VIA Rail

Service Levels

SilverLeaf Service: Travel in a custom-designed, single-level, coach with oversized glass-dome windows. Relax and take in the dazzling vistas, and enjoy delicious hot entrées plated to your preference and served in the comfort of your seat. Complimentary beverages, including wine, beer, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks will be available throughout the journey.

GoldLeaf Service Travel in a custom-designed, bi-level coach with fully glassdomed windows for panoramic views. Enjoy the stunning views upstairs, and savour the delicious meals downstairs in the private dining room. From the attentive service provided by your Rocky Mountaineer hosts, to the gourmet meals inspired by the passing regions and prepared by talented chefs, GoldLeaf Service is quite simply as good as it gets.

From coast to coast, through mountains, prairies, forests and cities, you can explore all regions of Canada from the comfort and convenience of modern rail.

VIA Rail operates over 500 trains per week in eight Canadian provinces, with a network of over 12,500km, making it Canada’s primary passenger rail service.

VIA Rail Routes and Services

The Canadian - Vancouver to Toronto*

This four-night journey departs from Vancouver and travels through the majestic Canadian Rockies to Jasper and on to Edmonton before crossing the prairies to Toronto. Travelling in Sleeper Plus class, by day sit back in comfortable armchairs; at night, attendants will transform your quarters into cozy bunks or a private bedroom. You will have access to domed lounge cars for 180-degree panoramic windows for spectacular viewing. Gourmet meals are included in the dining car while travelling in Sleeper Plus class. Upgrade to the new Prestige class, offering an elegant cabin that is 50 per cent larger than the cabin for two with a larger viewing window, private bathroom with a shower and a flat-screen TV.

The Skeena - Jasper to Prince Rupert*

The Jasper to Prince Rupert train makes a two-day journey from the rugged splendour of the Jasper National Park and the Canadian Rockies to the stunning beauty of the Pacific Coast. You will disembark the train in Prince George for an overnight stay before continuing for a full day on the train to Prince Rupert. Choose the relaxing ambience and attentive service of economy class (available all year), or upgrade to touring class to enjoy exclusive access to dome car seating and meal service at your seat. Touring class is available on set departures from mid-June to late September.

The Arctic Adventure - Winnipeg to Churchill*

You will watch the beautiful Manitoba landscape transition from majestic prairies to towering boreal forest, to the barren beauty of the tundra on this 1700-kilometre journey to Churchill. Churchill is known as the polar bear capital of the world, has an abundance of wildlife spotting opportunities (including Beluga Whales) and spectacular northern lights viewing opportunities. This service is available year round with the option of an economy seat or Sleeper Plus class.

The Corridor Service - Toronto to Québec City*

This is a very convenient, comfortable and scenic way to travel between the key cities of Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, Montréal and Québec City. Services depart multiple times per day from central locations. You can choose the value of an economy seat or upgrade to business class, which offers exclusive check-in, lounge access at the train station and meals while on board the train.

The Ocean - Montréal to Halifax

The Ocean train makes an overnight journey along the St. Lawrence before crossing the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The train leaves Montréal just as the sun sets over the fertile farmlands carpeting the southern shores of the St. Lawrence River and the Matapédia Valley, arriving in misty Chaleur Bay early the next morning. After breakfast, enjoy lessons on lobster traps, wine sampling and other activities in the panoramic car. You can choose the value of an economy seat or upgrade to the Sleeper Plus class for a cozier overnight accommodation.

*All routes are available in reverse.

Bookings:

Terms & Conditions

Bookings can be made through our friendly reservation staff, or with your travel agent of choice. For the best selection and availability, it is recommended tours be booked as far in advance as possible.

The prices for all tours are based in Canadian or US Dollars (CAD or US Dollars). Your tour price is based on your country of residency. If you are located outside of Canada, your pricing will generally be in United States Dollar (USD). Please advise the location of your residence address at the time of booking.

Price Guarantee:

The tour prices listed on our website are based on currency exchange rates trading on August 1st, 2022. If a price is listed in US Dollars, it will be clearly mentioned as such. Prices are based on costs and exchange rates as of August 1st, 2022. Should these currency exchange rates change significantly it may be necessary to add a surcharge onto the price of your tour. However, no surcharge will be made in respect to the exchange rate changes at 60 days prior to departure and full payment has been received by Anderson Vacations.

Deposit/final payment policies:

A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required at the time of booking to secure your reservation. Final payment is required 60 days prior to departure. If a reservation is made within 60 days of the departure date, full payment is required at the time of booking. All final payments are preferred to be made by direct bank deposit, wire transfer, E-transfer, or by cheque. Payments made by these means, automatically qualify your for a price reduction. Some tours that include services operated by other organizations may require a larger deposit; Adventures Canada, Rocky Mountaineer, Via Rail, and other third-party service providers have deposit and final payment terms different from our standard requirements. These will be passed on to you and discussed with you at the time of your initial booking.

Changes to Reservations:

If you wish to change your booking to a different tour within 60 days of departure, we will do our utmost to satisfy your request. A service charge of $50.00 per change will be levied to cover administrative and communication costs. Upgrades will be charged at the rate of the upgrade. Separate supplier change fees may apply depending on the arrangements booked. Any supplier change fees will be passed on to the client.

