Via Rail’s Canadian Train from Toronto to Vancouver
Slow Travel Journey across Canada
If you're looking for an immersive way to explore Canada, look no further than Via Rail’s 4-night, 5-day journey aboard The Canadian transcontinental train. Travelling across the country from Toronto to Vancouver, this legendary train route is one of the best ways to embrace slow travel while soaking in Canada’s diverse landscapes.Unlike rushing through airports or along busy
highways, Via Rail’s iconic train journey invites you to unwind and connect
with the country at a leisurely pace.
Whether you are a seasoned traveller looking for a unique means of travel
or someone seeking a slower way to explore, this journey invites you to unwind
in comfort and style while experiencing the country’s vast and stunning natural
beauty.
The Canadian is Via Rail’s transcontinental passenger train that regularly runs between Toronto’s Union Station and Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station. This iconic train service takes you on a more than 4400 km journey that crosses some of Canada’s most picturesque and diverse landscapes.
A Historic Rail Journey
The Canadian is Via Rail’s transcontinental passenger train that regularly runs between Toronto’s Union Station and Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station. This iconic train service takes you on a more than 4400 km journey that crosses some of Canada’s most picturesque and diverse landscapes.
From landscapes from the
metropolitan centre of Toronto, across the expansive boreal forest and lakes of
the Canadian Shield, through the nation’s vast prairies and over the Rocky
Mountains to the rugged pacific coast Via Rail’s iconic Canadian offers an
incredible opportunity to experience the nation from the comfort of your seat
while enjoying amazing dining experiences en route.
Years (in fact decades) before we walked across the nation documenting the world's longest recreational pathway on the Trans Canada Trail, the two of us regularly travelled between family in British Columbia and school and later work in Ontario. As the years passed, we would make this round trip, often 3 or 4 times a year for birthdays, anniversaries, summer vacations, and Christmas holidays. In the mid-1990s and early 2000s, there were often Escape Fares and inexpensive multiday passes known as Canrail Passes that passengers and students could buy that allowed them to voyage across Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific, or to journey from Toronto to Vancouver and back again.
Tradition of Travelling
Years (in fact decades) before we walked across the nation documenting the world's longest recreational pathway on the Trans Canada Trail, the two of us regularly travelled between family in British Columbia and school and later work in Ontario. As the years passed, we would make this round trip, often 3 or 4 times a year for birthdays, anniversaries, summer vacations, and Christmas holidays. In the mid-1990s and early 2000s, there were often Escape Fares and inexpensive multiday passes known as Canrail Passes that passengers and students could buy that allowed them to voyage across Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific, or to journey from Toronto to Vancouver and back again.
This might sound luxurious, but at
the time, it was both the most economical and the most enjoyable way to see the
country. Since these days and over the
course of many, many years, we have travelled on the Canadian to go home in BC and to explore the country over 30 times, as well as having ventured on Via Rail’s Ocean
from Montreal to Halifax and back 4 times.
Trip after trip, we began to feel a great love for these ironic metal trains and their slow but deliberate pace as we crossed the vast landscapes of Canada. Names of towns that we would come to visit, hike through and know on other journeys became familiar to us on these rail voyages: communities like Washago, Sioux Lookout, Portage la Prairie, Melville, Biggar, Wainwright, Hinton, Mount Robson, and Lytton became familiar places. In the process of being on board for days at a time over the years, we have developed a strong affection for train travel across Canada.
Changing Experiences, Same Iconic Journey
Not everything has stayed the same throughout the years, however. The voyage that was once scheduled for 3 nights and 4 days has been made longer. The blue and green interiors of the cars that we grew up in have been modernized. Finally, as university students with much younger and more forgiving bodies, we regularly travelled the Canadian in Economy Class sitting up for the 4 and 5-day voyage. More recently, however, we have switched to Silver and Blue Class, now also referred to as Sleeper Class, in order to enjoy a bit more comfort and get restful and a bit more relaxing sleep in a berth.
Through these experiences, I can say with absolute certainty that train travel has only grown more appealing with age. The ability to sit back and relax, sip a coffee or have a drink while the world drifts by, or chat with fellow travellers about the wonders of the Canadian experience has become a true pleasure that we still look forward to.
Slow Travel: A Truly Unforgettable Experience
Our most recent journey on Via Rail came at the end of a journey across the world. After hiking across Portugal on the Rota Vicentina and Camino Portuguese along the coastal and espiritual routes to Santiago de Compostela and later across England and Scotland on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, the Pennine Way, the West Highland Way, the Great Glen Way, and Hadrian’s Wall as well as sailing across the Atlantic Ocean on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 we journeyed on Via Rail as we made our way back home across Canada from Halifax Nova Scotia to Montreal Quebec on the Ocean and from Toronto Ontario to Vancouver British Columbia on the Canadian.
If you’ve ever dreamed of experiencing Canada’s vast and varied landscapes in a way that allows you to truly appreciate the journey, Via Rail’s Canadian is the perfect way to do it. It’s not just a train ride, it’s a slow travel adventure that takes you through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The train ride gives you the opportunity to relax and enjoy the journey rather than being focused on the destination. En route, you travel in comfort, enjoy delicious meals and give way to the rhythm of the train.
So if you are planning a trip across Canada, consider slowing things down, seeing the world from a new perspective and take a ride on the Canadian, one of the world’s most iconic and unforgettable train journeys. You’ll be amazed by how much more of Canada you’ll see when you embrace travelling at a slower pace.
See you on the trails or the rails!
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