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.
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| 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.
