 CN Tower, Toronto... The gleaming stainless steel of The Canadian to Vancouver waits to leave Toronto, under the shadow of the famous CN Tower - CN standing for Canadian National Railways, of course! |
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Train travel in Canada...
Canadian long-distance trains are run by VIA Rail Canada, www.viarail.ca (click 'home' top right). They're a great way to see the country, whether you travel on the inter-city trains between Toronto, Montréal and Québec, the Océan from Montréal to Halifax or Canada's classic trans-continental train, The Canadian from Toronto to Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper & Vancouver. As well as VIA Rail, there's the excellent Rocky Mountaineer through the Rockies between Vancouver & Banff, Calgary or Jasper. This page explains routes, timetables, prices & what the trains are like.
Train times, fares & tickets for Canada...
VIA Rail Canadian,
Toronto-Winnipeg--Jasper-Vancouver
VIA Rail Océan, Montreal
to Halifax, Nova Scotia by train!
VIA Rail trains between Toronto,
Ottawa, Montreal, Québec
Toronto - Niagara Falls by VIA Rail or Go
Transit
Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle by bus,
train or ferry
Trains between Canada
& the USA
How to travel from Europe to Canada by ship
Hotels & accommodation in Canada
On other pages...
The Rocky Mountaineer
Vancouver - Banff/Calgary/Jasper
Interactive map: Click a route for train times & fares...
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Sponsored links...
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Useful
country information
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Train operator in Canada: |
VIA Rail, www.viarail.ca for train times, fares & online booking (click 'home' top right). Other train operators: Ontario Northland, Rocky Mountaineer, Algoma Central |
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Railpasses: |
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Time: |
Montreal/Toronto GMT-5, Halifax GMT-4, Vancouver GMT-8. Clocks go forward 1 hour from 2nd Sunday in March to 1st Sunday in November. |
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Dialling code: |
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Currency: |
£1 = approx Can$1.70 $1 = approx Can$1.30 Check exchange rates |
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Hotels & flights: |
Hotels in Canada Find a flight to Canada Hotel reviews, see www.tripadvisor.com |
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Tourist information: |
www.canadatourism.com Montréal: www.tourism-montreal.org Toronto: www.city.toronto.on.ca Vancouver: www.tourismvancouver.com Québec: www.bonjourquebec.com Nova Scotia: www.novascotia.com. |
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Page last updated: |
18 July 2017. |
VIA
Rail's Canadian
Across Canada by train: Toronto - Winnipeg - Edmonton - Jasper - Vancouver
The greatest train in Canada and one of the world's greatest train journeys, VIA Rail's Canadian runs 3 times a week in summer, twice a week in winter, linking Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper National Park in the Rockies & Vancouver. The whole journey takes 4 nights and the train consists of the original 1955-built stainless-steel coaches from the Canadian Pacific Railway's Canadian. 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 new from 2014, there are deluxe Prestige class sleepers too. The journey originally took 3 nights, but in December 2008 VIA Rail changed the timetable to show their passengers more of the Rockies in daylight. Today's Canadian takes the more northerly Canadian National route across Canada via Edmonton and Jasper completed in 1917, the only passenger train now remaining on the classic 1885 Canadian Pacific route through Calgary & Banff is the Rocky Mountaineer tourist train, which only runs between Calgary & Vancouver and only between March & November.
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The Park car brings up the rear of the Canadian... |
The Canadian... Photos courtesy VIA Rail. |
You can check times & fares for a specific date at www.viarail.ca. Remember this train crosses 4 time zones, all times are local time!
Important: The Canadian shares tracks with freight trains and can run late, often a few hours. Do not book any onward trains, buses or flights in the 12 hours after scheduled arrival so you can travel stress free and take things in your stride.
Toronto ► Winnipeg ► Vancouver |
Vancouver ► Winnipeg ► Toronto |
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Distance: |
The Canadian |
The Canadian |
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0 km |
Toronto depart: |
22:00 (day 1) |
Tue, Thur*, Sat |
Vancouver depart: |
20:30 (day 1) |
Tue, Fri, Sun* |
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1,943 km |
Winnipeg arrive: |
08:00 (day 3) |
Thur, Sat*, Mon |
Kamloops North arr/dep |
06:35 (day 2) |
Wed, Sat, Mon* |
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Winnipeg depart: |
11:45 (day 3) |
Thur, Sat*, Mon |
Jasper arrive: |
16:00 (day 2) |
Wed, Sat, Mon* |
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2,702 km |
Saskatoon arr/dep: |
23:32 (day 3) |
Thur, Sat*, Mon |
Jasper depart: |
17:30 (day 2) |
Wed, Sat, Mon* |
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3,221km |
Edmonton arrive: |
06:22 (day 4) |
Fri, Sun*, Tue |
Edmonton arrive: |
23:00 (day 2) |
Wed, Sat, Mon* |
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3,221km |
Edmonton depart: |
07:37 (day 4) |
Fri, Sun*, Tue |
Edmonton depart: |
23:59 (day 2) |
Wed, Sat, Mon* |
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3,600 km |
Jasper arrive: |
13:00 (day 4) |
Fri, Sun*, Tue |
Saskatoon arr/dep |
09:25 (day 3) |
Thu, Sun, Tue* |
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3,600 km |
Jasper depart: |
14:30 (day 4) |
Fri, Sun*, Tue |
Winnipeg arrive: |
20:45 (day 3) |
Thu, Sun, Tue* |
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4,052 km |
Kamloops North arr/dep: |
23:44 (day 4) |
Fri, Sun*, Tue |
Winnipeg depart: |
22:30 (day 3) |
Thu, Sun, Tue* |
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4,466 km |
Vancouver arrive: |
09:42 (day 5) |
Sat, Mon*, Wed |
Toronto arrive: |
09:30 (day 5) |
Sat, Tue, Thur* |
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* IMPORTANT: The Thursday departure from Toronto & Sunday departure from Vancouver only run between early May & mid-October. The thrice-weekly Canadian was cut back to running only twice a week in winter as from 2012.
