Plotting a duel country dream trip

[bobnjulie]

Hi!

So mr has agreed to the next great dream trip and I was hoping you all would be so kind as to help us out with all your amazing advice like you did with our last dream trip. All your advice added to so much to the last that I would be grateful!

1) According to my preliminary plotting, we will be going in March and it looks like we will be leaving from Philly and taking the Maple Leaf (?) to Toronto. How stressed will we be to plan on grabbing the Canadian the night we arrive? Is it a close call or since we will be with Via on the second leg, we should be okay?

2) Prices are fairly steep this far out. Do prices come down closer to the trip or do they stay the same or go up higher? I did sign up for the Via email... but since this is such a large chunk of our trip, do I just wait and hope for a sale?

3) The Canadian is supposed to come in to Vancouver in the morning. If we take the 5 pm train down to Seattle, should that leave us enough time - barring the unusual disasters?

I'm still trying to decide between the upper/lower berths and the Cabin for 2,,, which I know would be so much nicer... and the pictures and posting have been really helpful. I am still torn between the budget and the noise level in the open hallway....

 

[NS VIA Fan]

As I’ve said in these forums before......don’t do same day connections....the anxiety of a late train will ruin your trip. Your train could be on-time for days but the day you ride.....anything could happen!

There is plenty to do in Toronto and Vancouver....stop-over and enjoy!

 

[Anderson]

My advice would be NOT to take the Maple Leaf. Take the Adirondack, overnight in Montreal, and take a VIA Corridor train (in Business Class...they make it worthwhile) from Montreal to Toronto to connect.

 

[CHamilton]

3) The Canadian is supposed to come in to Vancouver in the morning. If we take the 5 pm train down to Seattle, should that leave us enough time - barring the unusual disasters?

Yes. It's unlikely that the Canadian would be that late. Just remember that they do customs and immigration at the station in Vancouver, so you should be in line no later than 5:00pm. They generally start the process around 4:30.

 

[montezume]

I would wait for a sale. Last year they had a "50% off sale" (it's 50% off of the high bucket price) in January. It's low season too, so a bit cheaper.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Keep checking via,ca for the Express Fare Deals and 50% off fares! If you create a via account you will get email updates and offers and you can always check daily very easily!

Generally the best deals on the Canadian come after Canadian Thanksgiving in October and in the Winter from Jan to May! Weekday departures are less crowded (Tuesdays seem to work best)!

I totally agree with spending the night in Toronto or Montreal before your departure! If you went from Vancouver to Toronto there is a morning train from Seattle (Best!)as well as a couple of bus departures;so you could spend the night in Seattle!