 VIA 1 is ready to go! Train number 1, the Canadian waits to leave Toronto's Union Station beneath the famous CN Tower - CN standing for Canadian National Railways, of course.
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Toronto - Winnipeg - Edmonton - Jasper - Vancouver
It's one of the world's greatest train journeys. A trans-continental train called the Canadian links Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper & Vancouver twice a week all year round, operated by VIA Rail Canada, Canada's national train operator. The whole journey takes 4 nights and the train consists of the original stainless-steel coaches built for the Canadian Pacific Railway's Canadian in 1954-55. You can travel very affordably in Economy class in a reclining seat, or in Sleeper Plus class with a private sleeping-car room and restaurant car meals included. And there are deluxe Prestige class sleepers too, introduced in 2014. Crossing Canada by train is an amazing experience, as this page will show.
Timetable westbound 2024
Timetable eastbound 2024
Notes for timetable
You can check times & fares for a specific date & find a timetable covering every stopping point at www.viarail.ca.
Remember this train crosses 4 time zones, all times are local time! On-board announcements will tell you when to put your clocks forward or back.
Allow for delays! The Canadian shares tracks with freight trains and can run late, meaning hours not minutes. Do not book any onward train, bus or flight in the 24 hours after scheduled arrival so you can travel stress free and take things in your stride. However, the current significantly slower timetable was introduced in July 2018, designed to ease the delay problem. Indeed, since July 2018 the Canadian can now arrive an hour or two early, although you can remain on board until scheduled arrival time. But still, don't book any onward connections within 24h!
Train connection between Ottawa, Montreal & Toronto: See here.
Train connection between New York & Toronto: See here.
Bus/ferry connection between Vancouver & Victoria BC: See here.
How much does it cost?
At the time of writing, 1 USD = 1.3 CAD. £1 = 1.6 CAD.
How to buy tickets
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Option 1, buy at www.viarail.ca
When Select class and fare plan appears, select discounted or Escape fare against the type of accommodation you want, assuming you want the cheapest fare and are happy with limited or no changes or refunds.
You can buy tickets between any two stations. Booking opens 11 months (331 days) in advance. You print your own tickets.
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Payment problems on viarail.ca?
There are recent reports of VIA's payment system refusing non-Canadian cards. One theory is that they have a standard for card verification higher than most foreign cards.
However, another theory is that it doesn't like Chrome with foreign bank cards, so try again using Safari. Feedback appreciated.
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Option 2, buy at Omio.com
If you have problems with viarail.ca and only want to book economy class, you can easily buy tickets at Omio.com in multiple currencies & languages, with no payment problems. However, Omio can't book sleepers.
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To buy tickets by phone, call VIA Rail on 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245).
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Book a package with Amtrak Vacations
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VIA Rail & Amtrak specialists Amtrak Vacations can customise a tour package for you on the Canadian, either within Canada or adding travel from the United States.
Lines are open 09:00-22:00 Monday-Friday & 09:00-17:30 Saturday, Eastern Time.
In the U.S. or
Canada, call
866-816-5892 toll-free or visit
www.amtrakvacations.com.
From the UK call
020 3327 3500 or visit
www.amtrakvacations.com.
From Australia 0011-1-978-816-7506, or visit
www.amtrakvacations.com.
Book a package with Railbookers
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Train travel specialist Railbookers can arrange a holiday or tour with travel on the Canadian, with trains, stopovers, hotels, transfers & flights. They have offices in the UK, USA & Australia.
UK call 0207 864 4600,
www.railbookers.co.uk.
See their Canada packages.
US call free 1-888-829-4775,
www.railbookers.com.
Canada call free 1-855-882-2910,
www.railbookers.com.
Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526,
www.railbookers.com.au.
New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or
see
website.
Book an escorted tour with GRJ
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To travel across Canada with a convivial group of travellers escorted by a professional guide, contact UK-based Great Rail Journeys at www.greatrail.com, in the UK call 01904 527 120. They have tours leaving New York for LA & San Francisco between 1 and 5 times each month from April to October.
