Riding Canada's iconic SLEEPER TRAIN - VIA Rail
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- Опубликовано: 13 май 2023
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My guy, you’ll never need to tell people you’re Canadian with that glorious hockey hair. We’ll always know.
that's exactly what I said 😂
There is a song called "I've Got An Ape-Drape" by The Vandals.
I think you'd appreciate it.
That’s some bad hair
I dunno I miss the short hair.
Could also be a bogan
I'm an engineer for CN rail and I run trains on the tracks between Wainwright, AB to Saskatoon, SK plus Saskatoon to Melville, SK. I recognized every b-roll spot you had in that part of this video, Saskatchewan is actually really beautiful, I agree!
Thank you for your service, in case no one else tells you that.
I work for Virtual Railfan and we have a camera in Revelstoke, I can't wait till we get more locations in Canada! If you ever come by, wave at the camera mounted at the Revelstoke Railway Museum (make sure you let a Moderator in the chat area know you are there)!
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As a British Columbian who has driven coast to coast I find Saskatchewan scenery pretty boring (I know some people like prairies, just not my bag). Guess I'm not much for prairies. There is so much beauty across this country, but I think the Rockies beats everything. I always know once I hit the Rockies when I've been away that I am close to home. I live on Vancouver Island which has incredible natural beauty.
Meeting someone and becoming friends is a good feeling.... no awkward silences, genuine smiles and the conversation just flows
When I lived in Canada (Toronto) in the 1990s I took Via Rail across Canada in the winter and it was so incredibly memorable. I remember seeing the Aurora Borealis and the beauty of the country. If I hadn't already been in love with Canada, that train trip would've done it. Thank you for bringing back so many happy memories for me with this one.
You saw the Aurora Borealis from the train?! Lucky!
@@DownieLive Yep! I spent most of my evenings up in the dome car with all of the lights off staring in awe at the dancing lights.
Sound so cool. In my 40 years in Toronto, we never used a train, only the car trips. Have to do it some day.
Would love to know if there is any specifics in planning that allowed you to see the Aurora Borealis? That would be part of my goal in planning a trip like this. It sounds amazing!
I Will do it too
I want to see the Aurora boreal
I’m amazed at how calm you are. I’d be afraid to explore in an hour long stone for fear I’d miss the train.
yeah walking a full block then ordering a drink while trying to set up numerous camera angles seems pretty difficult to do in just one hour
I would do it for the pastries but not sure I'd risk it for the oval lounge.😂
Same here.
Take 45 minutes then head back. 😅
@@sct4040 I'd still be freaking out though!!!
Hey Michael,
since you have had a German with you, I recommend you check out Germany next. You are always welcome to visit Germany. There wont be such great food on the trains and dome cars only on historic trains, however, the landscape and the cities and villages make up for it.
Also keep up the great work and your positive vibe.
Greetings from Germany. :)
You can book a seat at the panorama car from the EC Hamburg to Switzerland. It's a very nice view at the rhine valley between Bonn and Mainz ;)
Oktoberfest would be a great time of year.
We totally need to do a train trip sometime Mike
Sup Will! Nice seeing you here. Huge fan of your videos aswell and would indeed be fun to see a travel vlog with you and Mike sometime :)
Yes! It'd be a nice change of pace for you, I'm sure you're just exhausted of all those first class plane rides. 😉
Yes, please!
This will be my Super Bowl.
This collaboration NEEDS to happen!
I'm a New Zealander but my wife is Canadian Born (Nova Scotia) We're visiting Canada in August/September to see relatives. She is not a train buff but I am and I'm booked in the Canadian to Vancouver while she flies. Your video has helped convince me to do it. And actually I have travelled on the longest in the world. The Trans-Siberian from Vladivostok to Moscow in 2005. I did it in two sections first to Irkutsk (3 days) to visit lake Baikal, then to Moscow (4 more days) Not luxurious at all but great fun. Apart from Putin Russians are fun loving even if there's a language barrier. One day it'll all come right for Russia and that journey is spectacular especially in the East.
greetings fellow kiwi.
I've dreamed of the transsiberian train for decades, including a layover to explore Irkukst and Lake Baikal. Here's hoping for peace ✌️ in the world. Till then, the Canadian rail looks like an interesting alternative.
Gotta love VIA Rail! I'm German as well and I just had my first ride ever with them yesterday. Their employees are so friendly, organized, calm and generous. It doesn't matter for me that it's not the most "on time service" because the German train isn't as well, but this is pretty much the only similarity between those two. "Love the way" is probably the best slogan they could have come up with. Really looking forward to my next trip with them!
