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Not sure if this is the right forum but I'll ask the question anyway.

 

I'm looking at booking independently the train from the east coast to Vancouver but the Via Rail packages (which look fab) are all Vancouver to Toronto. Do they not run the other way?

 

It seems to me that I'm asking a silly question but is there a reason they don't show packages going east to west?

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Yes indeed. The Canadian runs both ways between Toronto and Vancouver.

 

https://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/trains/rockies-and-pacific/toronto-vancouver-canadian

 

You should realize however that Toronto is far from the east coast. To get from the east coast you need to take the overnight Ocean from Halifax to Montreal and then a train to Toronto.

 

 

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Dunno why the packages involving the whole Canadian route are Vancouver-starting only; probably just down to them choosing to market only a relative handful of routes on the 'home page' and it just so happens right now that only includes one Vancouver-Toronto Canadian trip (almost all the ones I see, even having selected the 'long trip' options, are 7 days or less).

 

NB: that everything included with VIA packages can be booked by you independently, and a lot of the included things (like HOHOs) don't even get you a saving booked in advance compared to doing them ad hoc. A trip this long, the odds of it being on time the whole way are slim - though with so many big stretches to play catch-up, I can't recall the train failing to arrive the same day it was meant to though there have been delays long enough that the train back was also delayed as they needed more time to prep than they had available.

 

I'd definitely price up all the inclusions of the packages, verify hotel rates and included sightseeing prices, and see what sort of padding is being added - if it's not much more than booking it all yourself then you may find comfort in buying a package so that if the train is delayed you don't lose a separately-booked excursion for example - but the packages with overnight hotels are in cities that have tons of things to do, so the odds of what they include being the same things you'd pick as the best things to prioritize, and the length of time spent in each city, are not likely to line up well.

 

As to routing, Lavendereye is correct that there is no single coast-to-coast train trip, but getting to Halifax from the UK involves flying to Toronto (or less frequently to Montreal) then flying backward. Plus the actual eastern-most part of Canada is train-free as Newfoundland has had no railway service since 1988, so you can no longer use rail to truly cross the whole country.

 

The other thing to consider with VIA is that ever since the daytime routes through the Rockies were sold off to private concerns, you will be asleep during the most spectacular mountain scenery. There's a reason that the Rocky Mountaineer charges several multiples of the VIA rates for their services, and it's not down to the food being THAT much better - it's because they can get away with charging obscene amounts as there is no competition! So if you are really keen, you need to budget for taking the Canadian only as far as the Rockies - if you get off in Jasper you can connect directly onto RM services to Vancouver, but frankly I find the value incredibly poor compared to doing it by car or bus where you can actually stop and take pics rather than shooting from a moving train through glass.

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D

NB: that everything included with VIA packages can be booked by you independently, and a lot of the included things (like HOHOs) don't even get you a saving booked in advance compared to doing them ad hoc. A trip this long, the odds of it being on time the whole way are slim - though with so many big stretches to play catch-up, I can't recall the train failing to arrive the same day it was meant to though there have been delays long enough that the train back was also delayed as they needed more time to prep than they had available.

 

I'd definitely price up all the inclusions of the packages, verify hotel rates and included sightseeing prices, and see what sort of padding is being added - if it's not much more than booking it all yourself then you may find comfort in buying a package so that if the train is delayed you don't lose a separately-booked excursion for example - but the packages with overnight hotels are in cities that have tons of things to do, so the odds of what they include being the same things you'd pick as the best things to prioritize, and the length of time spent in each city, are not likely to line up well.

 

As to routing, Lavendereye is correct that there is no single coast-to-coast train trip, but getting to Halifax from the UK involves flying to Toronto (or less frequently to Montreal) then flying backward. Plus the actual eastern-most part of Canada is train-free as Newfoundland has had no railway service since 1988, so you can no longer use rail to truly cross the whole country.

