trans canada by rail
 

Looking for a company offering a trans canada by rail tour. Doesn't matter e/w or w/e. Have you used a company you can recommend?

jwgibbs75

Only VIA Rail, Canada's passenger rail service, does this I believe (Toronto-Vancouver). I took this train last July. If you opt for sleeping quarters, you will have access to a games room, a dome car with panoramic views (which is higher than the ground level of the train) and an elegant dining car serving superb Canadian wines (champagne entering the Rockies), meats, produce...

Although considered a passenger train service per se, the conductors do come up into the dome car to tell passengers about points of interest as we pass by them, whether they are towns or gorgeous lakes/mountain views/ waterfalls. This makes the trip feel a bit "tour-like".

A trip I will treasure always. Highly recommended.

DAN

PS You can continue onto Montreal in a different train by VIA (you're pampered if you take first class, although it's not what I'd call a tour). A 3rd train if you wish will bring you from Montreal all the way to Halifax, Nova Scotia or Gaspésie. This 3rd train will offer you similar quality dining (with an emphasis on Atlantic Canada specialties), with conductors similarly chatting up passengers, pointing out attractive sites like la Baie des Chaleurs... an enjoyable 20-hr. journey.

To add to what Daniel has said, here is the trip report he submitted after he'd taken the train from Montreal to Vancouver:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34654108

If you follow his name, you also will find his excellent posts about Vancouver.

Another company you might consider is Moose Travel Network. I have never tralleved with them myself. However, I've seen favourable reports about them. They offer bus trips in Ontario and Quebec as well as other bus trips in British Columbia and Alberta.

I think I've seen on their website that you can arrange with them to ride the VIA Rail train fom Toronto across the prairies to the Rockies. Then I think you can pick up their buses and travel through the Rockies with them. I'm not quite sure how that works. However, I suspect it would give you more flexibility.

While it sounds as if Daniel had the most amazing trip, he did miss some Rocky Mountain highlights that Moose Travel Network (or a rented car) would be able to show you (the Icefields Parkway from Jasper to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Emerald Lake, to mention only a few).

There is a great company called www.FreshTracks.ca and they can help organise a complete trip from either direction, plus they can organise the VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer (that travel through the rockies). I definately think that there site is worth a look...

ttt for friends looking for CA rail info