When I was a child, my mother used to tell me stories of her travels by train across Canada. The memories of her sitting with me and my siblings in the evening, relating those adventures have left me with a lifelong desire to see travel across Canada by train.
Today one may get there faster by flying, but it is taking the train that will give you the opportunity to see this beautiful country we call home. Train travel connects you with the past and provides an up close and personal glimpse of the country. My mother took the train out of necessity as the only means of transportation available to her as she followed my Dad across the country during WWII from Edmonton to Vancouver, Montreal and Halifax.
Today, train travel is about the experience of travelling across country in comfort.
Our Coast to Coast by Train is a trip that will do just that while travelling from Vancouver, BC to Halifax , Nova Scotia. We have included stops along the way where you temporarily leave the train to visit sites in Winnipeg, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Montreal, and Halifax.
Here are some reasons for taking the train:
Breath Taking Scenery:
Canada’s landscape is diverse. Travelling from Vancouver you will pass through the incredible Rockies, view snow-capped mountains, forests, rolling plains and the prairies. The domed-windows of the train’s observation cars offer great vantage points for viewing the scenery. There were no domed cars in the days when my mother travelled back and forth during the war, and yet her stories were full of descriptions of the scenery and villages she passed through.
Culinary Delights:
If you are used to plane travel, and its lack of food options, you will be pleased to know that on the train there are chefs preparing your every meal. Look for local fare on the menu, such as, Canadian trout or Saskatoon berries as you move from province to province. Be sure to let us know if you have any dietary restrictions at your time of booking. We can then inform the train personnel before departure.
Sociable Environment:
Half of the fun of travelling is the new people that you meet. On board, the lounges, dining rooms and viewing cars are places where passengers can meet to mingle over a coffee or glass of wine, make new friends and share travel stories. The train provides the space to move about while travelling. Enjoy playing a game of cards or just take in the scenery. I know my mother meet lots of interesting people on the train and she used to make up stories about where their lives might have taken them after the war to satisfy our curiosity.
What could be more relaxing than rolling by beautiful and ever changing colors and landscapes while enjoying a cold beer or glass of wine with friends? The conductor is calling, “All aboard for Coast to Coast”.
Written by: Joan Niemeier
