A VIA Rail train at Toronto:  It's the civilised way to go between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal & Quebec...

Train travel in Canada...

Canadian long-distance trains are run by VIA Rail Canada, www.viarail.ca.  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...

  Map of train routes in Canada

  VIA Rail Canadian, Toronto-Winnipeg-Jasper-Vancouver

  VIA Rail Océan, Montreal - Halifax

  VIA Rail Toronto - Ottawa - Montreal - Québec

  Toronto - Niagara Falls by VIA Rail or Go Transit

  Vancouver - Victoria & Seattle by bus, train or ferry

  New York - Toronto & New York - Montreal

  Other Canadian train routes

  Railpasses for Canada

  How to travel from Europe to Canada by ship

  Recommended hotels in Canada

On other pages...

  Rocky Mountaineer  Vancouver - Banff/Jasper

  Train travel in the USA

Useful country information

Toronto - Winnipeg - Vancouver

The greatest train in Canada and one of the world's great train journeys, VIA Rail's Canadian runs 2 or 3 times a week, linking Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper National Park in the Rockies & Vancouver.  See the Canadian page for times, fares, how to buy tickets & a guide to the train and the journey.

Park car Prince Albert Park brings up the rear of VIA 1, the Canadian, at Sioux Lookout...

Three times a week, a train runs the 836 miles between Montreal and Halifax Nova Scotia.  See the Montreal to Halifax page for train times, fares, info, and an illustrated account of the journey.

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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 VIA Rail's Business Lounges at major stations.  It impressed me, it's as good as anything we have here in Europe.  Since October 2019 only credit cards have been accepted as payment on board, not cash.

Toronto to Montréal by train in 5h10

VIA Rail's fast inter-city trains link Toronto, Ottawa & Montréal.  Montréal to Toronto takes around 5h10 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.  Watch the video.

Montréal to Québec by train in 3h15...

From Montréal to Québec, air-conditioned trains run several times daily, taking around 3h15.  Check current times, fares & book online at www.viarail.ca.

Montreal to Ottawa & Toronto to Ottawa, www.viarail.ca

Montreal to Ottawa takes 1h50.  Toronto to Ottawa takes about 4h20.

How much does it cost?

• Montréal to Toronto starts at around Can$ 61 if you book in advance or Can$ 143 regular fare, when taxes are included. 

• Montreal to Quebec starts at around Can$ 48 if you book in advance Can$ 99 regular fare, when taxes are included.

How to buy tickets...

• Option 1, buy at www.viarail.ca

  Booking opens 11 months (331 days) in advance.  You print your own tickets.

• Payment problems on viarail.ca?

  There are recent reports of VIA's payment system refusing non-Canadian cards because of a standard for card verification set higher than most foreign cards.

  One correspondent says he got it to work with a Visa Debit issued in Denmark like this: Proceed to pay as normal, when it goes into the redirect loop remove everything after .aspx in the URL, then the payment goes through with no issues.  Does this work? 

  Another traveller got it to work by creating a profile and using a browser other than Chrome or Safari.  Feedback appreciated.

• Option 2, buy at Omio.com

  You can easily buy economy or business class tickets at Omio.com in multiple currencies & languages, with no payment problems.

  You can also buy tickets, economy class only, at 12go.asia, also in multiple currencies & languages.

• To buy tickets by phone, call VIA Rail on 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245).

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).

Union Station's impressive main hall houses the VIA Rail ticket counters and information desk.

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.

Via Rail's Inter-city trains.  See the video

All aboard!  A morning train from Toronto to Montreal is boarding at Toronto Union...

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.  Click the seats photo for larger image.

VIA Economy Class. Click the photo for larger image.		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)

Montreal Central's main hall and close-up of the frieze.  The station is integrated into shopping centres and offices, so hasn't an exterior facade as such...

Montreal Central Station....		Montreal's VIA Business lounge...

Watch the video:  Toronto to Montreal

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Toronto to Niagara Falls

Take a day trip 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 VIA Rail train from Ca$28 each way...

A daily direct VIA Rail train called the Maple Leaf links Toronto Union Station and Niagara Falls Ontario on its way to & 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 $28 each way including taxes.

