The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver

I’ve wanted to take the train across Canada for a long time. I’ve met Canadians on my travels over the years who have suggested it’s a bit dull especially in the middle, but more recently I’ve met Canadians who have been enthused about my trip.

There are various different types of sleeping arrangements at various different costs on the train. I booked a cabin for 1, which are in high demand, and as I was travelling during August, I’d actually booked this trip a year ago as soon as the tickets for the departure date had been released. So it had been a long time coming.

I arrived at Toronto’s Union Station at about 8.30am on a Sunday morning, ready for a 9.55am departure. After checking in my main luggage (only carry-on size can be with you on the train, big bags have to be checked in), it was off to the business lounge to be checked in for the train and to select my meal sittings for the day – early/mid/late, with each sitting lasting around an hour and a quarter. I opted for mid which is the most popular with lunch served around 12.30pm and dinner at around 6.45pm.

Boarding started about 30 minutes before departure and after being shown to my cosy cabinette, the attendant for the carriage came round to explain various things in the cabin and on the train including how sensitive the toilets were (and this was reiterated several times a day!!). After a short safety briefing I was free to roam around the train.

First up, I went to the dome viewing car to watch us depart out of Toronto for the approx. 2700 mile / 4400 km journey to Vancouver. This was accompanied by a complementary glass of fizz – cheers!

After settling into the journey it was time for lunch. Every day it was a 3 course affair with soup of the day, a different choice of 4 mains every day and a choice of 2 desserts. Soft drinks, tea and coffee was included in the price I paid, alcohol was extra. The food was great and you certainly don’t go hungry!

In the afternoon I headed back to my cabin, which had a big (and crucially clean) picture window so spent the afternoon watching the Ontario scenery go by. After we got out of the city, it was mostly forests either side of the train, as well as lakes, as we headed north around Lake Huron.

We had a ‘fresh air’ break in the evening for around 20 minutes in Capreol. A good opportunity to stretch the legs too as there’s only so many times I can walk from my cabin to the activity car for a cup of tea!

Dinner was another 3 course affair with choice of soup or salad to start, choice of 4 mains (which changed every day) and choice of 2 desserts. The quality of the food and the way the meal services were organised was very impressive.

I was rocked to sleep that evening by the movement of the train. I’ve previously not slept at all well on various trains in Australia and South East Asia but I did get a much better sleep here, thankfully, as I have 4 nights to sleep through!

The next morning we woke to a continuation of the trees, tall pines and firs, and then passing beautiful blue lakes.

Breakfast is on a first-come-first-served basis between 6.30am-8.30am with a choice of breakfast options plus juice, tea and coffee. Mornings aren’t my forte so I opted for a post-8am breakfast, which coincided with a quieter dining car. After that it was back to the daily life on board. Activities are put on through the day including talks about the train and the provinces we pass through, bingo, quizzes and beer and wine tasting. There are also jigsaws and other games in the activity car to keep us entertained. I’d downloaded some books and movies and also brought a puzzle book with me to keep me entertained when I wasn’t looking out of the window.

I don’t think I’d ever appreciated how big Ontario is. We were still in Ontario in early evening on the second day! By 8.30pm we had arrived into Winnipeg, Manitoba for a slightly longer leg stretch – 45 minutes. This was enough time for a very quick walk around The Forks park and market, and also to admire the beautiful domed ceiling of the railway station.

Back on board and off to sleep. Manitoba passed by overnight and in the morning I awoke to the open farmland in Saskatchewan. Lots of neat bales of hay dotted across the fields. I was a bit surprised by the landscape here, not as flat as I’d imagined the prairies to be. Rolling hills and very green.

Another fresh air break at Saskatoon in the early afternoon. And then more puzzles, reading and scenery for the rest of the day. We arrived into Edmonton at around 10pm for a longer break but given the time of night, and that the station was not close to the centre of Edmonton, I just had a walk up and down the platform to stretch my legs.

The next morning I awoke early to find we’d already arrived in Jasper. This was another long stop so I was up and dressed before 8am for a wander around the small town. Not much open at this time in the morning, and it was a little cloudy so I didn’t get the best view of the surroundings. It very much reminded me a small towns in national parks in the US. A very particular style of buildings. Back on the train by 9.30am and off for what everyone says is the most scenic part of this journey, through the Rockies.

I’ve been fortunate to see some very impressive mountain scenery over the years, in New Zealand, the US and Norway to name a few. I was a bit worried that I’d find the Rockies underwhelming. But I’m happy to say I was completely wrong. The weather had also perked up after the cloud in Jasper and we followed rivers, and beautiful, perfectly vertical (cedar?) trees through the valleys and mountains. My phone is absolutely full of photos and videos. I was trying to appreciate it with my own eyes but every time I thought I’d taken enough videos, another beautiful view presented itself.

This evening’s fresh air stop at Kamloops coincided with dinner so I only had 5 minutes for a leg stretch. But the rest of the evening was great fun as I enjoyed the scenery in the Prestige car bar at the very rear of the train (usually reversed for those who’ve paid the most money, non-Prestige sleeper passengers – like me – are allowed in after 5pm) with a number of my fellow travellers. It’s such a social experience, even if you are on your own. You get seated with others at mealtimes and everyone is happy to strike up a conversation, hear about travel plans and admire the scenery.

We arrived into Vancouver at 5.20am the next morning though thankfully we did not have to be off the train until 8am. At various points on the journey we were 2-3 hours behind schedule as freight trains have priority on the tracks, but we arrived over an hour early into Vancouver.

I was quite sad to say goodbye to my little cabin and the daily life on the train. It was a really fabulous journey, watching the scenery change from the forests and lakes in Ontario, through the Prairies of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and finally to the Rockies in British Columbia. An experience I will never forget.