A Cross Canada Adventure - via Train!
The dream of traveling across Canada from Vancouver, BC to Quebec City by train is about to become a reality! It’s early October, the weather looks perfect and we hope to see fall colors along the way.
Our train route will take us from Seattle to Vancouver, BC before heading across the Canadian Rockies to Banff/Jasper, Alberta then onto to the plains of Saskatchewan and Manitoba before passing through the lake’s region of Ontario and into Toronto where the route terminates. We’ll then take regional trains onto Montreal and Quebec City both in the French-speaking Province of Quebec before our flight home!
King Steet Station, Seattle to Pacific Central Station Vancouver, BC via Amtrak – four hours
We receive a warm welcome at King Steet Station because today Amtrak is celebrating the first day of their new Airo train cars which prove to be a wonderful upgrade. (They aren’t high speed trains because of the BNSF tracks.)
The four-plus-hour journey is delightful. We had forgotten that most of the trip follows the shores of Puget Sound! Today, fog hangs over the calm water. Reserving a seat in business class seems worth the minimal extra expense.
Customs goes quickly at the train station in Vancouver and so does hailing a cab to our apartment downtown.
Vancouver, BC – two nights and two days
Vancouver, BC skyline from Granville Island
Vancouver’s metropolitan area is the third largest, based on population, in Canada behind Toronto and Montreal. It’s built on a Peninsula with Stanley Park and preserved forest covering 1001 acres on the north end of the Peninsula.
As you might imagine, there are a plethora of things to do in Vancouver.
After arriving, and with the afternoon still ahead of us, we elect to walk to the Emily Carr exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery (Museum) and have a delicious lunch in the sunshine on the patio afterward.
We also have time to hop on the Rainbow Ferry at the end of Hornby Street and make the short crossing to Granville Island and walk around. For more time on the water, we ride an original little Blue Ferry around all the stops on False Creek.
I have always wanted to walk the perimeter of Stanley Park on the stone sea wall. And for our second day, that’s exactly what we do! Construction of this famous seawall began in 1917 but wasn’t completed until 1980.
We begin by taking a walk on the back side of Lost Lagoon looking south to the Vancouver skyline. Eventually we admire and cross under spectacular Lion’s Gate Bridge. Once around Prospect Point and Swash Rock we pass Third Beach and then Second Beach where the saltwater swimming pool is and begin watching for the Teahouse signs. It’s a wonderful spot to have lunch (or dinner).
Having already walked nine miles (the perimeter itself is six miles), we opt for an Uber after lunch to take us back to our apartment.
Tonight we choose some music with dinner, so we enjoy Franke’s Jazz Club, a low-key fun spot.
Vancouver, BC to Banff Springs, Alberta via the Rocky Mountaineer train – two days on the train with one night in a Kamloops hotel
The Rocky Mountaineer train passing through the Canadian Rockies
The Via Rail Canada train from Vancouver to Toronto passes through the Canadian Rockies at night. So, the only way to see these beauties during the day is to ride the Rocky Mountaineer run by a high-end private Canadian company. So that’s what we do!
Our day starts in the dark as we board buses early to take us to the Rocky Mountaineer train station. 650 of us board beautiful cars with comfortable seats, plenty of leg room and spectacularly tall ceilings and viewing windows. Once boarded, we follow the rocky Frasier River toward its headwaters under cloudy skies.
The Rocky Mountaineer does not have sleeper cars, so we are shuttled to multiple hotels in the small town of Kamloops for a short night – we arrive in the dark and depart in the dark.
Today, day two, the fog lifts quickly showcasing the wonderous snowcapped Canadian Rockies against deep blue skies. The scenery is picture perfect all day long - this is what we came for!
We enter Banff National Park as we cross into Alberta. We’ll be inside the park until we arrive in Jasper.
There are two classes on the Rocky Mountaineer, we are in the standard class which is still a luxurious and expensive experience. Food is continuous (so are the drinks) and tasty with manageable portions. Each car in our class has three “hosts” who serve us, share information and tell entertaining stories. They work hard! We are in our seats the entire trip except when we go to the open-air vestibule for some fresh air and that perfect photograph.
The Rocky Mountaineer is a good experience with a bit of a cruise ship vibe - demographics skew older. But it’s too bad that Via Rail Canada doesn’t go through the Rockies in the daytime.
Banff Springs, Alberta – two nights and one day
Banff Avenue in Banff, Alberta
I’ve always named the grand, historic Banff Springs Hotel—an early railway hotel—as my favorite, but its prices are now outrageous! Instead, we’re staying at the Hotel Canoe on the other end of town. It offers pleasant rooms, hot tubs, a restaurant serving morning lattes, and a wonderful view from our deck.