What's the train like?
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Economy class: Reclining seats with skyline lounge/dome car. The budget option.
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Sleeper Plus class: The option most people choose, with several types of sleeping-berth, meals in the restaurant car included in the fare, a skyline lounge/dome car and limited access to the famous Park car lounge/bar/dome at the rear of the train.
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Prestige class: The deluxe option with prices aimed at the luxury cruise market. Launched in 2015, these are modern deluxe rooms with en suite toilet & shower and full access to the famous Park car lounge/bar/dome at the rear of the train.
Economy class seats
Economy class usually consists of two seats cars and a skyline lounge/dome car up front immediately behind the locomotives & baggage car. Economy Class seats cars have comfortable reclining seats with a 40 degree recline, leg-rest and loads of legroom. All seats have a power outlet and you can buy a blanket & pillow set from the skyline car if you haven't brought your own. An Economy class seat costs a fraction of the price of a Sleeper Plus berth, and with a coffee shop, lounge area and observation dome, the facilities in Economy class are still excellent. It's an experience streets ahead of a flight, and vastly more comfortable than a bus. My advice? Break up the trip with stopovers in Winnipeg & Jasper if you don't want to spend 4 nights in a row in a seat.
Economy class skyline car
The skyline car has a lounge at one end, tables & chairs at the other, an observation dome in the centre with attendant's galley underneath. In the skyline you can buy tea, coffee, Canadian red & white wine by the glass, spirits, beer, snacks & microwaved hot meals. Seats in the dome are first-come first-served, it's not normally a problem to find a seat up there, although you're asked not to hog dome seats for the whole trip and give others a go. Incidentally, some skyline cars still have the older 1990s blue interior as shown here, others have the newer 2000s green & brown interior as shown here.
Sleeper Plus class
The majority of the train is Sleeper Plus class, formerly called Silver & Blue class and then briefly Sleeper Touring Class. Sleeper Plus class consists of a number of Manor class sleeping-cars, serviced by a skyline lounge/dome car and a restaurant car. In summer you may find two skyline/restaurant car pairs, termed A & B, each serving a neighbouring series of sleeping-cars. In Sleeper Plus class you have your own sleeping-berth in either an open-plan section, a single-berth roomette or a 2-berth bedroom, the fare includes all meals in the elegant Sleeper Plus restaurant car, complimentary tea, coffee & morning juice in the skyline car. After 16:00 every day you can use the famous Park car, with its full-service bar, dome and bullet lounge, although the Park car is restricted to Prestige class passengers between 06:00 & 16:00. You can also use the business class lounge at Toronto Union Station. Below, Manor class sleeping-car Bliss Manor at Saskatoon...
Sections = open-plan seats that convert to bunks
Described on the VIA Rail website as upper berth and lower berth but more traditionally called sections, these are the cheapest type of sleeper. Sections are not enclosed compartments, but open-plan seats arranged in pairs facing each other each side of the aisle, see the photo below left. The person with the slightly more expensive lower berth gets the seat facing forward during the day. At night, the attendant makes up the berths by pulling the two seats together and placing a mattress & bedding on them to form the lower berth, and an upper berth folds out from the wall - see the photo below right. Heavy curtains are then fitted to each bunk for privacy. There's a shower & toilets nearby, clean towels, soap & shampoo are all provided. Incidentally, if you've seen Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot, then you'll have seen sections - the girl band travels from Chicago to Florida in a sleeping-car with sections. Bring your own Marilyn...
Tip: One downside of sections, apart from the lack of privacy when in day mode, is that there are no power sockets, but you can usually recharge your phone, laptop or camera using sockets in the skyline lounge or table areas.
