A record number of Americans are traveling this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the latest predictions from Florida based AAA (American Automobile Association), 55.4 million people will be going 50 miles or more from home to celebrate with friends and family. In addition, they say about 4.7 million Americans will be flying and Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers is preparing. A new parking lot at RSW helps Thanksgiving travelers in Southwest Florida.
The airport has a new reserved parking lot called RSWRemote. You can still reserve a spot to save time if you are driving to the airport in the next couple of days. Not only do you have a guaranteed parking spot through this program, but you also get a guaranteed rate with the deal. It is $40 regardless of how many days you stay.
How the new parking lot at RSW works
First, you need to reserve your spot in advance. Payment is taken at the time of reservation. You will get a QR code to show the parking attendant when you arrive at the remote lot. Next, a free shuttle bus will take you to the terminal. The shuttles begin operating at 3am and continue serving the seasonal lot until the last flight of the night lands. Here is the lot reservation link. Parking is open now through Sunday, December 3rd. You'll find it on the north side of the airport just off Chamberlin Parkway. Signs are also posted to make it easier to find.
Airport officials are recommending you add an additional 30 minutes to your advance arrival time if using the reserve lot. Safe travels.
Fort Myers To Canada Direct Flights On Sale For $69
Snowbird Season is upon us in Southwest Florida. It's no secret, a lot of people from Canada like to come to Fort Myers for the winter. It's not even mid-November and we're seeing license plates from all over. So our roads are congested. Sometimes I'll even stay late at work just so I don't have to get into the heaviest of traffic on 41. So I was thinking - maybe the best way to avoid all the seasonal traffic here is to travel where they came from. Why not a Fort Myers To Canada vacation? Based on all the traffic here, I'm guessing the streets of Toronto are empty.
Newcomer Porter Airlines just launched daily, roundtrip service between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers. Flights between Toronto Pearson and Fort Myers are operated by the state-of-the-art Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. The 132-seat, all-economy aircraft has a two-by-two configuration, which makes Porter the only carrier that can promise passengers no middle seats. So, they're smaller planes, but the best part? You can get a direct flight from Fort Myers to Toronto for $69.
If you haven't heard of Porter Airlines, yet, it's because these flights from Fort Myers To Canada just started.
"Today, Porter inaugurates its first nonstop flight into Fort Myers from Toronto, Canada (YYZ), a popular destination for residents and visitors coming to Southwest Florida. This daily service will be a great new option for travelers to enjoy."
- Ben Siegel, CPA, C.M., executive director of the Lee County Port Authority.
Details on flights are on the Porter Airlines website. I even saw a promo code on their site that'll knock another 25% off that rate. Keep in mind that the $69 fare is the most basic of the basic. No carry on bag and no checked bag, so you'll need to wear all of your clothes and jackets you'll need for the trip. I've seen Tik Tok videos where people mail their clothes to their destination to avoid baggage fees. Interesting.
Today's high in Canada is 50 degrees, so it's actually not too cold there. So, what fun things are there to do in Toronto?
CN Tower
The CN Tower is an 1,815-foot-tall observation tower. On a clear day you can see for 100 miles. There's also a 360 degree restaurant that rotates slowly, taking 72 minutes giving you a changing scenery while you dine on poutine. You gotta have some poutine.
Toronto Island Park
Trails and paths and an amazing view of the Toronto skyline. Got kids? Bring them to the Centreville Amusement Park and petting zoo.
Toronto Maple Leafs
If seeing a hockey game in Canada is on your bucket list, here's your chance. If you don't mind traveling around Thanksgiving, the Florida Panthers are there on November 28th. Is hockey more polite in Canada?
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
It's located at the base of the CN Tower, so if you're there - why not? Over 20,000 aquatic animals and North America’s longest underwater viewing tunnel. Aquatic life in Canada is soooo mush different than what we have in Southwest Florida.
Distillery Historic District
The district consists of brick-lined streets and dozens of Victorian Industrial buildings. Basically, if you're a tourist you need to make a visit. I also hear they really do it up big with Christmas decorations.