Having previously stayed at Lake Louise we opt to visit Moraine Lake this trip. The area has become so crowded that a trip to either Moraine Lake or Lake Louise must be via bus or shuttle – cars are no longer allowed! The Chateaux Lake Louise is closed to all but overnight guests now. Moraine Lake does not have any lodging (and no services at this time of year).
Via Via is a good shuttle service that takes us to the lake from our hotel. Rock Pile is the short, steep, rocky and crowded trail that leads us to get an incredible view with the light just right this morning. The cover photo on this blog shows off the grandeur! We then take the trail to the end of the lake and soak in the warm sun on the lake’s little beach while waiting for the shuttle to return.
The morning of day two we walk from town to a nice path along the Bow River and follow it to the shallow but long Bow Falls. We then walk up the hill to check out the Banff Springs Hotel for ole times sake.
Banff Springs, Alberta to Jasper, Alberta via the Icefields Parkway on Brewster Express – six hours
Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada
The Icefields Parkway is often rated as one of the top ten scenic roads in the world with jagged mountains and glaciers on both sides of the road. The scenery is mind blowing!
This is my third time on the scenic 144-mile road from Banff to Jasper. The first time was in a car in an August snowstorm, the second time, my favorite, was cycling. This time we are riding a bus to Jasper to catch the train tomorrow morning all the way to Toronto!
The Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Center is about halfway between Banff and Jasper – here you can take tours onto the glacier in buggies with big fat tires. Food and lodging are limited along the Parkway, a National Park.
While gorgeous, it’s sad to see all the glaciers receding. They have receded 22% since 1985. In addition, we travel through 127 square miles of burn from the massive fire in July of 2024 before arriving in Jasper. Climate change is very real!
Jasper, Alberta – one night
Jasper, Alberta train station
We enter Jasper with trepidation, right before dark, knowing that the fire wiped out a third of the town, but most businesses are open. The Crimson Hotel is only a couple of blocks from the train station and has a decent restaurant. Jasper is an outdoor haven but more on the funky side, which is a nice change from upscale Banff.
In the morning we have a few hours to kill before our train departs around 1ish, so we walk into and around town. There is canoeing, kayaking, skiing and lots of trails to be explored if we had more time – maybe we’ll be back!
Jasper, Alberta to Toronto, Ontario, Via Rail Canada - three nights and four days
The logistics of checking in, checking bags (bring a 25-inch bag or less) and signing up for dinner on board seems complicated at the small Jasper train station but we are in Canada and everyone is mellow about the whole thing!
If one wanted to save time and/or money, they could take the Rocky Mountaineer directly to Jasper and skip Banff and the Icefield Parkway but still see the Rockies during the day. Also, this is where the Via Rail Canada train stops on the long haul from Vancouver BC to Toronto.
We have got a two-person cabin because we’ll be on the train for three nights. The cabin is compact but has a sink, and toilet with a shower close by. During the day the bunks fold up, and we have two easy chairs to sit facing the large viewing window. We also have access to an incredible dome car, activity car, drinks/snacks and a lovely dining car.
Aspen Groves between Jasper and Edmonton Alberta, Canada
We leave Jasper and soon go through a tunnel which means we are also leaving Jasper National Park. Several female big horn sheep greet us at the entrance to the tunnel. The topography changes almost immediately. We lose the impressive mountain views but gain golden fall color from the expansive aspen groves for miles. We soak it all in from the dome car today!
There are three seatings for each meal in the dining car with tables of four, so we get to meet and talk with other passengers who are from all over the world! The food is good with moderate portions.
It is so fun to see the attendants transition the cabin into bunks by pulling one from the ceiling and the other from the wall. The beds are super comfy!
Day two we wake up in Saskatoon and cross the Province of Saskatchewan. It’s prairie land for miles, giving us opportunity to read in our cabin. We see two small herds of Bison which used to roam in greater numbers. Surprisingly, the prairie land has a lot of wetlands and big lakes.
We are now totally into the train vibe relaxing in our cabin or the dome car and taking our meals in the dining car. It’s an escape! We learn that these stainless-steel rail cars were built in 1954 but are incredibly well maintained and managed. The higher-level Prestige Suites have been totally renovated recently and have their own bar in the back of the train. There are also less expensive classes of travel than our two-person cabin available.
Lake’s Region of Ontario amid fall color
Day three we wake up to bright red and orange maples and ash in addition to the vibrant yellow of the aspen. And there is water, water (lakes, ponds and streams) everywhere, it’s so peaceful and magical as we cruise along watching the scenery go by!
Amazingly enough we see very little civilization on the entire train ride – just nature, except for at a few stops.
