From the moment travellers step off their cheap flights to Alberta, this province's majestic beauty is obvious. Endless prairies, rolling foothills, sky-scraping snow-capped mountains, sparkling lakes and untapped wilderness are what await. Alberta's undoubted jewel is the Rocky Mountains. There are six major ski and ride resorts - Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, Mount Norquay, Nakiska, Marmot Basin and Castle Mountain Resort.
The province may have been named for a 19th-century princess, but Alberta predates her by millennia. The Drumheller Valley in Southern Alberta is the dinosaur capital of the world. The landscape has been carved and worn by time to almost a moonscape. It has the richest deposits of fossils and dinosaur bones in North America, home too to the world-famous Royal Tyrrell Museum.
Edmonton is capital, a thriving petro-city located south of the centre of the province. Its largest attraction might just be the West Edmonton Mall, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, which has more than 800 stores more than 110 eateries.
Calgary, another city with a booming oil and gas industry, is gateway to the Rockies. Each summer it celebrates its Western heritage with rodeo, chuckwagon races, agricultural shows and grandstand shows.
Search and compare: cheap flights to Alberta
Back to top
Peak Season:The high season in Alberta really depends on what you intend to do there. Most travellers - bound for the cities - take cheap flights to Alberta during the summer months. The winter months are, unsurprisingly, peak season for skiers and snowboarders.
Off Season:In the cities, winter is generally off season, while the Rockies are at their busiest.
Given the size of Alberta, renting a car is the best option. Once travellers have disembarked their cheap flights to Albera, renting a car is quick and easy. In the cities, taxis and public transportation are readily available.
Edmonton has the Edmonton Transit System, made up of buses and light rail. Calgary has buses and C-Trains (the LRT).
Calgary International Airport (YYC) (website: www.calgaryairport.com) The airport is 20km northeast of downtown Calgary.
Edmonton International Airport (YEG) (website: www.flyeia.com ) The airport is located 26km southwestof downtown Edmonton.
* Required
The best bargains and up-to-the-minute deals
Brian Brennan Brennan revisits the big events that made the news - the Frank Slide, the Leduc oil discovery - and gives them a fresh spin for a new generation.
Elle Andra-WarnerAmazing stories about the amazing men who joined the force.
David PhillipsFascinating facts and trivia about Canada's weather.
Joy Kogawa Kogawa's stirring novel tells the story of the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II.
More travel tips
Close
Destination guides to countries and cities worldwide www.wordtravels.com
Guide to more than 200 airports around the world www.worldairportguide.com
Cheap airline tickets to domestic and worldwide destinations www.cheapflights.ca