Just joined. Am taking a trip of a lifetime in May. Will be taking amtrak and via on a ten day trip from the midwest to west coast then on to canada.Across Canada to Toronto and then back To home. This trip covers over 7,100 miles.
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
I assume you will be taking VIA's Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto -- that is a great trip!!!! I hope you will be going 1st class (sleeper) -- VIA offers a wonderful 1st class package, which includes meals, afternoon hors d'oeuvres, and maybe an occasional glass of champagne in the PM. On the Canadian, you can spend the whole time sitting in the dome car and watching the beautiful Canadian scenery go past. I rode the Canadian in 1999 (Toronto to Vancouver)and enjoiyed it very much (see my 1999 travelogue in another section of Train Web). Have a great trip!!!
Posted by wiking2 (Member # 2239) on :
Yes i am going first class all the way on this trip.
Posted by CK (Member # 589) on :
Welcome! It sounds like a great trip. Are you taking the Zephyr from the midwest to the west coast? Great views in the Rocky & Sierra Mountains! The Coast Starlight is another great trip. Enjoy.
Posted by royaltrain (Member # 622) on :
I am curious to know how you are going back to the midwest from Toronto? I live in Toronto and have many times taken a circle tour of the U.S. and Canada with a North America Rail Pass. My problem is getting to Chicago. In days gone by the International was an overnight sleeping car train run by CN. Currently a rail-passenger is forced to take the 12 hour (or more) day-time version of the International with no sleeping/parlour cars or dining car. But there is an alternative: Via's General Brock to Niagara Falls Ont., connect by taxi or limo to Buffalo's Depew Station for the W/b Lakeshore Ltd. (a train that has a sleeper and a diner). As this train arrives at 7:00 am, it also avoids the necessity of staying overnight in Chicago for your w/b connections.
Posted by wiking2 (Member # 2239) on :
I live in ohio so will take the mapleleaf to syracuse and then go by lake shore to cleveland. The reason for this is because i will only have to wait 2 hours instead there instead of ten hours in buffalo.
Posted by reggierail (Member # 26) on :
Cool move, I did the same thing when coming from Chicago to Toronto. I continued to Syracuse on the Lake Shore and then caught the Maple Leaf to Toronto. There's a great sandwich shop a few blocks from the train station that serves some real seriously goood food. Sure beats the fast food stuff in the station.
Reggie
Posted by royaltrain (Member # 622) on :
Of course the Lakeshore now leaves Buffalo at 9:00 pm instead of its previous 1:00 am departure. The connection is a little tight from the General Brock, but the wait in Buffalo would be about 45 minutes.