Roomettes for one person 360º photo day 360º photo night
A roomette is a fully-enclosed lockable compartment, described on the VIA Rail website as a cabin for 1. They're a significant step up in privacy & price from a section. Each Manor class sleeping-car has four roomettes at one end, with the train always marshalled so that the seats face forward. A roomette is very compact, just big enough for a large armchair with plenty of legroom, opposite a padded leg-rest with a toilet bowl hidden underneath. There's a small washbasin in the corner, with hot & cold taps plus a drinking water tap with cups provided. The bed is stored vertically behind the seat, and at night it hinges down to fill most of the roomette as you can see below right. The bed tapers, so with the bed lowered there's just about room to stand next to the bed with the door closed. However, heavy curtains are provided in the doorway so you can keep the door open and back into the corridor to get in and out of bed, hidden by the curtains. You need to raise the bed again to use the toilet underneath the footrest, but if you prefer you can use the public toilets at the other end of the sleeping-car. There's a hot shower in each sleeping-car - clean towels, soap & shampoo are all provided in your roomette. Each roomette also comes with tissues, two power sockets and an electric fan.
Bedrooms for two people 360º photo day 360º photo night
A bedroom is a fully-enclosed lockable compartment for two people, described on the VIA Rail website as a cabin for 2. Each Manor sleeping-car has six bedrooms, lettered A to F. Each bedroom has a sink with hot and cold water, a drinking water tap (cups provided), and a small en suite toilet. By day, you sit in two comfortable free-standing armchairs. In the evening the sleeper attendant will fold down the lower berth, stored on its end on the corridor side of the compartment, and lower the upper berth from the ceiling. The armchairs fold up to fit under the lower berth. There's a hot shower in each sleeping-car - clean towels, soap & shampoo are all provided in your bedroom. Each bedroom also comes with tissues, two power sockets and an electric fan.
Tip: Bedroom F is larger than the other rooms and in Canadian Pacific days was sold as a 'compartment', a higher-priced tier of accommodation than 'bedroom'. VIA Rail now make no distinction, so if booking by phone or at a station, ask if a bedroom F is available as it means more room for no extra cost. However, it can't be specified online.
Tip: Partitions between adjacent bedrooms can be removed to make a family suite for 4 people. The partition is on the 'bed' side of the compartment, so bedrooms A & B connect, C & D connect, and E & F connect.
Restaurant car
There's a restaurant car - two restaurant cars in summer and at other busy times of year - for Sleeper Plus and Prestige passengers, with meals included in the fare. Soft drinks & wine cost extra in Sleeper Plus, but are included in Prestige. The restaurant car serves three meals a day, in the eastbound direction (Train 2) this is breakfast, lunch & dinner, but in the westbound direction (Train 1, at least at the time of writing) this is continental breakfast 06:30-09:00 (no cooked dishes available other than hot oatmeal), brunch 10:30 to 13:30 (with a choice of a cooked breakfast or a couple of more lunch-like dishes including a vegetarian option), then dinner with two or three sittings, typically at 6pm & 8pm in winter, or at 5pm, 7pm & 9pm in summer and at other busy times of year. Dinner comes with a choice of starter (typically soup of the day or salad), a choice of several main courses including a vegetarian option, and a couple of dessert options. Reports suggest that they may now have resumed serving breakfast, lunch & dinner in both directions, the brunch idea not having proved popular.
Table reservations: For breakfast & lunch there are no table reservations, you go along at any time during serving hours and ask to be seated. If the restaurant is full you'll be asked to wait in the adjacent skyline car and called when a table is free. Table reservations must be made for lunch (eastbound only) & dinner (both directions). You'll usually be asked which dinner sitting you'd like during the preceding brunch/lunch service, but for the first night when leaving Toronto, restaurant car staff set up a table to take dinner reservations inside the Union Station VIA business lounge after you check in, before the train boards.
Tip: In summer, the 7pm sitting is the most popular, but Prestige class passengers get first choice so it fills up fast. Have a choice ready between 5pm & 9pm!
