hot for Travel; Top World Destinations for Retirees

 Expedia’s Fall Travel Outlook reveals that as Canadians continue to focus on domestic travel, two traditional top destinations are seeing even greater interest as autumn approaches. 

Always a popular spot for Canadians looking for a European-style cultural experience closer to home, Montreal ranks as the third-most popular Canadian destination overall, even as it also ranks fifth on the list of trending locations, with a 45% increase in searches over the same period in 2025. 

Meanwhile, Vancouver sits second overall among all Canadian destinations, while jumping up to sixth on the trending list, with a 40% YoY search increase. 

“Canadians are continuing to favour domestic travel over international trips, and the Fall Travel Outlook indicates the depth of choices they have in their home country,” said Melanie Fish, Expedia® travel expert and Head of Global PR for Expedia Group. “Travellers looking for festivals, history, music and culture are flocking to Montreal, while Vancouver offers visitors unparalleled fall beauty, from foliage to mountains and ocean experiences.” 

The Expedia information is not only good for Canadians, but for anyone traveling to Canada these days.

Vancouver, B.C. JIM BYERS PHOTO

Here are the top ten Canadian destinations overall:

1. Toronto
2. Vancouver
3. Montreal 
4. Quebec City
5. Niagara Falls
6. Banff
7. Calgary
8. Victoria
9. Canmore, Alberta
10. Halifax

Top ten Canadian trending destinations:

1. Regina (+90%)
2. Kingston (+65%)
3. Kamloops ((+60%)
4. Hamilton (+55%)
5. Montreal (+45%)
6. Vancouver (+40%)
7. Jasper (+40%)
8. Winnipeg (+35%)
9. Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario (+25%)
10. Blue Mountains, Ontario (+20%)

The provincial legislature building in Regina. JIM BYERS PHOTO

Other highlights from Expedia’s Fall Travel Outlook:  

• Regina, Saskatchewantopped the list of trending destinations, with a 90% YoY increase in search. It offers the most affordable average stays of any city on the trending list, as well as a fall culture highlighted by vintage fall activities like farmers’ markets, and the truly memorable experience that is a Saskatchewan Roughriders home game (a wonderful thing to do in Saskatchewan). The other top value destinations are Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, Windsor, Moncton, Bais Saint Laurent, Quebec, The Iles de la Madeleine (fabulous destination), Kamloops and Hamilton.

• October 14^th and 15^th are the cheapest days to fly domestically, while September 4^th and 11^th and October 9^th round out the top five. 

• For domestic stays, November 25^th and 12^th top the list, while eight of the top 10 cheapest days for lodging occur in November. 

HOTTEST WORLD DESTINATIONS INTERNATIONALLY

Ancient ruins in Rome, Italy. JIM BYERS PHOTO

Here are the top foreign destinations Canadians are travelling to so far this year, according to Airalo.

1. Italy
2. France
3. Portugal
4. United Kingdom
5. Spain
6. Greece
7. Ireland
8. Netherlands
9. Germany
10. Turkiye 

TOP COUNTRIES FOR RETIREES

Osaka,Japan. Jeremy Santana/Unsplash Photo