VIA Destinations Magazine

Canada's official passenger train service. _________ Service ferroviaire de passagers national du Canada.

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Visit Saskatoon: Art, Food and Sustainability

3 weeks ago | viarail.ca | Marie-Julie Gagnon

Credit: Tourism SaskatchewanWith its many green spaces and a surprisingly vibrant cultural scene, Saskatoon is one of the most underrated cities in Canada. Since 2022, Saskatchewan’s largest agglomeration—and one of the sunniest in the country—has implemented a series of initiatives to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% compared to its 2014 levels and by 80% by 2050, in addition to promoting active transportation.
Visit Kingston in sustainable tourism mode

3 weeks ago | viarail.ca | Marie-Julie Gagnon

Less than three hours by train from Montréal and Toronto, Kingston is the ideal destination for a short excursion. Once downtown, getting around car-free is a cinch. Here’s an account of my first visit to this city that often serves as a film backdrop and prioritizes sustainability. I knew very little about Kingston.
A Car-Free Visit to Halifax

4 weeks ago | viarail.ca | Marie-Julie Gagnon

Halifax has gone through something of a rebirth recently, and there's no arguing that it's become one of the liveliest cities in the country. Even better, many of the new spots around town were designed with sustainability in mind. I made my way to Halifax from Montréal aboard the Ocean. The last time I visited, in summer 2022, I was blown away by Queen's Marque, a new district by the water that totally transformed the area.
Quebec Train Getaway at Escale au Lac

4 weeks ago | viarail.ca | Marie-Julie Gagnon

Photo credit: Escale au Lac Facebook pageMore and more mini cottages in the heart of nature are popping up throughout Québec. What’s so different about the ones at Escale au Lac, which opened in late 2022 in the Portneuf region? Well, they’re located just 8 km from the Rivière‑à‑Pierre train station on 6 million sq. ft. of protected land and they’re 100% energy self-sufficient.
120 years of travel aboard the Ocean train

1 month ago | viarail.ca | Marie-Julie Gagnon

From Montréal to Halifax, the Ocean transports passengers over 1,346 kilometres from the city to the seaside. They spend one day and one night peacefully chugging along through three provinces: Québec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Dating back to 1904, the route brings to mind several major milestones in Canadian history. Spotlight on one of the oldest passenger rail lines in North America.
Les récits de voyage en train des employés VIA Rail | VIA Rail

2 months ago | viarail.ca | Marie-Julie Gagnon

Si les rencontres avec les autres passagers font sans contredit partie des moments marquants d’un voyage à bord du Canadien, écouter les histoires des employés qui ont traversé maintes fois le pays reste aussi divertissant que n’importe quelle série télé. Leurs anecdotes sont tantôt touchantes, tantôt hilarantes, et leurs impressions sur le voyage sont intéressantes et fascinantes. J’en ai recueilli quelques-unes pour vous. VIA Rail a des bureaux dans plusieurs villes du pays.
Train travel stories from VIA Rail employees

2 months ago | viarail.ca | Marie-Julie Gagnon

While meeting other passengers is without a doubt one of the best parts about travelling on board the Canadian, listening to stories from employees who’ve crossed the country many times is just as entertaining as any good TV show. Their anecdotes range from touching to hilarious, and their perspectives on travel are truly fascinating. Here are a few. VIA Rail has offices in cities throughout the country.
The Canadian Train Turns 70! A Journey Through History

2 months ago | viarail.ca | Marie-Julie Gagnon

Photo credit for the header image: Bill EdgarNamed one of the best train trips in the world by Condé Nast Traveller's Reader's Choice Awards 2024, the Canadian has been connecting the country's east and west coasts since 1955. For four days and four nights over 4,466 kilometres, passengers can marvel at the nation's different landscapes and experience the romance of railway rides gone by.
The culinary experience on board the Canadian

2 months ago | viarail.ca | Marie-Julie Gagnon

Eating well is an integral part of the journey on the Canadian, the iconic train linking Toronto to Vancouver. What are meals like on board? How is the food that’s served morning, noon and night prepared? What flavours are featured? Let’s take a peek inside the kitchen. The first bite of meltingly tender meat won me over—the beef tenderloin topped with a mushroom sauce beautifully capped off my first day on board the Canadian. And the velvety squash soup as a starter was also a definite winner.
The Canadian: Layovers and landscapes

2 months ago | viarail.ca | Marie-Julie Gagnon

When you think of Canadian landscapes, what immediately comes to mind are vast boreal forests, big sky country on the Prairies and the majesty of the Rockies. And while you definitely get to see all that on board the Canadian, that’s not all you’ll experience. With 4,466 km separating Toronto and Vancouver, choosing to travel by train lets you take stock of this immense and immensely varied land over the course of four days and nights.