Traveling from America to Canada
You can board an Amtrak train in the U.S. and connect to one of several trains in Canada! The train saves you time and money over auto travel and transports you safely across snow-covered land. Motorists who stay overnight in a hotel will often spend more for their room and without being able to travel hundreds of kilometers while sleeping. VIA Rail Canada runs year round with more than 460 trains per week. There’s good reason—make that many reasons—why it is popular. There are a lot of destinations to choose from in this massive country. Hey, they’re friendly too! You can cross their border, but educate yourself about Customs & Immigration as you are entering a foreign country after all.
Starting Your Trip Locally:
Once you’ve crossed the border into any one of these cities you can travel over Canada, as there are 29 cities with stations. Spectacular mountain landscapes still wild. Vast forested valleys, snow-capped peaks, rugged escarpments, glaciers, pine forests, many lakes, falls, canyons, gleaming glaciers and emerald lakes. The attractions are so plentiful you'll have a hard time choosing what to explore—barren icy terrains of the north to the busy urban centers to the south. You choose how long you want to spend in the cities you travel too. You may want to overnight in some of them surely. A vast choice of lodging and accommodations are available to visitors: hotels, motels, chalets, campgrounds, holiday packages, or home-style bed and breakfasts.
There are activities once you are off the train.These activities will cure any cabin fever you may get in a train car! In the warmer months of summer there's windsurfing, hiking, kayaking, rafting, mountain biking, tourist excursions and hunting in autumn. Winters give ample opportunity to join in dogsledding, ice climbing, skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing. Where else can you harness up a team of huskies or malamutes to a toboggan? Animals you may spot from the train in the Rockies are elk, deer, moose, caribou, sheep, goats, bears, coyotes, wolves, beaver, pine martens, lynx, porcupines, cougar, snowshoe hares and wolverines. There is an unbelievable diversity of insects and spiders—20,000 types that you could examine close-up in the field in someplace like Jasper National Park. I’m stocking up on bug repellent right now! It spans 4,200 square miles of broad valleys, rugged mountains, glaciers, forests, alpine meadows and wild rivers along the eastern slopes of the Rockies. A real treat is the sand dune ecosystem of Jasper Lake. The northerly location and distance from the ocean make the climate continental, of long, cold winters and short, warm summers in western Alberta. The town of Jasper that skirts this park has retained its mountain charm.
14 Trains - 14 Trips
The Canadian covers the entire Canadian west between Toronto and Vancouver. Crossing from one coast to the other is sure to amaze and takes only three days! Between Sudbury Junction and Winnipeg, you can get off anywhere you want, even where there is no scheduled stop. Simply by requesting a special stop. This service is designed for outdoor enthusiasts who wish to get off in a wilder environment.
The Skeena lets you discover another side of the Rockies. It leaves Jasper, Alberta for Prince Rupert in British Columbia, on the Pacific coast. This city is surrounded by green peaks, the ocean and a number of islands along the famed Inside Passage. Its weather is relatively mild considering its northern latitude. Many outdoor activities, including hiking, kayaking, scuba diving, and seaplane touring, give ample opportunity to enjoy the region's incredible, intoxicating scenery.
To visit Vancouver Island, climb aboard the Malahat, which links Victoria, flower-filled city perfectly combines the liveliness of its port with a distinctly British charm, and Courtenay.Get aboard the Snow Train Express from Edmonton to Jasper for the ultimate weekend of skiing in winter. Jasper National Park is an international ski destination. For a total change of scene, head off aboard the Hudson Bay for a journey over 1,000 miles! Leaving Winnipeg, in the heart of the southern prairies, you travel to Churchill, a city in the vast subarctic region on the shores of Hudson Bay. A fantastic way to visit Northern Manitoba without hurting your wallet. The one-way trip between Winnipeg and Churchill in Comfort class costs only $154. Experience Canada at its most intense, with frigid winters and icy landscapes! The town of Churchill is in polar bear country, near the shores of Hudson's Bay where terrain is permanently snow-covered. Take a tour through a polar bear breeding ground! The Montreal –Toronto offers downtown-to-downtown service. Watch the countryside roll by at speeds up to 150 kilometers per hour, no matter what the weather. A train that leaves Toronto stops in Niagara Falls. The Niagara Falls station is next to the river, only a few minutes from the famous falls. Bring a fashionable raincoat and a water resistant camera as you’ll want to snap some pictures.
Five Trains Originating in Montreal: Montréal station is located in the downtown area, close to hotels, restaurants, office towers and major company headquarters. Ottawa station is a few minutes from the parliament building and other tourists attractions of the city. From Montréal, the Montréal-Ottawa, Montréal-Toronto and Montréal-Québec City trains will take you to several of Canada's most-visited cities. Two trains also head eastwards: the Chaleur goes to Percé and Gaspé, and the Ocean to Moncton and Halifax.
Even in the midst of a blizzard you can depend on The Lake Superior. You'll cross remote rivers and forests in complete comfort and safety! The Ocean is a night train running between Montréal and Halifax, Nova Scotia. You’ll be covering hundreds of kilometers while sleeping soundly. Upon awakening you will be in a completely different part of Canada! A Lesson on Class and Baggage
Travelers have a number of classes to choose from—economy to luxurious accommodations. Go the economy route in a coach car with a roomy, reclining seat with a headrest, large fold out tray and footrest. The best classes feature bedrooms, a comfortable couch, wardrobe and a private washroom. If you get a double bedroom a family of 3 can sleep there. You could reserve a deluxe double bedroom to get a hair dryer and a real shower! Some have huge panoramic windows. The flagship car is The Park car at the very end of the train. Its perks include a closet, a call button, a private washroom and cosy armchairs that transform into two twin beds at night for couples. If you are a senior aged 60 and over, purchase a Comfort class (economy) ticket and obtain the second one free for your travel companion. For youth aged 12-17; or students aged at least 18 with an ISIC card, a discount of up to 50% is yours in comfort class!
Baggage. We’ve all got some don’t we? Well the kind you lug around on a wonderful trip across North America is the subject here. Depending on your exact route and upon which trains you're traveling, you will have specific baggage allowances and checking options. It’s simply due to the availability of luggage space and baggage cars on each train. Carry-on bags are allowed. There is tremendous flexibility in that skis, canoes, kayaks, masts, sailboards, bicycles, tandems and pets travel in a baggage car—for an extra charge, of course. I suggest getting a map of Canada to acquaint yourself with where these intriguing places lie. And I caution you: the more you learn about Canada the more you want to know. Au revoir! That’s French Canadian meaning till we meet again. End of lesson!