Ride the rails, see the sites and only unpack once on these fabulously romantic itineraries.
By: Sandra RamaniVIA Rail’s The Canadian
The Route: Between Vancouver and Toronto.
Length of Trip: Up to four nights.
The Journey: This rail company travels along 19 different routes across Canada, but its most famous ride is on the newly restored The Canadian, running both ways between Vancouver and Toronto. Fun fact: The train is so legendary, it now appears on the Canadian $10 bill. The 2,775-mile trip winds through the vast and diverse natural beauty of the country from the mighty Rockies, western prairies and dense forests to the scenic lakes of Ontario. Stops include Winnipeg, Jasper, and Edmonton. The length of each station stop depends on the season, but every ticket includes one complimentary stopover, so if there’s a place you want to explore more — such as the stunning Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies — you can disembark for a couple of days, then rejoin the train when it next rolls through town.
Photo courtesy of VIA Rail Canada
All Aboard! The complete four-night, coast-to-coast experience includes several Sleeper Class overnight options. Our favorites are the just-launched Prestige Sleeper Class cabins, which are 50% larger than the other double suites (with 60% larger windows, too), and include private bathrooms with showers, flat-screen TVs, all-inclusive drinks (including in-room mini-bar), personal concierge service and priority reservations in the dining car. Passengers traveling in all Sleeper Class options have access to bi-level viewing cars (equipped with oversized windows or glass-domed ceilings for uninterrupted vistas) and lounges where you can enjoy snacks, drinks and — in high season — activities like wine or beer tastings, history or geography talks and live music. Sleeper Class rates also include all meals in the elegant, white-tableclothed Dining Car, where the recently revamped menu highlights ingredients from along The Canadian’s route in made-to-order dishes like roast beef ravioli and cheesecake French toast (rates for the Prestige Sleeper class cabins start at $2,421 per person for one-way and include all meals and drinks; viarail.ca).
