Train Tips

There are many reasons to take the train to your next UU event. In a time of climate emergency, it’s a more responsible choice than flying or driving by yourself. Trains are more fuel efficient (source) and generate less Greenhouse Gass (GHG) emissions than vehicle traffic (source). Compared to air travel, taking the train can reduce your energy consumption by up to four times (source). The long-distance passenger train service in Canada is run by VIA Rail, a company that is committed to reducing their own environmental impact. 

Besides the environmental implication, taking the train is a wonderful experience - one that I’ve indulged in many times. I’d like to encourage more people to try the train, which is why I’ve compiled a list of “Tips and Tricks” to make your first journey by train as smooth as possible. 

These tips are based primarily from the cross-country trips I've done on "the Canadian" (Vancouver-Toronto) which I've done three times now. I've also taken the Toronto-Montreal leg a handful of times and the Montreal-Halifax train once, but less recently. I'll note some of the differences as I go, but please be aware there are probably differences I’m not aware of. I have also only ever traveled “Economy Class,” which means I didn’t have a private cabin with a bed - obviously there will be some significant differences for anyone who books a bed! 

Sleeping 

• Train seats are better than plane seats for sleeping - they are roomier, lean farther back, and have footrests that pull out so that you can sit/lie at a decent angle. 

• Try to get two seats to yourself - depending on the season/how busy the car is, this usually isn't too difficult. I find the attendants are pretty understanding of those who are doing long trips and will generally not seat someone next to you unless it's really necessary. 

• Then, to sleep, you can pull out both footrests and lean both chairs back, and either lie diagonally across, or curl up on the seats or in the footwell to be horizontal. (I recognize I'm a fairly small human so this is easier for me than it would be for others!) 

• Bring earplugs and an eye mask, and your own pillow and blanket. 

Food 

• To be extra thrifty, I bring a small cooler of my own snacks. Mostly the kinds of foods I would bring on a picnic, plus something for breakfast: granola and yogurt cups, crackers and hummus, carrot sticks, mini cucumbers, cheese, buns, dry sausage, chocolate. 

• I bring my own tea bags - there is a hot water station in the activities car. For milk, I've found it much easier to ask for creamers at the canteen than to try to manage an open carton in my cooler. 

• Other essentials, if you're going this route, are a few ziplock bags, at least one tupperware with a lid to use as a bowl and plate, cutlery, a pocket knife (yes, you're allowed to bring them on the train! Or at least no one ever checks. There's very little security to speak of, at least in the way we're used to with air travel), and of course, a water bottle and hot beverage thermos.  

• There is a canteen that serves hot meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Depending on the cook, these can be quite good and are not outrageously expensive. You can buy beer, wine and spirits here too (you're not allowed to consume your own alcohol on the train). 

• Sometimes, if the sleeper cars are not completely full, they'll allow economy passengers to sign up for a meal service in the dining car. These meals are more expensive and fancy - I've never done this, but would like to someday as a treat! (I could write a whole other article about the class dynamics of train travel...) 

Activities 

• The cross-country train DOES NOT HAVE WIFI and most of the time, NO CELL SERVICE either. This is actually a wonderful gift in disguise, as long as you weren't planning on, say, using the time to work online. The Toronto-Montreal line is supposed to have Wifi, but it's notoriously unreliable, and I'm not sure about the Halifax route. So I'd say it's best to assume that you won't have internet access. (I hear some people can use their smartphones as "hotspots" to get internet, but this eats a lot of data which I don't have.) 

• The main thing to do is to look out the window! Seriously. 

• Check out the dome-car for an even better view. It's cold up there, though, so bring a sweater. 

• Other things I like to do on the train: knit, listen to music and podcasts, read a book, write in my journal, work on offline projects I've been putting off, nap. If I'm organized before I leave, I will download a movie or a few shows to watch. 

• Meet new people! The activities car and dome car are great spots to hang out and strike up a conversation. Bring a deck of cards to play with your new friends!

• Usually there will be a musician onboard who will play a few sets in the activities car over the course of the journey. These are always worth checking out, for the music and for the community-building moment. If you are a musician and are interested in singing for your ticket, check out their Artists on Board program. 

Miscellaneous 

• I recommend getting off the train at every opportunity! Have a good stretch, breathe some fresh air, smoke if you need to, run up and down the length of the train if you need to, and check in with the new landscape around you. Some days you'll have three or more opportunities, and some days only one, so take them where you can get them! 

• In the summer and sometimes on weekends, VIA has promotions for kids. This generally means that economy cabins are packed with kids! I love kids, and have had a great time getting to know them and teaching a few of them how to embroider. You might consider bringing some activities to offer to the kids you meet - their parents will probably appreciate it! And if you don't love kids, please keep that to yourself. 

• The train is SLOW. A lot of the time, it's not moving. Most of the time, it's behind schedule. Relax. This is a different kind of travel. 

• If you anticipate making train travel a regular part of your life (or even if not), I recommend signing up for the VIA Preference rewards program. You earn one point for every $1 spent, and before long you could get a whole trip free or at least significant discounts! 

• You can take a lot more checked luggage on the train than you can on the plane. If needed, an attendant can take you to get something out of your checked bags when the train is stopped, but if the train is very busy it might take a while to find an opportunity... and officially, their policy is that they don't do this. So it's best to bring everything you'll need in your carry-ons. 

• Buying a train ticket is like buying a plane ticket - the earlier you buy, the cheaper it is. Watch for sales (Black Friday, Boxing Day, etc.). Prices go up closer to the date of travel and are higher for popular travel days. Plan to buy your ticket on a Tuesday! For some reason, VIA offers deals on Tuesdays. 

I hope this is helpful and inspiring to you! Let me know if you’re travelling by train, I’d love to hear what your experience is like!