FIRST CLASS TRAIN Across Canada 🇨🇦 (4 Nights, 97 Hours!)

welcome on board this first class train across Canada the Canadian is one of the world's longest and most scenic rail journeys and over the next four days and four nights we'll journey across Canada eating drinking and sleeping onboard the train and will do it in the most luxurious way you can Prestige class hello jet Setters I'm Jeff Brooks from greenergrass.com this is the Canadian and you're coming along here's the plan we'll leave on Wednesday morning travel across five provinces through vast forests over endless prairies and climb breathtaking mountain passes all in we'll cover nearly 3 000 miles over almost 100 hours to reach Vancouver on Sunday morning and it's on that last day from Jasper to Vancouver where we encounter the most epic sustained scenery we've ever seen from the rails don't miss it but for now it's back to Toronto Toronto Union Station is Canada's largest it was built in 1927 and still reflects the Grandeur of that age [Music] this station is incredible it's beautiful in here it's North America's second busiest station behind New York's Penn Station and passengers traveling in sleeper accommodations in the Canadian have access to the business Lounge that's us it's a very nice space I am beyond excited it's about time to board we're making our way out to gate 17 for this departure across Canada [Music] train one not two not three train one here it is the Canadian about to get on board the longest train by far we've ever taken and the longest train in North America too it's time to get on so uh let's head back there all aboard this is always the most exciting part of any rail journey getting to see the train for the first time and this is a beautiful machine we're in the very last car the park car right by the bar so it'll be interesting to see what that experience is like all of via rails Park cars are named for national parks ours Glacier Park was built in 1954 now the two rooms in this car one for passengers and Wheelchairs and the other this one will be ours wow this is nice there's a tremendous sofa in its daytime configuration a window half the size of Canada itself and loads of other amenities will explore a little later in the journey but for now it's time to check out the rest of the park car so our room is in the very last car on the train which is a parked car and it has this bullet Lounge in the back of it but the best part of it that's up here it's up these stairs look at this up here you will find this incredible Dome with his unbelievable views I think this is where we're going to live on this train journey all right we haven't left yet but uh first impressions of the train Suzanne it's beautiful like it feels the story but really nicely appointed and I think we might have the best room on the train this is a really cool car yeah it's so convenient to be right back here there's a big tour group that's occupying the rest of prestige class so we're the only solo well Duo by ourselves back downstairs there's additional seating in the bar there were always snacks available here by the way drinks snacks and meals are included with Prestige tickets oh and there's pretty much always hot coffee available back here too [Music] we pulled out of Toronto Union Station right on time at 9 55 a.m and if everything goes according to plan we'll step back off the train in Vancouver in about 97 hours there aren't that many trains where you can look out the front and the back this is going to be epic it is our pleasure to welcome you on board train number one the Canadian in route to Vancouver as the Train's two locomotives and 20 cars eased out of Toronto we enjoyed an unmatched view of the CN tower the Western hemisphere's tallest freestanding Tower before toasting our journey with mimosas of course the service team passed around Kenneth Hayes and our journey began in Earnest but we're not going to be hungry on this trip back in the station we'd been asked what time we wanted to eat we could choose an early seating or a later one not sure what to go with we just chose to eat early lunch at 11 and dinner at around 5. it's time for our first meal I think we're gonna have something like 12 13 15 I don't know a lot of meals on this train but it's time for the first one it's lunch let's go check it out the dining car is nicely appointed in white tablecloths at A Touch of Class menus change each meal and drinks are available at no additional cost to prestige passengers you won't be surprised to learn that only Canadian wines are served on board Suzanne opted for the veggie burger while I picked the pulled pork both sandwiches were filling and flavorful to lunch we made our way back to the park car which is closed off to the rest of the passengers on board until 4 pm each day this seems like a good time to check out our cabin look at this space this VIA Rail Prestige room is incredible this sofa is so comfortable to up here some storage for the bedding which folds down from here at night on Prestige class you don't have a train attendant no you have a concierge who comes in and sets up your room at night takes care of any requests you might have this is truly first class now there are also tons of buttons you can change the lighting settings the temperature but my favorite is that the bathroom floor is heated so all you have to do is press that button and the heat in the bathroom floor turns on how great is that over here there's a little bit of a cabinet you call it