VIARAIL from Toronto to Montreal (Economy Class) and 10 tips!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- 10 tips to make your trip with viarail from Toronto to Montreal as enjoyable as possible! Planning to take the viarail on your next vacation? In this video I will share with you everything from the overall experience with viarail (economy class), the boarding experience, amenities on board, food and drinks on board, washroom, punctuality, charging facilities, seating, the scenery, price of tickets and how to buy tickets, and more. #livingincanada #viarail #montreal
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*Important update: Note that this video was uploaded on May 25, 2022, so it may not reflect the most current information related to covid policies. Make sure to check viarail.ca for the latest updates.
Why does it cost so much from Toronto to Vancouver and why do we have to change so many trains just to get to Vancouver starting from Halifax what the hell is wrong with this country?
@@lornemcgee1476I am rather late, but those lines are not worth taking at all. They are so slow, expensive, and dont have wifi for most of the ride..
For those living outside of toronto, do not purchase a ticket to toronto with via rail instead purchase a GO train ticket separate and then book with via rail from toronto to montreal. GO train ticket can be used for any time/day as long as you activate it 5min before you board. Ticket last for 4 hour and only cost less than 20$. For example if I were to go from kitchener to Montreal, via rail would only show me a few option. Instead check go train schedules for that day from Kitchener to union and buy a ticket for Toronto to Montreal base on the schedule, then buy the go train ticket. You have more time option and if you miss the go train/bus take the next one with the same ticket
That’s a very good tip, thank you!
does windsor have access to go trains i want to plan for winter trip and i cant get a single location for windsor
Still depends actually. There are only 5 direct trains from Toronto to Montreal daily. One of them departs at 8:30am, too early to catch. The one around 11:30 takes 5h30m, the slowest among the five. The rest 3 leave sufficient gap for transfer at Toronto. The advantage of taking VIA vs GO is the speed. Most GO trains from Kitchener to Toronto take more than 2 hours, but VIA takes 1h38m.
@@labibahassan5603no go train in Windsor
We usually hop on the 8:10 am Go train from Barrie when going to Toronto. We are planning on heading to Montreal this summer, and it would be an 11:32, which will give us 44 minutes to get from one train to the next. I've done it multiple times when visiting hubby while he was posted with the Canadian Armed Forces to Montreal, and I stayed back in Ontario. There's a Tim Hortons just before the Barrie South GO, so we stop in there, get a coffee for the ride, and a sandwich for lunch. I also pack lots of snacks and our reusable water bottles.
This would be my first time travelling alone by via rail and found this video to be very helpful!
Glad to hear that, thanks!
Thanks for all the information, look forward to seeing your future trips and videos!
Thank you!
Thank you for making this video, my family have plan to visit Toronto and Quebec City this Summer and this definitely was helpful insight to us!😊
Glad to hear that, have fun on your trip!
very helpful and informative! Thanks a lot!
Very useful. And precise
Thanks for the great info about your trip to Montreal. I like watching your vlogs, hence I subscribed. it is informative.
Glad to hear that, thanks!
I love Train travel! I lived in Montreal and attended Concordia Uni! I always pack GF snack! Thanks for the vid!
Montreal is really lovely, it must have been wonderful to study there!
Thanks for making this video. Very helpful
Happy to hear, thank you!
Great video! Some of my family and friends took VIA rail from Toronto to: Ottawa a few years ago, and really enjoyed it. Hopefully I will be able to try it soon, as I have never taken it before.
I actually enjoyed it, I just wished they weren’t always delayed.
@@LivinginCanadaOnce I took it from Moncton to Halifax.. we got about 3 or 4 hours in delays but the ride was quite nice
Are you planning to travel on VIA RAIL this year? 😎☀️
Thanks for the tips! Going to take via this weekend and this video was useful
Thank you and have an awesome trip!!
I live in Kingston. Thanks for showing your stop here!
@@sanjayinkingston4296 I love Kingston! Videos about Kingston will be coming soon!
Yes, is it from brantford to ottowa?
Great tips!
Thanks!
