HOW TO GET THERE
There are two ways to get to Tortola from Ottawa (there are usually one or two stops):
Go to St. Thomas (YOW - STT) in the USVI and take the ferry across to Roadtown;
or: Go to Beef Island Airport in the BVI (YOW - EIS).
Both ways work quite well. The flight to STT is frequently much less expensive than the flight to EIS. Even taking the ferry, the difference in price is usually significant. Traveling mid-week can also result in considerable savings. The only problem with the STT route is delayed flights. The ferry stops running around 16:15 so some flights are tight. However, it is possible to find a reasonably priced room in Charlotte Amalie. Frequently, if I drop off one crew in ST. Thomas I can pick up another crew a day or two later, so time of arrival in STT may not be important. We then sail off to the BVI or where ever we want to go.
I usually check either EXPEDIA or TRAVELOCITY when I am looking for flights but there are many other travel sites in my favorites list. Make sure you are using Canadian dollars on the page if you can. While traveling, I have had better luck with Continental Airlines than any other but that may just be luck of the draw.
If you need other suggestions or help deciding a route, let me know.
