The Canadian low-cost airline Zoom is about to launch flights between the UK and Canada, with ticket prices from just £170 return, including taxes. It’s the cheapest scheduled deal ever. From May 3, you’ll be able to reach Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Halifax and Vancouver from either Gatwick or Glasgow; book at www.flyzoom.com or call 0870 240 0055.

Also taking off in May is a Toronto service from Canadian Affair (0141 248 6777, www.canadianaffair.com), which will fly direct from Gatwick, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester, with fares starting at £188 return.

Why go? Toronto is Canada’s New York, a big, multicultural city that is confident and safe, easy to explore and packed with attractions. Despite this, it’s a homely and approachable place — just voted fourth in a survey of the world’s top cities to live in. As a city-break destination, it’s overshadowed by more eye-catching alternatives in the USA — which is a pity. And the Canadian dollar is at $2.50 to the pound, so it’s a bargain, too.

The sights: the CN Tower (www.cntower.ca) may be 29 years old, but it still looks ultramodern. On the observation level (at 1,112ft), test your nerve on the glass floor; 33 floors higher still (at 1,465ft), there is a deck where you can feel the building gently swaying.

The Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queen’s Park; £4) has five floors of art; while the Art Gallery of Ontario (Dundas Street West; £5) will be the only North American venue to host the blockbusting Impressionist Visions exhibition (June 12 to September 12).

This summer also sees the opening, on Dundas Square, of a new attraction in the city, Olympic Spirit which aims to capture the spirit of the world’s greatest sporting event (www.olympicspirit.org).

Take a 20-minute ride from downtown on Streetcar 501 and you’ll hit The Beaches, a fin-de-siècle resort where you can stroll the long boardwalk and sunbathe on the shores of Lake Ontario. Somewhere quieter? A 10-minute ferry ride from the downtown terminal takes you to the Toronto Islands, a peaceful, car-free retreat with beaches, parks and great views back to the city.

Where to stay: Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West; 00 1-416 531 5042, www.thedrakehotel.ca) styles itself as a bohemian urban retreat. Opened last month, it has eccentric spaces and decor; doubles from £53.

Almost as new (it opened last year) is Hotel Le Germain (30 Mercer Street; 416 345 9500, www.germaintoronto.com), a deep-toned boutique hotel with doubles from £78.

The Royal Meridien King Edward (37 King Street East; 416 863 3131, www.lemeridien.com) is a princely place with doubles from £104. More modest is the Mulberry Tree (122 Isabella Street; 416 960 5249, www.bbtoronto.com/mulberrytree), which has bright rooms and a courtyard; doubles from £40.

Where to eat: there are cafes and burger bars galore, of course, but the current craze is bubble tea — a Taiwanese import, where tea is served in tall glasses over a tapioca “bubble” base. Love & Scandal (120 Cumberland Street) is the best place to sample it.

Jamie Kennedy’s wine bar (Church Street; 416 362 1957) is the spot for a top-end snack: micro mains from £4.40, and get there early, as they don’t take reservations. For Canadian cuisine, try Tundra (145 Richmond Street West; mains from £6), which has inspired decor, or Canoe (416 364 0054), which offers stunning city views from the 54th floor of the Toronto-Dominion Tower.

Entertainment: still suspect Canada is dull? Here are some reasons to change your mind: the sun-drenched patios of the Madison Avenue Pub (14 Madison Avenue), with everything from a piano bar to a pool; the relaxed and retro Lava Lounge (507 College Street West); and live music at The Rivoli (332 Queen Street). If you haven’t made enough friends yet, finish off at Schmooze (15 Mercer Street), a good dance club with a chillout patio and a ritzy atmosphere.

If you’re travelling during the hockey season (October to April), be sure to take in a game. It’s quite a spectacle, so don’t watch from a bar; get a ringside seat and see Toronto’s beloved Maple Leafs live (40 Bay Street; www.torontomapleleafs.com; tickets from £9.60). The Hockey Hall of Fame (30 Yonge Street; £4.80; www.hhof.com) is also worth a visit, with hands-on exhibits and a replica of the Montreal Canadiens’ changing room.

Fancy getting your own skates on? Toronto has more than two dozen free outdoor rinks; the best is in Nathan Phillips Square (100 Queen Street West; skate rental £3 for two hours). Or, if you can pluck up the courage, grab a hockey stick and show up for a Shinny — this is the friendly, non- contact version of the game.

Shopping: head over to multicultural Kensington Market for a flavour of the many communities whose founders first arrived in Canada at the landing point nearby.

More conventional is the vast Eaton Centre, a covered collection of 350 stores that’s a little less garish than most malls.

An excursion: prepare yourself for the rampant commercialism of the Niagara Falls, then plunge in — it’s worth running the gauntlet of tack simply to marvel at half a billion gallons of water per second powering 165ft down into the gorge.

It’s an impressive sight, and they’ve got it covered from all angles: from above at the Skylon Tower; from below, protected by yellow oilskins, on the deck of the Maid of the Mist; or from behind, down a 110ft tunnel that puts you right in the rock, looking onto the wall of water.

It’s a 90-minute drive to the Falls. Hire a car (try Avis: 0870 010 0287, www.avis.co.uk; from £34 per day) or take a Gray Line bus (416 594 0343, www.grayline.ca; from £23 return).

Getting around: take the half-hourly Airport Express bus, which stops at seven big downtown hotels and the coach station. Journey time is about 45 minutes; £10 return (visit www.torontoairportexpress.com). An all-day pass covering all public transport is £3, and the city’s streetcars are enjoyable and easy to use.

The weather: Toronto winters are cold — with freezing daytime temperatures and snow possible between November and March. Summers are hot and humid, making spring and autumn the best times to visit, with plenty of warm, sunny days in the 70s.

Tourist information: contact Ontario Tourism (01622 832288, www.tourismtoronto.com).

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