I rode the Canadian for my 16th birthday and being from Florida you run out of adjectives to describe how beautiful the Canadian Rockies are!
I really like how you can see Seb becoming more comfortable as the days passd
If I had to be on a train for four days, I'd want to be traveling with Mike
Yes I saw this too. At the start he was awkward but by Day 2 at the end he felt more social, joking and stuff
As a German I was not surprised by that at all. We often need some time to really be comfortable around new people, but when we get, we can be pretty open towards them.
I've been wanting to take this exact trip for years! Already crossed the USA on Amtrak on every route.
This train is at the top of my bucket list for sure. If I ever go to Canada, this is the first thing I’m doing.
oh yeah
prices are ridiculous its cheaper to fly
@@JeSuisHulktaking the train is better though. More scenic, and more eco friendly.
@@JeSuisHulk That's not the point of this trip.
@@iplayClarinetthewrongway Dunno if a four-day diesel-powered train journey is more environmentally friendly than a four-hour plane journey.
Kia Ora from the Kiwis on the train with you. The video looks great and reminds me of the great time we had travelling across the countryside and getting to know the other travellers. It was good to get to know both you and Seb, and to enjoy the surreptitious drinks of the final night with newly made friends. Keep up the good work, and we will be watching from afar.
24:25 .. like a true German, does not break eye-contact on "cheers" lmao
This was an exceptionally nice train. It's a risk taking a 4-day train trip with someone you met only three times, so I'm glad it worked out well. On long train trips meals are the highlight of any day and these looked great. And as you said, "There's always room for ice cream."
Yeah I thought at the end when he said "you may not believe this but we are early" I thought he was going to say they were still friends: haha.
hi john
For those that haven’t had a beaver tail, it’s basically the best fried dough you’ve ever had 😂
I need to find a recipe for those! They look amazing.
Looks a lot like an "elephant ear". Between that and the poutine, you're probably over the recommended daily calorie limit.😂😂 That lamb on the first night's dinner plate sure looked good, too.
This was such a fun adventure! Seb is adorable and such a trooper. 😁
I'm so glad of these videos right now. I just got back from an overseas trip to find that my contract at work was not renewed, so now I'm looking for a new job and living vicariously through your amazing travel videos. Thanks for providing a great distraction and inspiration to keep going while I'm looking for jobs.
I hope you find a job quickly and one that will be rewarding and pleasant .
You shouls try the amtrak berkshire flyer. Its the ACTUAL least ridden train with about 1000 a year. Its a seasonal train available friday-sunday during june-october
A great alternative to flying! I rode on The Canadian back in 1959, when it was CP (going through Calgary); and again in 2017, using the more northerly CN route. The food was excellent and the dome car (one of four) was my go-to perch. The train was about 24 cars long, so it provided a great view of the cars snaking around the curves when in the rear dome. The only downer was having to wait 30 to 45 minutes for the higher-priority freight train to pass. I hope videos like this encourage more train travel!
Note: CP denotes Canadian Pacific and CN denotes Canadian National. Now it's just VIA Rail.
Mike..You impressed me how welcoming you made, "Seb" feel, hope I got his name correct, and how friendly you are, as you showed him our beautiful country. Much respect Mike and hopefully one day our paths will cross during our travels. My wife and I love watching your videos/channel and we also love to travel by car, train, planes, and by boat! My wife and I are off on a May 24 road trip tomorrow morning to watch Icebergs.
Trains trains trains. Grew up on them even before Amtrak. Thank you!!!!!!
I love Canada and all things Canadian!❤❤😊😊
What a fun, good-natured and enjoyable experience traveling with you guys across Canada. I can't believe I haven't watched you before. I'm in from here on, my friend.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Jp was one of my favourite supply teacher in school!! Such a nice person
Did this trip in 2011 with a friend and this story mimics ours. After the Rockies, it was days of breakfast, “is it still flat?”, nap, lunch, “is it still flat?”, nap, dinner, beer, bed… repeat😂
I think I'd start in Toronto and end on a high note (BC). I'm from the West Coast (Vancouver Island) and have driven Coast to coast. BC beauty can't be beat. Prairies are boring scenery (in my opinion).
Completely unrelated to this vid, but I just watched through your entire narrowboat series, after just narrow boating yesterday, and it was great! Looking forward to this vid!
saving money and making plans to celebrate age 75 next year on this train. Watching all your videos. You have inspired me! Thank you so much❤️
We did actually have some dome cars in Germany in the 60s and early 70s on the Rheingold express train. They were made so passengers could fully take in the narrow Rhine valley between Bonn and Mainz with all its castles and steep hills. Some of these cars still exist and one was even converted into a rentable business car.