now it says it's a cooler but it doesn't seem to keep anything that that cool so it's just a nice cabinet also my first experience on a train with a TV apparently it's got movies pre-loaded and check out this washroom this is the only category of a room on the train that has its own shower ensuite it's so amazing to be able to have this amount of business number of amenities to yourself on this train but doubtless the best amenity is this massive window [Music] no a fair amount of time on this trip will be spent waiting for Freight traffic these stops aren't usually more than 20 minutes or so and if they do last longer than that there's usually an announcement about what's going on this is about to pull into our first stop with Chago Ontario need four more to go after this one Fair we probably won't make all of those stops since many are only by request however there are several stops with enough time for everyone to get out and stretch their legs some like in Winnipeg Saskatoon Edmonton and Jasper are scheduled for several hours to allow work on the train and slack in the schedule so if we're on time we'll be able to get out in those cities and explore the area around the station high expectations first part of this journey in terms of scenery we're most excited about the views through the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia but Northern Ontario really impressed me this is a beautiful part of the world in fact the province is home to more than a quarter million lakes and contains one-fifth of the world's fresh water [Music] welcome to Perry Sound Ontario The Trestle we're on here was completed in 1907 and is 105 feet tall the view is extraordinary each afternoon around 3 30 or so the service team would present a plate of canopies to prestige guests these were always a welcome treat and we enjoyed sharing our plate in the park car's bullet Lounge views from here are really special we also enjoyed lingering here before heading back to our room to regroup for dinner [Music] we're days and four nights this train is by far the longest fun we've ever been on what's your local so far uh I mean the Texas Eagle which was right at three nights okay and mine thinks the Empire Builder which was two nights maybe two and a half days this is a full four days and four nights I mean it's important to ignore the fact that we are crossing the second largest country in the world but right now it's time for dinner so let's go grab it it's five o'clock just so you know we accidentally picked the early seating so it's actually not even five o'clock and we've got to go eat we're still learning how things happen on Acadian we found selecting our seating time each day to be a bit of a guessing game we wanted to avoid eating during fresh air breaks but it wasn't always clear when those would come because of unpredictable delays we did our best a first course is offered exclusively to prestige guests it was caviar tonight which it turned out Suzanne doesn't really care for oh well three more dinners means three more chances at each dinner you're able to choose a starter course usually soup or salad and a main as well Suzanne's chicken was moist and tasty and my steak will it was perfectly prepared you can also have dessert which we almost always skipped we've just passed through Sudbury Ontario home to the late great Alex Trebek who is the best game show host ever we just got back from our first dinner on VIA Rail what did you think I thought it was really good my steak was incredibly well cooked very juicy and tender so I'm I'm a fan what do you think meal two out of 12. it was a good one about nine hours into our trip we reached Gabriel our first fresh air break with no Wi-Fi on board and spotty cell phone coverage reaching these larger communities often meant a chance to reconnect with the outside world first opportunity to get out and kind of experience the warm summer weather here in Canada but also to check out the train this thing is huge there are four Dome cars activity cars sometimes they're called it's a big Trend but it feels so good to get out and just experience it all this is always one of my favorite parts of any trading Journey Smokey here yeah we certainly uh really feel for everybody suffering from the wildfires going on in Canada we're glad to be here and grateful to see the country but sorry to see so much of it hurting so our thoughts are out to all of you it's been just terrible so hopefully it'll improve soon but uh they're about to call All Aboard so let's get back on that train shortly after pulling out of Cape reel the sunset began we intentionally chose to travel in summer in order to maximize daylight now I'm sure Canada looks amazing blanketed in Winter snowfall but we wanted to see as much as we could so we traveled over the summer solstice in June and that turned out to be one of the best rail related decisions we've ever made especially on our last night coming out of Kamloops if you like these views just wait for Alberta and British Columbia after that Unforgettable Sunset the room has been completely transformed check out this bed what you can't see is just how comfortable the mattress is it's probably the best one I've ever experienced on a train you know it's first class when there's chocolates on the pillow but it's been a long day [Music] good morning it's about 5 30 here in the parked car I enjoyed about seven hours of sleep Suzanne's still resting service begins on the train it's 6 30 and we set our