How much does it cost? |
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Economy Class - reclining seat |
Sleeper Plus Class - 'section' sleeper |
Sleeper Plus Class - roomette or bedroom |
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Toronto to Vancouver, one-way per person: |
Can$434 to Can$596 |
Can$955 to Can$1,541 |
Can$1,440 to Can$2,324 |
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The fare varies by time of year, higher from June to October, lower Jan-May & Nov-Dec. Just go to www.viarail.ca to check fares for your date of travel in your chosen class. |
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Can you stop off on the way?
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Yes of course, but each leg of your journey requires a reservation for a specific train & date. You can't buy an open ticket and hop on & off trains spontaneously without a reservation. But it's easy to pre-book stopovers, as www.viarail.ca has a multi-city option which allows you to specify a Toronto-Vancouver journey with one or more stopovers at places along the way, such as Winnipeg or Jasper (for Jasper national park). Booking your trip using this multi-city feature is cheaper than buying a separate ticket for each leg.
How to buy tickets...
... online.
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The best way to buy tickets is direct from the VIA Rail website www.viarail.ca. You collect the tickets at the station before departure.
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In Economy class, look for a cheap non-refundable Escape fare. In Sleeper Plus class, look for the discounted fares.
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You can buy tickets between any of the stations at which the train calls, you don't have to do the whole journey.
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I recommend the Royal York Hotel as the classic grand hotel to stay in before leaving Toronto, directly across the road from Toronto Union Station.
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...by phone.
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If you live in the UK, Ireland or elsewhere in Europe, you can buy VIA Rail tickets by phone from International Rail, call 0844 248 248 3. From outside the UK +44 844 248 248 3. Lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday.
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When in Canada or the United States, call VIA Rail on 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245).
...custom-made
tours with Amtrak
Vacations...
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U.S.-based Amtrak Vacations works with VIA Rail Canada as well as Amtrak in the States. They're VIA/Amtrak specialists so they know what they're doing and can advise you better than most regular travel agents. They can customise a package to your own specification, either wholly within Canada or starting in the States.
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Lines are open 09:00-22:00 Monday-Friday & 09:00-17:30 Saturday, Eastern Time (5 hours behind the UK).
In the U.S. or
Canada, call
866-816-5892 toll-free or visit
www.amtrakvacations.com.
From the UK call
00-1-978-816-7506 or visit
www.amtrakvacations.com.
From Australia 0011-1-978-816-7506, or visit
www.amtrakvacations.com.
...custom-made tours with Railbookers.
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If you want a train travel expert to arrange your whole trip for you, with trains, stopovers, hotels, transfers and (if necessary) flights all sorted, UK-based train travel specialist Railbookers can arrange holidays by train to your own specification. Just tell them what you want (or ask them for their suggestions) and they can make all your arrangements. They have UK and US offices.
UK call 020 3327 0761,
www.railbookers.co.uk.
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.
...escorted tours across Canada by train.
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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 is the train like? Which accommodation to choose?
1. Economy class = reclining seats...
In Economy Class (formerly Comfort Class) you have a comfortable reclining seat and access to the Economy Class Skyline car with its coffee shop, lounge and vista dome. 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. Sleeping in a seat may not be as comfortable as having a proper sleeper, but the seats recline to around 40 degrees, have loads of legroom and adjustable leg rests. An Economy class seat costs a fraction of the price of Sleeper Plus class, 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 mere flight, and vastly more comfortable than bus travel.
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Economy Class seating. Seats have a generous recline and fold-out leg-rests... |
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Skyline car with economy class lounge, coffee shop & observation dome. |
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Coffee shop in the Skyline car serving meals, snacks & drinks... Courtesy VIA Rail. |
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Observation dome in the Skyline car. You can use these seats on a first come, first served basis. Courtesy VIA Rail |
2. Sleeper Plus class = sleepers with meals included...
This is the main sleeper option, formerly called Silver & Blue class and then briefly Sleeper Touring Class. I expect they'll rename it again next week. In Sleeper Plus class you have your own sleeping-berth in either an open-plan section or a single-berth roomette or a 2-berth bedroom, the fare includes all meals in the elegant Sleeper Plus restaurant car, and you can use the famous Park observation-lounge car at the rear of the train with its complimentary tea & coffee (although sadly, access times are being restricted from April 2017, see update below). You can also use the business class lounge at Toronto Union Station. There are several different types of sleeper, all with hot showers at the end of the corridor. This plan of a typical Manor class sleeping-car will help you make sense of the different types.
