CN Tower, Toronto...  The gleaming stainless steel of The Canadian to Vancouver waits to leave Toronto, under the shadow of the famous CN Tower - don't say you didn't know that CN stands for Canadian National Railways!

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.

On this page...

Map of train routes in Canada

VIA Rail's Canadian, Toronto-Winnipeg-Edmonton-Jasper-Vancouver

VIA Rail's Océan from Montreal to Halifax, Nova Scotia by train!

VIA Rail inter-city trains between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Québec

Trains between Canada & USA  New York-Toronto/Montreal, Seattle-Vancouver

Other Canadian train routes

How to travel from Europe to Canada by ship

Hotels & accommodation in Canada

On other pages...

The Rocky Mountaineer  Vancouver - Banff/Calgary/Jasper

Whistler Mountaineer  Vancouver - Whistler

Train travel in the USA

Sponsored links...

Useful country information

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 & Vancouver.  The 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 (formerly Silver and Blue class) with a private sleeping-car room and restaurant car meals included.  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.  Note that 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.  You'll find a brief overview of the history of the CN and CP routes across Canada here.

Above:  The Skyline dome car...		Above:  The Canadian at Jasper...

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:  From 2012, the Canadian is cut back to running only twice a week in winter.  The Thursday departure from Montreal and the Sunday departure from Vancouver will not operate between 28 October 2012 & 30 April 2013.  Three-times-a-week service will resume in May 2012 for the summer.

The best way to buy tickets is direct from VIA Rail at www.viarail.ca, just click the button above.  You collect the tickets at the station before departure.  Canadian railpass information.  Alternatively, UK-based company www.railbookers.com can arrange tailor-made holidays by train across Canada, with flights, hotels & tickets for the Canadian all sorted for you.

Can you stop off on the way? 

Yes, of course you can, but every leg of your journey requires a reservation for a specific train & date.  You cannot 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.

What is the train like?   Which accommodation to choose?

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 coffee shop, lounge and vista dome.  Sleeping in a seat may not be as comfortable as having a proper sleeper, but the seats recline to about 40 degrees, have loads of legroom and adjustable leg rests.  An Economy class seat costs a fraction of the price of a Sleeper Plus class sleeper, 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 infinitely more comfortable than bus travel.

Economy Class seating.  Seats have a generous recline and fold-out leg-rests...		Skyline car with the economy class lounge, coffee shop & dome.  You can buy food & drink & use the lounge or dome...

Sleeper Plus class = private sleepers & meals included...

This is the luxury option.  Formerly known as 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 private 2-berth bedroom or 1-berth roomette or 'section' with comfortable beds, the fare includes all meals in the elegant Sleeper Plus class restaurant car, and you can use the famous 'Park' observation-lounge car at the rear of the train.  The 'Park' car, 18 of which were built and all named after Canadian parks, features a classic north American vista dome upstairs, the bullet lounge at the rear (complimentary tea and coffee always available) and the mural lounge downstairs underneath the dome.  There are several different types of sleeper, all with hot showers at the end of the corridor:

Sections:  Described on the VIA Rail website as 'upper berth' and 'lower berth' but more correctly and 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.  Note that 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.  Curtains are fitted to each bunk for privacy.  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...

Roomettes or bedroom:  The next step up from a section is a roomette (described on the VIA Rail website as a 'cabin for 1') or bedroom (described on the VIA Rail website as a 'cabin for 2').  These are enclosed, lockable compartments.  If you are travelling alone, you will travel in 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 washbasin in the corner.  At night, a bed folds down from behind the seat, taking up almost all of the roomette.  Bedrooms are larger rooms for two people, with separate en suite washroom and toilet.  An upper and lower berth convert to seats for daytime use.  Bedrooms are the same price per person as a roomette.

A roomette, perhaps the cosiest room for one person on the rails!  Just big enough for one armchair by day with toilet shown here with padded lid closed, washbasin and fold out table.  The bed is stored behind the seat, on its end (in the middle picture you can see the handle to lower the bed).  At  night, the bed folds down and takes up most of the compartment - you need to raise it to use the toilet!  Photos courtesy of  James Chuang.

Sections.  Bays of two spacious seats either side of the aisle, converting to upper and lower berths with curtains...		Dining-car.  Meals are included for sleeper class passengers, although drinks are extra...

The 'Park' observation-lounge-dome car car...
The Park car's bullet lounge... Photo courtesy of James Chuang		Wine tasting in the Park car's dome... Photo courtesy of James Chuang

		Lakes and forests between Toronto & Winnipeg.
Pyramid Falls, a local landmark seen from the train on the run to Vancouver...		The view from the Dome.  In the Rockies, looking forward from the front seats in the dome at the rear of the Canadian.

Journey's end:  Vancouver's Pacific Central station.		The Canadian in the platform at Vancouver.

* Until 24 October 2012, the Océan will leave both Montreal and Halifax daily except Tuesdays.  From 25 October 2012 it is cut back to 3 times a week.

The Océan has Economy class reclining seats, Sleeper class sleeping-cars, with restaurant car, coffee shop and lounge.  In the summer tourist season from June to October (and at Christmas & New Year) it also has Sleeper Plus class sleeping-cars and a 1955-vintage stainless-steel observation dome/lounge car at the back, like the one attached to the rear of the Canadian.  This observation/lounge car is reserved exclusively for Sleeper Plus class passengers, and meals in the restaurant car are included in the Sleeper Plus class fare (extra for other passengers).  All departures of the Océan should now use modern air-conditioned sleeping-cars (some with private toilet and shower) and reclining seat cars originally built in the UK for the abortive Channel Tunnel night trains, and now marketed by VIA Rail as Renaissance cars.  See www.viarail.ca (click 'home' top right) for more information, including fares and online booking.

