Advice on taking the Canadian?

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Amfleeter

Service Attendant
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Messages
112
I'm thinking about taking the Canadian around early August, and, while I do frequently ride Amtrak, I haven't ridden on VIA before. Is there any advice I could use on taking the Canadian?
 
VIA Rail runs 50% off sales quite often, although since you're looking to travel during the Canadian's busiest time of year, you might or might not find one available in the next few months for the dates you want to travel.

If you go here https://www.viapreference.com/en/home?from=viarail_homepage_minor

and sign up for VIA Preference (their frequent traveler program; it's free), you can opt in for regular emails from them, which will let you know when they're running a sale.

You'll find the food and bedding better on the Canadian than on Amtrak. Dome cars are very nice. If you're in a sleeping car, note that VIA Rail's carry-on luggage rules are more restrictive than Amtrak's, and for good reason: There's no common luggage rack in each sleeping car, and the space in each cabin is very limited.

If you have specific questions, please ask! You'll find folks here who've traveled the Canadian and are happy to share info.

Happy planning! The Canadian is a beautiful ride.
 
This VIA topic area is a great source of information too. Read through the old threads and you will learn a lot. And as tricia says, if you have specific questions, don't be afraid to ask!
 
People sometimes wonder which is the best direction to travel on the Canadian and it’s personal preference. I’ve always done it east to west. Even though the scenery across northern Ontario and the prairies is fine (and especially nice in winter with the snow, frozen lakes etc) .....the anticipation for the run through the mountains and the views from the dome builds as you head west across the country. Coming east, the mountains are gone after the first full day out......just seems anti-climactic IMHO.

And you say you are planning a trip in August so I won’t dwell on this……but my favorite time of the year to ride the Canadian in winter. The crowds are gone and there’s lots of room to just sit back in the dome and watch the snowy winter landscape go by from the warm and cozy train. Here’s my recent Trip Report:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/58023-a-winter-ride-on-vias-canadian-with-photos/page-1
 
I've found the berths in Amtrak Roomettes to be quite uncomfortable. The upper berths on Superliners are especially bad. The bedding seems to offer very poor support and the berths are narrow. I've looked at VIA Rail berth dimensions and they are a lot wider. How much better are VIA berths compared to Amtrak?

Edit: I mean the Budd Sleepers, not the Rens.
 
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I've found the berths in Amtrak Roomettes to be quite uncomfortable. The upper berths on Superliners are especially bad. The bedding seems to offer very poor support and the berths are narrow. I've looked at VIA Rail berth dimensions and they are a lot wider. How much better are VIA berths compared to Amtrak?

Edit: I mean the Budd Sleepers, not the Rens.
This is a good question, in my opinion. I'm college age, and about 5' 7.5" with a lean build, and I find roomettes to be, while doable, not the most comfortable sleeping arrangements. How are VIA's cabins for one in comparison?
 
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I heard the Cabin for One is actually worse than a Lower Berth in terms of space, but offers added privacy. Not sure if that's true or not. I guess the upper berth guy won't be blocked if he wants to come down and you're still sleeping. According to dimensions, even VIA's Upper Berths are a lot wider than comparable Amtrak berths.

Would really like some opinions from people that have taken both.

I guess I would also like to ask how VIA's LD coach seats in the Budds compare to Amtrak LD coach.
 
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What's the difference exactly between full price berths/cabins and discounted fare berths/cabins?
 
What's the difference exactly between full price berths/cabins and discounted fare berths/cabins?
What's the difference exactly between full price berths/cabins and discounted fare berths/cabins?
The price.

That and (I'm not sure about this) you might not be able to do a stopover like you can with the full fare.

(EDIT) Gawd, I really am seeing double this morning! :blink: :p )
 
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I don't think the Roomette beds on VIA are any larger than the Roomette beds on Amtrak. They are much more comfortable. They have a real mattress and very nice bedding.

It's somewhat of a personal preference though.. if someone wants a firmer bed... Amtrak may be more comfortable (but I can't imagine anyone preferring the Amtrak bedding... )

There are many subtle differences Amtrak to VIA.. but nothing too major. Agree the carry on policy is much more strict.
 
Heres some VIA accommodation information:

A Roomette on VIA is different than an Amtrak Roomette. VIA now calls them a Single Bedroom or Cabin for One. They have a private toilet and sink and theres a shower down the hall.

Image%20%283%29.jpg


This is a Double Bedroom or Cabin for Two.....theres a sink and a private toilet in an annex. The shower is down the hall.

Image%20%282%29.jpg


A Double Berth is an old style open section with seats during the day and a Lower Berth at night and an Upper Berth that folds down from the ceiling. The only thing that separates you from the aisle at night is a heavy curtain. The communal toilet and shower is across the hall.

Image.jpg
 
I don't think the Roomette beds on VIA are any larger than the Roomette beds on Amtrak. They are much more comfortable. They have a real mattress and very nice bedding.

It's somewhat of a personal preference though.. if someone wants a firmer bed... Amtrak may be more comfortable (but I can't imagine anyone preferring the Amtrak bedding... )

There are many subtle differences Amtrak to VIA.. but nothing too major. Agree the carry on policy is much more strict.
You said that VIA berths are much more comfortable, then I don't think that's a subtle difference since Amtrak berths are not very comfortable, especially with all the wear and tear they're been taking. According to Amtrak's website, their lower berths are 2'4" and their upper berths are 2'0". Contrast this to VIA's berths at 3'7". That's not a subtle difference to me. No wonder VIA tickets cost so much, but then again, get a good deal and it's probably well worth your money compared to Amtrak, who rarely offers Sleeper deals.
 