clocks back overnight as we've entered this part of Canada central time zone so I pretty much got this place to myself for maybe another hour as I uh enjoy this scenery let's get the day started the Canadian currently operates twice a week and is extremely full sleeper accommodations are hard to come by especially in summer be sure to book in advance now as we'd mentioned earlier the rest of prestige was filled by a tour group who weren't quite as early risers as me apparently it's quite common and we were able to book our room with VIA Rail because someone on their tour had canceled now everyone including their guide was extremely welcoming to us and to that point you'll most likely share your table at meal times with other passengers but those conversations are the highlight of the experience before too long though I had company how'd you sleep I would say the bed was more spacious than I expected so I could sit fairly well how about you I agree and the other thing I think it's worth saying is that mattress is super comfortable I think one of the most comfortable mattresses I've ever experienced on any train plane or automobile here we are a beautiful morning to commencing and that can mean only one thing breakfast unlike lunch and dinner you won't need reservations instead it's offered on a first come first serve basis and back in the park car there are options for a lighter approach to starting the day too [Music] we just got an announcement there's been an incident ahead with a freight train which caused a backlog so we've been sitting here for well a good couple hours uh second freight train just passed and we're moving again so hopefully we'll be back on our way when it comes to rail travel you just sort of got to take what you can get especially when you're in a passenger train on freight tracks that's okay we'll get there when we get there we've pretty much been hanging out in the park car it's pretty awesome uh really and it's fortunate that our room is right here but that's time to go check out the rest of the train let's suck let's go on an exploration in front of the park car where we're staying there are two Prestige Cars each with six cabins then comes one of two dining cars the one we were assigned it also houses a kitchen behind the wall there on the left that leads us to a Skyline car there's seating here coffee snacks and best of all a dome and our train had a total of three of these cars VIA Rail staff offered activities in here like trivia and bingo along with lectures throughout the journey downstairs there were plenty of games and even books there's always something happening here [Music] the train had several sleeper cars which offer both berths which could be cordoned off by a curtain and sleeper plus cabins with doors now those cabins include bunk beds sink and toilet but no shower there are shared showers and washrooms in the sleeper cars though there were also two economy coaches which offered 2x2 seating back to our cabin at 70 square feet these rooms are 50 percent larger than the sleeper plus cabins and as you've seen include your own private washroom and shower again all of your meals plus beverages are included in the fair and we paid about 4 500 US dollars per person for this four night Journey now we don't usually talk about price in our videos since it changes so often depending on so many factors but do you think we should include it moving forward let us know in the comments below we made our way back to the bullet Lounge as we passed by Armstrong you know many of the stops in the Canadians router By Request Campers or locals will call ahead and let VIA Rail know they need to be picked up or dropped off at one of these stops and the engineers will take care of it otherwise the train just rolls on through no wouldn't you know it lunchtime it's the Falafel wrap for Suzanne and the beef burger for me but both of us love this scenery we headed back up to the dome in the park car and arrived just in time for something really exciting well that was pretty exciting VIA Rail number two they are less delayed than we are which is why they pulled off on the siding and we're continuing our journey West running about two hours behind right now and those delays continued as we encountered even more freight traffic [Music] by this point we were about four hours delay when we crossed this bridge and made the stop at Allen water [Music] life on this train is a constant kind of rotation between the dining room far but now we're gonna try something new yeah we're headed up to uh I think play some Bingo is that right hopefully we'll see how it goes spoiler alert not to brag or anything but I don't cook too good at bingo you ready you know it's a game chance right you would think that earlier on our walk through the train we'd noticed this board in the Skyline car closest to us so we decided to return the seats in the dome here in the Skyline car offer much more leg room by the way than the ones in the park car we settled in before receiving our cards [Music] but the games lasted about an hour and got pretty intense at times we were so close to winning what'd you think of your first train Bingo experience I think my skills really do translate across borders really I mean I was one away from winning every single game really impressive work I was really proud to be married to you I I really I realized the reason I asked you to marry me just those skills we headed back to the bullet Lounge for canopies just before another