Anyone with experience with Canadian rail service across the country?

[Frwinkley]

Greetings from the USA!

My DH and I so love Canada. We have visited many parts (the Canadian Rockies being our absolute favorite) and now considering a trip via rail.

We aren't exactly certain of a route we would take--we are looking for the most scenic.

We are considering a trip in early October.

Anyone have any advice or experience?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Northern Ontario is beautiful in October!

 

[migel]

Greetings from the USA!

My DH and I so love Canada. We have visited many parts (the Canadian Rockies being our absolute favorite) and now considering a trip via rail.

We aren't exactly certain of a route we would take--we are looking for the most scenic.

We are considering a trip in early October.

Anyone have any advice or experience?

I travel mainly by car, but some must-see considerations, at least for eastern Canada, include Quebec City, Halifax & Cape Breton Island, PEI and New Brunswick. I live a short drive away from Niagara Falls, another popular spot.

 

[damo]

I have always wanted to try the Rocky Mountaineer. It looks fabulous. https://canadiantrainvacations.com/rocky-mountaineer?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CTV_CAN_Search_Rockies_22485154516&utm_content=RMR_Vacations_New&utm_term=rocky mountaineer rail packages_b&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22485154516&gbraid=0AAAAAD_kguenYjEV8EeLmIvJgAYh5xJKh&gclid=CjwKCAjw4K3DBhBqEiwAYtG_9DiNPsO4Kg7MtaFbl2fHusc4wv_-bb26-Y1htOfeGiiiuUfKWVhkgRoC5QIQAvD_BwE

There used to be (many, many years ago) a passenger train that went from Toronto to Thunder Bay along Lake Superior and that route was gorgeous in the fall. Now, the route goes from Sudbury to White River and is still really pretty. You would have to take a bus if you wanted to continue on from White River.

https://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/trains/regional-trains/sudbury-white-river

There is also a bud car train that heads up into Northern Ontario.

There is a short train trip along the Agawa Canyon near Sault Ste. Marie that is beautiful in the fall. https://agawatrain.com/

Here is a reddit forum about someone doing a 3.5 week trip across part of Canada by train.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ViaRail/comments/1lppe0t/so_excited

 

[Frwinkley]

This is a big trip for us. Our 40th wedding anniversary. Although we were in the Canadian Rockies in 2017, it was by far, one of our favorite trips. We tend not to want to repeat our travels—so much of the world to see, but this is under serious consideration right now. We loved it that much.

Having said that, we liked to add something different and really special and that’s where the Rocky Mountaineer comes into the picture.

We would be traveling at the end of Sept into Oct (so pretty soon!). How cool can we expect the weather to be?

 

[Norton figment]

I took the Canadian with Via Rail across the country Vancouver to Toronto in May. It was an amazing trip. I would highly recommend doing it this way and then you get to see the whole country and the beauty that is there. There’s typically an hour or so in Jasper that you can get out and explore the city and Winnipeg as well. They have the prestige rooms which sell out quickly and they’re very expensive. They’re probably already gone for October to be honest. They have a double room, which are basically bunkbeds with a toilet. All your meals are included. The food is amazing high-quality good choices. Alcohol is extra.. honestly I recommend watching some YouTube videos and just search the Canadian or cross country Canada train and look for some more recent Vlog. The train takes four nights and basically five days. There were people on the train that did do the Rocky Mountain near first which is a private company and you stay at hotels with them and then boarded the VIA rail in Vancouver to Toronto. It was an amazing trip. I would do it again. The next time I do it I wanna go the opposite way and in a different season.

The train only runs each way twice a week. There are a great things to do in Vancouver and Toronto that time of year as well, so I would suggest tacking on time and either location to explore
https://www.viarail.ca/en/plan/book...UzX9FPryRuHe_Yoa-UeY0MuurVj6-m8BoC2O8QAvD_BwE

 

[Frwinkley]

I took the Canadian with Via Rail across the country Vancouver to Toronto in May. It was an amazing trip. I would highly recommend doing it this way and then you get to see the whole country and the beauty that is there. There’s typically an hour or so in Jasper that you can get out and explore the city and Winnipeg as well. They have the prestige rooms which sell out quickly and they’re very expensive. They’re probably already gone for October to be honest. They have a double room, which are basically bunkbeds with a toilet. All your meals are included. The food is amazing high-quality good choices. Alcohol is extra.. honestly I recommend watching some YouTube videos and just search the Canadian or cross country Canada train and look for some more recent Vlog. The train takes four nights and basically five days. There were people on the train that did do the Rocky Mountain near first which is a private company and you stay at hotels with them and then boarded the VIA rail in Vancouver to Toronto. It was an amazing trip. I would do it again. The next time I do it I wanna go the opposite way and in a different season.

The train only runs each way twice a week. There are a great things to do in Vancouver and Toronto that time of year as well, so I would suggest tacking on time and either location to explore
https://www.viarail.ca/en/plan/book...UzX9FPryRuHe_Yoa-UeY0MuurVj6-m8BoC2O8QAvD_BwE

Wow!! Thanks so much for your detailed reply.

 

[Norton figment]

Wow!! Thanks so much for your detailed reply.

You’re welcome.
we met so many great people from around the world on the train. Here’s one of the YouTube people I enjoyed watching when I was planning my trip.

 

[steve_rob]

A few years ago we did the "L'Ocean" train from Montreal to Halifax and really enjoyed it. The first portion is overnight and it is well worth paying the extra for the Sleeper Plus class to get your own room with bunk beds and a shower, plus all meals included.

We got off the train in Moncton, which is a great stopping off point for Hopewell Rocks and the Bay of Fundy (you know, the bit from the Canada Far & Wide that shows the rapidly changing tides!), then a few days later hopped back on the train to do the final leg into Halifax.

Also will back up the above poster that DownieLive is a great YouTuber for getting details on Canadian train travel. Check out the following playlist he did visiting every province from east to west (mainly) by rail: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO8kAe8d56DGZ-Ax4eumqNJAFwwbR9gMz&si=LggJt_16ayTlnv2f

 

[yowcruiser]

As was already stated, the most iconic "public rail" service is operated by VIA Rail and is called the Canadian. It runs from Toronto to Vancouver. I have done the run twice to Vancouver: Once from Edmonton and once from Winnipeg, both with a free stopover in Jasper (not sure if this is still offered- but you could always book each segment on their own). For example, travelling westbound, you can arrive in Jasper on Wednesday and catch the next train to Vancouver on the Saturday. The most scenic portion is the one between Edmonton and Vancouver - the challenge is that with the frequent delays, you are never 100% certain where you will be and when so it is possible that you pass by one of the highlights at night, rather than during the day.

The Ocean between Montreal and Halifax is cute as well - but the sightseeing is a bit more limited, and the closer to Fall and Winter, more of the trip is done during night time.

The privately owned Rocky Mountaineer does have a few interesting options in the Canadian Rockies