Expedia’s Fall Travel Outlook reveals Canadians are still choosing Canada for their getaways, with Vancouver and Montreal holding strong—and Regina emerging as the season’s unexpected star.

Forget automatically booking New England for foliage or hopping across the Atlantic for a cozy European city break. This fall, Canadians are increasingly looking a little closer to home—and some surprising destinations are benefiting.

According to Expedia’s Fall Travel Outlook, domestic travel continues to resonate heading into fall 2026. Vancouver ranks as Canada’s second-most-popular destination overall and sixth among trending destinations, with searches up 40 per cent year over year. Montreal comes in third overall and fifth on the trending list, with searches climbing 45 per cent.

But the destination having the biggest moment? Regina.

Searches for Saskatchewan’s capital are up a whopping 90 per cent year over year, making it Expedia’s top-trending Canadian destination for fall. It also happens to be the best-value destination on the list, with average stays coming in under $200 per night.

“As Canadians continue their focus on domestic travel, which has by now been going strong for more than a year, they are naturally exploring some of the less traditionally marquee destinations and looking for an authentically Canadian experience,” says Melanie Fish, VP, Global PR at Expedia Group. “Regina, and other less obvious destinations, are natural fits for the curious domestic traveller.”

Is the Underrated Canadian City Break Having a Moment?

Regina isn’t alone. Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Windsor also appear among Expedia’s value destinations, suggesting that this fall’s smartest getaway may not necessarily be the city that has dominated your Instagram feed for the past five years.

“These cities are clearly resonating with travellers searching for affordability,” Fish says. “Beyond that, as the domestic travel trend continues, travellers are also looking to explore places beyond the obvious destinations of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.”

And Regina has plenty going for it beyond price. Think farmers’ markets, corn mazes, good food and the kind of fall weekend that can culminate in a Saskatchewan Roughriders game.

Fish describes the appeal as “traditional heartland culture of autumn—great food, friendly people and the kind of camaraderie you can find at a football game.”

Why We’re Staying Closer to Home

Price is certainly part of the equation. But Fish says there’s something more emotional happening with Canadian travel, too.

“While Canadians are still travelling to Europe and the US, many more of them have made a conscious choice to spend their money at home,” she says. “Canadian pride plays a role in this, but it’s also about value—when every dollar counts, it makes a lot of sense to look in your own backyard for your next getaway.”

And our backyard looks particularly good in autumn.

Montreal from late September through mid-October delivers colourful neighbourhoods, cultural festivals, coffee-shop weather and easy access to harvest-season experiences outside the city. Vancouver hits its foliage stride slightly later, from mid-October into early November, pairing fall colour with mountains, ocean, Stanley Park and those wonderfully crisp West Coast days made for walking.

Both cities also offer something increasingly appealing about shoulder-season travel: the ability to combine a proper city break with the outdoors.

“Each has the first-class experiences travellers look for in any big city—like incredible food, luxury hotels and compelling attractions—but both cities also boast unique calling cards,” Fish says. Montreal brings culture and celebrations, while Vancouver has “unbeatable natural beauty, from the ocean to the mountains to the stunning rainforest of Stanley Park.”

Want the Deal? Timing Matters

Where you go isn’t the only way to save. When you go could make a surprisingly big difference.

Expedia’s data identifies mid-October as the best-value period for domestic flights, while November 12 and November 25 are the cheapest dates for domestic lodging.

Why? Demand tends to surge around holidays and then drop immediately afterward. “In October, we’re likely seeing prices lower the weekend following Thanksgiving,” Fish explains. November, meanwhile, is traditionally less expensive for hotels as many families concentrate their travel around Thanksgiving or Christmas.

For a three- or four-day escape, the strategy is simple: save on the hotel, then spend where you’ll actually remember it.

“When you can secure your stay at a discount, you can afford to splurge to level-up some of your experiences,” Fish says, whether that means “a fancy restaurant or great seats at a game.”

So, Where Should You Go?

We asked Fish to play fall-travel matchmaker.

“The foodie gets Montreal,” she says, thanks to everything from high-end restaurants to bagels and smoked meat. “The leaf-peeper and outdoor obsessive both get Vancouver for its unmatched beauty.”

And for the sports fan or bargain hunter? Regina takes it again: affordable stays plus what Fish calls “perhaps the best football culture in the country.”

One more reason to keep watching Canadian travel? Fish says Expedia is currently putting together its global trending destinations for 2027—and although she isn’t revealing the list until October, she offered one tantalizing clue: the global top 10 includes a Canadian destination.

Consider our passports temporarily optional. —Noa Nichol

The post Regina Is Canada’s Surprise Fall Travel Hotspot—& It’s Not The Only Reason To Vacation @ Home appeared first on VITA Daily.

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