fresh air break welcome to sue lookout Ontario one thing you gotta love about Canadian train stations one side the Train the other side that's wilderness these stops last about 20 minutes enough time to get out and stretch our legs before heading back out and we're on our way out of Sioux Lookout unfortunately we're running like three maybe four hours late which means we're not gonna get to Winnipeg until after midnight we think and that's too late for us so unfortunately we'll have to make a return trip to Winnipeg but for now it's time for dinner [Music] dates wrapped in bacon to start chicken for me fish for Suzanne while we were at dinner the concierge turned our room into a comfortable place to rest but let's get specific about the size of this bed it's time for the greener grass measuring tape how big is this big bed let's find out too big for the big for the insurance day this 12 is 72 72s is long 52 inches wide that's one inch for every week of the year that makes this bed closest to a full-size bed at the stop we just made is normally about three hours to Winnipeg it's eight o'clock now which means we won't get to Winnipeg until 11 o'clock at the earliest I think it's fair to say we're not gonna make it but that's okay there's still plenty to do and see from here sorry to miss the town but we'll make it up to you winnipeggers when a peggins people of Winnipeg I want to apologize for our daily operate operations today you choose the significant amount of free traffic that we encountered overnight and recording also wanted to inform you that the entire crew will be changing at Winnipeg tonight well it's almost 10 o'clock but we're sending the clocks back so nine o'clock it's time for bed see you in the morning good morning from the park car it's about 5 15 I had another seven hours of sleep we're well and truly in the Canadian prairies about an hour and a half to Melville start of day three on the Canadian at this point it's just you me a cup of coffee and the sunrise all told we were about four hours late getting into Winnipeg last night but thanks to the hard work of the crew the train was now only running about an hour late now our train was scheduled to stop in Winnipeg for two hours last night and a lot has to be done in that time not only did we get an all-new crew to take us on the Vancouver but the train was refueled or water was added further fresh Linens food drinks were brought on board too loads of work was done well Suzanne and I slept foreign while we're here to enjoy the experience and the scenery many passengers use it as means of public transportation which is why it's subsidized by the Canadian government [Music] one of our favorite activities on board was watching out for animals and we saw plenty there's even a bear in our not too distant future [Music] it is always a luxury to have a shower in your room and this is one of the nicest ones we've ever seen get this it even has a heated floor so as we begin the third day in the third Province Saskatchewan on the board the Canadian it's time to shower up space is always at a premium on any train but this is super comfortable it has all the room you need to take a great shower I feel so much better now who's ready for a train hot tip so obviously the less luggage you bring into your room the more space you're gonna have to enjoy and stretch out so we both brought carry-on bags onto this tray and you could also check bags if you want to but here's the tip bring a smaller bag kind of to leave out during the day um maybe put your pajamas in there a fresh change of clothes so you don't have to go and rummage through your luggage every single time you want to get something especially tough at night when the bed is folded down and your luggages are stowed away in past videos I've outed Suzanne as an engineer and here's even more proof of her skill set at solving problems this light was shining in her eyes but she fixed it what did you use in your uh Your Design there how to make doing what you have on a train it was a gun wrapper and some like shift tape off this uh chocolate box whatever it takes [Music] the endless views of prairies and Farms were welcome change from the last couple of days but we were also very excited as our next stop approached quickly we are just pulling into the station here in Saskatoon Saskatchewan we get about 30 minutes out on the platform definitely looking forward to some fresh air and the opportunity to move around a little bit welcome to Saskatoon unfortunately this station is out in kind of an industrial area rather than downtown as the team added fuel we hopped back on the train for lunch [Music] Suzanne and I both had the ginger beef one of our favorite meals so far back in the U.S we'd call this area the plains but here in Canada they're known as the Prairies then while I was really enjoying the views from today it's tomorrow that I'm even more excited about in fact the primary reason British Columbia which we'll visit tomorrow agreed to join Canada was because the country's promised to connect its Pacific Coastline to the east by rail that finally happened in the late 1800s thanks to the Canadian Pacific Railway the Canadian Northern Railway grew up a few decades later with track farther north and by 1977 all passenger networks were unified under a government corporation we know today as VIA Rail back to the present day where it was time for canapes and to Carnival in Wainwright Alberta it's just about time for dinner on day three