Seven Considerations Before Booking The Canadian

December 2022

I recently boarded The Canadian to accomplish a travel goal – to ride the transcontinental scenic route between Toronto and Vancouver. Travel was to be simple: I board the correct train and chug along in the correct direction, leaving the rest to Canada. Before departure, I discovered there was more than just buying a ticket. 

Depart from East or West?

I chose this train for the scenery. Direction becomes important for timing passage through spectacular vistas during daylight. Canadian Rail posts a detailed itinerary as to expected time of arrival into each station. Keep in mind, trains in Canada are much like Amtrak in the U.S. – they wait on the freights and a perfect schedule should not be expected. One can arrive early or one can arrive a day late. 

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