There is no rule that states crossing an entire continent will be easy or fast, and this journey definitely tests the perseverance of the traveler. However, the sights, the scenery you see and the people you meet on this amazing trip will become a lifelong memory.
The departure point is Halifax, NS and you can take the train almost all year round, with the exception of the winter months, when schedules can be disrupted because of bad weather conditions. You should plan your schedule and book tickets in advance, as you will need plenty of time to arrange your trip since it takes around six days to complete the journey, but you may even want to spend two weeks and visit Jasper, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver – they’re all worth stopping by to visit.
The trip has 3 stages, starting from Halifax to Montreal where the breathtaking Nova Scotia coast is then replaced by the Appalachian Mountains that lead you to the French side of Canada, in Montreal. The second stage of the trip, from Montreal to Toronto, may feel just normal and modern as it could be, if you are used to trave
ling with business people completely connected with their laptops and papers, without enjoying the sights offered by St Lawrence River, the Thousand Islands and the shore of Lake Ontario.
The third part of the journey is the truly amazing ride, as the train approaches the Rockies, after passing Northern Ontario and the continent’s interior, with its breathtaking variety. Before reaching Vancouver, voted several times as the ‘World’s Best Place to Live’, the last major stop of the train ride is Kamloops.
However, during the journey, there are plenty of fantastic places that you should visit and some to mention are Mount Robson and pyramid Falls, in the Rockies; Old Montreal – fabulous, French and funky and also Vancouver which is even better than they say – it offers sea, mountains, great people and plenty