Outward:  Toronto Union Station depart 08:20 every day, Niagara Falls Ontario VIA station arrive 10:20. 

Inbound:  Niagara Falls Ontario VIA station depart 17:45, Toronto Union arrive 19:43. 

Buy tickets at www.viarail.ca, or buy at Omio.com or 12go.asia in multiple currencies & languages. 

Reservation is compulsory but it's usually possible to get tickets on the day.

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...

Option 2:  By GO Transit direct train from Ca$21 each way...

Since 2019, GO Transit operates one daily late afternoon train from Toronto to Niagara Falls Canada every weekday, returning Niagara to Toronto around 5am, and on summer weekends there are now several direct GO Transit trains through the day, ideal for day trips.  Hopefully this service will expand in future.  The trains are distinctive green & white double-deck GO Transit trains, see the photos below.  If the timing of these few direct trains doesn't suit you, use the hourly train+bus combo shown in option 3 below.

Check times & buy tickets at www.viarail.ca or www.gotransit.com.  When using www.viarail.ca, the direct GO Transit trains are shown in the search results with as green GO logo.  The train+bus combo departures (option 3 below) are shown with a grey train & bus icon.

Double-decker GO Transit trains now run from Toronto to Niagara Falls at least once a day.		Upper deck seats on a GO Transit double-deck train...

Option 3:  By GO Transit train/bus combo from Ca$21 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 2h47 - 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.  When using www.viarail.ca, the train+bus combo departures are shown in the search results with a grey train & bus icon.  Any direct GO Transit trains (option 2 above) will be shown with as green GO logo.

Take the distinctive double-decker GO Transit train from Toronto to Burlington...		...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 costs around Ca$14 + 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.

Niagara Falls VIA station, seen from the bus terminal.		The bus terminal, seen from the VIA station.

Visiting the Falls...

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 to Victoria & Seattle

Vancouver to Victoria by bus & ferry...

• 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.

• See bcfconnector.com for times, fares & online booking.

Vancouver to Seattle by train...

• 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. 

• You can also travel between Vancouver and Seattle via Victoria, using bus to Victoria (bcfconnector.com), then the fast ferry to Seattle (www.clippervacations.com).

Victoria to Seattle by fast ferry...

• 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

• Railcar service.  This used to run every day on the 225 km route, leaving Victoria 08:00 Mon-Sat, 10:00 Sundays, returning in the afternoon.  Unfortunately, this service has been suspended for some years now due to the condition of the track.

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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.  The Adirondack from New York to Montreal is run by Amtrak, the Maple Leaf from New York to Toronto is run by Amtrak whilst in the USA then by VIA Rail when in Canada.  Watch the video.  Map showing location of Niagara Falls VIA Rail & Amtrak stations & the Falls.

Update 2023:  The Maple Leaf resumed normal service post-pandemic in June 2022, but the Adirondack is still suspended in March 2023.  Latest info is that is should resume in early April 2023.

How much does it cost?

• New York-Montreal starts at $70 in coach class. 

• New York to Toronto starts at $134 in coach class or $169 in business class.

How to buy tickets...

• Buy tickets at www.amtrak.com or www.viarail.ca

  You print your own ticket or (if booked with Amtrak) you can show it on the Amtrak app on your phone.

• Tip:  The booking systems show the Maple Leaf as two separate trains either side of the Canadian border with two different train numbers.  But rest assured that it is indeed one direct train, run by Amtrak in the USA and taken over by VIA Rail when in Canada.  You get off at the border to go through border formalities, see the border controls paragraph below. 

What are the trains like?

The New York-Toronto Maple Leaf has two coach class cars with extra-legroom long-distance reclining seats which are prioritised for passengers to/from Canada, two coach class cars with regular seats & a cafe-car with a tables area, serving counter and 17 business class seats - see the photos below.  The café car accepts USD & credit cards but not CAD whilst in the USA.  Business class offers leather seats arranged 2+1 across the car width and complimentary tea, coffee or soft drinks from the cafe car, although leg room is no more generous than in the long-distance coach class cars where it is already excellent.

The New York-Montreal Adirondack has coach class seats with extra-legroom long-distance reclining seats & a cafe car.  The café car accepts USD & credit cards but not CAD whilst in the USA.

