I would appreciate comments on VIA's The Canadian, e.g. how's the service, sleeper accommodations, food, etc.
Also, what's the best time of year to take the train?
Any other train service through the Canadian Rockies to consider?
Many thanks,
R. George
Everything about this train that you asked about is ...excellent. This is simply the best passenger train in North America! I have ridden it in April because I could save some money & because the mountains & forests still have alot of snow. Take a ride in the rear bullit back lounge/observation car. This is one fantastic train. I have taken it 3 times from Toronto to Vancouver & never have been disappointed in anything. The food is great & the rooms are very nice & the service is unmatched. There is an attendant for each & every car.
-Dave
RGeorge wrote: I would appreciate comments on VIA's The Canadian, e.g. how's the service, sleeper accommodations, food, etc.
If their service is anything like what VIA offers on The Ocean (Montréal-Halifax), then you are in for a real treat !
Spring or Autumn are the best times. You'll find the fares are a bit less expensive than during peak Summer tourist season; and with fewer leaves on the trees, your view of the mountains will be better. Generally speaking, there usually are fewer bratty kids as they are still in school. However, since The Canadian travels through the Rockies mostly at night (arriving in Vancouver at 7:50am; or departing at 5:30pm), you won't get to see very much.
Any other train service through the Canadian Rockies to consider
For daytime travel through the Rockies, check out Rocky Mountaineer Vacations (http://www.rockymountaineer.com/). Pricey; but are reputed to have excellent trains and service. They also take a different route than The Canadian so you'll see a different part of the Rockies. (If I'm not mistaken, Rocky Mountaineer trains take the route of the original Canadian back when CP still ran trans-continental passenger service.)
VIA also offers other train service in Western Canada... http://www.viarail.ca/trains/en_trai_roch.html The Canadian, as you know, links Toronto (ON) with Vancouver (BC). The Skeena travels between Jasper (AB) and Prince Rupert (BC). The Malahat goes from Victoria (BC) to Courtney (BC) on Vancouver Island. The Snow Train takes skiers from Edmonton (AB) Friday evenings to Jasper (AB); returning Sundays between late November and late March.
Whatever your plans, book early. Not only will you save money, you'll have a greater selection of accommodations which can sell out quickly.
chateauricher wrote:[Also, what's the best time of year to take the train?Spring or Autumn are the best times. You'll find the fares are a bit less expensive than during peak Summer tourist season; and with fewer leaves on the trees, your view of the mountains will be better. Generally speaking, there usually are fewer bratty kids as they are still in school. However, since The Canadian travels through the Rockies mostly at night (arriving in Vancouver at 7:50am; or departing at 5:30pm), you won't get to see very much.
chateauricher wrote:Any other train service through the Canadian Rockies to considerFor daytime travel through the Rockies, check out Rocky Mountaineer Vacations (http://www.rockymountaineer.com/). Pricey; but are reputed to have excellent trains and service. They also take a different route than The Canadian so you'll see a different part of the Rockies. (If I'm not mistaken, Rocky Mountaineer trains take the route of the original Canadian back when CP still ran trans-continental passenger service.)
cprted wrote: chateauricher wrote: Also, what's the best time of year to take the train?Spring or Autumn are the best times. You'll find the fares are a bit less expensive than during peak Summer tourist season; and with fewer leaves on the trees, your view of the mountains will be better. Generally speaking, there usually are fewer bratty kids as they are still in school. However, since The Canadian travels through the Rockies mostly at night (arriving in Vancouver at 7:50am; or departing at 5:30pm), you won't get to see very much.The Canadian travels through the Rockies in daylight, lots of good stuff to see. Unfortunately the Fraser Canyon leg is done overnight, so there are spectacular vistas there that you will miss. One neat thing with the canyon though is traveling through in the pitch black and then seeing the headlights of a train on the other side, seemingly floating through the black. I tried to take a picture of it, but as could be expected, it didn't work out so well.
chateauricher wrote: Also, what's the best time of year to take the train?Spring or Autumn are the best times. You'll find the fares are a bit less expensive than during peak Summer tourist season; and with fewer leaves on the trees, your view of the mountains will be better. Generally speaking, there usually are fewer bratty kids as they are still in school. However, since The Canadian travels through the Rockies mostly at night (arriving in Vancouver at 7:50am; or departing at 5:30pm), you won't get to see very much.
