Normally, my annual vacation would involve a trip to the United States. But I am not happy about what Mr. Trump represents, nor do I want to get into a conversation with the guy on the next barstool at a sports bar involving, “So whaddaya think about Canada being the 51st state?”
I looked for options at home, and hit upon one that’s on my bucket list: a cross-Canada rail adventure. Travelling the Canadian train between Toronto and Vancouver. I’m in southern Alberta, so would need to get to Calgary, from where I could get flights to and from each. Probably hotels at either end, depending on air and rail schedules.
I’ve been in touch with a travel agent, who has quoted me a very nice price for the rail journey. (And she quoted me another one that is laughable.) Hotels and airfares still have to be discussed.
I’m on the fence. Crossing Canada on a train is a bucket list item for me, really. I did Toronto-Calgary and Calgary-Toronto back in the 1960s with my parents, on Canadian Pacific, and Toronto-Edmonton on Via in 2003. (And I’ve done Toronto-Montreal-Halifax by rail.) But I’ve never done the whole hop from Toronto to Vancouver.
I guess such a trip would be an homage to my father, who was a railroader (CN passenger service, early 1950s, Chicago to Montreal and back again), and who encouraged me to take the train wherever I could. Well, I have no particular need to get to Toronto or Vancouver, but I know each city well (hell, Toronto is my hometown); what matters to me is the train journey, like Dad always wanted to do.
My parents were wary of plane travel and always took the train back in the days when this was a very feasible alternative. I have fond memories of long-distance train travel as a kid, on what was then CN (Canadian National) before the passenger service was renamed Via. We always had a “roomette”, which was a cozy little compartment with a large fold-down bed and a great view out the panoramic window.
There’s one potential downside to keep in mind, though. The first day is mostly fun and interesting, and the ride through the Rockies should be especially spectacular, but a four-day train trip really does get boring after awhile, even to a little kid.
That’s on my bucket list! I’m also fascinated by the possibility of a side trip up to Churchill, MB (it’s the only ground link to that part of the province).
Heh. I actually rode in a CN parlour car, when our family went to Expo '67 in Montreal. Because of his train days, Dad knew somebody, so we got Parlour Car seats at cattle class prices.
I know roomettes, though Via now calls them, “cabins for one.” I was in one from Montreal to Halifax, and from Toronto to Edmonton. Very comfortable, very convenient. Everything you could want in a tiny bit of space–even a toilet and sink. Anyway, that’s what I’d be looking at on this trip. Not a Pullman section, nor a cabin for two.
Aside: When our family travelled between Toronto and Calgary in the 1960s, we had what Canadian Pacific called the “drawing room.” Or today, “bedroom for three.” At any rate, we got that because Dad called home some more favours.
Jeez, I wish my Dad was still alive. I might be able to get a double bedroom at the coach rate. He always knew a guy who knew a guy who could make it happen, when it came to trains. But Dad is no longer here, sadly.
You might enjoy the film Rocky Mountain Express if you can find it. It’s a spectacular IMAX production that documents a restored steam engine pulling a train through the Rockies and, IIRC, across Canada, interspersed with archival materials documenting the building of the railway. The IMAX imagery is breathtaking. I gave my son a 4K Blu-ray of it to go with his new TV.
Bucket list item. One good enough to be on millions of other people’s bucket lists too. Reasonable price. You’re not getting younger. Now’s the right time of year. Seems slam-dunk to me.
So I’ll ask the opposite question: what are the reasons you’re giving yourself to not do this?
Or is it my own personal kryptonite: simple sloth AKA Mañana syndrome?
Unrelated to the above …
You call Vancouver to Toronto “Trans-Canada” and “doing the whole hop”. IANA Canadian, but my map suggests there’s a heck of a lot of Canada east of Toronto. Not a lot of people maybe, but a lot of Canada. Just eyeballing it you could put all of Western Europe in there with a bit of room to spare.
I looked at the website and I’m still not clear on something - do you board the train at one end and get off on the other with no chances along the way to visit areas you pass thru? Or would you have to book multiple trips along the way, at. I’m guessing, a higher cost?
I’d love to do a long train trip, but being on the train the entire time doesn’t sound like much fun.
That’s why long distance Canadian train travel is not for me. (That, and the fact that it’s multiple times more expensive than a flight, last time I checked.)
But if you love being on a train, more power to ya!
There are long stretches of prairie in the middle where there is virtually nothing to see. There is another train from Vancouver to Banff where you travel during the day, but get off and stay in hotels at night so you see all the scenery go by when you are awake.
I agree that a train trip across Canada has always interested me. Over thirty years ago, I took a train trip from Saskatoon to Winnipeg, which was at least overnite. All the parts of the train are very interesting, like the sleeping cars, the restaurant car and the observatory car. On that trip there was heavy rain, and we were delayed many hours because of flooding of the tracks. I remember the clack clack clack of the tracks being very loud, and took me awhile to get used to. I understand that clacking is less pronounced than it used to be because of welding of the tracks.
The last time I took train travel was in Spain, and I loved their high speed rail system. Getting on to the trains was way easier than getting onto a plane, they were very comfortable and clean, and had a spedometer in the seating area that sometimes showed close to 300 kmh. Travel does not take days at that speed.