Skyline car
There's a skyline lounge/dome car for Sleeper Plus passengers next to the restaurant car, or next to each restaurant car when the train runs with two of them. The skyline car has a lounge at the forward end, tables & chairs at the rear end, an observation dome in the centre with attendant's galley underneath. A side corridor links the lounge area with the table area passing under the dome, down two steps, along past the galley, then up two steps. At one end of the tables area is a complimentary tea & coffee station, you'll also find juice, biscuits and pastries here in the morning. In the skyline you can buy Canadian red & white wine by the glass, spirits, beer, snacks & soft drinks, just ask the attendant. Incidentally, the photos below show a skyline car refurbished in the 2000s with the newer green & brown interior, but others still have the older 1990s blue interior as shown here. Activities are held in the skyline from time to time, such as talks on landscape or wildlife, and wine & beer tastings.
Tip: Seats in the dome are first-come first-served, it's not normally a problem to find a seat up there, although you're asked not to hog dome seats for the whole trip and let others have a go. However, travelling westbound, grab a dome seat early on departure from Jasper into the Rockies as that's when they fill up...
Prestige class. See 360° photo
VIA Rail introduced a new luxury class on the Canadian in 2014, called Prestige class. Prestige class consists of one or two Chateau class sleeping-cars that have been completely gutted and rebuilt with an all-new interior. Prestige passengers travel in hotel-standard luxury bedrooms with double bed convertible to corner sofa, en suite toilet & shower, flat-screen TV with video selection, complimentary mini-bar and an extra-large window. Prestige passengers use the same restaurant car as Sleeper Plus passengers, meals and drinks are included and they get first choice of sitting. Two Prestige class sleeper compartments and a wheelchair-accessible compartment are housed in the Park car at the rear of the train with its bullet lounge, dome and full-service bar, exclusively for Prestige class passengers from 06:00-16:00 every day.
The Park car
At the rear of the train is the Park car, the Canadian's signature vehicle. 18 Park cars were built in 1954-55 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, all named after famous Canadian national parks. The Park car features (1) the Bullet Lounge at the very rear providing great views back along the track, with complimentary tea & coffee, (2) a raised observation dome and (3) a full-service bar with tables & chairs underneath the dome. The forward end of the car also houses two Prestige class sleeper compartments and a wheelchair-accessible sleeper compartment. The Park cars used on the Canadian have been refurbished to top quality Prestige class standards, and the Park car is in effect the bar/dome/lounge car for Prestige class passengers.
Access to the Park car: In the peak season (from the end of April to mid-October) Prestige class passengers get exclusive access to the Park car 06:00-16:00 every day. Sleeper Plus passengers may only visit the Park car outside these restricted times and even then, labels on many dome seats say 'Reserved for Prestige class passengers'. In winter, Sleeper Plus passengers have unrestricted access to the Park car and only a couple of rows of dome seats are likely to be reserved for Prestige class passengers.
What's the journey like?
The Canadian spans Canada from Toronto to the Pacific, an epic trans-continental journey which can be divided geographically (and scenically) into 3 distinct parts: (1) The lakes, fir trees and rocky outcrops of the great Canadian Shield from Toronto to Winnipeg, (2) the rolling Prairies from Winnipeg to Jasper, and (3) the Rockies from Jasper to Vancouver. I've seen some Tripadvisor posts claim you should fly to Jasper and just do the Rockies - a completely mistaken view, as every part of this epic train ride has it's own scenic and historical interest. Indeed, I sometimes think that I like the two day journey across the Shield almost as much as the day through the Rockies, perhaps because no-one tells you how lovely the Shield is before you go. Well, I'm telling you now. And as you'll read below, the most jaw-dropping part of the Rockies experience was approaching Jasper from the east, an experience you won't get if you only travel from Jasper westwards.
Part 1: The great Canadian Shield
From just west of Toronto to just east of Winnipeg, the train traverses the Great Canadian Shield, a sparsely-populated area of lakes and forests interspersed with outcrops of igneous rock - see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Shield. It's a lovely area, taking 2 days to cross.
Part 2: The Prairies
The scenery now changes dramatically. From just east of Winnipeg to a little way west of Edmonton, the train crosses the wide open Prairies of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Prairies.