I beg to differ. Check the schedules for The Canadian, and you'll find that...
East-bound : leave Vancouver at 5:30pm; arrive in Kamloops at 1:50am and leave at 2:25am; arrive in Jasper at 11:00am. Within a couple hours of leaving Vancouver, it will be too dark to see much. It won't be light again until you are almost 1/2 way between Kamloops and Jasper. That means that 2/3 of your trip through the mountains of central BC happens at night.
West-bound : leave Jasper at 3:30pm; arrive in Kamloops at 10:10pm and leave at 10:45pm; arrive in Vancouver at 7:50am. It will be dark before you reach Kamloops and won't be light again until you're almost in Vancouver. So, that means a about 1/2 of your trip through the mountains happens at night.
Sure, you'll get to see the area around Jasper during the day; but you'll miss most of the other mountain ranges of the interior of BC which are at least equally spectacular.
As you can see RM offers service to both Jasper and Banff. If you really want neat train trip you could always take Via's Canadian from Vancouver to Jasper/Edmonton, then catch the RM in Banff for the return trip!
You'd have to find away to travel between Edmonton and Calgary. VIA goes to Edmonton, but not Calgary; and RM goes to Calgary, but not Edmonton.
chateauricher wrote:I beg to differ. Check the schedules for The Canadian, and you'll find that...East-bound : leave Vancouver at 5:30pm; arrive in Kamloops at 1:50am and leave at 2:25am; arrive in Jasper at 11:00am. Within a couple hours of leaving Vancouver, it will be too dark to see much. It won't be light again until you are almost 1/2 way between Kamloops and Jasper. That means that 2/3 of your trip through the mountains of central BC happens at night.West-bound : leave Jasper at 3:30pm; arrive in Kamloops at 10:10pm and leave at 10:45pm; arrive in Vancouver at 7:50am. It will be dark before you reach Kamloops and won't be light again until you're almost in Vancouver. So, that means a about 1/2 of your trip through the mountains happens at night.Sure, you'll get to see the area around Jasper during the day; but you'll miss most of the other mountain ranges of the interior of BC which are at least equally spectacular.
As you can see RM offers service to both Jasper and Banff. If you really want neat train trip you could always take Via's Canadian from Vancouver to Jasper/Edmonton, then catch the RM in Banff for the return trip!You'd have to find away to travel between Edmonton and Calgary. VIA goes to Edmonton, but not Calgary; and RM goes to Calgary, but not Edmonton.
I have always preferred the westbound trip into the mountains as you can see them coming with great anticipation, whereas eastbound it seems as if you are out of the mountains quite suddenly. The eastbound is really nice from Blue River. Eastbounds usually use the Albreda sub from Valemount to Red Pass. Westbounds usually use the Robson sub. The Albreda is higher and and gives a nicer and very spectacular view of Mount Robson. Sit on the left side for this going east.
May and June give a lot of daylight, probably getting close to Kamloops. Technically you do go through the Rockies in daylight as there are several mountain ranges and the Rockies are the first one going west.
The Skeena from Jasper to Prince George and Prince Rupert and the BC ferries to Vancouver Island is also recommended. The Skeena overnights in Prince George and does the whole trip in daylight as does the ferry.
I have been dying to take this train ever since I found out it existed! I have heard nothing but goos things, and can't wait for my opportunity. Riding The Ocean for the first time this year, in both directions, I was very happy with VIA's service, even in Comfort Class.
My hope now is to take advantage of VIA's student discounts (being a current University student), to get a Canadian Rail Pass, and ride as many of VIA's trains as possible, including (and especially) The Canadian!!
