I was able to check-off a bucket-list item as I went on a train trip for four nights from Vancouver to Toronto on VIA Rail's "The Canadian". We stayed in a cabin for two in the Sleeper Plus class. This is my more formal review of the experience as I talk about the cabin, food, staff, and amenities/entertainment. We went on this train in March, which is not VIA Rail’s peak season for travel. I am here to let you know if this experience is worth going on, or if this experience is too much money for the offering.
Check-in was a slow experience as the VIA Rail staff checked guests in one at a time. We were in the Sleeper Plus line, and any guests who paid for Prestige class (or any guests that needed special assistance) got to check in ahead of us. We were eventually able to get checked-in and select our dinner sitting. We were able to access a waiting area/lounge, but since this area was already full of guests, staff led us to the outdoor patio to sit. The weather was cold and windy in Vancouver but at least the patio had those big heat lamps so at least we could stay warm. In the lounge, you can get complementary coffee, tea, and water.
Rating: 4/10
Cabin (Cabin for 2)
There are three classes of travel on The Canadian: Economy, Sleeper Plus, and Prestige. Within the Sleeper Plus class, you can choose between the berths, the cabin for one, or the cabin for two. More info is on the VIA Rail website.
The cabin for two was certainly small, but functional. In the daytime configuration, you have two leather chairs that you can sit on, but I wish the chairs were a little bit wider and more comfortable. You also have your own toilet in an adjoining room. I know I am not the smallest guy, but the toilet was so small that if I needed to use the bathroom for an extended period, I would use the community bathrooms in the train car, which were much bigger.
The nighttime configuration for the cabin features two bunk-beds, and the mattresses were okay to sleep on, but nothing too comfortable. I had a hard time sleeping in the night because the train would rock violently at times, jostling myself awake. I thought the rocking of the train would help me sleep, but this is not true by any measure. Mind you, these train cars were built in the 1950s.
Other features in the cabin include:
- a sink where you can wash up, including a tap for drinkable water, as well as soap, earplugs, and body lotion
- storage on the upper area of the cabin where you can leave your carry-on luggage or personal items
- small storage pockets above your bed and on the side wall of the cabin
- a power outlet, but I wish there were power outlets for each bunk bed
- a small closet where you can put your jacket or larger clothing items
Rating: 5/10
Food
I will have a separate post featuring what I ate on The Canadian. Meals are included if you are a Sleeper Plus or Prestige passenger. If you are a Prestige class passenger, your alcoholic drinks are included, and you get to sit on more comfortable leather bench seats. If you are a Sleeper Plus passenger, alcohol is an extra charge.
Overall, the food was excellent. The dining car had this presentation of a fine dining establishment with high-quality linen and cutlery. The staff will serve you breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the dining car. All the meals I had (except for one meal) were delicious and served with the utmost care. The staff catered to all dietary restrictions. This was probably the highlight of the entire trip.
Throughout the day, there are also snacks, fruit, and drinks where you could help yourself in the lounge car, and in the bar at the back of the train.
Rating: 9/10
Amenities
In our Sleeper Plus car, there are two separate bathrooms (for the berth passengers, but any Sleeper Plus passenger can use them), which are spacious. There is also a community shower for each train car for passengers to use, which the cabin attendant cleaned after every use. The shower itself had good pressure, and I did not have much trouble using it.
There is a lounge car for the Sleeper Plus passengers with spacious seating if your cabin was getting too cramped. There is an upstairs section where you can sit that offers panoramic views of the outside of the train. Most of the passengers (including myself) would spend most of their time here taking in all the views.
The back of the train is the Park car, which both Sleeper Plus and Prestige class can access (on peak times, only the Prestige class can access the Park car during the day). There is a bar at the back of the train where you can get some drinks and snacks. Beyond the bar at the very back of the train is the Park car lounge with leather seating. I would hang out here after dinner with a cocktail while working on this blog. There is also an upstairs section with the panorama views and more leather seating. The first three rows of seating are reserved for the Prestige class passengers.
All in all, these were fine places to chill out if you did not want to stay in your cabin.
Rating: 7/10
Entertainment
In the lounge car, there are puzzles to build, board games to play, and books to read if you ever wanted to do something. There is also an activity coordinator in the lounge car that organizes activities throughout the day, including games, beer/wine tastings, and movie nights. The size of the train does hamper the activity offerings, I did not partake in too many activities on the train, but they were fine in terms of making the day go by quicker.
Rating: 5/10
Service
I was impressed with the VIA Rail staff, as they were attentive and were always there to help you with anything that you needed. There are cabin attendants in every Sleeper Plus car that can change the configuration of your cabin at your request. The cabin attendants are also cleaning the bathrooms and showers, and they would always be spotless whenever I would have to use them.