Part 3: The Rockies
The Man in Seat 61 says: "The morning after leaving Edmonton, I awoke around 7am. I lifted the blind a few inches and saw no mountains, just endless trees. Odd, I'd thought we'd be in the Rockies by now. Leaving wife and kids asleep, I dressed and headed for the skyline car. I poured myself a coffee and juice from the coffee station, grabbed a Danish pastry and climbed the stairs to the dome, occupied by just a handful of early risers. I turned around, and froze. My jaw gaped open and I almost dropped my coffee. The view I saw is the one shown here, the train speeding through an avenue of fir trees straight for the Rocky Mountains, their eastern flank lit pink by the morning sun. It was the defining moment of this ride on the Canadian and a sight I will never forget."
Video guide: Toronto to Vancouver by train
A journey from Toronto to Vancouver on VIA Rail's Canadian, showing the train inside & out, the food, and the amazing scenery...
Luggage arrangements
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Economy class, carry on: 1 personal bag up to 11.5 Kg max 43 x 15 x 33 cm plus 1 large bag up to 23 Kg max 158 linear cm or 2 smaller bags up to 11.5 Kg each.
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Sleeper Plus & Prestige class, carry on: 1 personal bag per person up to 11.5 Kg max 43 x 15 x 33 cm plus 2 bags per compartment each up to 11.5 Kg and 54.5 x 39.5 x 23 cm. You check in your larger bags so they go in the baggage car.
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All classes, checked baggage that goes in the baggage car: You can check in up to two large items free of charge, each up to 23 Kg and 158 linear cm, assuming that you're travelling between stations which offer checked baggage, as all the main stations do. You check bags in at the VIA Rail baggage desk at least 45 minutes before departure at terminal stations, at least 30 minutes before departure at intermediate stations.
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For full details of baggage arrangements including bicycles and musical instruments etc., see www.viarail.ca.
Travel tips
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When to go?
The train operates all year round and is a great experience at any time. However, it'll be a totally different experience in the snowy depths of winter than in the height of summer. Maybe go more than once!
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Eastbound or westbound?
It makes little difference as you'll see plenty of Rockies, Prairies & Shield scenery in either direction. Slightly different bits are done in daylight as opposed to darkness, but not so that one direction is particularly better than the other. However, if you have the choice I'd go westbound, as firstly that follows the history of westbound expansion across Canada and secondly you start with the Shield, then the Prairies, and finish with the highlight of the Rockies - I think that's the best order.
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Can you stop off?
Yes of course, this is a regular train and you can buy tickets between any two stations on the route. However, each leg of your journey requires a reservation for a specific train & date, you can't hop on & off without a reservation. www.viarail.ca has a multi-city option which allows you to specify a Toronto-Vancouver journey with one or more stopovers, such as Winnipeg or Jasper (for Jasper national park).
The train stops long enough to stretch your legs at important stops such as Sioux Lookout, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper.
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WiFi & power sockets
There's no WiFi on the Canadian, so get a mobile data package for Canada. Mobile data reception along the route varies, you'll have an hour or two without reception, then an hour or two with it, around settlements. You won't be out of range for long.
There are North American-style 2-pin 110v power sockets at economy seats and two sockets in Sleeper Plus bedrooms & roomettes. There are no sockets in Sleeper Plus sections or the domes, but you'll usually find power sockets in the skyline car tables area.
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Buy the Trans-Canada Rail Guide
Trailblazer's Trans-Canada Rail Guide is great if you're planning a trans-Canada train trip. It will help you plan your journey, has city information for all the major cities served by VIA & Rocky Mountaineer, and best of all it includes mile-by-mile lineside route guides showing what to see from the train on all the main VIA Rail & Rocky Mountaineer services. Buy online from Amazon.co.uk. Buy from Amazon.com.
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Maybe continue to Victoria, B.C. Tea at the Empress?