Lol the "boarding process" really turns me off to taking the train in Canada. In France (where I live) you can literally just show up up to 2 minutes before the train departs and hop on board. It baffles me that they make people show up a half an hour early to go through some airport-like boarding shenanigans when the trains are already soo slow in Canada. Sorry for being a negative nelly, otherwise the experience on board seems quite nice!
You're absolutely right. I used to take the ICE, IC in Germany and you can also just board with any process. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Thanks for the review, The next time I travel to Toronto I will be more likely to take via rail as opposed to the bus.
It's pretty comfortable, just be prepared for the potential, likely delays!
Nice post
thank you
The washroom looks better than the restrooms in Amtrak trains. I hope to take Via Rail one day.
Never took Amtrak before, but yes, the washrooms are quite decent!!
Via is awesome
Nice Vid, Greetings from a Railfanner
Thank you!
Well that was useful. Taking a small trip to Montreal this week. Power outlets underneath the recliner handle? Was there only one per set of seats?
We sat in two rows facing one another, so there was at least 1 for each row. But I don't remember if there are 2 per row😁.
@@LivinginCanada other videos I've seen for the same type of car showed it's a double outlet down there
When I do longer trips like that i like to order a pizza the night before put it in the fridge over night and then pack the slices in Tupperware, then into a lunch bag with an ice pack and have cold pizza for the whole ride.
Great idea, but why make it colder with the ice pack, is it so it doesn't go bad?
@@LivinginCanada yeah im just paranoid about the cheese and or meat toppings going bad. its probably not an issue unless its crazy hot outside. you can wrap the icepack in a kitchen towel or scrap of cloth to keep the lunch bag cool but not ice cold. you could also just put cold cans of pop in the same bag instead of the ice pack and they should help keep it cool a while.
Makes sense, I think food starts slowly getting bad at a temperature of above 4° or so, so good call!
This has helped me decide to not take the train from Toronto to Montreal. I'd prefer to travel by train both as it is better for the environment and also usually a more enjoyable overall experience, but I've read a few different stories now about these trains often being delayed. That, plus the price is ridiculous, make the plane seem the better option now unfortunately.
I'm also curious to try the plane next time!
It's weird to me how north america treats a train trip like airplane travel. Why do boarding at all? Limits of the amount of luggage?
Just let people board the trains by themselves, check tickets inside the train. Let them take as much luggage as they can move by themselves.
I agree. The process is too complicated. I hope to make an updated video (post Covid Peak) to see whether it has changed at all.
we were not able to select seats when booking as your video suggested
Best accent ever 🙂
Looking forward to travel with the rail 😂
It's quite fun actually!
Hello, i would like to know how to travel with 2 large suitcases and 1 cabin luggage?
I’m coming to Canada on April 17th 2024 I will be arriving at Montreal airport. How can I navigate to North bay Toronto? How to pay for train / bus ticket? Thanks
I am not sure if making a trip from toronto to montreal to take a flight from Montreal airport is worth it or not
How much cost of ticket toronto to montreal ?? And how to check?
Best contents in video but there are some "adjustments" , To make it better!👏
Hey what are the policies for the luggage!? I'm having 3 medium sized bags and 1 cabin bag!
I don't remember, I have that information somewhere in the video. I think there are dimension/weight requirements
I'm proud to have Canadian in my blood. My Grandmother's family lived in Nova Scotia and other Gran's family came out of Quebec.
That's so interesting!
@@LivinginCanada pls suggest a cheap bnb in Montreal, I will be traveling on Canada Day long weekend and coming back around 7/8 July 2023,, I am traveling alone since husband and kids are traveling to India,, pls advise some cheap bnb around where via rail station is,, I will be waiting for your reply
@@nehajain7363 ah i see it's too late now, hope you had a good trip!
@@FREEGEMS I didn’t go those dates, I changed them to long weekend of civic holiday, pls suggest cheap bnb
hi! im about to book for the exact same trip and i was wondering, if im going with a large group, how can we get seats together? we are paying separately. is there a way to choose?