Sleeping-car layout...This plan shows the layout of a Manor class sleeping-car, the most common type used on VIA Rail's Toronto to Vancouver Canadian... |
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Sections, the cheapest type of sleeper...
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 two seats pull together and bedding is placed on them to form the lower berth, and an upper berth folds out from the wall with curtains fitted to each bunk for privacy, see the photo below right. There's a shower & toilets at the end of the corridor. 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...
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Above left, open-plan 'section' seating. Courtesy of James Chuang. Above right, the same area at night converts to upper & lower berths, each berth with a curtain for privacy. Courtesy of VIA Rail. |
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Roomettes, a small enclosed compartment for one person...
A step up in price from a section is a roomette or bedroom, described on the VIA Rail website as a cabin for 1 and cabin for 2. These are fully-enclosed lockable compartments. The price per person is the same whether you use a roomette or bedroom, if you are travelling alone you will be allocated a roomette. This is a very compact single room, just big enough for a large seat with plenty of legroom, and a leg-rest with a toilet bowl hidden underneath. There is a small washbasin in the corner. At night, a bed folds down from behind the seat, taking up almost all of the roomette, as you can see below right. The compartment door locks securely, and there's a shower at the end of the corridor in each sleeping-car.
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Above centre, This photo was taken standing in the central corridor looking through the doorway into the roomette. It accurately shows the floor space in a roomette in daytime mode. The toilet is under the padded legrest. Above left, at night the bed folds down and takes up most of the compartment - you need to raise it to use the toilet! Above right, the foot of the bed tapers slightly to fit a washbasin in the corner. Photos courtesy of James Chuang & VIA Rail Canada. |
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Bedrooms, an enclosed compartment for two people...
Also a step up from a section, a bedroom is an enclosed lockable compartment for two people. Your sleeper attendant converts it from seats by day to an upper & lower berth at night. There's a washbasin and small enclosed toilet inside each bedroom, and there's a shower at the end of the sleeping-car corridor. There are a very limited number of bedrooms for 3 people.
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Day mode... |
Night mode... |
The washbasin & toilet. Photos courtesy of VIA Rail. |
3. Prestige class = deluxe sleepers with double bed
VIA Rail introduced a new luxury class on the Canadian in 2014, called Prestige class, being formally launched in 2015 (online booking will be available from March 2015). Prestige Passengers get a spacious sleeper compartment with double bed, en suite toilet & shower, flat-screen TV with video selection, complimentary mini-bar and an extra-large window. The bed converts to sofa seats for day use. Prestige passengers get access to the same restaurant and Park car lounges as Sleeper Plus passengers, with meals included and priority booking over Sleeper Plus passengers for restaurant sittings. Two Prestige class sleeper compartments are housed in a rebuilt Park car at the very rear of the train, and there are 6 more Prestige compartments in a completely-rebuilt 'Chateau' class sleeping-car. Prestige class is now available on all departures, since summer 2015.
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Prestige class sleeper, day mode. Courtesy VIA Rail |
Prestige sleeper, night mode. Courtesy VIA Rail. |
The restaurant car...
Meals are included in the fare for Sleeper Plus & Prestige passengers, although drinks are extra. Only sleeper passengers can access the sleeper class restaurant car, Economy class passengers have to use the coffee shop in their Skyline car.
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Dining-car... |
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The food... Photo courtesy of VIA Rail |
The Park car: Observation lounge & vista dome...
Sleeper Plus & Prestige passengers have exclusive access to the Park car at the very rear of the train. 18 Park cars were built in 1955 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, all named after famous Canadian national parks. One Park car is always attached to the back of the Canadian. It's the Canadian's signature car, the place to socialise - on busy summer departures there may be wine tastings or musicians playing here. The Park car features (1) the Bullet Lounge at the very rear, with a view back along the track, (2) a raised vista dome with seating, and (3) the Mural Lounge underneath the dome (it also features several sleeper compartments including on some departures a wheelchair-accessible 2-berth sleeper). All lounge and dome seats are available to all sleeper passengers on a first-come, first-served basis, and complimentary tea & coffee is always available here. I have to say I never had a problem finding a seat in either area, but that no doubt varies from time to time and trip to trip! One or two Park cars have already been rebuilt with Prestige class sleeper compartments and luxuriously refurbished lounges and dome, these photos shown an un-rebuilt car. In summer, an additional Skyline lounge/coffee shop/dome car may also be added to the sleeper part of the train to give extra lounge and dome space for Sleeper Plus passengers.
