2010 VIA RAIL CANADA MARITIMES TOUR

Prices reduced at least $240 per person, double occupancy from 2009 rates.

Value season departure:  September 30

Dates marked * offer narrations in English and German. All other dates provide only an English narration.

Tour from $3099.00

All Prices Are in US Dollars

Rail Travel Center® again is delighted to offer a tour from Toronto or Montreal to Canada’s Maritimes provinces. This series is operated in conjunction with our ground partners at Atlantic Tours.  Our program features the superb services of VIA Rail Canada, including the high-speed Toronto to Montreal corridor trains and the legendary Montreal-Halifax OCEAN LIMITED. All rail travel is in First Class, featuring superb “Business Class” service on the Toronto-Montreal Corridor (with at-seat meals and beverages included) and in the luxurious “Touring Sleeper Class” service on the OCEAN LIMITED. Dinner and full breakfast eastbound/continental breakfast and lunch westbound are included in the diner on the OCEAN LIMITED on all Regular Season dates.  On Value Season departures, meals are not included on the OCEAN LIMITED.   The OCEAN LIMITED is the flagship train of eastern Canada, offering full dining car service, comfortable lounge cars and sleepers. All train accommodations have a private bathroom.   

Between Toronto and Montreal, participants ride on VIA Rail’s “Lakeshore” route, closely following the north shore of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The OCEAN LIMITED follows the very scenic Canadian National “Inter-colonial” route to Nova Scotia. Here passengers join Atlantic Tours’ fully escorted motorcoach tour for an in-depth visit to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.). Highlights include the “Evangeline Country” of eastern Nova Scotia, and crossing to P.E.I. on the new Confederation Bridge. On pastoral P.E.I., visits are included to “Green Gables” and the red beaches and sandy bluffs of Prince Edward Island National Park. In Nova Scotia, the tour visits Cape Breton Island, travels the legendary Cabot Trail, and tours Alexander Graham Bell National Park and the Fortress of Louisbourg before returning to Halifax to re-board VIA Rail. Complete details follow. All aboard!

Day One, Thursday (L for Toronto passengers, D for all) Ride VIA Rail Canada’s “Lakeshore” and OCEAN LIMITED routes.

Participants may join the tour today either in Toronto or Montreal. Travel on VIA Rail Canada is in “Business Class” service between Toronto and Montreal on the “Lakeshore” route, and in “Touring Sleeper Class” Pullmans departing Montreal on the OCEAN LIMITED. A complete luncheon with cocktails and wine is included for Toronto passengers. The trip provides views enroute of the north shore of Lake Ontario and the mighty St. Lawrence River.  

Dinner in an elegant dining car at tables set with fine linens and china in the classic railway manner is included leaving Montreal on all Regular Season trips. Departing Montreal, a highlight is the crossing of a mile-long bridge over the St. Lawrence River and the final locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Exclusive to “Touring Sleeper Class” travel is the use of a vista-dome “Park” observation-lounge car on all Regular Season departures of the OCEAN LIMITED. The “Park” car does not operate on Value Season departures. On those dates, delicious meals can be purchased in the diner and lighter fare is offered for purchase from the two mid-train lounge cars.

Note the tour includes independent travel on VIA Rail. We pre-book and ticket all rail segments, but participants meet the tour escort at the hotel in Halifax on Day Two. Red caps are available at both the Toronto and Montreal stations to assist with luggage; and Pullman porter service is provided on the trains. We suggest checking heavy bags and carrying an overnight case for the one night in each direction on the train.

Day Two, Friday (B,L) OCEAN LIMITED across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. A relaxing day is spent on the OCEAN LIMITED as the train crosses New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.   Highlights include the Bay of Chaleur, sweeping views to distant mountains on the Gaspe Peninsula, the headwaters of the Bay of Fundy, and crossing the mountainous Nova Scotia interior. Breakfast and luncheon are included in the diner enroute to Halifax on all Regular Season tours. In late afternoon, the train arrives in Halifax. Participants have a quick taxi transfer to the centrally-located contemporary Cambridge Suites Hotel (or similar), our hotel for the next two nights.

Dawn on the OCEAN LTD along the Matapedia         Halifax Citadel by Mary Rack

Day Three, Saturday Tour Halifax. Participants explore Halifax, the great port of Maritime Canada, this morning. Visits include the beautiful flowers in the Public Gardens, the restored “Historic Properties” neighborhood, and the mighty Citadel. The afternoon is at leisure. The superb Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is located a short walk from the hotel. It has remarkable exhibits about the sinking of the R.M.S. TITANIC and the extremely tragic Halifax Explosion in World War I.

Day Four, Sunday (B,D) Tour Peggy’s Cove; Lunenburg; Annapolis Valley:   We drive along the south coast this morning to explore the exquisite fishing village of Peggy’s Cove. The lighthouse dominating the rocky entrance to the harbor is the most photographed in Canada. We continue to the lovely fishing port of Lunenburg, where you have a choice of admission to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic (homeport to the legendary schooner "Bluenose") or a walking tour of the historic district. Travel across the island to the shores of the Bay of Fundy to visit Champlain's Habitation, Canada's oldest settlement. We overnight in Digby at the legendary Digby Pines Resort (tour of June 2 may stay at the Old Orchard Inn in nearby Wolfville).

Day Five, Monday (B,D) Grande Pre, "Land of Evangeline", Moncton: We motor east through the lush Annapolis Valley to the Acadian historic site at Grand Pre, where we learn about the real tragedy that inspired Longfellow's great poem "Evangeline". We continue across the headwaters of the Bay of Fundy into New Brunswick to overnight at Moncton at the Delta Brunswick Hotel or similar.