Born in the USA, Lived all my life in the USA but I know I'm Canadian too because I love the Country!
I'd LOVE to take this trip! Seems absolutely amazing to take a train across the enormous Canada with all it's landscapes, mountains, prairies, farmlands and everything❤❤❤🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
It really only goes part way. There is a lot more than just Vancouver to Toronto. I'm from the West Coast. I have driven all across the country right to the Maritimes.
Watched most of your videos over the past weeks in the UK. Done so well and authentic, I feel like I’m there too ! Lost our little girl a few months ago but you have helped us to find another purpose and connect. Taking every day as it comes. Such brilliant videos from you. Thanks
I am so very sorry Andy. Love sent to your family.
Travelling cross-continent by train is on my bucket list. I won’t care if it’s Via Rail in Canada or Amtrak in the USA. Either way, it would be amazing. Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
Hi ! I really enjoyed your video. Best I've seen so far. I made this trip in 1968, 55 years ago ! Then, Via Rail didn't exist but the train was very like yours. It went from Montreal then to Vancouver. I stopped off in Jasper, camped out in the Rockies for a while. It was cold ! Then took off for Calgary, through the mountains. Amazing scenery. Saw some friends there, took another bus back to Edmonton, rejoined the train to Vancouver. A very memorable trip. Too old to go anywhere now. Thanks for the revived memories.
Rocking the Canadian mullet dude!
That's one thing that doesn't change, the rail from Vancouver to Toronto, is the great views of Jaspser, Rockies, the rolling parties, and finally Ontario!
Thanks Michael for taking us along on this train trip! This is something I've always wanted to do!
I love how the conductor(s) really got into yelling "All Aboard!!"
They've seen some old movies.
I've travelled this route more than 25 years ago right after college, although not nonstop. Without the luxury of a sleeper car. I got off the train in Jasper and Edmonoton and then on to Toronto. And yes those delays add up. Still a great experience and fond memories.
I think I rode this train more then 50 years ago, as a small child. It was a very simple train then. we slept on the seats for at least 3 nights and brought our own food.
To travel such a distance, in 5 days/4 nights must be a magical experience. Thank you for sharing!
14:12 absolutely LOVE poutine
i absolutely love this video. the fact that you didn't know each other well, but you sorta bonded. just so fantastic. and, all the great experiences on and off the train are inspiring
I'm from the Netherlands and I love trains. Yet I have only traveled by train within my own country. I should definitely go on some international/long distance trip like this some day.
Nice bro
You're ideally situated in the Netherlands for international travel - the rail starting point of my interail trips.
Enjoyed seeing all you experienced in 96hrs on Canadas longest train. Beautiful scenery, good food, great company, & new friends. Have a good week.
Best memory of riding Van-Tor - one late evening, found myself riding solo in the park car's dome, and asked the attendant to kill the dome lights as he closed up shop. Let the glow of the moon and the signals just glisten off the top of the Budd cars. So strangely tranquil. Wished it never ended.
I did this trip back in 2018 in economy class. It was such a great experience but I was still happy to sleep in a real bed again afterwards :D
Another epic adventure Mike, and it was great to watch Seb's comfort level and awe evolve as he discovered Canada by train, or a portion anyways. Seb now needs to experience the 'Ocean' from Montreal to Halifax, just another day and a bit to complete the cross Canada trip. Always enjoy "being with you" on your journeys!
Every time you see, downie life upload something know it’s going to be a good day
Beaver tails were one of the best things about visiting Canada as a New Yorker
I enjoy how you and your friends make the trip fun .I took an Amtrak Chicago to Texas .,Chicago to Virginia and loved train travel.
Great video. You two need to train around Germany now. As someone who has had Germany on his bucket list since taking 4 years of German in High School and still hasn't made it there, I'd love to see the German countryside from a trains view.
Another great train ride Mike. It’s now on my bucket list.😊
I have no idea where Sebastian hails from in Germany, but there are certainly some routes that have panoramic cabs. Towards the Austrian and Swiss border mainly.
0:54 "just on time for my announcement" and then that guy cassually droped a railway equivalent of "180" in darts
This was an EPIC vlog and journey Downie! Thanks for taking us along the train was gorgeous!