Update 2017: An unfortunate side effect of the introduction of Prestige class is that in peak season (late April to mid-October) starting on 30 April 2017 regular Sleeper class passengers will only be able to use the Park Car 14:00-22:30, and not at all on the first evening after leaving Toronto or Vancouver. You'll still be able to use the observation domes in the Skyline cars at all times in all seasons. And you'll still be able to use the Park car at all times in the off-peak season. See www.viarail.ca for more details.
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The Park observation-lounge-dome car car... |
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The Park car's bullet lounge... Photo courtesy of James Chuang |
Wine tasting in the Park car's dome... Photo courtesy of James Chuang |
The journey...
Today's Canadian takes the more northerly Canadian National Railway (CN) route across Canada via Edmonton and Jasper, opened in 1917. The original 1955 Canadian was operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway and would have taken the CPR's own more southerly route across Canada via Calgary and Banff, opened in 1885 as Canada's first trans-continental railway and arguably the more scenic of these two competing routes. If you want to experience the original 1885 Canadian Pacific route today, you can only do so between Calgary and Vancouver, and only on the the Rocky Mountaineer tourist train running March to November. You'll find a brief overview of the history of the CN and CP routes across Canada here.
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Lakes and forests between Toronto & Winnipeg. |
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Pyramid Falls, a local landmark seen from the train on the run to Vancouver... |
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The view from the Dome. In the Rockies, looking forward from the front seats in the dome. |
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Journey's end: Vancouver's Pacific Central station. |
The Canadian in the platform at Vancouver. |
Watch the video: Canada by train...
It's a PR video, of course, but it gives you a good idea of a train journey right across Canada, from Vancouver to Toronto on the Canadian with observation domes, lounges, diner & sleepers, then by inter-city train from Toronto to Montreal, and finally Montreal to Halifax on the Ocean...
Canada's trans-continental trains: A brief history...
There were (and are) two competing trans-continental rail routes across Canada. The Canadian Pacific Railway opened the first trans-continental line across Canada in 1885, running from Montreal/Toronto to Vancouver via Winnipeg, Calgary and Banff. 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. The second and later line, built around 1917 by the Canadian Northern Railway (nationalised in 1921 as Canadian National Railways or 'CN', as in the CN Tower), runs from Montreal/Toronto to Vancouver to the north of the CPR route, via Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper and the easier Yellowhead pass.
VIA Rail was formed in 1978 as a government corporation to take over the passenger trains from these two private companies, which now only run freight trains. Initially, VIA Rail continued to run both the Canadian Pacific's Canadian and the Canadian National'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, this was reduced to one train, the present-day Canadian, running from Toronto to Vancouver 3 times a week 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 streamliner coaches built in 1955 for the Canadian Pacific's Canadian, making this train a real classic in its own right as well as transportation from A to B, albeit from a historical perspective running on the 'wrong' company's route.
There are now no regular passenger services on the original 1885 Canadian Pacific route from Toronto to Vancouver through Calgary or Banff, apart from the excellent Rocky Mountaineer which runs between Calgary, Banff & Vancouver, 3 times a week April-October.
VIA
Rail's Océan
Montreal to Halifax Nova Scotia: See the The Ocean page...
Three times a week, a train runs the 836 miles between Montreal and Halifax Nova Scotia. See times, fares, info, and an illustrated account of the journey on the Montreal to Halifax page.
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VIA
Rail inter-city
trains
The best way between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal & Quebec...
The Man in Seat 61 says: "There's no need to fly. Comfortable VIA Rail inter-city trains link Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal & Quebec, centre to centre with no airport hassle. If your budget permits, upgrade to VIA's Business Class with complimentary hot meal and wine, attentive steward service and access to the Business Lounges at major stations. It impressed me, it's as good as anything we have here in Europe."
Toronto to Montréal by train in 4 hours 40 minutes, centre to centre. Watch the video
VIA Rail's fast inter-city trains link Toronto, Ottawa & Montréal. Montréal to Toronto takes as little as 4 hours 40 minutes city centre to city centre. Use the times below as a guide and check exact train times for your date of travel at www.viarail.ca. See the photos here!
Toronto ► Montreal | ||||||
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Days of running: |
Mon-Sat |
daily |
daily |
daily |
Mon-Fri, Sun |
daily |
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Toronto (Union Station) depart |
06:40 |
09:20 |
11:30 |
15:15 |
17:00 |
18:00 |
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Montreal (Central station) arrive |
11:57 |
14:20 |
16:47 |
20:09 |
21:49 |
22:54 |
Montreal ► Toronto | ||||||
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Days of running: |
Mon-Sat |
daily |
daily |
daily |
Mon-Fri, Sun |
daily |
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Montreal (Central station) depart |
06:35 |
08:55 |
10:55 |
15:45 |
16:40 |
18:40 |
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Toronto (Union Station) arrive |
11:41 |
14:07 |
16:03 |
20:39 |
21:30 |
23:33 |
Montréal to Québec by train in only 3 hours, centre to centre...
From Montréal to Québec, air-conditioned trains run several times daily, taking around 3 hours. Check current times, fares & book online at www.viarail.ca.