here on the Canadian yes it's been a day full of prairies and Farms it kind of reminds me of that scenery on the Empire Builder through North Dakota in the first half of Montana yeah quite beautiful quite different than yesterday it's Big Sky country just the Canadian Style but you can feel the excitement building for the uh entry to the Rockies tomorrow I'm ready but uh first dinner things kicked off with Bruschetta prime rib for me and Suzanne had chicken with Local Saskatoon berries and Canadian lentils we even split dessert a carrot cake cheesecake [Music] as Edmonton came into view the bed was calling our name we've just reached Edmonton uh unfortunately uh it's a little late and we are ready for bed we'll be here on the platform for about an hour we're gonna go to sleep you see tomorrow morning we're waking up super early for a good long visit to Jasper see you tomorrow we set the alarm for 4 30 this morning in order to get up here to this Dome car and enjoy these views coming into into the mountains and and I am sure we're about to be richly rewarded right now there's still a bit of cloud in but it's looking good out there let's get another day started [Music] and what a day it would be it turned out that day four on the Canadian was about to rank as one of the most visually stunning Days of Our Lives oh my gosh this is unbelievable this is what I think of what I think of Canada [Music] definitely an early morning day for I'm a Canadian but well worth it I these beautiful mountain views already just a side of what's to come today I'm so psyched the sun came up and we made our way into the Canadian Rockies and the town of Jasper where the train would received service for around three hours while we would be free to explore the Canadian Rockies are only about 75 miles wide here but the rest of the day will be spent traversing a series of other mountain ranges [Music] we passed the grass covered Landing Strip called Jasper Airport we got a beautiful clear view of Mount Robeson the highest point the Canadian Rockies [Music] we arrived here in Jasper about 6 a.m but the station doesn't open till 6 30 so we're hanging out here waiting for them to open the doors and then we'll go explore town a little bit hope you'll join us and just like that we're off the train here in Jasper it feels good again to be stretching your legs a little cooler up here than yesterday in Saskatoon which I am happy about there was actually a snowfall it is currently June and there was a snowfall just a couple of days ago so we're gonna get out of town check it out maybe grab some breakfast and some coffee but uh for now it's just wonderful to be off the train seeing beautiful Jasper the train station is our entrance to the town built in 1926 it was declared a Heritage rail station in 1992. what a stunning warning and what a great opportunity to get off the train you really don't get these opportunities on Amtrak maybe the Maxwell might be like about an hour of a stop this is about a three hour stop so we're really getting a chance to get out as far A little bit and what a morning to do it it is absolutely beautiful out here if it weren't 7 30 in the morning we'd have a toast to Mike Downing in there but alas there was a continental breakfast on board but we chose to head into town and check out Coco's Cafe instead Suzanne's Breakfast Bagel was fresh those Tomatoes were juicy and my wrap was really nice that was a really tasty breakfast the eastbound train arrives here at Jasper at 11 o'clock in the morning when more shops and museums and restaurants would be open unfortunately we're here a little earlier which means pretty much everything's closed but that's okay we really wanted to travel from east to west so we could have our sort of grand finale Crescendo be what we're going to see today when you're in the mountains you gotta get out and do a little hiking especially when you've been sitting on a train for the last three days so let's uh take a little stroll just a few blocks from the train station we found the Jasper Discovery Trail it wasn't very difficult but gave us a flavor for hiking in this part of the world it's always good to be in nature and also it's nice to be able to move around after a few days on the train sadly we had to cut our hike short and make our way back to the train where we toasted an on-time departure and even more views the many of the trains that come through here carry grain and some of it falls out as they pass this easy to access food can be awfully appealing to the local Wildlife like this black bear [Music] oh we eased past VIA Rail train number two this one left Vancouver for Toronto at three o'clock yesterday while we were still in Saskatchewan the crystal clear waters of Yellowhead Lake were remarkable but they were no match for the breathtaking Beauty we saw on Moose Lake these two glacier-fed Lakes just outside Jasper have to be some of the most beautiful in Canada maybe even the world the brilliant blue-green color of this water is thanks to fine particles of pulverized rock that absorb and Scatter sunlight in ways that can give it the Striking color [Music] thanks to our location in the park car we could easily get views from the back of the train which meant a breathtaking perspective on Mount Robson the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies the morning seemed to quite literally fly by there was never a dull moment it's definitely not easy to pull ourselves away from these views but it's time