I really enjoyed this vlog because I rode the Canadian from Jasper to Toronto in summer 2018, and our days and nights were the reverse of yours. I never saw the snow of course, mountains outside Jasper, Qu’apelle Valley, out any major cities (just Sioux Lookout, etc). I never wanted that ride to be over! The food, sunsets, views, and utter relaxation (and no cell signal) were unforgettable.
I have been on "The Canadian" 51x (25 round-trips) + 1 trip Ottawa-Vancouver in 1964 when it still left from Montreal. Back in 50-70s it only took 67 hours to go Toronto-Vancouver because passenger trains had priority over freight then. Cheers from a fellow Canadian.
cool story
I hadn't seen one of your videos for a while, but found this trip as delightful as your others! I especially loved the way your responded to your companion's question if you ever find it boring since you travel on trains a lot. Your timing in your response was perfect and I laughed out loud. Thank you so much Mike for continuing to share your train travel with those of us who dream about doing this sometime in the future. ❤
Would be interesting to see a video focused on the crew. What their bunks look like, how they like working on overnight trains , etc.
Beaver Tails!!🎉 we had the same thing at the Central Washington State Fair. We called them Elephant Ears. They are the best, aren't they? Its so nice your German friend got to have one. We love our beaver tails! This is a great video. I never tire of traveling my favorite routes Thank you Michael!❤
Great video, I love seeing Canada by train. I need to do these trips one day. Thank you for introducing me to all these great places to see across Canada. I will definitely keep a list for future references. Thanks Mike!
Beautiful sceneries of Canada, I enjoyed it. Welcome to the USA Zeb. Good video Downie and I will try AG1👍👍
You really need to visit Switzerland for some train rides!!!
A country that's all about precision.
Been such a long time since your last upload. Worth the wait. Looking forward to more adventures and hopefully a network travel log... eventually.
It's been like 2 weeks
Viewing this reminded me so much of my August 1989 trip from Vancouver to Jasper on "The Super Continental". Yes, it was summer and yes, this was the 2nd transcontinental train on Via Rail's offering at that time. I did the Brewsters Coach Tour from Jasper to Banff and returned from there on "The Canadian".
You have captured the best part of the transcontinental journey in the first 15 minutes of your video. I recognised the New Westminster bridges and Hell's Gate in the Fraser Canyon. I had a big laugh at your "bear nap" following your post -Jasper lunch, consumed on top of the beavertail, beer and poutine. Funny how you woke up in time for dinner that evening.
I still have fond memories of meals in the dining car, especially noting that they still have the frosted window dividers within the dining saloon.
Back in 1989 the sleeping carriage I was in on the forward journey was an old style section car with the zip up privacy curtains, but I scored a twinette berth on a stainless steel car for the return. The Park Observation Car with dome seating and rear lounge was popular as always. It is such a pity that from October last year Via Rail has put an empty barrier car behind the Observation Car due to some structural integrity concerns with the carriages (after all they are 60 plus years old).
In September 1995, I did the triangular trip in the reverse (anticlockwise) direction by road with my good friend Kevin and a fellow Aussie traveller, James. Kevin took us several kilometres east of Jasper to Henry House and Devona to take in the Mietta range that you viewed from the dome car. It was late summer and the weather and scenery was superb.
Thanks again for awakening my memories with your more recent coverage. Cheers from Michael in Melbourne.🙂🙂🙂
Really amazing Vlog and story!
We are based in Finland also doing vlogs to show the culture in here 🇫🇮💪🏻
💪🏻💪🏻
😍
This trip is literally part of my bucket list. Were the beds comfortable? Was it expensive?
Approx CAD 3000 if booking cabin for 1 at that period of year (April - May)
Very expensive!
Yeah when I do this trip (which I will eventually), I might just go with a simple Berth (approximately $800 USD [March 2024 if you book right now])
DownieLive brings a type of Brendan Fraser wholesomeness to travel vlogs. Change my mind.
I crossed Canada by train many, many years ago. Your video brought back many fond memories. Thanks for sharing that most amazing journey.
A monumental experience - thank you so much Mike for taking us along!
I think I would like to travel across Canada than America.
PS love your suitcase.
Good job showcasing Winnipeg! The station there is truly fantastic. Showing the Fort Garry hotel was a nice touch too! Wonderful building.