Montreal ► Quebec |
Quebec ► Montreal | |||||||||||
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Days of running: |
Mon-Fri |
daily |
daily |
Mon-Fri |
daily |
Days of running: |
Mon-Fri |
daily |
daily |
Mon-Fri |
daily |
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Montreal Central station depart |
06:05 |
08:43 |
12:45 |
16:10 |
18:15 |
Quebec depart |
05:27 |
08:05 |
13:00 |
15:00 |
17:45 |
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Quebec arrive |
09:34 |
12:06 |
16:26 |
19:41 |
21:33 |
Montreal Central station arrive |
08:25 |
11:22 |
16:12 |
18:08 |
20:58 |
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Montreal to Ottawa, Toronto to Ottawa: See www.viarail.ca
Montreal to Ottawa takes 1 hour 50 minutes. Toronto to Ottawa takes about 4 hours 20 minutes.
How to check fares & buy tickets...
Montréal to Toronto starts at around Can$78 if you book in advance or Can$152 regular flexible fare. Montreal to Quebec costs around Can$47 if you book in advance. Toronto to Ottawa starts at Can$78, regular fare Can$140. Montreal to Ottawa fares start at Can$35, regular fare Can$61. The best way to buy tickets is online direct from VIA Rail at www.viarail.ca, just click the button below.
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Toronto Union Station...
Union Station sits in the centre of Toronto in the shadow of the CN Tower, just across the road from the wonderful and highly-recommended Royal York Hotel. One of the world's classic railway stations, the current structure was built 1914-1920, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Toronto).
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Union Station's impressive main hall houses the VIA Rail ticket counters and information desk. |
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VIA Rail Business Lounge... Business class passengers may use the VIA Lounge before of after their journey, with complimentary tea, coffee and soft drinks. The lounge at Toronto (shown here) is just off the main hall. There's a similar but smaller lounge at Montreal. |
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Via Rail's Inter-city trains... Watch the video
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All aboard! A morning train from Toronto to Montreal is boarding at Toronto Union... |
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VIA Business Class: The Business Class car has spacious leather seats, and its dedicated steward or stewardess serves a complimentary hot meal with wine, spirits, tea and coffee. |
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VIA Economy Class.... |
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Arrival at Montreal... |
Montreal Central Station...
Montreal's Gare Centrale was opened in 1943, with classic art deco friezes at each end of the main hall. The station features a luggage office, VIA ticket counters, VIA Business Lounge, and various shops & cafes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Station_(Montreal)
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Montreal Central's main hall and close-up of the frieze. The station is integrated int shopping centres and offices, so hasn't an exterior facade as such... |
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Montreal Central Station.... |
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Montreal's VIA Business lounge... |
Watch the video: Toronto to Montreal by train...
Toronto
- Niagara Falls
Take a day trip (or longer!) by train to Niagara Falls...
You can easily take the train from Toronto to Niagara Falls (Ontario) either as a day trip, longer trip or as a stopover en route to New York. The Canadian side of the Falls gives great views of the Falls themselves and features both a boat ride (the Hornblower cruise, www.niagaracruises.com) and a walk behind the Falls, www.niagaraparks.com/niagara-falls-attractions/journey-behind-the-falls.html. For trains between Niagara Falls and New York, see the section below.
Option 1: By once daily direct train from Ca$26 each way...
A daily direct VIA Rail train called the Maple Leaf links Toronto Union Station and Niagara Falls Ontario, on its way to and from New York. It's ideal for a day trip, and uses comfortable Amtrak Amfleet cars with coach class, a small business class section and a cafe car, even though it is operated by VIA Rail Canada on the section between Toronto and Niagara - an Amtrak crew take over at Niagara. Fares from around $26 each way. Check times & pre-book tickets at www.viarail.ca. Reservation is compulsory but it's usually possible to buy tickets on the day.
Outward: Toronto Union Station depart 08:20 every day, Niagara Falls Ontario VIA station arrive 10:16.
Inbound: Niagara Falls Ontario VIA station depart 17:45, Toronto Union arrive 19:42.
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Option 1: The Maple Leaf. Take the daily morning Maple Leaf train direct from Toronto to Niagara Falls... Above left, comfortable seats. Above right, the Maple Leaf has arrived at Niagara Falls (Ontario) station... |
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Option 2: By GO Transit train/bus combo from Ca$18 each way...
Roughly every hour through the day, distinctive double-decker GO trains link Toronto Union Station with Burlington station, from where a connecting bus runs to Niagara Falls Bus Terminal (located directly across the road from Niagara Falls Ontario rail station). Total journey time 2h49 - roughly 1h05 train and 1h30 bus. This is a simple turn-up-and-go service, no reservation is necessary, it cannot sell out, just buy a ticket for Ca$18 at the station (or bus terminal) immediately before departure. As it needs no pre-planning it's ideal for the return part of a day trip from Toronto, as you don't need to commit to a specific time to come back. You can check bus-rail times at either www.viarail.ca or www.gotransit.com.
