When planning your Canada getaway be sure to include VIA Rail Canada, Canada’s railway system, in your means of transportation. If a scenic vacation is what one are looking for, there is nothing better than the comfort class, or first class for overnight trips, when taking this railway. With the rising costs of airfare, rail travel is becoming a more appealing option to those looking to see multiple destinations of Canada’s vast landscape.
Comfort class is more than sufficient if traveling over night. With the same amount of leg room and reclining as business class on an airplane, one will spend about half of what a coach ticket would cost to get from one destination to the next. In June, the average price of a one way ticket in economy class from Halifax to Quebec City, Canada is $354 according to Kayak.com. However, a ticket on the railway of the same destinations but in comfort class is $123.
Traveling in Comfort
With such a difference in price, travelers need not be leery that their vacation will be compromised, on the contrary. Though the ride is longer, one gains the pleasure of being able to see some of Canada’s most beautiful countryside as you motor from one location to another. The cars are air conditioned, carpeted, and each seat has its own shudder so as to control outside light. Guests are given pillows and blankets for their utmost ease while traveling.
Meals are served at scheduled times throughout the dining cars, and snacks in between, all of which can be brought back to one's seat for consuming. There is a selection of hot and cold drinks in the dining cars, as well as a drink cart that comes through the cars about every 2 hours. The food selection is limited to what the train can hold, usually some selections of sandwiches, salad and pasta dishes. In some cases the prices are on the high end, about $2 for a small cup of tea or coffee and on average $7 for a salad or sandwich.
Like airplanes, the VIA Rail trains also have several television screens which play a selection of movies throughout the trip. Children are offered crayons and games to make their ride a most pleasant one. Every car has bathroom facilities, which is more than one can say for an airplane, therefore the wait is never long.
Though one can buy tickets ahead of time, seating is not reserved as it is on European trains. If you want to be guaranteed a window seat, attempt to be one of the first on the train. Though individual seats are not assigned, if the train is making multiple stops, passengers are seated by car depending on their destinations. Long haul trains make sure that each car is a specific destination so as to not disturb sleeping passengers along the journey.
When planning your next Canadian vacation,make VIA Rail Canada a choice for transportation. With ticket prices less than half of airfare to the same destination, these trains are a great way to see the very diverse landscape of Canada.
