Six trains that make you dream

Six journeys to discover North America, its landscapes and those who inhabit it, to the rhythm of the train.

Simon Chabot
The Press

Toronto-Vancouver, aboard the VIA Canadian

4466 km
Duration of the trip: 4 days and 4 nights
Berths: yes

This train is undoubtedly the best known in the country, the one that attracts the most foreign tourists in search of wide open spaces. While the route is spectacular all year round, Dean Rockhead, Senior Manager, Product and Service Planning at VIA, suggests doing the route in winter, to admire the lakes of Northwestern Ontario, the Prairies and the Rocky Mountains. under the snow, before arriving in Vancouver as in the spring. “The trip is much more romantic, in a calmer train, surrounded by ice. The meals prepared on board are an attraction in themselves, he adds.

Chicago-San Francisco, aboard Amtrak’s California Zephyr

3924 km
Travel time: 51 hrs 20 mins
Berths: yes

There is no shortage of superlatives to describe this legendary train in the United States: the most picturesque, the most memorable… and the busiest. From Chicago to the San Francisco area through the plains, mountains and desert, this train passes through varied ecosystems that passengers can admire thanks to cars well equipped with windows, including Sightseer observation cars. “It’s a wonderful scenic drive,” confirms world traveler Jim Loomis. But it is better to plan your trip early, because the California Zephyr is crowded, especially in the summer. »

Jasper-Prince Rupert, aboard VIA’s Skeena

1160km
Duration of the trip: 2 days (night stopover in Prince George)
Berths: no

Not everyone has the time or the money to venture across the continent or ride in the luxurious cars of Rocky Mountaineer. The Skeena, which runs between Jasper, in the Rockies, and Prince Rupert, on the Pacific coast, does not offer sleeping accommodations (it stops in Prince George, where passengers must sleep at the hotel) or meals on board (this year, at least)… but in terms of landscapes, it has everything you need! “It’s a wonderful journey, there’s nothing up there, it’s really isolated, you feel close to the wilderness,” says Jim Loomis. This train even stops on occasion to let a bear or a moose pass…

VIA’s Winnipeg-Churchill

1697km
Trip duration: 2 days and 2 nights
Berths: yes

At the end of October, polar bears gather around Churchill, waiting for the pack ice to form in Hudson Bay, making it one of the easiest places in the world to observe them. Many tourists then embark in Winnipeg on the train that goes up to the northern city. Others do it in the summer, to meet the beluga whales in a kayak. In winter, the Northern Lights often light up the sky above the convoy, much to the delight of passengers. “The train also serves Aboriginal communities,” says Dean Rockhead of VIA. So we come across families on board who are going to weddings or funerals, or even hunters with their caribou in the baggage car. »

Montreal-Halifax, aboard VIA’s Ocean

1346km
Duration of the trip: 1 day and 1 night
Berths: yes

It is the ocean that completes the eastward crossing of Canada by train to Halifax. Today, the route follows the St. Lawrence Valley, before branching off towards New Brunswick via the Matapédia Valley, in Gaspésie. It then travels east from the Atlantic Province to Nova Scotia. “Those who get up early will be able to admire a magnificent sunrise on the south bank of the river,” says Dean Rockhead. For the moment, the train does not have a panoramic car… but this car could return later this year.

New York–New Orleans, aboard Amtrak’s Crescent

2216 km
Travel time: 30 hours
Berths: yes

With its frenzied evenings, New Orleans has been attracting bon vivants for a long time. From New York, the Crescent follows a route almost unchanged since the end of the 19th century.^and century, across a dozen states and cities like Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta and Birmingham. His journey allows you to dive into the history of the South, with cotton plantations and slavery, the Civil War, then the civil rights struggles of the 1960s… Why not with a soundtrack that gives pride of place to the jazz and blues? “It’s a really interesting course in the heart of America,” notes Jim Loomis, who warns, however, that the Crescent is also known for its frequent… delays.