Via Rail Canada

5 stars based on travel between the two largest cities, Montréal and Toronto. Downtown to downtown in approximately 5 hours. NO hassle getting to and from airports, passing security etc. Business class is a real pleasure. Lounges in both cities are modern and stocked with magazines/​newspapers/​coffee options etc. Wagons have been refurbished and the seats are very comfortable. Basic wifi worked perfectly (yes, there is a restriction on usage ie. video playback, uploads etc.). Food was totally acceptable and the service was excellent.
I have also traveled in standard class… and it is fine although the wagons were not as nice. Quite a bit cheaper than business class.
VIA does not have dedicated rail… so you might have to wait for a train to pass but it usually doesn’t take a long time. Most of the trains I have taken were on-​time and even a bit early. IMHO this is the most pleasant way of traveling between these two cities. Book on-​line and book early to get escape (cheaper) fares.

Travelling by train is always a pleasure, especially in Ontario. I love the sights and I feel it’s the only way to make up for the fact that i’ll probably never enjoy one of those epic cross country road trips many partake in.
But Via Rail has a lot of issues to work out. Mainly the INTERNET ACESS.
ACCESS IS RESTRICTED (no streaming movies or downloading ‘large’ files, even an itunes purchase) and
BLOTCHY CONNECTION (does not work consistently any of the way).
On the upside, the staff are friendly and professional and it’s a comfortable ride both in economy and in business. There is a complimentary waiting lounge for first class business travellers that is not indicated clearly anywhere and often goes to waste.
Lastly the weight allowance is decent but don’t think you can round your weight– like your bags, you’re on your own.
I RECOMMEND: Travelling ECONOMY. I recently opted for business and there is no notable difference except for avoiding the line and receiving some meal service of no exceptional value.
EXTRA TIP: If you can pick your seat, sit on the odd-​numbered side travelling east and on the even side travelling west– better views ;)

I’m writing this review as I head back from T-​Dot to Windsor on the train. I must say, after travelling Via Rail Business Class I’m pretty impressed with what they have to offer. The food was good. The appetizer was prosciutto which I’m normally not a huge fan of, because it can have that odd after taste, but this was good. I ordered the curry beef as a main dish, it was the equivalent to an economy meal on a plane, pretty good. Alcohol was all free, they pass out chocolates after dinner, free WiFi throughout the entire train, and it’s comfortable.
If you can buy a Business Class ticket during their web escape deals, it’s totally worth it. Only about $ 10 more than some economy tickets. They do need to start upgrading the trains to be a bit quicker, but rumor has it, that’s forthcoming. It’s not a horrible way to travel at all, I’ve been doing it for about four years now

Via is a great option for short trips… I’m writing this from the train on the way from Toronto to Montréal. The price is very affordable ($ 140 all in). The train seat is very comfortable and overall the experience is pleasant… I probably would have rated this trip 4 stars is the moron in front of me hadn’t decided to lean back until their seat was almost in my lap… yep VIA brass if you are reading this either add more leg room or prevent the seats for tilting so far back…
I’ve taken the train several times before on this trip and always prefer it to either Porter (although it’s a close second)… I would never fly short-​haul from Pearson and Megabus should be renamed Megabusted (the seats are brutally uncomfortable… to the point that I suggested they should send some to Guantanamo as interrogation tools…).
The dining options are poor… but there is pretty of alcohol (bonus)… at $ 6 per an of beer (minus 1). Regardless, I’m opening a tab and then I’m going to tie one on… let’s see it’s a 5 hour trip… should be good for about 12 beers… time to start!
Cheers from the train.

Why North America has yet to jump on the high speed rail train is beyond me. Our national railway system is okay, but come on Canada, speed it up.
First class is 4 stars, but I rarely treat myself to an upgrade. In coach they charge you $ 2 for drinks which really annoys me. The train goes slow, they know they’re gonna get you. I’m too stubborn to to pay for the food so I don’t have exact prices, but those are some sad looking sandwiches.
They do get mega props for now having FREE Wifi in coach and working outlets at every seat for laptops.
PEPPER POINTS: To my mom, Nancy, for making me insecure about this review. Well played.
Nancy: What are you writing?
Me: A review. Of Via Rail.
Nancy: Toronto to Cobourg. Fascinating. (Leaves room laughing).

I feel sort of bad for Via Rail. I get the sense that they would like to be better, but just can’t. At least I hope that’s their excuse. It’s not their fault that Canada is so big and they have to compete with airlines and buses.
I’ve taken two Toronto to Winnipeg round trips, a Toronto to Halifax RT and a Toronto to Gaspe RT. Not one left or arrived on time. Often they were hours off schedule.
In economy there are no assigned seats. So if you get on in the middle of the route you’ll have to push aside sleeping bodies to get a seat. They won’t be happy with you, and who could blame them? It’s not comfortable to sleep in that manner.
After a few hours the washroom bins overflow with paper towels and don’t look good. The food available to buy is overpriced, nasty and gas producing.
In short, experiencing the romance of train travel is better in theory than in practice. Shorter trips (6 hours or less) are fine, but the long haul is not pleasant.

If you don’t have the cash for Porter, take Via Rail. It’s a painless experience from the online booking, to the Panorama Lounge to the big comfy seats. Pay the extra few bucks to kick it in business class: nice meal and free booze during your entire journey, I felt like it was old times. Free wi-​fi, an easy booking process and a nice view out the window; not too shabby.
The staff in Montréal are a bit harsh; when it’s time to board, they are yelling out instructions, car numbers and whatever else in a very unorganised manner, it’s definitely a tad rattling and completely unnecessary. I’ve never experienced a late train but I do have to say that the Ottawa station is boring as hell and makes Montréal’s central station look like Sodom and Gomorrah in comparison.

Took VIA rail this previous weekend between QC and Montréal. It was 55 dollars per person. My boyfriend and I had flown into QC as part of our original air tickets but, flying back out proved unnecessarily expensive when we could just take the train.
Train travel is romanced and many a travel writer has said to travel by train is to travel electively at leisure whereas to travel by air is to be strapped in a screaming speeding metal death tube. Maybe true.
Either way everything except the boarding proceedure for the train was relaxing. A man came to scan tickets. A lady came to serve passable sandwiches albeit a little overpriced for what they were.
The views of the more rural areas of the Quebec province were worth it though.