While the ride is quite enjoyable, there is little opportunity to get off the train for even a short walk. Stopping in Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba, for a night or two might have been a good option.
Toronto, Ontario to Montreal Quebec, Via Rail Canada – five hours
The VIA Rail route across Canada from Vancouver ends in Toronto, so we have a few hours to kill before we catch a regional VIA Rail Canada train to Montreal. We decide to take a short walk from gorgeous historic Union Station down to the shore of Lake Ontario and walk along a wonderful boardwalk and then sit in the sun.
Completely new territory began for us east of Jasper, so Toronto is our first new big city – population seven million. And the rest of the trip will be all new to us as well – exciting!
We return to the station, pick up our bags for a carry-on only trip and board – business class seems worth it once again.
Montreal, Quebec – four nights and three days
Montreal skyline from Kondiaronk Belvedere Lookout on Mt Royal
Little did we know that Montreal is an island bordered by the St Lawrence River to the east and the Thousand Island River so the West. It’s the second largest city in Canada with over four million people.
The city itself has an Old Town where settlement began and a thriving modern business district. A friend told us to stay in the Old Town district which we are doing in a nicely re-modeled apartment, Maison-Place Jacques Cartier by Luxury in Transit Apartment.
Several different sources told us that Mount Royal, of Olmsted and Central Park fame, is a “must see” so we set out our first day and walk through the lovely McGill University campus and on up the Grand Staircase to the Kondiaronk Belvedere Lookout. The fall foliage is super and so are the views of the city! The park is 692 acres with winding paths among the towering trees for hikers and cyclists. We come upon a pond that looks like a painting complete with canoes, lawn, families and fall foliage.
On our second day, we decide to visit the highly regarded Montreal Botanic garden. But as soon as we leave our apartment, we must cross the street through all the Montreal Marathon runners! We succeed and catch the Green Line of the Montreal Metro out to the garden which happens to be by the Montreal Olympic Park, the finish line of the Marathon. It’s chilly and not the ideal time of year to visit but still a nice walk with many things to see – including a golden shoulder hawk in the Japanese Garden!
On our third and final day, Canadian Thanksgiving, we sign up for one of many tours in Montreal with the Original Old Montreal Walking Tour by Guidatour. We learn that Montreal began in 1642 when a few European settlers arrived but really got going in 1800’s. And, back in 1867, when Canada was formed, it was agreed upon that Quebec would remain a French-speaking Province. However, the French versus English language issue continues to this day to be “hot button” for both populations. As American tourists who speak only English, we didn’t have any issues even though French is the primary language.
Our final day in Montreal ends with our best dinner so far accompanied by jazz at Modavie, a French bistro on the north end of Old Montreal, our neighborhood.
Montreal to Quebec City Via Rail Canada – 3.5 hours
We’re getting to use the low-key pace of train travel and somehow miss the clicky clack when we leave the train! Love going to Montreal Station again and traveling to Historic Quebec City.
Quebec City, Hotel Du Vieux Quebec – two nights and two days
The historic railway hotel Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City, Quebec
Both Montreal and Quebec have a European feel. Quebec is much smaller (the population is under one million) and full of spectacular history! After arriving, we quickly learn that there is an Upper and Lower Quebec City. Upper has the grand Hotel Frontenac, another historic railway hotel and all that goes along with-it including shops, restaurants and stellar views of the St Lawrence River from its wooden promenade.
Upper Quebec is also a steep uphill walk from the train station. But we are quite happy with Hotel Du Vieux-Quebec, which is welcoming, comfortable, attractive, in a fabulous location and reasonably priced. Our Uber driver in Montreal was correct – it’s windy and colder in Quebec and on top of that it’s also raining on our first day!
Quebec was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. It is recognized for its well-preserved 17th century colonial architecture along with its history as the only walled city in the US and Canada.
The fall color in Quebec City is also something to behold! Sugar and Red Maple provide deep red and orange while Yellow Birch displays bright golden-yellow. American Beech adds bronze to the mix while White Ash displays purple early in the fall.
Once the rain stops, on our second day, we try Voice Map, an audio tour app, which includes a tour of Upper Quebec City. It works out so well that we use it again on the morning of our departure for an even better tour of Lower Quebec City! Rue du Petit-Champlain, the oldest commercial shopping street, is such a treat to explore. It’s a 17th century cobblestone street with wonderful colonial architecture and artisan shops which are run by a Co-op today.
What a way to end the trip of a lifetime before we head home!
Quebec City, Quebec to Montreal, Quebec, Via Canada Rail (3.5 hours) and then Montreal, to Vancouver BC via Air Canada (5 hours) followed by Vancouver BC to Seattle, WA via Air Canada
Air travel is quite a shock after our peaceful train adventure.