 

The other thing to consider with VIA is that ever since the daytime routes through the Rockies were sold off to private concerns, you will be asleep during the most spectacular mountain scenery. There's a reason that the Rocky Mountaineer charges several multiples of the VIA rates for their services, and it's not down to the food being THAT much better - it's because they can get away with charging obscene amounts as there is no competition! So if you are really keen, you need to budget for taking the Canadian only as far as the Rockies - if you get off in Jasper you can connect directly onto RM services to Vancouver, but frankly I find the value incredibly poor compared to doing it by car or bus where you can actually stop and take pics rather than shooting from a moving train through glass.

 

I have done the Canadian a few times last time was about 4 years ago. It is true they have tightened up the scheduled to get to be just under 4 days. I use to sit in Winnipeg for most of the day, now that is a two hour stop. Jasper is now a 3 1/2 hour stop.

 

I would not be worried about arriving late. It can always happen, but there is lots of slack in scheduled. Last time I was on it, we were three hours late leaving Jasper and overnight made up time to arrive into Vancouver exactly when planned.

 

As for seeking the Rockies Jasper is part of the way into the Rockies. You would arrive in Jaspser at around 4:00 pm and depart at 7:30 pm. If you are traveling in Summer there lots of light until at least 9:00 pm. By the point you would be will past the main peaks.

 

The Fraser canyon is the one place you pass through at night.

 

You could also join the train part of the way. If I was doing it I would join the train in Saskatoon. Key reason is you join the train around 10:30 pm, spend the night get use to the surrounding before you enter the Rockies the following day. Saskatoon gets a bad wrap, but it is actually a nice city to visit.

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Dunno why the packages involving the whole Canadian route are Vancouver-starting only; probably just down to them choosing to market only a relative handful of routes on the 'home page' and it just so happens right now that only includes one Vancouver-Toronto Canadian trip (almost all the ones I see, even having selected the 'long trip' options, are 7 days or less).

 

NB: that everything included with VIA packages can be booked by you independently, and a lot of the included things (like HOHOs) don't even get you a saving booked in advance compared to doing them ad hoc. A trip this long, the odds of it being on time the whole way are slim - though with so many big stretches to play catch-up, I can't recall the train failing to arrive the same day it was meant to though there have been delays long enough that the train back was also delayed as they needed more time to prep than they had available.

 

I'd definitely price up all the inclusions of the packages, verify hotel rates and included sightseeing prices, and see what sort of padding is being added - if it's not much more than booking it all yourself then you may find comfort in buying a package so that if the train is delayed you don't lose a separately-booked excursion for example - but the packages with overnight hotels are in cities that have tons of things to do, so the odds of what they include being the same things you'd pick as the best things to prioritize, and the length of time spent in each city, are not likely to line up well.

 

As to routing, Lavendereye is correct that there is no single coast-to-coast train trip, but getting to Halifax from the UK involves flying to Toronto (or less frequently to Montreal) then flying backward. Plus the actual eastern-most part of Canada is train-free as Newfoundland has had no railway service since 1988, so you can no longer use rail to truly cross the whole country.

 

The other thing to consider with VIA is that ever since the daytime routes through the Rockies were sold off to private concerns, you will be asleep during the most spectacular mountain scenery. There's a reason that the Rocky Mountaineer charges several multiples of the VIA rates for their services, and it's not down to the food being THAT much better - it's because they can get away with charging obscene amounts as there is no competition! So if you are really keen, you need to budget for taking the Canadian only as far as the Rockies - if you get off in Jasper you can connect directly onto RM services to Vancouver, but frankly I find the value incredibly poor compared to doing it by car or bus where you can actually stop and take pics rather than shooting from a moving train through glass.

 

 

 

It’s not correct that you must stop in Toronto or Montreal en route from London to Halifax. In the summer (roughly beginning of May to the end of October) both Air Canada and Westjet offer direct non-stop flights, AC from Heathrow and WJ from Gatwick.

 

 

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Thanks for such comprehensive replies. Lots to think about.

 

As an aside, would it be possible to drive the whole way? Or what about flying into somewhere like Calgary and driving onto Vancouver? This would give us much more flexibility and options.

