We are considering taking this trip leaving Vancouver Apr. 5, 2016. Has anyone taken this trip recently? Any tips...do's or don'ts?
Thanks anyone for your recommendations.
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In case you have not already done so - have you looked at the many reviews posted to the popular travel review web site www.tripadvisor.ca (just search on "VIA Rail Canada")? A good proportion of those reviews are for VIA's Vancouver-Toronto segment and provide great insight into other people's experiences, which are generally very positive. I have not done that trip myself, but everyone I have spoken to who did thought the trip was amazing.
Just ignore the reviews people have posted on that site for VIA's commuter runs in the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal triangle - as expected, people mostly post about those runs to complain (but often for good reason).
Just a few things I would say to be aware of. VIA Rail schedules are at the mercy of CN freight trains and as such get bumped quite a bit. An on-time schedule is a hard thing to find. Best bet is to browse tripadvisor's site for VIA "The Canadian"
Sometimes the Rockies sections are run at night. VIA runs on CN lines as CN used to be a government railroad corporation, like VIA. CP has no passenger service.
Going East after the prairies means taking the Canadian National line through northern Ontario, not the more scenic Canadian Pacific route around the Lake Superior north shore. Be prepared for endless swamps, lakes, rocks and trees, after the endless prairies.
Train nuts will be fine
