Amtrak: Getting to Canada by Rail
"A train is more than a mode of transportation, it's an experience" Some things are simply better when seen through the window of a train. Like quaint coastal towns and historic cities, snow-capped mountains and sun drenched beaches, cosmopolitan centers and untamed wilderness. They all make your journey to Canada by train a part of your trip rather than just the means to reach your destination. This is the Amtrak Experience.
IN THE WEST...Getting to Vancouver, BC and Canada's West Coast
If you really want to see the American West- see it from a long distance train. Amtrak offers four routes which feature the heritage of the west from the Grand Canyon to Los Angeles, the beauty of San Francisco and Napa Valley to the Tranquility of the Pacific Northwest.
The California Zephyr heads westward from Chicago and travels across the plains and all the way to San Francisco. The Southwest Chief travels from Chicago through Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona into southern California. The Sunset Limited travels from Coast to Coast across the sunny south and the Empire Builder lets you experience the rugged northern tier from the heartland of the US across the grasslands of the mid west on through the rugged mountains of the Pacific Northwest to Portland and Seattle.
The journey from Los Angeles to Seattle on the Coast Starlight is filled with dramatic scenery. Long stretches of Pacific shores, fertile valleys, dense forests and snow-covered mountains wedged in between the frantic hustle of Los Angeles and the laidback lifestyle of Seattle. In the dining car you will enjoy the chef's creations or an afternoon of wine tasting in the Pacific Parlor Car.
Operating between Eugene Oregon and Vancouver British Columbia, the Amtrak Cascades takes you through some of the most beautiful scenery the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Passing through Portland the City of Roses the train heads north through Washington State and past the majestic peaks of Mt Rainier and Mt Baker on its way to Seattle and eventually one of Canada's greatest cities, Vancouver, British Columbia.
IN THE EAST...Getting to Toronto, Montreal, and other Eastern Canada Destinations
If you're game for a little international adventure the Maple Leaf takes you all the way from New York City along the Mohawk river into upstate New York, along Lake Erie to Buffalo, past the wondrous and magnificent Niagara Falls and on to Canada's largest and most exciting city, Toronto.
If you want to head north from New York there's lots of see on the Adirondack as it travels through the lush wine country of the Hudson Valley and alongside the magnificence of the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Champlain. Continuing north through Lake Placid, site of the 1980 Winter Olympics it crosses into Canada finishing this rail journey in the largest French speaking city outside of France, la belle Montreal!
The Amtrak experience is also about coaches, sleeping cars, dining cars, dome cars and lounge cars. It's about meeting and mingling with other passengers from all over the world. It's about tempting menus, selecting fine wines and taking hours to finish your meal as you watch the world pass by. It's about enjoying the relaxing pleasure of ever changing scenery, a good book, a game of cards or an in-depth conversation. It's all about the Experience.
For complete details about schedules and pricing for getting to Canada on Amtrack, please contact one of our Travel Specialists.