Rather than end your trip in Vancouver, I'd continue to Victoria on Vancouver Island, the quaint capital of British Columbia. Victoria feels like a worthy holiday destination, and if you can't afford to stay at the iconic Empress Hotel facing the inner harbour, at least splurge on Afternoon Tea at the Empress, a Victorian institution. You can travel from Vancouver to Victoria by bus (which goes on a ferry for a third of the way), by once-daily catamaran ferry, or even by seaplane, see travel options here.
A bit of history
There were (and are) two competing trans-continental rail routes across Canada, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National.
The Canadian Pacific Railway opened the first trans-continental line across Canada in 1885, running from Montreal/Toronto to Vancouver via Winnipeg, Calgary, Banff & Kamloops. Instead of taking the easiest route through the Rockies via the Yellowhead pass, political tension with the United States led them to take a more difficult (and scenic) southerly route through the Kicking Horse pass.
In 1955 Canadian Pacific introduced a fleet of futuristic stainless-steel cars with observation domes onto its premier train, the Canadian, and it is these classic cars which were rebuilt in the 1990s to operate today's VIA Rail Canadian.
The second and later line was built around 1917 by the Canadian Northern Railway, which was nationalised in 1921 as part of Canadian National Railways or 'CN' (as in CN Tower), and re-privatised in 1995. The CN route runs from Montreal/Toronto to Vancouver to the north of the CPR route, via Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper and the easier Yellowhead pass to Kamloops & Vancouver. It is this later CN route which is used by today's VIA Rail Canadian.
VIA Rail was formed in 1978 as a government corporation to take over the passenger trains from Canadian Pacific & Canadian National, which now only run freight trains. Initially, VIA Rail continued to run both the CP's Canadian and the CN's Super-Continental daily on each of these two trans-continental routes, with the rolling stock getting progressively older and less reliable. However, in 1990, these two daily trains were reduced to just one train running several times a week, the present-day Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver via the Canadian National route through Winnipeg, Edmonton and Jasper.
VIA Rail lacked the funds to buy new cars, so they completely rebuilt and upgraded the original stainless steel coaches built by Budd in 1955 for the Canadian Pacific's Canadian, making this train a real classic in its own right, albeit now running on the 'wrong' company's route.
There are now no regular passenger services at all on the original 1885 Canadian Pacific route from Toronto to Vancouver through Calgary or Banff, other than the Rocky Mountaineer tourist train which runs between Banff & Vancouver, 3 times a week from April to October.
Suggested hotels
In Toronto: Fairmont Royal York
Directly across the road from Toronto's Union Station, the Fairmont Royal York Hotel is Toronto's most iconic place to stay, a personal favourite (I've stayed there several times now) and one of the world's grand hotels with over 1,000 rooms. It was a railway hotel opened by the Canadian Pacific Railway in June 1929, at that time the tallest building in the British Empire. The large eastern extension was completed in 1959. It's easily the most convenient and historic place to stay before or after catching your train, yet as Toronto hotels go it's not even that expensive - so if your budget will stretch, treat yourself! There's more historical information about the Royal York hotel at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmont_Royal_York.
In Jasper: Fairmont Jasper Lodge
First established in 1915 in association with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad, it became a Canadian National Railway hotel in the 1920s. Bing Crosby, Marilyn Monroe, and members of the British Royal family including King George IV and the Queen have stayed here. It's on Lake Beauvert, a 9 minute drive from Jasper station.
In Vancouver: Fairmont Vancouver Hotel
In the centre of downtown Vancouver, next to Christ Church Cathedral and only a few blocks from the Waterfront, the Fairmont Vancouver Hotel is a former railway hotel. It was started by Canadian National Railways but completed in partnership with rival Canadian Pacific, opened in 1939 by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. It's another iconic Canadian chateau-style hotel, a true Vancouver landmark. And if your budget will stretch, Fairmont won't disappoint.
If you want something cheaper, the St Regis Hotel is also excellently located downtown and also a historic Vancouver landmark, opened in 1913.