The Maple Leaf from New York to Toronto, at Albany Rensselaer station...

Business class.  There are just 17 business class leather seats on the Maple Leaf, in one half of the cafe car.		Coach class seating of the excellent extra-legroom variety, prioritised for passengers to/from Canada.

The counter in the centre of the cafe car...		Cafe car tables with the counter in the background...

The Maple Leaf's distinctive Amfleet cars from New York, arrived at Toronto Union Station...

Luggage arrangements...

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.  There are floor-standing racks and spacious racks above all seats.  Luggage limits are far more generous than for planes, you can take one personal bag and two large bags with you, see www.amtrak.com/baggage-policy.

Border control arrangements...

Northbound:  When leaving from New York Penn Station, you must first go to the Canada check-in desk in the middle of Penn Station concourse, open an hour or two before departure.  Staff at that desk will check your ticket and passport and ask how many bags you’re taking.  They'll give you a luggage tag for each of your bags plus a boarding pass that says you've been checked in for Canada.  Lines then form for the train, one for domestic passengers and one for international passengers, the latter are allowed to board first, waved forward to the two extra-legroom long-distance coach class cars at the front of the train.  Approaching the border, the train calls at Niagara Falls USA, then rumbles slowly across the bridge over the Niagara River to Niagara Falls Canada station.  Here, all passengers get off with their luggage, enter the station building and file through Canadian border control (which is pretty painless) and re-board the train.  There's usually plenty of time for this.

Southbound:  Leaving from Montreal or Toronto, passengers bound for the USA are given numbered luggage tags for their bags whilst waiting to board, there's then a brief ticket & ID check on the platform.  At Niagara Falls USA passengers get off with their luggage, go through US border controls and re-board the train.

The check-in desk for Canada-bound passengers at New York Penn Station.  It's marked as the check-in for Canada, but people standing in front of the desk obscure the signage!  The queue for boarding is just out of shot to the left of Dunkin Donuts.

What's the journey like?

The most important tip of all is to get a seat on the left hand side of the train going north out of New York, right hand side going south from Canada, so you are on the side with all the Hudson River views.  These trains are all-reserved, meaning the number of passengers cannot exceed the number of seats, but you don't get a specific assigned seat.  If a group of you want to sit together, or you want seats on the left hand side, it pays to queue up early and get on first.

Historically, trains heading along the Hudson River towards Albany 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.  The train leaves Penn station heading northwest, but shortly afterwards it turns northeast on what was originally a freight line in tunnels under the west side of Manhattan.  It emerges into daylight alongside the Hudson River, joining the line that came out of Grand Central.

Both the Maple Leaf & Adirondack then travel along the scenic Hudson River Valley with the rails often right next to the river, passing West Point Military Academy, Bannerman's Island, Storm King Mountain and other sights.  You'll even see the occasional historic lighthouse in mid-Hudson!

At Albany Rensselaer station the locomotive is changed from an electro-diesel (which can operate on electric power in the Penn Station tunnels) to a regular diesel, both Maple Leaf and Adirondack stop here long enough for you to stretch your legs on the platform. 

After leaving Albany, the Maple Leaf turns west and crosses the Hudson on a vast steel bridge with great views of the city of Albany on the left hand side on the far bank.  It then leaves the Hudson behind and starts following the Mohawk River.  Look out for the vast derelict Buffalo Central Terminal, a railroad station operational from 1929-1979, on the right hand side just before the train  reaches the current Buffalo Exchange Street station.  After calling at Niagara Falls USA, the train rumbles slowly across the bridge over the Niagara River separating the United States from Canada.  You can't see the falls themselves from the train, but can see the spray in the distance.  The train then rounds Lake Ontario into Toronto.

After leaving Albany, the Adirondack heads north through the scenic Adirondack Mountains which give the train its name.  You'll get views of Lake Champlain on the right of the train going north to Montreal, left heading south from Montreal.

West Point Military Academy, on the far bank of the Hudson.   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.

Bannerman's Island with its ruined house is another local landmark.

Storm King Mountain in Storm King State Park on the far side of the Hudson...

The Maple Leaf crosses the Niagara River that separates the United States & Canada...