Fares & how to buy tickets...

You can check fares for  the Océan at www.viarail.ca.   To give you a rough idea, Montreal-Halifax costs about C$148 in Economy class, or C$322 in Sleeper class.  You can book online at www.viarail.ca, picking up the tickets at the station before departure.  Alternatively, you can make VIA Rail bookings in the UK through First Rail Ltd on 0845 644 3553.  Canadian railpasses.

Toronto to Montréal by train in 4 hours 40 minutes, centre to centre...

VIA Rail's fast modern inter-city trains link Toronto, Ottawa & Montréal.  Montréal to Toronto takes as little as 4 hours 40 minutes city centre to city centre.  Please check train times for your date of travel at www.viarail.ca. 

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 times, fares & book online at www.viarail.ca.

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.

On board Canada's inter-city trains...

Why not treat yourself to Business class (formerly Club class)?  It can be as little as Can$50 to upgrade from VIA Rail's Economy class to Business Class, which means you can use the business class lounges in Toronto and Montreal, and on board the train you get a 3-course airline-style hot meal, complimentary wine and aperitifs.

Inter-city, Canadian-style...  A modern VIA Rail inter-city train, as used to link Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec and Niagara Falls.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang.		Business Class seats (formerly Club Class) on a VIA Rail Toronto-Montreal intercity train.  A hot meal and wine is included in the Business Class fare, served at your seat. Photo courtesy of James Chuang.

Economy class seats on a VIA Rail inter-city train.  Photos courtesy of James Chuang.		Inside Toronto's historic Union Station, right in the city centre opposite the famous Royal York Hotel.

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, 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.

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 you 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.

Reclining seats in Coach Class, as used on the Maple Leaf train from New York to Toronto...		Amfleet cars, as used on the daily Maple Leaf from New York's Penn Station along the scenic Hudson River valley to Toronto's Union Station.

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.  Look out for West Point Military Academy on the far bank, Storm King Mountain (pictured above left) and Bannerman's Island.  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.
Storm King Mountain, seen from the train...		The trains roll right along the Hudson River...

Ruined house on Bannerman's island...		West Point Military Academy, seen from the train...

Seattle to Vancouver...

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, the British Columbia provincial capital, on Vancouver Island:  There is a daily catamaran service between Seattle and Victoria (see www.victoriaclipper.com for times & fares), and regular buses link Victoria with Vancouver (see www.pacificcoach.com for times & fares).

The Rocky Mountaineer

	Rocky Mountaineer:  A seat in a Gold Leaf double-deck dome car aboard the Rocky Mountaineer is about the best place there is to see Canada's Rocky Mountain scenery...

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

• Vancouver to Banff & Calgary  (Kicking Horse route)

• Vancouver to Jasper via Kamloops  (Yellowhead Route)

• Whistler to Jasper via Quesnel  (Fraser Discovery Route)

See the Rocky Mountaineer page...

The Whistler Mountaineer

Vancouver - Whistler

• The Whistler Mountaineer links Vancouver (north Vancouver station) with the resort town of Whistler, daily, mid-April to mid-October.

• See the Rocky Mountaineer page for more information.

Other trains in Canada

	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.
	VIA Rail's Malahat, just arrived at Victoria on Vancouver Island.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang.

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.

Montreal to Gaspé:  The Chaleur

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.

Vancouver Island:  Victoria-Nanaimo-Courtenay The Malahat

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 a year or two due to the condition of the track, check with www.viarail.ca to see if it has resumed.  It may do so, perhaps, in 2013.

Toronto-North Cochrane-Moosonee (Ontario  Northland)

Long-distance train service due north out of Toronto, run by Ontario Northland, see www.ontc.on.ca.  This route was at risk of closure in 2012.  Their Toronto to Cochrane route closed from 28 September 2012, but it now seems that the Cochrane to Moosonee route will continue.  Please check the current situation at www.ontc.on.ca.

Hearst - Oba - Sault Ste Marie (Algoma Central)

Three times a week year-round scheduled train service plus snow train and canyon tour trains, run by Algoma Central, see 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 and Oba.

Railpasses are available for Canada, worth checking out if you are planning a tour.  Important: As of 2010, Canadian railpasses no longer give unlimited train travel, they only give 7 'free' journeys per pass, with one stopover permitted per journey.  Note also that passes only allow travel in a seat, you can no longer upgrade to sleeper by paying the difference.  Note also that even in seats on the Canadian and Océan, you'll need to make a seat reservation either in advance or when you get to Canada, as you cannot hop on and travel on these trains without a reservation.  The passholder seats on these trains are quota-controlled, so don't assume that once you've bought a pass you'll actually be allowed to travel on your chosen train, even if there are seats available!  In other words, you may well be better off forgetting railpasses and just booking normal point-to-point tickets with a confirmed reservation on a specific train online at viarail.ca.

Travel from Europe to Canada by ship...

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.

Holidays by train across Canada...

	020 3327 0761 (UK) 1-800-408-3280 (USA) 1300 971 526 (Aus) 0800 002 034 (NZ)
	01904 527120 (UK)

Tailor-made tours with www.railbookers.com...

Train travel specialists www.Railbookers.com 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.

In the UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.com. 

In the USA & Canada call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or see website.

In Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au.  NZ call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

Escorted group tours with Great Rail Journeys, www.greatrail.com...

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.

Recommended 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

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...

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.

Hotels & accommodation in Canada

Other hotel sites worth trying...

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

• 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.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers 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...

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 & health card...

Get 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 (up to a limit) and belongings.  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 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you're resident in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

    If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign 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!

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find some huge bills waiting for you.  I've known people run up a £1,000 bill in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a simple trip to Europe.  However, if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid.  It cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also works for laptop or PDA data access.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.