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Take the distinctive double-decker GO Transit train from Toronto to Burlington... |
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...and change onto the connecting GO Transit bus to Niagara Falls Bus Terminal. |
Where are the station & bus terminal? See map showing station, bus terminal & Falls
Niagara Falls (Ontario) Station & Niagara Falls Bus Terminal are just across the road from each other in the old downtown area. The falls themselves (and all the tourist attractions) are a mile or two to the south, a taxi to the Falls will cost around Ca$12 + tip and take 5-10 minutes. You'll find plenty of taxis waiting at the station and bus terminal. The station is sometimes called the GO Station, but it's the same one used by VIA Rail. Map showing location of Niagara Falls VIA Rail station, Bus Terminal & the Falls themselves.
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Niagara Falls VIA station, seen from the bus terminal... |
Niagara Falls bus terminal, seen from the VIA station. |
Visiting the Falls...
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Niagara Falls seen from the Canadian side (left) and from the Hornblower cruise boat. The Hornblower boat trip is the classic Falls boat trip from the Canadian side, see www.niagaracruises.com. |
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Vancouver, Victoria,
Seattle
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VIA Rail's Malahat, just arrived at Victoria on Vancouver Island. This service is currently suspended Photo courtesy of James Chuang. |
Vancouver to Victoria by bus & ferry...
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If you're going to Vancouver, don't miss a trip to the British Columbia provincial capital Victoria, on Vancouver Island. Regular buses link Vancouver with Victoria in about 3½ hours, going on board a ferry to reach the Island.
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See www.pacificcoach.com for times and fares.
Vancouver to Seattle by train...
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Two daily articulated Spanish-designed Talgo trains link Seattle with Vancouver, one morning, one evening. For details, see www.amtrakcascades.com or www.amtrak.com.
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You can also travel between Vancouver and Seattle via Victoria, using bus to Victoria (www.pacificcoach.com), then the fast ferry to Seattle (www.clippervacations.com).
Victoria to Seattle by fast ferry...
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There is an excellent daily fast catamaran service between Victoria and Seattle, see www.clippervacations.com.
Vancouver Island train service: Victoria-Nanaimo-Courtenay The Malahat
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Railcar service. Used to run daily, 225 km, leaving Victoria 08:00 Mon-Sat, 10:00 Sundays, returning in the afternoon. See www.viarail.ca. However, this service has been suspended for several years now due to the condition of the track, check with www.viarail.ca to see if it has resumed. It may do so at some point, there's always hope...
New York to Toronto or Montreal by train...
Two excellent trains link New York with Montreal & Toronto every day, with inexpensive fares, comfortable reclining seats, a café car & great scenery along the Hudson River Valley. It's a day well spent, highly recommended. They are run by Amtrak, jointly with VIA Rail in the case of the train to Toronto. The New York-Toronto train is the Maple Leaf with coach class & business class. The New York-Montreal train is the Adirondack, with coach class. Both trains have comfortable air-conditioned reclining seats and a café car accepting US$ but not Can$. Both trains travel right along the scenic Hudson River valley all the way from New York to Albany, with superb views of the river, including West Point Military Academy, Bannerman's Island and Storm King Mountain. As its name suggests, the Montreal train also heads through the scenic Adirondack Mountains. Passports are checked at the US/Canadian border, there is no check-in as such in New York, Toronto or Montreal, you just need to arrive at the station in time to collect your tickets and board the train. There are also trains linking Vancouver with Seattle, see the section above. Map showing location of Niagara Falls VIA Rail & Amtrak stations& the Falls themselves.
New York ► Montreal & Toronto |
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Toronto & Montreal ► New York |
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Daily |
Daily |
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Daily |
Daily |
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Train name: |
Maple Leaf |
Adirondack |
Train name: |
Adirondack |
Maple Leaf |
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New York Penn Station depart |
07:15 |
08:15 |
Montreal depart |
10:20 |
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Niagara Falls USA |
16:21 |
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Toronto Union Station depart |
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08:20 |
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Niagara Falls Canada |
17:45 |
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Niagara Falls Canada |
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10:18 |
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Toronto Union Station arrive |
19:42 |
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Niagara Falls USA |
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12:30 |
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Montreal arrive |
19:11 |
New York Penn Station arrive |
20:50 |
21:50 |
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Luggage on trains without checked baggage: These trains don't have checked baggage, you simply take your luggage with you onto the train and put it on the racks just as you would on any European train. Luggage limits are far more generous than with planes, see www.amtrak.com/baggage-policy.
Fares: New York-Montreal costs $63. New York to Toronto costs $114.
How to buy tickets: For one-way or return journeys starting in New York, you can check times & fares and buy your ticket online at www.amtrak.com. After booking and paying online you print off a confirmation with a bar-code. At New York Penn station before departure simply swipe the barcode under the scanner of any Amtrak self-service machine and it will print your tickets. For one-way or return journeys starting in Toronto, you can book tickets online at www.viarail.ca. The VIA Rail booking system may make it look like two trains, but is is in fact just one direct train.
