Canada’s Greatest Travel Adventure—a Four-and-a-half-Day Cross Country Rail Trip

If you are a senior, chances are leisure is a way of life now, time for more ambitious endeavors. Time to take the trip of a lifetime across Canada, as you ride in comfort on passenger rail cars that were built in the mid-1950s, lovingly restored.

A few times a week, VIA Rail Canada’s premiere train, The Canadian, leaves its respective starts of Toronto and Vancouver for a 2,775 mile, four-day plus journey that is unique. Splurge for sleeping car space, which includes delicious meals and wonderful lounge space to meet old friends and make new ones. The topping, so to speak, is a glass dome up some stairs, a vista to watch Canada drift by, day and night.

The cost? What can I take on board with me? Where will I sleep?

It’s up to you; sleeping car space, depending on the time booked, time of year and actual room accommodation can range from about $900 to $13,000. Current VIA Rail Canada on-board baggage rules make you think about your wardrobe and accessories. One personal carry-on of 17 x 13 x 6 inches in size, and one larger bag of 25 x 16 x 12 inches. That’s it for your on-board space. For any other items you might have, you can check two 30 x 19 x 12-inch bags to pick up at the end of your journey.

Much like a cruise ship, there are varied spaces you can occupy, from a semi-private upper berth (with a curtain on the outside and a ladder to the floor) to a Prestige Class cabin with an en-suite bathroom, a TV, unlimited drinks, and an L-shaped sofa that converts to a double bed. There are a limited number of coach seats available, but you really must do sleeping car space on this trip. Each sleeping car has a shower compartment when you need one.

Given the conviviality of like-minded travelers aboard, it’s an extrovert’s paradise, although you always have the option of staying by your booked space. The dining car offers tables for four, and if your group is smaller, you will meet others aboard who have traveled from all over the world to do the same thing. On any trip, there are at least two glass-roofed dome cars for sleeping car passengers. Under the glass, conversations abound. Below, lounges with drinks and light snacks are usually available.

What happens during the trip?

Each departure, from either end, leaves in daylight. After boarding, everyone gets acquainted with fellow travelers in the lounge and dining cars. And there are intermediate stops for passenger comfort while the locomotives are refueled and windows are cleaned.

Don’t worry about missing the train during your off train perambulations; ample warning is delivered by loud engine air horns. Jasper, Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba are the most interesting. Jasper is a small mountain resort community of just over 4,000 people; Winnipeg Manitoba has 200 times that; as a bonus, the train station there was designed by Warren and Wetmore and opened a year before Grand Central Terminal, another of their projects. Usually, the train stops will allow for a short walk into town in either case.

Stops do vary. Some are miles away from major centers of consequence, one—Sioux Lookout, Ontario — is literally in the middle of nowhere. Others, such as Edmonton, Alberta and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, are in larger cities, but do not offer an option to snack or shop.

Dining?

Unlike Amtrak, which has dining cars on its long-distance trains with little choice of menu items, VIA Rail Canada provides a changing menu for each meal, every day—and that’s over 10 meals. Every one is served as it should be, with miracles performed from a kitchen that can generate more than eight dozen meals per service, whether it’s clam chowder, roast beef, a beyond burger, french toast, an omelet, roast turkey and other items rotate on the daily menus. If you are vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free, you can find many delicious meals coming from that kitchen. No one goes hungry.

Whatever you eat, it’s included in the sleeping car fare.

What can I do with all this time? When is best for traveling?

Canada, larger in area than the United States, is almost 4 million square miles. In almost 2800 miles of travel, there is a huge amount of wilderness. While Manhattanites are used to Central Park as a nature preserve, the views out your train window are, in a word, staggering. Miles of trees, lakes and streams, punctuated by small towns every so often. Mountain goats, moose, bighorn sheep are evident as the train glides by. Want to read The Power Broker again? You’ll have the time. There are also some arranged on-train activities (yes, trivia is one of them), and the lounge car attendants are always happy to fulfill your unique adult beverage wishes. All the glass on both sides of the rail car and the Canadian sunlight will restore your soul. With luck, the train rolling across Canada at night will lure you to a calm, restful sleep. Bedding is comfortable, with real sheets and pillows (and towels for your showers).

When to go? While Via Rail’s Canadian operates throughout the year, you might want to think about a ride in late fall or early spring; summer sees a 20-car version, filled with tourists, while the shoulder seasons are shorter and less crowded. Winter brings a special ride as well, although daylight is minimal. The off-train station stops may require heavy coats.

One caveat for travelers: VIA Rail doesn’t own the tracks that the train uses. The track owner is Canadian National Railway, a large freight railroad. Train punctuality is not the best for passengers—resist the urge to make tight rail or plane connections. Take an overnight in beautiful Vancouver or Canada’s largest city, Toronto. Each city is a unique destination

Make Montreal part of your trip

In either direction, you would want to start or finish in Montreal. It’s at least a five-hour ride between the two, but well worth it,

Montreal, unlike its neighbor city Toronto, 330 miles away, oozes with creativity and gastronomy. It is the fourth largest French-speaking city in the world. Many museums such as the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the McCord-Stewart Museum, and Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex offer a unique Quebecois perspective. From fast-food poutine (french fries, cheese curds and gravy) to gourmet, five-star meals, diverse offerings are in store, and, as a World City, it is full of many different ethnic foods, all vying for your meals there. Yes, Montreal offers bagels just about everywhere—different from New York’s, but tasty. Another gustatory don’t-miss is smoked meat, a cross between corned beef and pastrami.

Boutiques, galleries, and farmer’s markets will make for great shopping, and many hotels in the neighborhoods you’d want to be in make for a memorable stay.

Got the time? Make the trip!

For further information:

Via Rail Canada. https://www.viarail.ca/en

Montreal www.montreal.org

Toronto. www.destinationtoronto.com

Vancouver. www.destinationvancouver.com