This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada, which closed in 2021.

Travel to the Grey Cup, Cheaply

The CFL regular season is in full swing, and the countdown is on to the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto. Canadian Gridiron fans have already scored tickets for the big game, held on Sunday, November 25, but what about airfare? We used Fly.com to find cheap, round-trip flights to Toronto from the eight cities that are home to CFL teams.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.
CFL

The CFL regular season is in full swing, and the countdown is on to the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto. Canadian Gridiron fans have already scored tickets for the big game, held on Sunday, November 25, but what about airfare?

We used Fly.com to find cheap, round-trip flights to Toronto from the eight cities that are home to CFL teams. Some fans will be left on the sidelines if they wait too long to book their flights and will find themselves looking for a Hail Mary to catch all the Grey Cup action in person.

Organizers are pulling out all the stops for the centennial celebration, with a planned 10-day, 11-night festival, beginning November 15. Diehard fans will descend upon Toronto for an all-out blitz of festivities, so even if your team doesn't make it to the championship game, check often to see if you can score a deal at a local restaurant, spa or elsewhere within the Greater Toronto Area.

The CFL game has some quirky rules, and there are some unofficial ones you should follow when flying too:

1)Try to fly on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday. We focused our searches on departing Saturday, Nov. 24, and returning Tuesday, Nov. 27. The results below are the fares we found on those dates.

2) Toronto is one of the largest cities in Canada and home to two airports, which means there are several nonstop options.

Based on early returns, we'll set the over/under for a good flight deal at $500 roundtrip, including tax. Please note: We're travel deal experts, not football experts. These aren't football picks, and we can't promise any deals on Toronto hotels or game tickets.

Under $300

$0: Toronto Argonauts -- It pays to be the hometown team. The Boatmen have won the Grey Cup Championship a record 15 times and won't have to travel far for a chance at No. 16.

$0: Hamilton Tiger-Cats -- Hamiltonians are just a hop, skip, and a jump away, thanks to a quick trip along the Queen's Way or via train to Union Station.

$262 nonstop from Montreal: Alouettes -- Perennial Grey Cup favourites are led by the ageless wonder Anthony Calvillo. Als fans have the lowest fares to Hogtown of anyone and perhaps the easiest road to the final, too.

Over $500

$509 one-stop from Winnipeg: Blue Bombers -- Over 2,000 kilometers separate Winnipeg from their provincial neighbour to the east. No matter how you slice it, Bomber fans have a long way to go before they can even think about seeing their team in action.

$548 nonstop from Calgary: Stampeders -- Residents of Alberta's largest city and fans of the Horsemen should jump on anything less than $600 roundtrip.

$590 one-stop from Edmonton: Eskimos -- Three consecutive losses have the Eskies on the outside looking in.

$592 nonstop from Vancouver: Lions -- The Lions sport the league's best record and the distinction of having to pay the most money for a roundtrip ticket.

$593 one-stop from Regina: Roughriders -- The CFL's most loyal fan base is sure to be present even if Darian Durant, Weston Dressler and company don't make it to the big game. Thanks to surprising low fares, Rider Nation in Saskatchewan can save some green for suds and other concessions.

Enjoy the season and don't forget to check our Today's Best Fares section to see if prices to Toronto offer up big savings.

Note: Airfare pricing fluctuates, and the round trip, tax-inclusive prices above were found and test booked Sept. 19, 2012.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.