-Tim
If you you wait until after early December this year to ride, you will be able to see more of the Rockies, as the schedule will be lengthened to four nights each way, leaving both Toronto and Vancouver at night, and arriving in both cities in the morning. Check with VIA (I do not have their toll-free number handy, or go to www.via.ca. You can click on "schedules" on the left side, then on "Print your train schedule," then select your schedule. You will see that the schedule up through December 1 ,and the schedule effective December 2 are both there. The new schedule is comparable to that of the Continental, which ran until in the fifties. I understand that the change is made so that those traveling to and from Montreal/ Ottawa and east will not have to spend a night in Toronto. I also understand that the connections are guaranted for such travelers.
As to service my wife and I consider the service on the Canadian to be better than that on the Ocean. Each set of equipment has domes and an observation car (to me an observation car is one that is properly placed at the rear of the train, and it is NOT proper to call a dome or a Sightseer Lounge an "observation car.") It may be otherwise during the summer season, but when we rode the Canadian, each block of three sleepers had two attendants.
Last year, I saw quite a bit of the rivers (with the rock sheds) as we were coming into Vancouver, as we were more than three hours late.
Incidentally, if you want to travel by North American Railpass, you must buy it by September 30 of this year, as it will no longer be available after that date. You can buy one and use it by September 30, 2009 (we have the itinerary and reservations for a trip we plan to take next spring). You will still be able to get the Canrailpass, and Amtrak again offers USA railpasses (I do not remember the exact name, but you can obtain the information at www.amtrak.com).
Johnny
The Canadian is a great train..one thing is for sure..if you take it you'll have a great trip and a lifetime of fond memories. Back in 1981-1982 I went to school on Kamloops, BC and took the Canadian back and forth from Montreal a few times. I don't remember much of my studies, but I sure remember those trips...the fantastic scenary...and the characters I met along the way.
More on the Canadian, concerning the sleeping accomodations. During the winter season, the usual sleeper consist has only Manor cars and one Park car. A Manor car had three sections (called double berths) (Section 4 has been replaced by a shower and dressing room), four roomettes (called single bedrooms), six bedrooms, and one compartment (both are called double bedrooms). Room F is actually a compartment, and is sold at the same rate as a bedroom; it is about a foot longer than a bedroom. The Park car has one drawing room(called a triple bedroom) and three bedrooms.
When we rode from Toronto to Vancouver last year, in May, there were also several Chateau cars in the consist. These also have three sections and a shower. They also have eight duplex roomettes (smaller than a roomette, yet they are sold at the same rate), three bedrooms, and one drawing room. The Chateau cars are also used east of Montreal, and during the summer season they and the Park car are sold at the higher, Easterly, rate.
In our three trips on the Canadian, we have observed that there will be two or more groups of three sleepers, a diner, a Skyline (dome) lounge and three sleepers. You are expected to eat all of your meals (my mouth waters at the thought of the meals; you have a different menu each day) in the diner that is asociated with your sleeper and not go from diner to diner during the course of your trip. You may wander from lounge car to lounge car, and all sleeper passengers has access to the Park car, which has the observation lounge and a lounge under the dome.
If you are traveling coach (Comfort class), you have access to the coach diner/lounge, which has a dome. Last year, as I recall, there were twenty-three first class (sleepers, lounges, diners) cars and two coaches and their diner/lounge.
A word concerning the accomodations on The Ocean: In the off season, there is, I believe one consist set comprising cars built for the Canadian Pacific, and the other consists comprise Renaissance cars, which have only bedrooms in the sleepers (six deluxe double bedrooms which have showers in the room, and four bedrooms). Next spring, we plan going on east after arriving in Toronto on the Canadian, and we have a drawing room. Coming back to Montreal, we will have a Renaissance bedroom. We prefer the equipment built by Budd. The food in the Renaissance diner is good, but you do pay by the meal whether you are riding sleeper or comfort class.
From what we saw of the Chaleur last year, it uses the old Canadian cars, complete with a Park car.
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