Day Six, Tuesday (B,D) Fundy National Park; Hopewell Rocks; Confederation Bridge to P.E.I. We drive through scenic Fundy National Park and visit the remarkable rock formations at Hopewell Rocks. Here at low tide, it is possible to actually walk on the ocean floor! We continue across the soaring new Confederation Bridge, the longest multi-span crossing in the world, to explore lovely Prince Edward Island. We enjoy a festive lobster dinner this evening (non-seafood/vegetarian dishes available).  We stay two nights at the landmark former Canadian National Railway Charlottetown Hotel (or similar).

P.E.I. National Park. Photo: Carl Fowler

Day Seven, Wednesday (B,L) Tour Charlottetown; Green Gables; P.E.I. National Park; evening show. We explore Charlottetown this morning, where the 1867 Confederation of Canada was formulated. Later we drive past red beaches and sandy bluffs through P.E.I. National Park, visiting the locales immortalized in Lucy Maude Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables” books. We also tour the Green Gables home. On most June, July, August and September departures a special treat is included this evening: the musical production of “Anne of Green Gables” at the Confederation Centre for the Arts.

Day Eight, Thursday (B,D) Ferry to Nova Scotia; Alexander Graham Bell National Park; visit lovely Baddeck. We ride the Pictou ferry from P.E.I. back to Nova Scotia and cross the Canso Causeway onto wildly beautiful Cape Breton Island. The balance of the day is spent along the shores of Bras D’Or Lake. We have an exceptional tour at Alexander Graham Bell National Park, learning about the many inventions of the creator of the telephone (including one of the first successful hydrofoil boats). The Bell family lived nearby on the lake; and the Inverary Inn Resort, our hotel for two nights, overlooks the lake as well.

Day Nine, Friday (B, picnic L,D) Cape Breton Highlands National Park; Cabot Trail. A drive on the most scenic highway in eastern Canada, the legendary Cabot Trail, fills the day. We also explore Cape Breton Highlands National Park enroute.

Fog Lifting on the Cabot Trail by Carl Fowler

 The road takes us on steep climbs over rocky headlands. At one point, we travel on the crest of a razor-ridge, with cliffs dropping away to the sea and the even wilder mountains of the interior in view. In the quiet valleys, evidence remains of the lonely lives of Scottish crofters (sheepherders) who settled the region after the tragic “Highland Clearances” of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A unique stop is made at “The Lone Shelaigh”, a recreated crofter’s cottage. We have a festive “Farewell Dinner” this evening at the Inverary. On July, August and September departures (when the weather permits) a bonus whale-watch cruise is included today!

Cape Breton Highlands

Day Ten, Saturday (B) Tour Fortress of Louisbourg; drive to Halifax. This morning we visit the “Williamsburg of Canada”, the amazing Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Park. King Louis XV once complained so much of the royal purse was disappearing into the construction costs for Louisbourg that he expected to see the walls of the Canadian city rise over the gates of Paris! This was the great “invincible” bastion of 18th century French Canada, yet the mighty fortress fell twice to English sieges. After 1758, the British spent two years totally destroying the walls and homes of Louisbourg. In the 1950s, Parks Canada historians found the original plans for the city in the French National Archives and began an extraordinary reconstruction. We enjoy a fascinating tour here, seeing the houses, bastions and storerooms of this re-created 18th century city.

The Fortress of Louisbourg by Mary Rack

This afternoon we drive back to Halifax for a final night at the Cambridge Suites Hotel (or similar). The fully escorted tour ends with the return to Halifax. Participants travel independently back to Montreal or Toronto on the train tomorrow.

Day Eleven, Sunday (L,D) Free morning in Halifax; afternoon departure on OCEAN LIMITED. Enjoy a final free morning for more explorations in Halifax, then take a short taxi ride to the Canadian National depot to re-board the OCEAN LIMITED. Lunch and dinner in the diner and overnight accommodations in “Touring Sleeper Class” are included on all Regular Season departures. As noted above meals are not included on this train on Value Season dates.

Day Twelve, Monday (B for all, L for Toronto passengers) VIA Rail OCEAN LIMITED to Montreal; “Lakeshore” route to Toronto. The OCEAN LIMITED arrives in Montreal just after this morning’s included continental breakfast (only on Regular Season departures), where the tour ends for Montreal passengers. Toronto passengers change to a mid-day “Lakeshore” route service for Toronto, enjoying “Business Class” service with lunch, including cocktails and wine. Their tour ends upon arrival at Toronto.

TOUR PRICES include First Class independent rail travel on VIA Rail Canada from your choice of either Toronto or Montreal round-trip to Halifax, hotels, sightseeing and meals noted as included above, all coach and ferry fares, and escort service and luggage handling on Days Three to Ten. During the independent VIA Rail portion of the trip, Red cap service is available at the Toronto and Montreal stations, with free luggage carts available in Halifax. Participants also can check bags on the train. Not included are items of a personal nature such as souvenirs. Prices include private sleeper space on VIA Rail with private toilets. All hotel rooms have full private bathrooms.

TORONTO DEPARTURES

Value Season

$3299.00 per person, double occupancy

$4049.00 single occupancy 

Regular Season

$3399.00 per person, double occupancy

$4149.00 single occupancy  

MONTREAL DEPARTURES

Value Season

$3099.00 per person, double occupancy

$3849.00 single occupancy  

Regular Season

$3149.00 per person, double occupancy

$3899.00 single occupancy 

Canadian Maritimes Harmonized Sales Tax

4.7% HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) must be added to all prices.

 Conditions and Booking Information (the fine print)

Call Toll-Free: 800-458-5394

Website created and maintained by Glenn Spiegel, Effective Websites.

Last modified: August 16, 2010