I am a 24 year old woman, and I am planning a trip starting in Vancouver and ending in Montreal, with many stops along the way. I would be traveling on the Via rail. I have traveled many places before, but this would be my first time solo. Does anyone have any tips for traveling in Canada on the Via Rail? Is going alone a bad idea!?!
Thanks

Curious as to why you are concerned it may be a bad idea. Sounds like a great idea to me to do Vancouver to Montreal on the train! When are you going & for how long?
Are you moving to Montreal?

Lucky you! You should have no problems travelling alone in Canada. It is relatively safe and as usual you should always keep your antenna up for unusual events that can happen anywhere you go. Where are you from? and how long do you have.

hey wow you must be on my wavelength-typed the same questions at the same time!

Irec: Great minds....

Hi, while I've not (yet) been to the Prairie Provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, I have been to almost all of the others, and I believe strongly that a 24/F traveling ALONE would do quite well in Canada by rail. When you get to Toronto, sure you'll have to exercise sensible caution. As for Calgary or Edmonton... I don't imagine any troubles... and Montreal is a great walking city too. Just go for it and don't think twice!

You'll be fine. If you're travelling on VIA Rail, you should be pretty safe. It's a good train company and they have top-notch services.

This is coming from a Canadian woman who's travelled throughout the country alone herself....

I've taken the train from Montreal to Vancouver. There was an 85-year-old British woman who was travelling alone who I had some lovely chats with in the Dome car. She explored the Forks Market in Winnipeg on her own and got off in Jasper. Nice woman, showed me a few knitting tricks. And she was one of a number of solo women travellers I met on that ride. Don't worry, book the ticket!

I find I meet so many people travelling by train. Since you sit at tables for four with other passengers in the dining car, it promotes conversation. Even as a lone traveller, I've not ever felt "lonely" on a train, as I've always found interesting people to talk to.

Advice: Consider a berth for at least the overnight stretches. Bring some good time-passers for the "slow scenery" or nonsocial moments (knitting, sudoku, a few good page-turning novels).

Go, enjoy... I hope you have as much fun as I did. Oh yeah, did I mention, there's a ton of gorgeous scenery? (even in the Prairies!).

take a few books on the train ... Canada is a biiiig place. ( safe!)

no worries...i've done many, many trips alone in canada with no problems. i am female and was travelling alone too.

When I read the subject of your post I immediately thought that you would be driving, and there might be some safety implications there. But on the train? No worries!

Wow, thanks for all the responses! I was concerned that it was a bad idea because my family is not too thrilled with me traveling alone, and they have been telling me that I'll get into all kinds of trouble. I actually live in Texas right now, but I have always enjoyed going to Canada and want to see much more of it. Thanks, everyone, for making me feel more confident!