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Of course it’s possible to drive the whole way from Toronto to Vancouver but I wouldn’t recommend it—it’s far too long and much of the route is monotonous.

 

Your idea of flying to Calgary and driving to Vancouver is a good one. I would not be in a rush and try to take several days to do it. The Trans-Canada Highway takes you through some of the most beautiful of the mountain National Parks—Banff, Yoho, Glacier and Revelstoke. You could follow the Trans-Canada all the way to Vancouver through the Fraser Canyon but my recommendation would be to go via the Okanagan Valley with its lakes, vineyards and orchards. If you have the time, I would stop in Lake Louise and take a trip to Jasper on the spectacular Icefields Parkway, overnight in Jasper, and then return to Lake Louise, continuing from there to Vancouver.

 

 

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Babs - yes, you can drive (and the road and rail tend to go along the same valleys much of the time as these are the lowest parts of the mountains so the least work to build either railway or road in) but as mentioned, it's LOOOONNNG. Even most Canadians skip the middle of the country, unless they have some weird fetish for endless flat vistas of farmland. I'd agree that flying to Calgary from Toronto is by far the most sensible way to prioritize your vacation days unless you are not at all concerned about time (in which case by all means take a huge road trip right across, and do lots of stops in the smalltown Canada en route - as well as Winnipeg and Saskatoon don't miss Sudbury, which has a tremendous mining museum, and Sault Ste-Marie where you can take a train ride on the Agawa Canyon scenic railroad).

 

Just note that even the Canadians who do drive the whole way mostly travel via the US instead - it's only a couple of miles shorter but about 10% faster, with more alternate highway options if anything goes wrong on the road...

 

A car is, to me, the best way to do it - not just because of the whole 'do your own pace, stop as you like wherever it is safe' through the mountains, but also because a little east of Calgary you find the Badlands. Unless you hate all classic Western movies AND also dinosaurs, this is a must-do day trip - the Royal Tyrell museum is the world's finest fossil exhibiting place and you can literally walk around the grounds and still find fossils even today. Plus, everywhere looks like John Wayne is about to ride his horse over the horizon.

 

There's also the chance to take the less-traveled 3, staying closer to the border and doing a lot of winding around mountains, if you drive between Alberta and BC - the GPS/Google Map recommended route would almost always be the relatively boring Coquihalla highway these days, but you can stick to the 1 and follow the train route through the Rockies much more consistently.

 

Folks do also rent RVs (camper vans) and do a one-way drive, but unless you're confident behind the wheel I'd be inclined to stick to a car and hotels rather than a longer, wider, taller vehicle combined with wrong-side-of-the-road driving through the mountains! If you've driven around the Lake District, Highlands, Snowdonia etc. back home though you will find the roads here very wide in comparison - and you'll never have to worry about single-track roads unless you go seriously off the much-less-beaten path after leaving the beaten path;-) Unless you rent a sportscar you'll also never see a manual gearbox in a rental car - almost nobody buys them over here at all, it's a real challenge these days to even find a decently-equipped car for sale brand new with a stick. I think this is why US & Canadian tourists are so annoying when driving in the UK, most of them never learn how to change gears;-)

 

I have done the Canadian a few times last time was about 4 years ago. It is true they have tightened up the scheduled to get to be just under 4 days. I use to sit in Winnipeg for most of the day, now that is a two hour stop. Jasper is now a 3 1/2 hour stop.

 

I would not be worried about arriving late. It can always happen, but there is lots of slack in scheduled. Last time I was on it, we were three hours late leaving Jasper and overnight made up time to arrive into Vancouver exactly when planned.

 

As for seeking the Rockies Jasper is part of the way into the Rockies. You would arrive in Jaspser at around 4:00 pm and depart at 7:30 pm. If you are traveling in Summer there lots of light until at least 9:00 pm. By the point you would be will past the main peaks.

 

The Fraser canyon is the one place you pass through at night.

 

You could also join the train part of the way. If I was doing it I would join the train in Saskatoon. Key reason is you join the train around 10:30 pm, spend the night get use to the surrounding before you enter the Rockies the following day. Saskatoon gets a bad wrap, but it is actually a nice city to visit.

