Hotels in Canada
There is no rule which states that crossing a whole continent will ever be easy and this journey certainly tests the mettle of the traveller. Nevertheless, the sights you see and the people you meet on this epic trip will stay in the memory for the rest of your life. Nearly all those who make the journey from Halifax to Vancouver do so for fun (flying is cheaper and quicker) - and this gives the whole experience a real party feel.
Completing the journey currently comprises three stages. The first from Halifax to Montreal takes you from the extremely picturesque Nova Scotia coast, through New Brunswick. Skirting the Appalachian Mountains, you are then transported to Montreal, the beating heart of French Canada. The second leg allows you to sample the most modern railway Canada has to offer. The Montreal to Toronto link feels strangely normal compared with the rest of the trip. Business people barely look up from their laptops as the train passes along the St Lawrence River, past the Thousand Islands and along the shore of Lake Ontario.
From Toronto, Canada's most modern of cities, you embark on the truly monumental part of the train ride. The seemingly endless forests of Northern Ontario eventually give way to wide open prairies as you cross the Continent's interior - the vastness of it all is quite breathtaking. After two nights on board, the train approaches the Rockies. Waterfalls and sheer rock faces heave in to view one after another and this is the time to grab a seat in the panoramic dome car. After this, Kamloops is the last major stop before arriving in Vancouver and your chance to experience the city often voted the 'World's Best Place to Live'.
HOW
By train
DEPART
Halifax, NS
WHEN TO GO
Year round, but schedules can be disrupted in winter (November to April)
TIME IT TAKES
Plan your schedule and book ticket in advance. Currently it takes about six days with a long stopover in either Montreal or Toronto. If you want to see a lot of Canada allow two weeks and spend time in Montreal, Toronto, Jasper and Vancouver.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Thousand Islands - the islands that gave you the dressing.
Old Montreal - fabulous, French and funky.
Mount Robson and pyramid Falls – in the Rockies.
Vancouver - it really is as good as they say: the sea, mountains, excellent affordable eating and really friendly people.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
The combination of harsh weather, 1950s rolling stock and the prevalence of mega-weight goods trains can make this a bumpy ride, · but who needs sleep anyway when you're having such a good time?
