Discussion of Canadian Passenger Rail Services such as AMT (Montreal), Go Transit (Toronto), VIA Rail, and other Canadian Railways and Transit

Moderator: Ken V

  by NeoArashi
 
Hi. I would like to ask anyone if a trip from Hallifax to Vancouver by train would be worth it? I've loved train since I was 3 years old (I'll be 21 in 8 days)And my dream has always been to do that trip. I've went from Charny to Moncton 2 months ago, and I really loved it, even tho I was only in the comfort benches. (Actually, I would still take the comfort benches, even if it's going to take a long time to do that trip)

Anyways, do you think that if I ever get enough money to go from Quebec, to go to Hallifax then go to Vancouver and come back all the way to quebec city, would I waste my money? I'm especially asking people who have gone trough the Canadian.
  by NS VIA FAN
 
NeoArashi wrote:Hi. I would like to ask anyone if a trip from Hallifax to Vancouver by train would be worth it? I've loved train since I was 3 years old (I'll be 21 in 8 days)And my dream has always been to do that trip.......
Go for it……it will be a great trip. I did coast to coast in coach back in the ’70 and really enjoyed it. If you’re young, sitting up in coach for a couple of nights is no problem but I would still break the journey at mid-point for at least one night in a real bed.

I’ve done coach between Halifax and Montreal recently but it’s usually in sleeper now and also sleeper to Vancouver in "Silver & Blue Class" several times.......That can get a bit expensive but what a trip! So many people to meet and so much of Canada to see from the train. Today being July 1st and Canada Day, what better time to reflect on this!
  by jbvb
 
I've ridden the Canadian Vancouver - Toronto and the Ocean (and Atlantic Ltd., which shows how long ago that trip was) Montreal - Halifax. You'll see a lot of Canada. The spectacular scenery is from Edmonton to Vancouver; the rest of the way to Toronto has a few nice views and a lot of prairie (west of Winnipeg) and rock/bog/evergreens (east of Winnipeg). The food was quite good and the service pleasant. If any extra money is to hand, I would take at least a couple of breaks in interesting places (e.g. Toronto, if you've never visited). Use the web to find inexpensive hotels with access to public transit.

Oh, and I should say my "wanderjahr" trip was a two week Amtrak USARail Pass in fall 1976 (I was 20): Boston - Chicago (corridor/Broadway) - LA (SW Chief) - SFO (Coast Starlight & SP commuter from San Jose) - Seattle - Chicago (via Stampede Pass and the GN across Montana) - Springfield IL - Chicago - Charleston WV (Cardinal) - hitchiked to Cleveland - NYC (Lake Shore) - Philadelphia - Montreal (Montrealer) - NYC (Adirondack with Alco PA & dome) - Boston. 3 straight nights in coach on the way out did give me a cold, but I got over that during a couple of nights in a motel down at the end of the L Taraval trolley line in SFO. As you can see, I remember it vividly, but I've never again spent more than one night in coach.
  by jwhite07
 
I got over that during a couple of nights in a motel down at the end of the L Taraval trolley line in SFO.
A bit off topic I know, but Robert's At The Beach, yes? I stayed there once...