Vacation packages... U.S.-based Amtrak Vacations can put a package together to your own specification from the States to Canada. They're VIA/Amtrak specialists so they know what they're doing. In the U.S. or Canada, call 800-268-7252 toll-free or visit www.amtrakvacations.com. Lines open 09:00-22:00 Monday-Friday & 09:00-17:30 Saturday, Eastern Time.
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The Maple Leaf about to leave Toronto for New York... |
Coach class seating on the Maple Leaf... |
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Cafe counter... |
Cafe car... |
A scenic ride along the Hudson River Valley, from New York to Canada...
Both the Maple Leaf & Adirondack head out of New York's Penn Station towards Albany along the scenic Hudson River Valley, with the rails often right next to the river. Historically, trains on this route would have left from New York's wonderful Grand Central Station, but a connecting line opened in the early 1990s allows all Amtrak trains to use Penn Station.
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Above, this is Storm King Mountain... You may recognise the Hudson River scenery from the train scenes with Cary Grant & Eva Marie Saint in Hitchcock's North by Northwest, set on the famous Twentieth Century Limited over this very route... |
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Above right, Bannerman's Island wit its ruined house is another local landmark. |
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5.00pm: West Point Military Academy can be seen on the far bank of the Hudson... Enjoy breakfast from the cafe car, then in the afternoon perhaps a half-bottle of wine or 'Sam Adams' Boston beer. At Albany, the train swings west and crosses the Hudson river with great views of the State Capitol from the bridge. On the train to Montreal, you'll also pass through the highly-scenic Adirondack mountains; On the Maple Leaf to Toronto, you'll call at Niagara Falls, and although you can't see them from the train, why not stop off there for 24 hours en route? Either way, relax, forget about airport & airline hassle and simply enjoy the journey! The best views are on the left-hand side of the train heading north from New York, right-hand side heading south from Canada. However, on the Adirondack you'll get views of Lake Champlain on the right of the train going north to Montreal, left heading south from Montreal. |
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The Rocky
Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer trains run regularly from mid-April to mid-October on the following routes:
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Vancouver to Banff & Calgary
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Vancouver to Jasper via Kamloops
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Vancouver to Jasper via Quesnel
See the Rocky Mountaineer page...
Other trains in
Canada
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VIA Rail's Skeena. Note the Park lounge-observation-dome car at the rear, and the two panorama seating cars immediately ahead of it. These now run in the Canadian between Edmonton & Vancouver. |
Jasper - Prince George - Prince Rupert: The Skeena
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Runs 3 times a week, departing Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays from both Jasper & Prince Rupert. It's an amazingly scenic 2-day journey, the train stopping overnight at Prince George so you see it all in daylight (you will need to book a hotel separately, it's not included in the fare). Economy class seating is available all year round, 'Touring' class seating is available mid-June to late September. There's a 'Park' lounge-observation-dome car attached at the rear, for all passengers off-season, only for Touring class passengers in peak season (June-Sept). For times, fares & online booking, see www.viarail.ca.
Winnipeg to Churchill: The Hudson Bay
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Runs 3 times a week, to the land where the polar bears live. See www.viarail.ca. Update: Check the status of this route as service has been affected by major floods in 2017.
Montreal to Gaspé: The Chaleur
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Runs 3 times a week, attached to the Ocean for part of its journey. see www.viarail.ca. Problems with the track are affecting this route at the moment, probably now extending beyond summer 2012, check the current situation at www.viarail.ca.
Toronto-North Cochrane-Moosonee (Ontario Northland)
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Long-distance train service due north out of Toronto, run by Ontario Northland, see www.ontc.on.ca. Their Toronto to Cochrane route closed from 28 September 2012 with replacement by bus, but it seems that the Cochrane to Moosonee route is continuing. Please check the current situation at www.ontc.on.ca.
Hearst - Oba - Sault Ste Marie (Algoma Central)
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Three times a week year-round scheduled train service plus canyon tour trains, run by Algoma Central, www.algomacentralrailway.com. Oba is served by VIA Rail's Toronto-Vancouver Canadian, see www.viarail.ca for connecting train times between Toronto or Vancouver & Oba.
Railpasses for
Canada
Rail passes for unlimited travel on VIA Rail...
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CanRail passes for unlimited travel on VIA Rail in Economy Class seats were discontinued in 2014, but brought back again in 2015. You can buy a pass online directly from VIA at www.viarail.ca. You still need to make reservations, you cannot hop on and off without reserving. And it's for seats, not sleepers. You can make reservations online at www.viarail.ca, but you can only use your pass where an Economy or Escape fare is available, if these are sold out and the only fare available is an Economy Plus fare, you can't use the pass. Although if you buy an 'Extra' type pass, you can also book Economy Plus tickets starting from the day before departure - see www.viarail.ca for full details.
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My advice? Be wary of complex passes requiring reservations that might not be available, rendering the pass useless. If you want one specific journey or even two or three specific journeys, my advice is simply to book regular tickets at www.viarail.ca, booking in advance for cheap fares just as you would with airline tickets. That's easy, and you know you are safely booked on the train.