I don't have time to check on this right now, but as I recall the beds on VIA are wider but a few inches shorter than Amtrak. Dimensions of beds are somewhere on both Amtrak and VIA's websites. Or at least used to be--if you can't find and want to know, pls respond and I'll try to find it for you (I've got it filed away somewhere in copy of a note I sent to a very tall relative who was wondering whether he'd fit in bed on train).

Mattress preferences aside, VIA's sheets, comforter, and pillow are more luxurious and comfortable than Amtrak's--esp. the soft cushy comforter vs Amtrak's thin scratchy blanket.
 
I think this provides the dimensions: http://www.viarail.ca/en/resources/berths. Mattress size should be dimensions.

Amtrak Superliner Roomette dimensions: http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Accommodation_C&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1241210576173.

VIA Roomette beds are a low narrower than in the sections but still wider than Amtrak: http://www.viarail.ca/en/resources/cabin-one.

Just search the room types on Google and you can find all the rest. For example, search "VIA Rail Cabin for two" or "Amtrak Viewliner Roomette" etc.
 
I like the blue Amblanket. In fact I'm ashamed to say I palmed one in my younger days and it's one of my regular pieces of bedding. It's thin and very warm.
 
It's somewhat of a personal preference though.. if someone wants a firmer bed... Amtrak may be more comfortable (but I can't imagine anyone preferring the Amtrak bedding... )
I like a really firm bed, but I'll take VIA's mattress, sheets, and comforter, with its duvet cover, (which might actually get washed between uses - unlike Amtrak's blanket which gets washed something like once every couple of months or so) any day - or night.
 
What's VIA's policy on drinking? I know Alberta and Manitoba have it at 18, how do they do it on board the train? By what province they're currently in?
 
I heard that VIA Rail pretty much restored the 1950s service levels of the Canadian during its 1990 rebuilds. Anyone that's taken the old trains, is this true?

I like the blue Amblanket. In fact I'm ashamed to say I palmed one in my younger days and it's one of my regular pieces of bedding. It's thin and very warm.
Why can't you just order one from the same manufacturer or a similar one?
 
What's VIA's policy on drinking? I know Alberta and Manitoba have it at 18, how do they do it on board the train? By what province they're currently in?
It’s governed by the laws of the province the train is travelling thru:

[SIZE=8.5pt]The consumption of alcoholic drinks on trains is governed by the laws of the province in which the train is travelling.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=8.5pt]You can purchase alcoholic drinks aboard most trains. For more information, visit the page on your train and your class of service.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=8.5pt]Personal alcoholic drinks, i.e. ones that you did not buy on the train, may be consumed only in sleeping car cabins. Provincial laws forbid passengers from consuming personal alcoholic drinks elsewhere on the train.[/SIZE]

18 in Alberta, Manitoba and also Quebec. 19 everywhere else…...and if you are in a private sleeper cabin……you can bring your own (but not in the open upper and lower berths)



I remember Ontario once had some pretty archaic liquor laws: on Sundays you could only purchase a drink if you were having a “meal” so the sale of “Cheese & Cracker Paks” was pretty brisk in the bar car on the Sunday afternoon “Rapido” between Montreal and Toronto. (the Ontario border is crossed 30 miles west of Montreal) Back then….all alcohol had to be consumed in the Bar Car. There was no “at your seat” sale from the trolley-cart we have today.

 
I like the blue Amblanket. In fact I'm ashamed to say I palmed one in my younger days and it's one of my regular pieces of bedding. It's thin and very warm.
Why can't you just order one from the same manufacturer or a similar one?
I was a teenager when I swiped it. Immature and childish with less of a moral compass than one should have. I honestly am ashamed of it.

I could probably do so, but have no reason to. That modacrylic is tough as nails. It looks like it did when I got it, brand new, 15 bloody years ago.
 
I've found the berths in Amtrak Roomettes to be quite uncomfortable. The upper berths on Superliners are especially bad. The bedding seems to offer very poor support and the berths are narrow. I've looked at VIA Rail berth dimensions and they are a lot wider. How much better are VIA berths compared to Amtrak?

Edit: I mean the Budd Sleepers, not the Rens.
The berths in the open section sleeping car segments of the Canadian have the thickest (and widest) mattresses that you are likely to find on any train in North America. Definitely worth a ride before the train disappears from the transportation scene.

Finding a fare sale on the Canadian in August -- or any of the summer months -- is highly unlikely. This train is so popular in the summer that it often has more than 20 passengers cars in those months -- half of that (or less!) in winter months.
 
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My wife and I took the Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto the 3rd week of January and found it a fabulous trip. We used a bedroom for 2 and found it very comfortable, but actually spent most of our time in the end-of-train club car. In January, there's no competition for seats in the dome, staff is un-rushed and very helpful. Over 3 days in the club car, you get to meet interesting people.

Shower was down the hall, but fresh towels and plenty of hot water even though it was -14F outside.

We found the dining about 200% better than Amtrak in terms of food quality, level of service, and sheer beauty of the dining car itself.

Stellar experience all the way. We did arrive in Toronto about 4 hours late but were 2-3 hours late already by the time we got to Winnipeg.

Worst part of the trip was flying home via Pearson Airport in Toronto.
 
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