According to viarail: "If your booking confirmation does not show a seat number, you may choose your seat when you board the train. Accommodations are always assigned on all of our trains." So if the train is empty, you can ask the staff to change seats to group together. But it's a bit tricky, especially if the train is full. I think it's best if one person does the booking, and then you collect the payments. You can't guarantee that the seats will be next to each other, but there's a higher possibility as the system usually books the closest seats together. Also btw, there is a group offer for 10 travellers and above. Haven't tried it yet, but who knows that there are seat arrangements too. Check this out: www.viarail.ca/en/offers/groups
Boarding process, gates, baording pass?? WTF?! This is a station, not an airport. Let people get onboard the train on their own, without any fuss. Just indicate the platform on the departure board and it will do. Canada should have a look in Europe and East Asia and get some inspiration from them.
Not sure how it works now though, the video was made in May. Hopefully things are easier now. Yes I remember in Germany I simply hopped on the train with my ticket and they would check in on board.
Canada is a police state with zero common sense ...the only country where a train company weighs your luggage before letting you board ...what a ridiculous country
There are gates in Europe, people have tickets and there are different classes. The boarding process was just scanning the tickets and separating based on class type. Why are you making such a fuss about something so minimal?
@@nataliajimenez1870 Why do YOU, Canadians, make such a fuss about taking something so basic as a train? VIA Rail even weighs people's baggage! Incredible... And, for your info, there are hardly any gates for trains in Europe: they're really the exception, not the rule.
Glad you were able to enjoy this trip, while I was barred from traveling within my own country, violating my constitutional rights.....for no good reason.
That's too bad :(, I completely understand! Wasn't a fan either if you ask me!
Hey is this Economy fare escape seating? Does it have any other seating? Whats the difference between fare escape and normal economy? Please reply. Thank you!
The seating is just economy. The escape fare and economy fare are just pricing options, no difference in the seating. Hope that helps!
@@LivinginCanada thank you soo much for the reply. I’m travelling next month and yes! This helps. :)
is food free in economy class?
Thank you for clarifying something that via rail’s site CAN NOT do
Wondering which part that was, but thank you!
@@LivinginCanada the total experience..the pro’s but especially the con’s
Helloo iam from germany and i have a question: how much coast the trip for 1 Person from Toronto to Montreal?
It ranges from around $70-$150, one way. To get the best price, book early! Ich hoffe es ist nützlich (bin in Deuschland aufgewachsen) :)
can you bring own food on train?
Hi, did they check the tickets? Like if me and my friend are in seperate cars does anyone care?
Yes it's like boarding on an airplane, they check the tickets before you board, and also on the train. So you need to each have your tickets on your phone to make things easier, cheers!
How many bags are allowed?
How much business class ticket costs?
How much is the travel time from Montreal to Toronto
It's about 5.5 hours but with delay, over 6 hours. You can find the baggage policy in your ticket (I put a screenshot somewhere in the video too). Never took business class before!
Compared to most of Europe, Japan and China Canadian passenger rail is so clunky and slow. Even Amtrak is (usually) better.
I've taken trains in Europe (ICE Germany) and Japan (Shinkansen), and they're definitely much better then viarail. I've never taken Amtrak or Chinese trains before, so good to know that!
Can we book via rail ticket offline by reaching union station?
Yes you can buy viarail tickets at the station directly. But I would recommend buying these online. If you buy them on the day you may not be able to get the cheapest fare. Hope this helps!
So can I take my luggage bag
Tip # one , take the bus , its faster and cheaper , Via rail does not own the tracks , they have to stop quite often to allow freight trains the right of way , I traveled from Halifax to Kamloops B.C. on via rail , but would not suggest the windsor corridor on Via to anyone , to many stops , to much freight traffic , to many chances to get into a collision with a freight train
Good tip, yes, taking the GO Bus (within Ontario, GTA and surroundings), or even Megabus can be faster sometimes. It's crazy how often and how long Via Rail stops.
Hi, do we have an option to buy extra luggage?
Sorry, I have no idea!
Luggage being as limited like that on a train is ridiculous. I am Canadian but experienced in traveling by train in several countries in Europe I have to say that Via Rail is not very good in comparison.
I've used the ICE a lot in Germany and I do like it better!