 

Thanks for updating me on the changed schedule - last time I looked at it was well under a year ago and the timings were quite different. Since I was checking, I also found out that the Eastbound sched has been crippled even as the Westbound has improved - now it's a leave at noon instead of 8:30pm. This means that whereas last year you could wake up as the train left Kamloops, and see the most spectacular canyons on the way up to Valemount and get almost all the way through the rockies in daylight - now it's daylight for the most boring parts of BC and travel at night through all the best bits!

 

It’s not correct that you must stop in Toronto or Montreal en route from London to Halifax. In the summer (roughly beginning of May to the end of October) both Air Canada and Westjet offer direct non-stop flights, AC from Heathrow and WJ from Gatwick.

I stand corrected! Apparently there's even a seasonal WJ flight to Glasgow, which would have been great back when we lived into Toronto and family wanted to visit Nova Scotia as well as us, and AC also do LHR-YHZ in winter on a limited frequency. Big learning day for me!

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Babs, the drive across is a great once in a lifetime sort of trip but be sure you are ready for the distance. Toronto to Calgary (the most boring part) is the same as the driving distance between London England and Moscow, approx. 1800 miles\2900 km. Then you have another 600 miles to Vancouver. Between Winnipeg and Calgary there is nothing; no trees, no hills, no structures, just grass and very occasionally some cows (OK, yes I am exaggerating a little, but it will seem that way).

 

On one of my trips I did it east bound on the Trans Canada hwy in a beat up manual transmission pickup truck that wouldn't stay in top gear unless I held the shifter the whole time. It was a long tiring trip :).

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Babs, the drive across is a great once in a lifetime sort of trip but be sure you are ready for the distance. Toronto to Calgary (the most boring part) is the same as the driving distance between London England and Moscow, approx. 1800 miles\2900 km. Then you have another 600 miles to Vancouver. Between Winnipeg and Calgary there is nothing; no trees, no hills, no structures, just grass and very occasionally some cows (OK, yes I am exaggerating a little, but it will seem that way).

 

On one of my trips I did it east bound on the Trans Canada hwy in a beat up manual transmission pickup truck that wouldn't stay in top gear unless I held the shifter the whole time. It was a long tiring trip :).

 

As someone who had lived in the nothingness between Winnipeg and Calgary I would object. There is lots to do. Saskatoon and Regina are interesting cities. If you are into the prehistoric period, then Drumheller is worth a visit. Saskatoon has an impressive Picasso exhibit.

 

I would say the biggest nothingness is between Toronto and Winnipeg. Just endless wilderness......

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Babs, the drive across is a great once in a lifetime sort of trip but be sure you are ready for the distance. Toronto to Calgary (the most boring part) is the same as the driving distance between London England and Moscow, approx. 1800 miles\2900 km. Then you have another 600 miles to Vancouver. Between Winnipeg and Calgary there is nothing; no trees, no hills, no structures, just grass and very occasionally some cows (OK, yes I am exaggerating a little, but it will seem that way).

 

On one of my trips I did it east bound on the Trans Canada hwy in a beat up manual transmission pickup truck that wouldn't stay in top gear unless I held the shifter the whole time. It was a long tiring trip :).

 

We've driven great distances in Australia so that would not be a problem. What I think would be the best is for us is to start off in Calgary simply from a time point of view.

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As an aside, would it be possible to drive the whole way? Or what about flying into somewhere like Calgary and driving onto Vancouver?.

 

Toronto-Vancouver one way car rental will cost a lot. The car will have to be returned and someone (you) will pay for it. Calgary-Vancouver can be cheaper if booked/arranged right (not through the CRC).

 

If you plan to cruise early season (May), you can get a RV rental from Toronto or Montréal to Vancouver for a relatively low price. We did it last year but cost when up quite a bit this year as did a requirement for an earlier return (mid May instead of end of May so most of the arks won't be open for camping when you drive through).

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