This is just a bit of a fun fact about 1:42 but Germany did actually have dome cars for observation back in the day like those on the Canadian. But only 5 were built in total for a TransEuropeExpress train called the "Rheingold" in the 1960's inspired by the cars in the US and Canada. However all 5 cars are now under various different ownerships. Some are owned by heritage societies, and I know one is owned by a service who rents it out as a private car for conference meetings and parties. The closest thing to them today are a few carriages with tall panorama windows owned by the Swiss railways SBB. This is also a bit of a fun fact but the Rheingold dome cars after the Rheingold was discontinued were actually used on overnight trains in Sweden between Stockholm and the arctic circle in Narvik, Norway, the northernmost point of the European standard gauge rail system. But the coaches were built for the small mainland europe dimensions with height and width, meaning that even with the dome included they were only about as tall if not a little shorter than the other coaches on the train to the arctic.
Another great video. I just watched Seb's, too. Food looks excellent. Amtrak needs to do a case study. Was this Seb's longest train trip?
PS: You need to do an Orient Express video!
Here's wishing that Amtrak receives the care and funding it deserves. Their staff works so hard with the aging equipment they're given 😟
Maybe I'm just weird, but 96 hours on a train sounds *amazing* to me.
That was great! Really enjoyed the trip! Thanks!
Our pleasure!
Thank you DownieLive for another enjoyable trip with beautiful landscapes, delicious food and lots of drinks. Vicariously, I enjoyed every minute of it. 😄
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Ohhh what a great vid downie 😊 . My mom is Canadian and its on my bucket list to do this journey . I visited Canada as a child and remember every single thing about it .. astonishingly beautiful country. X
I loved the Prairies too! Ginger beef and rice, best meal of the trip. Thanks for your upbeat video.
im subs, idk how much time i have spend from watching your content omg. the scene, the shoot always beautiful and dont got me dizzy
I'm impressed by the food!! Thanks for taking us along
Oh my goodness what a great trip👍👍thanks Mike for sharing another great adventure .🛤🛤😊
This looks like a great train trip. Going across Canada via train is a bucket list item for sure. I always enjoy the positive spin you put on things.
No matter how many times you go across Canada, I will be watching! Love these train trips. Need to get back on a train, it has been way too long! Thank you!
Thanks again for a fun travelogue. I watched Seb's version a bit ago. You both did a wonderful job in showing the joy of train travel. I think I commented on his vid about the flatness of Saskatchewan that he should watch the Corner Gas episode that featured that joke. And I probably should splurge if I visit The Peg again by staying at the Fort Garry but I went cheap last time. Comme toujours, merci mille fois.
"Try the gray stuff, it's delicious" and the beautiful 'REAL' dishes! We don't see this on AMTRAK I'm afraid, nowadays. The food looked very good, better than average as well! I appreciate you & your wonderful 'vlogs' of travel to somewhere with us along for the fun and educational experiences. Thank you, Michael.
"It's not about getting fast" very true but at the same time it is about getting there...on time.
Great video, looks amazing. Now to save up.
Loved this video. My son & I went coach from Vancouver to Montreal return at Christmastime in 1980. In Jasper, the doors were frozen with thick ice. Brought our sleeping bags. Great memories! ❤
I did this trip in 2006 or 7. Actually did Rocky Mountaineer to Jasper then transferred to ViaRail. LOOOOVED THE TRIP!!
Mike, every time I watch someone else’s travel blog I am so grateful for your pacing, your photography, your relaxed but informative narration.
Thanks for taking me with you.
AJ
great trip, i have been across Canada a number of times on that train. So happy they restored the full service! ALL ABOARD!!!!!!
0:54 Just when you got to the lounge, the conductor called for boarding.
Thank you for making this video, I have always wanted to take the train across Canada! Five days, four nights = perfect!
24:14 something about Mike saying he “had to upscale it a bit” by grabbing a drink at literally the nicest bar in Winnipeg. Then German Sebastian responding unemotionally in a monotone voice, “you made a good choice” is hilariously funny! 😂😅🤣. Hahaha!
When I was a kid the train left from St John's Newfoundland to Vancouver BC which was slightly over 5,000 km, now that was a train ride!
How did that work? Newfoundland being an island and all that.
They used a special ferry that the train could ride on and it would carry it over near Moncton New Brunswick and go on its way to Vancouver British Columbia@@jeremyhillaryboob4248
Awesome video!! I'm so into all the train videos you and other channels make!!
Used to live in Jasper, Alberta for a few months and it was an awesome experience to see the wild animals such as Elk, Deer, Wolves, Mountain Goats, Black & Cinnamon Bears, and also Moose roaming into the town. What a lovely video you've posted of the Canadian Rockies and Via Rail.
Why were you in Jasper?
@@KunalDebChandra Doing what?