Travelling by train is an investment in time and money in Canada. We had the chance to experience many of Canada’s iconic landscapes during the week-long train trip. We took advantage of a 40% off sale with VIA to make this bucket list trip a reality. Edvantage and CAA members can also get discounts too. This is their Black Friday deals
Sign up for VIA’s newsletter to receive the Tuesday deals. When the discounted offer arrived in our email, we took action! We were booked on the first trip of the winter season.
We travelled across 5 provinces on the Canadian National (CN) train called the Canadian. The train was built in 1955 and so there is a lovely retro feel. At times, it felt a bit like going back in time. VIA provides this service twice a week between Toronto and Vancouver.
We began our journey from Washago, Ontario on a sunny fall day. We were the only two passengers who joined the train at this tiny station.
Washago is a 40-minute drive from our home. My parents drove us up to meet the train so our car could remain in our garage. Not having to travel to Toronto to board the train saved time and money. We had to phone VIA and speak directly to an agent for this reservation so they would stop for us:)
15 minutes before the train’s arrival, a young trainspotter appeared with his dad so he could take photos of the Canadian. He was extremely knowledgeable about all the trains in the area. He shared some of his many engine photos with us. His excitement was contagious!
We Chose Sleeper Car Status
On the Canadian, there are economy, sleeper, sleeper-plus, and prestige class tickets. We chose the sleeper and sleeper-plus class tickets.
The train trip to Winnipeg takes two days and one night. We selected a sleeper ticket for this segment. A berth ticket is a bench seat during the day converted into two berths at night. There is a shared shower and toilet. The berth is the size of a double bed and a thick curtain made of canvas-like material snaps closed. Once you are inside, it feels quite cozy and private. Craig kindly took the top bunk each night. There is no place to lock up valuables, so we kept them with us.
Since we boarded close to one o’clock we thought we might have missed lunch, but Dave, in charge of dining, accommodated us with a late lunch offering.
Sleeper class tickets include all meals in the dining car. All of our 3-course meals were tasty and expertly prepared throughout the voyage. At every meal, you sit with new people, which made for great conversation. Everyone on the train had a great story! We met people from Belgium, Germany, England, Australia, the USA and Canada.
On the second leg of our trip, we booked a sleeper-plus ticket for the 3-night Winnipeg to Vancouver segment. A sleeper-plus ticket included a private room with two berths, a toilet and a sink. We had a shared shower just a few steps from our cabin. We opted to leave our berths down so we could stretch out. Again, the cabin only locks from the inside, so we carried our valuables with us as we moved through the various cars.
Why We Liked Train Travel
The benefit of train travel is that it’s easy to move about. We could sit in our assigned seats or cabin, in the activity car, in the glass-covered observation seats, or in the lounge car at the end of the train.
The VIA staff were attentive and helpful. Our activity directors created social activities; talks, wine and beer tasting, puzzles and bingo to wile away the hours. Darcelle was a superb host. There was also a musician! Glenna Green sang with her guitar. She is booked regularly on VIA trains to entertain and has even written a song about the train experience called Smokers on the Train!
Passenger trains yield to freight trains, so it’s good not to be in a rush when travelling by rail. We reserved a fully refundable Vancouver hotel in case of a long delay. Luckily, our train ran on time.
Landscapes and Wildlife
When we boarded in Ontario our views were of the Canadian Shield rock cuts and trees and gradually the trees turned into moss-covered forests near Thunder Bay. Our first-morning sunrise across the Saskatchewan landscapes and wheatfields was beautiful! As we entered Aberta and our 3rd time zone change, the trees returned and the hilly landscape turned into impressive mountains. When we arrived in Jasper, we walked around the town and saw the devastation from last summer’s fire. We travelled through passes and a few tunnels. The train tracks followed the Thompson River into Kamloops and south into Vancouver.
We saw coho salmon, swans, ducks, a bald eagle, magpies and a beaver all while looking for moose along our trip.
Was It Worth It?
We enjoyed our train trip because of the friendly and knowledgeable VIA staff and the great service. We also enjoyed meeting people along the way. Stopping in Winnipeg for 3 days reduced any travel fatigue. We made two separate VIA Rail bookings for each segment.
Our short stay in Winnipeg was filled with tourist attractions and visiting family and is described in this post.
We spent one day and a night in Vancouver before we started our next train trip!
We found the train travel worth our time and money. I’m glad we got to check off one of our bucket list items!
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