Our Amazing Adventure: Part 9 A Whistle Stop in Montreal

We had about 65 minutes in Montreal between trains. Totally enough time for another challenge! This was styled after the Amazing Race after all... 65 minutes is tons of time! And who knows? Maybe my hockey superstar son will be a Montreal Canadian some day? Knowing where to find the Bell Centre could come in handy!

Our Amazing Adventure: Part 4 Taking the Train

There were three motives for taking the train during this cross country adventure.

1. $14 child fares are an unbeatable bargain. 
2. It added to the feeling of "amazing race" and made it a "planes, trains and automobiles" adventure.
3. The train stations were centrally located and of significant architectural interest in Canada.

Le Gare de Palais in Quebec City is absolutely gorgeous! It is a castle .... "le Palais" built in 1915, it has nearly 100 years in use by the Canadian Pacific Rail/Via Rail.

Via Rail Station, Quebec City

Taking the train itself is an experience not to be missed! Short routes are a very comfortable and interesting way to travel with children.

Seats are located in pairs and each pair has a pair of electrical outlets, a large window and tray tables. You can eat, recline and watch the countryside in comfort.

Most Via Rail trains also have free WiFi. It is basic but functional. You will not be able to stream a movie or download games but you will be able to send e-mails, texts, photos etc.

Washrooms are located in each rail car. They are well maintained and are bigger than you might imagine. We were on 3 different trains. One of them was obviously newer and had a great looking modern washroom. The other trains were older, yet clean and serviceable.

There is also a light meal service available. (See current menu below.) My son had a sandwich and I had the cheese and cracker platter with a glass of wine. Though the wine came in a tetra-pack "juice-box" the food experience exceeded both our expectations. Points to note:

1. Service is bilingual
2. Bring cash
3. Soft drinks and snacks are not complimentary, like on airplanes.
4. You can bring your own food but not alcohol.

You bounce around a bit on a train. So you might wish to bring Gravol or similar, if you are prone to motion sickness.

The thing that surprised me was how little security there was at the train stations. There were no scanners, no identification necessary and no bag checks. I found that a little odd in this day and age. As long as you had a train ticket, you were "in." This also meant you did NOT have to check in an hour or so before your departure. You could walk in 20 minutes before you were scheduled to leave, flash your ticket and get on the train. As a seasoned traveller, I was a little unnerved by this and certainly more personally "on guard" and aware of my own surroundings and who/what might be a potential risk in the area.

You see the countryside differently from a train than you do a car. Rail yards, farm yards, rivers and streams. There is much to see and enjoy. It's more relaxing than a road trip where you do all the driving. With your hands free you can read, do puzzles, chat with the kids, have a drink, and be relaxed. It is much less stressful than a cross country road trip, though it can take a similar amount of time with all the stops and starts.  Minor delays and bumps on the rails are the norm. Even so, I would definitely put train travel on the travel to-do list.

Lastly, with the fare sale considered,  I found it a very cost effective and practical way for us to travel from Ottawa to Quebec City. One adult, and one child, the round trip cost $170 with taxes included. The route takes approximately 5 hours in each direction. And I really must note that it was THE PERFECT way to arrive into Quebec City.... a walking town. No car rental or expensive taxi fares necessary to reach our hotel or any of the major sites.

Our Amazing Adventure: Part 3 Ottawa

At sunrise Ry was eating his breakfast at the airport window, watching people prepare for the day's flights. Little did he know, he would be watching this day's sun set through the window of a train. But that's later! Much more to this story first!

Once we boarded our flight, I discreetly mentioned to our flight attendant that Ry and I were on an "amazing adventure" and enlisted her help to deliver the next challenge and envelope. Preparing the cabin for take-off and performing seat belt checks, she stopped by our aisle and said, "Good Morning Riley. I have your first challenge ready for you" and she handed him a small puzzle. "Just press the call button when you have it solved." The look on his face was priceless! "She's in on it too, mom?"

Once the flight landed safely in Ottawa, the flight crew went above and beyond anything I would have dreamt of asking. They invited him into the cockpit to see the controls and have his picture taken. They handed him a care package of snacks and wished him all the best in his race. Again, he was simply beaming.

On our was down the escalator to the baggage area he spied a familiar face holding a "welcome to Ottawa" sign. My friend Stacy and her daughter were there to greet us and present Ry with his next envelope.  This envelope said, "you have 3 hours to find train #28. Don't worry, we're here to help." And with that, we went to lunch with our friends and then to the train station.

Train #28.... to Quebec City!  Three provinces in one day! One very eventful day! Breakfast in Manitoba, lunch in Ontario and dinner in Quebec.  This really was shaping up to be an Amazing Race adventure.

Take the kids on the train $14.

Well, here's a deal you simply can't pass up!  Via Rail is offering $14 tickets on any route, economy class, to accompanied children (ages 2-11) for $14 plus gst this summer.

Would you like to take the kids Winnipeg to Jasper? How about Montreal to Moncton? $14!!!!

Deal is on all summer. You need 3 days (or more) notice to book at this fare. I'm wracking my brain to find a couple days that I can take the kids. I love adventure. We did the train trip in the winter when CJ was less than 2 years old. It was wonderful but of course, I'd love to do it again now that he's a little older.

Even if all you do is take the kids from Rivers to Winnipeg, and back, it would sure be worth the time and money in life experience.

Thanksgiving on the train

Imagine the gorgeous fall colours of the prairies by rail! VIA Rail has some sweet escape prices if you book now.  These are one way fares, departing Saturday October 12th, from Winnipeg. 

Take the Train!

I believe everyone should see the country (at least part of it) by train. It's bucket list worthy!

While your children are young, it is particularly wonderful to do.

Viarail.ca has a number of discounted summer fares already available.  They also have their Express Deals which are discounted trips planned 6 weeks in advance or less.

Can you believe you can go from Winnipeg to Jasper for as little as $87?  With sleeping and dining included it is as little as $282. Definitely worth checking out! I have done this trip with my kids and definitely give it 2 thumbs up! The dining was excellent!