Canada Coast to Coast by Rail

Featuring three rail experiences across Canada aboard VIA Rail

• First class train accommodations aboard VIA Rail as you travel throughout the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
• Seattle/Vancouver – Lunch on the water at Ivar’s, visit Mukilteo Lighthouse
• Toronto – 2 nights at Fairmont’s Royal York Hotel, city tour, lunch at the CN Tower and Casa Loma
• Montréal – Overnight at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel, sightseeing by coach with a visit to Vieux Montréal (Old Montréal), the Basilica of Notre Dame, a luncheon cruise on the St. Lawrence River and Biodome Montréal
• Halifax – 2 nights at the Delta Barrington Hotel, city sightseeing including Citadel Hill and Peggy’s Cove
• 18 meals: 4 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 5 dinners
• Round trip airfare to Halifax/from Seattle
• Door-to-door airport service
• 5200/5600 Gold Passport Points

• Day 1

  Meet your car from Carey Transportation at your door and join the other rail enthusiasts on your tour at the Sacramento airport. Fly to Seattle and head north to the seaside hamlet of Mukilteo to enjoy lunch on the water and a visit to the historic lighthouse just down the street. Continue north, crossing the border, and arrive in Vancouver in the late afternoon. An early dinner at Steamworks Restaurant, adjacent the historic rail station downtown on the waterfront, is the perfect way to prepare for the rail journey ahead. Across town at the new rail station, VIA Rail’s Canadian is scheduled for an 8:30pm departure. Your sleeping car attendant has your cabin ready for you. On board the Canadian – 4 nights (L,D)

• Days 2-4

  Your first days in Canada will be spent surrounded by the spectacular scenery of the Western and Central provinces as you pass through the tall mountain peaks of the Canadian Rockies in British Columbia and Alberta, the prairies of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and the lakes and rivers of Ontario en route to Toronto. While on board the train, you will enjoy VIA Rail’s Sleeper Touring Service. Single travelers will be in a private compartment with a lower berth. Couples will have a compartment with upper and lower berths. Compartments have private toilets and each car has a shower room. All meals are included on board in the dining car and you will have access to the Park Car, with its sightseeing dome, and the Bullet Lounge. VIA Rail’s on board service staff will be on hand at every mile of the journey to prepare your room and assist with meal reservations. (3B,3L,3D)

• Day 5

  You are over halfway across the country and the continent as you arrive in Toronto this morning at 9:30am. The first stop will be a visit to Casa Loma, a medieval castle built by a Canadian financier in the early 20-century. Enjoy an included lunch at the home before stopping at another unique location, the Bata Shoe Museum. Exploring the history of the shoe from ancient times to the present, the museu includes over 12,500 shoes owned by such footsy luminaries as Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, and Pablo Picasso. Ever wanted to walk a mile in these shoes? Sorry, you can look but not wear! In the midafternoon, check in to your hotel for the next two nights, the historic Royal York. Formerly a Canadian Pacific hotel built by the Canadian National Railroad, the hotel is connected to the train station and is now a Fairmont Hotel. Fairmont Royal York Hotel – 2 nights (B,L)m

• Day 6

  Meet your local guide this morning for a tour of Toronto. Lunch is served high atop the CN Tower in the revolving restaurant. Considered one of the world’s tallest buildings at 1,815 feet in height, you may think twice before stepping out on to the glass floor of the observation level! Enjoy the rest of the afternoon to explore downtown Toronto on your own. The subway system is clean and efficient and provides an easy way to visit such noteworthy destinations as the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Glass, or the Royal Ontario Museum. The Hockey Hall of Fame is just down the street from your hotel! (L)

• Day 7

  Enjoy a morning at leisure today before strolling back to adjacent Union Station to begin your next rail experience aboard VIA Rail’s Corridor Train, departing at 11:30am. Traveling in VIA 1 Class from Toronto to Montréal, you will enjoy a gourmet meal complete with wine served at your seat. The train is scheduled to arrive in Montréal at 5pm. You’re accommodations for the evening are in another former Canadian Pacific Hotel, the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, located atop the train station. The evening is yours to enjoy on your own. Fairmont Queen Elizabeth (L)

• Day 8

  Stepping out on to the street from your hotel, you may believe you have stepped into a European city. A tour highlights the old and new of Montréal, including the Basilica of Notre-Dame and a visit to Vieux Montréal (Old Montréal) with an opportunity to do a little shopping. A luncheon cruise along the St. Lawrence River is a perfect way to see the city and enjoy a fine meal. In the afternoon, a visit to Montréal’s Biodome is a unique experience. Where else can you explore four ecosystems under one roof? Back at the train station, your final rail adventure awaits – the Ocean, which departs at 6:30pm. While meals are not included in the fare this time of year, you will still experience the service and hospitality in Easterly Class you have come to expect from VIA Rail and its staff. You’ll enjoy private sleeping quarters, which feature upper/lower berths. Single travelers will occupy a roomette, a smaller accommodation. The dining car serves a menu featuring local entrées. Overnight on board. Overnight on board the Ocean (L)

• Day 9

  After a restful evening on board, awake in the province of New Brunswick and continue east into Nova Scotia. Arrive in Halifax at 4pm and make your way to your hotel for the next two evenings, right on the waterfront. Delta Barrington – 2 nights

• Day 10

  Enjoy a city tour and travel to nearby Peggy’s Cove this morning for a look at one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. Shopping and lunch is at y leisure. Back at your hotel, use the afternoon to explore the waterfront before enjoying a farewell dinner at popular Murphy’s on the Water. (L,D)our

• Day 11

  Your long journey from coast to coast across Canada comes to an end today with a morning flight from Halifax to New York and on to San Francisco. Our own SuperCoach III will be waiting to escort you back to our office in Sacramento where you will be met by cars from Carey Transportation which will escort you back home.