Finally some Canadian with common sense ....the rules and regulations in this country are beyond ridiculous....for example for the Megabus any extra luggage you should pay a full ticket for it ...via train charges you 40 dollars extra ....I have travelled all over Europe and even Africa and I have never seen any rail company weighing or measuring your luggage ...Canada is a ridiculous country ...plus did you see those security guards watching passengers boarding a train ...WTF ...RIDICULOUS .....
Hi,
Do they have wifi inside the train?
I think they do, but I didn't use it so can't say if it's reliable or not.
Why do you keep saying you reserved seat? is not the seat assignment done by via rail? Buyers can't choose it
When booking the seats together, we were assigned seats in a row (two rows facing). But correct, as far as I know you can't reserve specific seats.
@@LivinginCanada Then that means your 2nd tip to reserve seat at the end of the car is not valid.
I hope they give this option to reserve specific seats in the future.
Better than the GO train 🤣
I actually like the GO train better, as the viarail is really bad at being punctual!
Having to yield to freight train traffic is something I really don´t like about Amtrak. Up until the post WW2 era, the United States was the world leader in rail travel, and the best connected. After the auto industry threw their weight around, and the government were building the interstate. So there was a heavy emphasis on cars. If I was president, which is never going to happen, I would put a heavy emphasis on expanding passenger rail, making it accessible and practical. In other parts of the world, I can literally go anywhere in the country or region I want by train. I actually hate driving, and would rather just sit and reduce the stress of travel.
I also wish the transportation infrastructure was better. In Japan it's so well connected. Trains are frequent, affordable, and on time.
@@LivinginCanada I´m planning my first trip to Japan later in the year. Shinkansen is on my bucket list, and I´m going to spring for Gran Class at least once.
If l have an illegal status can l take it with any risk?
Not sure I understand your question. Are you referring to permit in Canada?
How much is the round trip ticket Toronto to Montreal
At the time I traveled it would have been around $79 * 2 ~ $160 plus HST. But if you book early I believe you can get cheaper tickets!
How do you know where is the right side of the train😢
I don’t remember what’s this in reference to, but usually it refers to the right side of direction the train is going
Mon rêve c'est de devenir conducteur de train au Canada 🍁
Luggage is for per person or for whole family ?
I would say per ticket.
@@LivinginCanada I am planning to travel to Montreal and I have 4 members so 4 boarding ticket but I have received only 1 receipt
Please is this an economy or economy plus
Just economy
Is Via better than Amtrak?
I've never taken amtrak, so no idea!
You need proof of vaccination to go to Montreal still?
At the time of uploading this video, yes. But now it seems that it's been suspended "VIA Rail has suspended the verification of vaccination status for all passengers." (viarail.ca). Make sure to check the official viarail.ca website for related updates! Cheers
The only thing they advise you to have is an ID now.
@@t-bagbagwell1327 thank you
i think i'll just drive 😅
Please slow move your camera if you are moving it left to right or up down.... gives me a headache. U should know that by now since clogging is your thing. Thanks
I noticed it! This video was during the pandemic, so a while ago.
How much it’s cost
The escape fare cost around $69+ HST at that time, one way.
I really like your videos. They're informative, therefore, I want to listen to what you're saying. However, the unnecessary music in this one was driving me insane, so I switched off after two and a half minutes. I hope the next video of yours that I see isn't overpowered by music. Thank you
Glad to hear that you like the videos! Yes, after listening to it, the music volume is actually a bit too high here. Thanks for letting me know!
I did subscribed with g mail address but I haven't receive any notification message in mail when they send offer please let me know a.s.a.p
Perhaps it went into spam? I regularly receive their emails. But for the tuesday discount you can actually just check in to their website a few days before.
@@LivinginCanada Thanks for a replay
I have checked in every folder there are no message yet I was trying to book by online but I couldn't able to do it so I wend to via rail station to book for a ticket I got an amazing deal for travelling from Toronto to Jasper AB. $487 including tax.
you made me realise I don't want to do this trip
My Family and I(yes)
I and my family (no)
Proof of vaccination to board a freaking train?
What a clown show
Ikr.....!
@@LivinginCanada I liked this video until I saw your comment. Bye!
@@masterseems8005 lol imagine getting mad a TH-camr just because they said ikr.. 🤡
@@masterseems8005 It is stupid to need a vaccine just to ride a train or plane.