How do you take the train from Toronto to Vancouver?

4 days and 4 nights or roughly 96 hours is the amount of travel time on the westbound trip from Toronto to Vancouver. The Toronto to Vancouver train schedule runs a minimum of two trains in each direction each week. (The eastbound run, from Vancouver to Toronto, takes a similar amount of time.) The relaxed onboard rhythm suits an unhurried pace, and the glass-dome Skyline cars mean there is always somewhere comfortable to sit and watch the scenery pass by. Extend your vacation by adding time in Toronto or Vancouver. Our rail specialists can help you build your ideal itinerary.

The scenery across the Toronto to Vancouver route unfolds in distinct chapters, each one different enough to hold your attention throughout the four-day journey. 

The Canadian Shield in Ontario offers a landscape of ancient lakes, boreal forest and granite outcrops that stretches for hours. The Prairies of Manitoba and Saskatchewan bring a vast, open sky and an almost meditative sense of space. Then, as the train enters Alberta and begins the long approach to Jasper, the peaks of the Canadian Rockies can be seen through the glass-dome Skyline cars, and then the train passes by mountains, glaciers and river valleys. 

The train usually passes through the parts of the Rockies during daylight hours and guests in Sleeper Plus and Prestige Class cabins may wake up to the mountains. The glass-dome Skyline cars are open to all classes and are typically the most popular carriage through the Rockies.

Expect a relaxed journey with sleeping accommodation, freshly prepared meals, social lounge spaces and panoramic scenery. VIA Rail operates The Canadian year-round. For a four-night Toronto to Vancouver trip, we generally recommend Sleeper Plus or Prestige Class so you can sleep in a berth or private cabin and enjoy included dining.

What activities can you enjoy onboard The Canadian? 

• Scenic dome cars. The upper levels of the Skyline and Park cars offer panoramic views of the Prairies, forests and Canadian Rockies. These are popular places for photography and quiet reflection. 
• Dining car. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are freshly prepared in the onboard kitchen and served in a classic dining car. Shared tables make it easy to meet fellow travellers. 
• Lounges and social spaces. The lower levels of the Skyline and Park cars provide places to read, chat or enjoy a drink. Seasonal entertainment may also be offered. 
• Private cabins. A cabin gives you a quiet place to read, rest or watch the scenery between meals and visits to the dome cars.

Flying from Toronto to Vancouver takes about five hours and typically costs less for pure point-to-point transport. The train, however, is the vacation itself and could be considered similar to a cruise on land. Four days aboard The Canadian is not a way to get from Toronto to Vancouver; it is a way to discover the Canadian Prairies, the Rockies and the Coast mountains at a pace that no flight can offer.

For guests who value the journey as much as the destination, the experience of sleeping in a private cabin, watching the Rockies emerge on the horizon and sharing meals in the dining car with fellow travellers is the point. Our local travel experts find that the guests who choose The Canadian rarely wish they had flown instead.