Europe to Canada by ship
Southampton - New York - Toronto or Montreal via Cunard's Queen Mary 2...
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There are no regular direct passenger ships from the UK to Canada. However, Cunard's superb Queen Mary 2 sails from Southampton to New York roughly once a month between April & November, occasionally twice a month, taking seven nights, see the 'Atlantic ferry' page for details. Once in New York, there are excellent daily trains to both Toronto and Montreal, see the USA to Canada section above. Alternatively, there are regular freight ships between Europe & North America which carry a limited number of passengers.
Tours
by train across Canada
 020 3327 0761 (UK) 1-888-829-4775 (USA) 1-855-882-2910 (Canada) 1300 971 526 (Aus) 0800 000 554 (NZ) |
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 01904 527120 (UK) |
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 01904 730727 |
Custom-made tours with Railbookers...
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Train travel specialists Railbookers can arrange tailor-made holidays to Canada including flights, hotels and a trip on the Canadian right across Canada, from around £2,200 per person. They know their stuff, look after their clients well and get a lot of repeat business.
UK call 020 3327 0761,
www.railbookers.co.uk.
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.
Escorted tours with Great Rail Journeys, www.greatrail.com...
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UK rail-based tour operator Great Rail Journeys offers a classic Canada coast-to-coast tour from around £3,600 per person, with a range of departure dates every year. The tour includes:
Flights UK to Toronto;
A day trip to Niagara Falls;
A journey across Canada Canada from Toronto to Jasper aboard VIA Rail's trans-continental Canadian in Sleeper Plus class;
A coach tour from Jasper to Banff with a Columbia ice fields glacier visit;
A journey on the Rocky Mountaineer from Banff to Vancouver;
Flight Vancouver to UK.
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It's an escorted tour with fellow travellers and a professional tour guide. Great Rail Journeys also offer rail-based holidays to other countries. Check the tour details online, then call 01904 527120 to book or use the Great Rail Journeys online booking form. Seat61 receives some commission to help support the site if you book your holiday through this link or phone number, so please mention seat 61 when you book.
Rail Discoveries, www.raildiscoveries.com, 01904 730 727...
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Rail Discoveries offers train-based escorted tours to the Canadian Rockies & Vancouver. Check details & prices at www.raildiscoveries.com and book online or call 01904 730 727.
Guidebooks
& Timetables
Recommended
guidebooks...
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I strongly recommend investing in a decent guidebook. It may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip. You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook. For the independent traveller this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. Both guidebooks provide the same excellent level of practical information and historical background.
Buy Lonely Planet Canada from Amazon.co.uk
Buy Rough Guide to Canada from Amazon.co.uk
Or if you live in the USA, buy from Amazon.com...
Alternatively, you can download
just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format
from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a
chapter.
The Trans-Canada Rail Guide...
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Trailblazer's Trans-Canada Rail Guide is well worth buying 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.
Accommodation in Canada
◄◄ Hotel search & price comparison. |
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www.hotelscombined.com checks all the main hotel booking sites at once to find the widest choice of hotels & the cheapest seller. It has been named as the World's Leading Hotel Comparison Site in the World Travel Awards and I highly recommend it, both to find hotels in even the smallest places and to check that another retailer isn't selling the same hotel at a cheaper rate. ►► My recommended booking site: www.booking.comwww.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site, and unless HotelsCombined throws up major price differences I prefer doing my bookings in one place here. You can usually book with free cancellation - this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train booking opens. It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a great feature I use all the time when putting a trip together.
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Recommended hotel in Toronto: The Fairmont Royal York... Check prices & book
The Fairmont Royal York Hotel is Toronto's most famous place to stay and one of the world's classic grand hotels with over 1,000 rooms. It started life as a railway hotel, opened by the Canadian Pacific Railway in June 1929 - at that time the tallest building in the British Empire. Today it's easily the most convenient, comfortable and historic place to stay before or after catching a train, being directly across the road from Toronto Union Station. If your budget will stretch, treat yourself to the Royal York! There's more historical information about the hotel at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmont_Royal_York.
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A Fairmont Gold room at the Royal York... |
En suite... |
Hotel exterior... |
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The Royal York seen from a departing train... |
The impressive grand lobby... |
Other hotel sites worth trying...
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www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
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www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system). It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).
Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com...
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www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Flights to Canada...
Finding the cheapest flight...
Overland travel by train around Canada is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground! But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach Canada in the first place. Try the Skyscanner system to find the cheapest airline...
1) Check flight prices at Opodo,www.opodo.com...
2) Use Skyscanner to compare flight prices & routes worldwide across 600 airlines...
3) Lounge passes...
Make the airport experience a little more bearable with a VIP lounge pass, it's not as expensive as you think, see www.loungepass.com
Travel
insurance
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Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
In
the UK, try
Columbus Direct or use
Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many
different insurers.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.
If
you live in
Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try
Columbus Direct's other websites.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
Get a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...
It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card. If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself. In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad. Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!