for lunch thankfully there are windows in the dining car too we're gonna head that way again an early morning continental breakfast had been on offer so the menu today offered both breakfast and lunch options [Music] Suzanne had the pasta and I went for the chicken pot pie as usual both were Hardy but you better believe we got back upstairs just as soon as we could and lucky for us we were just in time for a spectacular view of pyramid Falls at the left side of the train from being five hours behind schedule on day two to now being ahead of schedule we're just sort of sitting here enjoying the scenery in this part of British Columbia just shows you how much well either how much slack there is in the Via Rail schedule or just how long this rail journey is either way I'm enjoying the views and I hope you will too we even spotted the rocky Mountaineer making its Trek from Vancouver to Jasper we want to travel with him in Canada soon but in the meantime don't miss our video about their service from Denver to Moab in the United States I'll link to it in the description below before long the afternoon had slipped by and it was time for a wine tasting to accompany our canapes how first class is that sentence although Canada may not be known for wine that hasn't stopped VIA Rail from highlighting it we tried a Chardonnay sauvignon blanc and a Banco Noir after our first time tasting wine on the train I've got to say the bako Noir which is a new to me great was my favorite I think I'm gonna have a glass now for me when we sat down for dinner we almost immediately arrived in Kamloops home to Rocky mountaineer's maintenance facility a shrimp and crab appetizer proceeded soup and a salad I had the lamb and Suzanne she had the salmon well it's fair to say we have eaten really well on this trip what was your favorite meal of this trip I think my favorite was dinner the other night with the chicken with the Saskatoon berries they have Canadian lentils I appreciate that local Flair that I put on some of the meals my favorite was like the furthest thing from local and it was the ginger beef we had for lunch the other day that was really nice very tasty it's really been impressive the food they prepare on this train initially we were sorry to have missed the fresh air break here in Kamloops But ultimately having an earlier dinner turned out to be one of the best decisions we've ever made we're about to experience one of the most beautiful things we've ever seen from the rails we had zero expectations for this section coming out of Kamloops we thought the best was behind us but this track on the backs of the Kamloops Lake and then along the Thompson and Fraser Rivers is as beautiful as anything we've ever seen from a train and sometimes pictures just need to speak for themselves [Music] thank you remember how British Columbia joining Canada was dependent on this Rail Link well with Incredible engineering you see here it's pretty clear just how important it was to link east and west overall this has been an amazing journey we were of course most excited about the scenery on this day but every part has been incredible from the lakes and trees of Ontario to the Prairies of Manitoba and Saskatchewan on through to the rugged mountains of Alberta and British Columbia it's all been remarkable and the service from the entire VIA Rail team has been Next Level their dedication to customer service is a testament to the warmth of the Canadian people overall this is a trip every rail Enthusiast really needs to add to their bucket list what we have just seen is some of the most amazing scenery we've seen on any train anywhere is that right absolutely I mean this whole day has really encompassed what the Braille zone is like I can't think of one other day on a train that if it's just this stunning and magnificent from moment one to just now I mean it's it's been absolutely unbelievable it's time for one more night of sleep and a quick breakfast then we're off this train back up in the uh park car observation dome for the last time in the view here of Vancouver station is sure different than some of the wild and wonderful things we've seen on this journey there can be no doubt this is one of the world's greatest rail journeys thank you so much for coming along after four days four nights and 2775 miles welcome to Vancouver between now and the next time see you on the rails VIA Rail Prestige I'm sorry about that how did you mentally prepare for this I did not it was I packed a bag and got on the train I didn't claim this let's let's start over oh with duck a lot of smokers of all kinds of things so we're gonna head back in nice t-shirt I'm Jeb Brooks from greenergrass.com so wonderful to be out here in nature and enjoying all that uh nature can provide Jasper where nature is in your backyard ah very refreshing sauvignon blanc from the Okinawa home very refreshing

Channel: Jeb Brooks

Views: 4,375,875

Keywords: first class train, first class train cabin, first class train travel, first class train food, the canadian, the canadian train, via rail, via rail canadian, first class train ride, luxury train, luxury travel, train travel, train trip report, australia train, the ghan train reviews, train in canada, luxury train travel, canadian prestige class cabin, prestige reviews, via rail first class, trains canada, luxury sleeper train, luxury trains, train across canada

Id: zQRJ1n8igG0

Length: 37min 52sec (2272 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 01 2023