The dinner staff served their food like clockwork, and I was also impressed with how they can keep their balance holding multiple plates of food while the train would be shaking.
When sitting in the panorama seats, the attendants would come up and highlight any landmarks, towns, or point out any animals on the side of the train. They would also serve drinks or snacks while you are sitting and admiring the views.
Special shout out to the bar staff who would make my after-dinner cocktails.
Rating: 8/10
Other Notes
- There is no Wi-fi on the train, so it would be beneficial to bring your own entertainment; either download some movies/tv shows/podcasts or bring some cards to play. Alternatively, you can wait on the train until you pull into a town and get a little bit of fleeting cell service.
- When walking through the Sleeper Plus cars, there were times where I could smell someone going to the bathroom. With the number of toilets on each train car (both in the cabins and the community bathrooms), there was the occasional waft of someone relieving themselves on the toilet. As I mentioned, these train cars were built in the 1950s, so the train cars lack the modern ventilation that people would come to expect nowadays. I do not think the Prestige class cars have this same issue.
- There are times where the VIA Rail train would stop on the tracks to let other trains go by, and sometimes the VIA Rail car would stop for hours. VIA Rail does not own their own tracks and instead must rely on the tracks of the freight companies like CN and CP Rail to traverse the country.
Pricing
The price to go on VIA Rail’s The Canadian varies on when you take the trip (peak times vs. off-peak times), which class you select (Economy, Sleeper Plus, or Prestige), and which sleeping arrangements you select (if you pick Sleeper Plus).
You could travel between Toronto and Vancouver on Economy class for around $500 CAD but I do not recommend this for such a long trip, as you have no access to showers, and you must buy your own meals. Economy class makes more sense for shorter trips.
In the Sleeper Plus class, the first level of sleeping arrangements are the upper and lower berths, which are open leather bench during the day, and then convert to upper and lower beds with heavy privacy curtains in the night. The berths usually cost around $1200-$1700 CAD per person depending on the time you go.
Next, you have the cabin for one, which is basically a roomette for a single person. You have your own seat, and your own toilet and sink. These are more expensive than a berth, but slightly less than the cabin for two.
Then you have the cabin for two, which I already explained in the cabin section of this review. Prices for these go for around $2000-$3000 CAD per person. Some people appreciate the extra space for luggage and the privacy.
Finally, there are the prestige class rooms, which are even bigger than the cabin for two, and they even have their own shower. Prices for this go for around $6000 CAD, but I have seen Prestige class fares go for $10,000 CAD per person. I do not recommend this class unless money is not a thing for you. In my opinion, the extra amenities you get in Prestige class does not justify the price increase.
When I booked this trip to travel in early March, I booked a cabin for two for around $1100 CAD per person, which was a deep discount of almost 50%. VIA Rail always has promotions and discounts for their fares, so I would highly encourage those who want to travel on The Canadian to look out for those promotions and discounts.
Verdict
Before I give my final verdict, I just want to say that this was a unique trip for me, as this was such a different way to experience seeing a big country such as Canada. I know that seeing the different landscapes such as the Rocky Mountains and the Prairies are the big selling points of this train trip. With all that said, I cannot in good conscience recommend this trip if you are paying full price for your fare. If you are paying full price, there is not enough that is being offered on this trip that can fully justify paying full price for VIA Rail’s The Canadian. If you must pay full price, then I would say go for the berths.
As I already mentioned, VIA Rail regularly offers promotions and discounts on their fares, including on The Canadian, which makes the value proposition easier to swallow. I mentioned paying $1100 CAD per person on a cabin for two, but even then, I was still debating is this experience was worth it. I never felt truly comfortable on the train; from the violent shaking when I was trying to sleep to the lack of entertainment on the train. Many times, I would just stare out the window looking at the views out of the train, but even that would get boring after a while. With being on the train for five days and four nights, I felt like I was getting cabin fever.
The food and the service were genuinely excellent, but these things are not what go on The Canadian for. You go on this train trip to relive the train travelling days of the mid 20th century, and people will pay top dollar for that. Fares for The Canadian sell out months in advance, so realistically, VIA Rail can charge even more money for this experience.
To sum it all up, I do not recommend paying full price for VIA Rail’s The Canadian train trip. If you find a deal for a fare on this train trip, then I can maybe recommend this trip depending on the promotion or discount.
Final Rating: 6/10 (this is a generous rating due to the uniqueness of the trip, but in reality the final rating is closer to 5/10)
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