Cancellation Policy:

Should you need to cancel your trip, you (or your authorized travel agent) must notify us in writing by e-mail immediately. Insurable risks may be covered under your trip cancellation insurance policy, if purchased. We are not able to grant partial refunds for any unused trip arrangements like voluntarily missed meals, sightseeing, transport, etc. after the trip has commenced, or any refunds to trip members who do not complete any portion of the itinerary for any reason. All air tickets are fully non-refundable and valid only for the flight(s) indicated.

1) Cancel of a tour before final payment (61+ days): your deposit is non-refundable. We strongly suggest that you have comprehensive travel insurance in place to cover any financial losses should you need to cancel for unforeseen reasons.

2) Cancel of a tour after final payment, and before 30 days prior to departure (60-30 days): a future travel credit will be offered for all payments received, that can be used towards any Anderson Vacations tour departing within the following 12 months. Cancellation fees and non-refundable payments made to other travel service providers, if any, will be deducted. These are typically thirdparty non-refundable payments made to hotels, railways, and other travel services by Anderson Vacations to secure travel arrangements on the client’s behalf.

3) Cancel of a tour within 30 days of departure (29-0): No refunds or travel credits will be given. We strongly suggest that you have comprehensive travel insurance in place to cover any financial losses should you need to cancel for unforeseen reasons.

Please note:

Some suppliers’ cancellation policies can vary, including cruise lines and rail companies. You will be responsible for all additional cancellation fees imposed by such providers of service over and above the Anderson Vacations cancellation fees. These cancellation fees are required to offset booking, communication, and administrative charges which have already been incurred by us, suppliers and your travel agent. Cancellation fees imposed by suppliers and travel agents are beyond our control and you should check with your travel agent regarding what cancellation fees may be applicable.

Regrettably cancellation charges cannot be waived. There will be no exceptions. No refunds on unused services after departure from the original city. Travel Health, Cancellation and Interruption insurance is strongly recommended to avoid financial losses.

Travel Insurance:

Anderson Vacations STRONGLY RECOMMENDS adequate and comprehensive travel insurance to all persons travelling to all destinations. Travel insurance can be purchased to cover penalties in the event you need to cancel or change your travel plans due to unforeseen circumstances. Travel insurance can also provide medical and emergency assistance protection during travel, as well as loss and delay coverage. Visit your travel agent or call one of our insurance specialists for details. If you do not carry travel insurance, all medical expenses, and losses due to weather and unforeseen changes are entirely your responsibility. No refunds for unused or changed travel arrangements will be provided in these circumstances.

Visas/Passports:

Holding valid travel documents is the responsibility of the traveller. A passport valid for six months beyond date of travel is required for entry into Canada and several other countries. Visa-exempt foreign nationals are expected to have an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or transit through Canada. If you require an eTA you can apply for this online. Please discuss this with your travel agent or one of our specialists at time of booking.

Documentation:

Travel vouchers, tickets, departure details and supplier addresses will be provided as part of our final tour documentation. All documentation is sent electronically. These are tickets and as good as cash. Lost vouchers will require a $50.00 processing fee to resend.

Is there a charge for small groups (under ten participants)?

We pride ourselves on providing “a small shared group experience.” In the event that we have fewer than ten participants on a tour we will offer a “small-group surcharge” to ensure that the tour runs as scheduled. This fee, which is 15% or less of the “land” portion of the tour, will be offered to you as an option to continue with the trip. This fee will cover the costs associated with handling a smaller group.

Responsibilities:

Anderson Vacations acts only as an agent for the owners and contractors providing transportation, accommodation or other services and is not responsible or liable for any loss, damage or injury, delay or accident due to an act of default of any company engaged in providing service included in these packages. The right is reserved to decline or accept any person requesting a travel package or to refuse to retain a member of a group or individual travel program. Scheduled changes may occur. Anderson Vacations management reserves the right to make any adjustments in plans which may be necessitated due to situations not under our control.

Itinerary Changes:

Our tours are planned 1-2 years in advance and occasionally the program may need to be adjusted, or schedule changes may occur. Anderson Vacations reserves the right to make such adjustments in the program as may be necessitated due to circumstances beyond our control before or during the tour for the overall safety, comfort, and enjoyment of our travellers. Any changes made to the itinerary will be communicated to all passengers affected by the change in advance of the departure of the tour.

Force majeure:

Anderson Vacations is not responsible for any additional costs, claims, losses, damages, expenses, delays, or loss of enjoyment of any nature or kind whatsoever resulting from any events caused by circumstances not under our or our suppliers’ reasonable control. This includes but is not limited to weather, strikes, cancelled or delayed transportation, fuel surcharges, labour disputes, riots, blockades, wars, health pandemics, terrorist attacks, earthquakes or restraints imposed by government authorities. We may cancel departures if forced to do so by circumstances of what is commonly referred to as force majeure. If cancellation occurs within the 60-day period, we will offer to postpone your trip to another similar departure within 12 months of the original tour start date; or, if circumstances do not permit, an alternative will be offered at that time of notice. We will not be responsible for costs associated with re-issuance or extension of visas, airline change fees, or for any compensation. We strongly recommend that all travellers purchase trip cancellation insurance, either through Anderson Vacations or elsewhere, as this may provide coverage under such circumstances.

Brochure Images: Every attempt to credit the official photographers and location has been made.