Watch the video:  New York to Toronto

The Rocky Mountaineer

Rocky Mountaineer trains run regularly from mid-April to mid-October on the following routes:

• Vancouver to Banff & Calgary

• Vancouver to Jasper via Kamloops

• Vancouver to Jasper via Quesnel

• See the Rocky Mountaineer page...

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Other trains in Canada

	VIA Rail's Skeena.  Note the Park lounge-observation-dome car at the rear. The two panorama seating cars immediately ahead of it now run in the Canadian between Edmonton & Vancouver.

Jasper - Prince George - Prince Rupert:  The Skeena

• 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

• Runs 3 times a week, to the land where the polar bears live.  See www.viarail.ca.

Toronto-North Cochrane-Moosonee (Ontario  Northland)

• Long-distance train service due north out of Toronto, run by Ontario Northland, see ontarionorthland.ca.  Their Toronto to Cochrane route closed from 28 September 2012 with replacement by bus, some Cochrane to Moosonee train service seems to hvae continued.  Please check the current situation at ontarionorthland.ca.

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• CanRail passes for unlimited travel on VIA Rail in Economy Class seats were discontinued during the pandemic and have not reappeared, check with VIA at www.viarail.ca.

  Even when a pass existed, you still needed to make reservations, you could not hop on and off without reserving.  And it was for seats, not sleepers.  You could make reservations online at www.viarail.ca, but you could only use your pass where an Economy or Escape fare was available, if these were sold out and the only fare available was an Economy Plus fare, you couldn't use the pass.  Although if you bought an 'Extra' type pass, you could also book Economy Plus tickets starting from the day before departure.

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Europe to Canada by ship

Southampton - New York - Toronto  or Montreal via Cunard's Queen Mary 2...

• 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 taking 7 nights, see the Queen Mary 2 page for details.  Once in New York, there are excellent daily trains to Toronto and Montreal, see the USA to Canada section above.

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Tours across Canada by train

Custom-made tours with Railbookers...

• Train travel specialists Railbookers can arrange custom-made holidays to Canada including flights, hotels and a trip on the Canadian right across Canada.  They know their stuff, look after their clients well and get a lot of repeat business.

    UK call 0207 864 4600, 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...

	01904 527120 (UK)
	01904 730727

• 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.

• 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...

• 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.

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Guidebooks

• 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

  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...

• 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.

• If you live in the USA, buy from Amazon.com...

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Recommended hotels

In Toronto:  Fairmont Royal York

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.  I've stayed there several times now!  There's more historical information about the hotel at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmont_Royal_York.

A Fairmont Gold room at the Royal York...		En suite...		Hotel exterior...

The Royal York seen from a departing train...		The impressive grand lobby...

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 a bit cheaper, try the St Regis Hotel, also excellently located downtown and also a historic Vancouver landmark, opened in 1913.

My favourite hotel search site: www.booking.com www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally prefer booking my hotels all 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 feature I use all the time when putting a trip together.  I never book hotels non-refundably.  I have also come to trust their review scores - you won't be disappointed with anything over 8.0. Tip:  It can pay to compare prices across multiple hotel sites:  HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Accor, Agoda and many others.  Though if there's not much in it, I prefer keeping all my bookings together in one place at www.booking.com.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com...

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.

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Flights to Canada...

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

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Travel insurance &VPN

Always take out travel insurance...

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.

www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & covers you even if the FCDO advises against non-essential travel.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com.

You can use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

A Curve card saves foreign transaction fees...

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then charge you a currency conversion fee.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing.  The balance goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.

How it works:  1. Download the app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to most European addresses including the UK.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, just like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance onto whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself - I get some commission if you sign up to Curve, but I'm recommending it here because it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card - they'll give you £5 cashback through that link, too.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  VPNs & why you need one explained...

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure.  A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always secure, even using unsecured WiFi.  In countries such as China where access to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions.  And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN.  VPNs & why you need one explained.  ExpressVPN is a best buy and I use it myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription, and I get a small commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank...

With so much now held on your mobile phone (tickets, reservations, vaccination records, etc) I recommend carrying an Anker powerbank.  This can recharge your phone several times over if you're on the move and can't get to a power outlet.  I never travel without one.

 

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