Taking "The Canadian" RETURN???
 

Has anyone done this?
(Taking The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver, spending some time in B.C. and then returning on the Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto??? )
I am seriously considering this rather epic rail trip and want to know if anyone here has done it and what they thought of the experience. (We would get a sleeper both ways.)

Hi semiramis,

Yes, I did precisely this about 5 years ago... Toronto-Vancouver return on the Canadian. Approached with the right attitude, I think like for me, it could be really rather a magical trip: relaxing and very eye-opening. The food is quite good and the bar/dome car with the panoramic views is a great place to chill. There are some planned activities but do bring things like crosswords, knitting, novels, etc... to fill the quiet moments. During the day, however, my eyes often tended to be fixated on the landscapes around me. Be open to talking with your fellow passengers; many are international and some of the conversations were a highlight. Hopefully, like me, you will be able to SLEEP on the train.

The trip is not for everybody (type A, go-go-go people), but since you're interested in the ride, you probably don't fit this mold. Having contingency plans in the back of your mind in case the train is late will keep you sane. Summer is the time to do the trip, to get maximum Rockies viewing. Anyhow, just to give you an idea, I loved the experience so much that since then I've taken a train cross-continent 4 more times. Twice California Zephyr Chicago-San Francisco, once Empire Builder Chicago-Seattle and once more Canadian Vancouver-Toronto.

Below is my trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/community/cana...changed-me.cfm

best wishes, Daniel

I did this trip, too, and loved it! The portion of the ride through Ontario can be a little dull. It's really fascinating to see the difference in the landscape as you travel, though. A couple of good books or card games should get you through.

I did this trip with my husband and my parents. When we did the trip two years ago, (I assume it's still the same), you could make one overnight (well, because of the train schedule, it's usually a 2-3 night) stop in each direction. On our way to Vancouver, we got off the train in Edmonton and spent a couple of nights there before catching the next train to Vancouver. We spent a couple of days in Vancouver and got the first train headed back East. The way we timed our trip, we were able to stop in Jasper for three nights. That gave us plenty of time to explore Jasper and to take a bus trip down to Banff along the Icefields Parkway (which was breathtaking). Then, it was back on the train to Toronto.

As Daniel correctly points out, a lot of it has to do with your attitude. There were those who were using the train as a mode of transportation to get from Toronto to points East. If all you want to do is get to Vancouver from Toronto, the train is not the way to go. IF, however, you view the train as an important part of your vacation - if you see the train itself as a destination with its own wonders and experiences, it really is a delight.

To echo something else that Daniel said, the food is also really good. We went in Early May to celebrate my Mother's and my husband's birthdays. My husband's favourite food is lamb. On my husband's birthday, one of the meal choices happened to be lamb. There we were, going through the Rockies on a beautiful evening eating the best lamb any of us had ever tasted (yes, it beat any 5-star restaurant). You just don't get that on a plane.

I've only done it one way and I was 18 so A LOT of water has passed under the bridge since then but I'm surprised vict4ia that you found Ontario dull - I still remember the Prairies as the most boring part.

Morningglory, because of the train schedules and delays we ended up going through the Praries mostly at night. I acutally found the Praries to be quite an interesting contrast to the scenery I was used to seeing having spent most of my life in the Atlantic provinces.

Maybe some of it depends on what you're used to and when you go. When we went through Ontario it was in early May, most of the trees had yet to bloom. Maybe dull isn't the correct word. It's just that, with the exception of a scattered pond or lake, the scenery for that part of the trip is pretty much all the same for a couple of days. I think it probably seemed most "dull" on the return trip, having just come from the Rockies.

There's a comedic Canadian band, The Arrogant Worms. They sing a funny song about Canada. The chorus of the song is something like, "We've got rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and water!" There was a point, going through Ontario, when my husband and I looked at each other and, out of the blue, started singing that song at the same time. :-)

Thx so much for the replies (especially Dan for report!). I am honestly more concerned about my husband than me (I did the trip ONE way MANY years ago and loved it - so I don't think Return is a stretch for me).
I am going to ask my husband if he thinks that he would like to "break" the trip somewhere (like Jasper) on one of the legs.

Hi vict4ria - thanks for response.

I have just come east to west on the Canadian and I can give it a five star recomendation, but as those before have maybe pointed out, it is a slowwwwwwww, romantic trip across the country that everyone should experience once in their lifetime. I left Kingston with 5 books to read before Vancouver, and I am sorry to say I did not crack one of them...just enjoyed the scenery, my fellow travellers, etc.
The other problem is that the food on the train is AMAZING!! and you never have a chance to get hungry before the next meal!!!!
p.s. Silver/Blue Sleeper Class is the ONLY way to go!!!!

Enjoy!!

Everyone has been so great with info - I am booking for next spring today and I promise a complete trip report when I go.

Booked - Sleeper touring class for next May. We will travel from Toronto to Vancouver. Stay in Vancouver for a few days. Then likely visit relatives in the Sechelt for a couple of days. Then back on the train - overnight to Jasper. Spend two nights in Jasper. Then back on the train to Toronto.
We are both excited. My husband plans to "walk the train" frequently and get off and look around at all stops where that is possible. We will load up the e-reader with books. We are both excited.

Semiramis

I'm so pleased; I hope you'll find it an experience of a lifetime. I'm always "walking the train"; I recommend long-sleeve shirt so one's arms don't get chafed when one hits the sides of the corridor ;) (trains are a little jerky). Not many places where he'll have significant enough of a platform size/stop length to "get off" and stroll a bit; Capreole, Sioux Lookout, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Jasper are all I recollect, with only Sioux Lookout, Winnipeg and Jasper located in the heart of town.

Enjoy! Dan

Hope you enjoy your trip! I've done it many times, and it never gets old - looking forward to your trip report :-)

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