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Train service information
Hi, I want to know about a train service in USA which travels to Canada. Do you know any service with the cheap prices?
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Passenger rail service in the US is run by Amtrak. If you go to their website you will find all you need to know. This route map shows trains to Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
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There is only one route across Canada by rail, the Canadian Via Rail Canada, which runs 3 times a week in the summer, twice a week the rest of the year. They tend to be pricey and because this is a vacation abroad, you won't want to wait for last minute sales. Off season is cheaper, and you may want to sign up for VIA's frequent flyer program for their regular sales so you have about 3/4 month to plan. Unlike Amtrak, Via doesn't manage revenue and rates don't really vary much, standard "discounted" fare and non-discounted fare that only varies by season, plus the occasional sale. The cheapest sleeping accommodations are upper and lower berths in an open section (think of the train in the movie "Some Like It Hot").
If you are traveling to Vancouver - Seattle - Los Angeles - New York - Orlando, the Amtrak Pass won't do you much. This is only 4 "sectors" for scrolling purposes. Permits are not unlimited, the lowest being 8 "parts" (ie the time you get on or off by train or bus) within 15 days. Even with all eight parts used, passes are often cheaper than a low bucket bus fare. Also the accommodation fee, if you want to have places to sleep, is on top of that and is not included in the card. Note that it does not jump on/jump. All parts must be reserved and registered.
Amtrak practices yield management, and rates vary by request for date and train, similar to airlines. Reserving early is usually helpful, but you should get an idea of what the price groups are. There is a website called amsnag.net that cancels the official Amtrak website and can offer up to 30 days of prices in one sitting. A good way to get a sense of prices on any individual segment is to get 30-day Amsnag prices for different months of the year, with different time periods.
You will have a total of 9 nights on the trains with your plans (4 Toronto-Vancouver, 1 Seattle-Los Angeles, 2 Los Angeles-Chicago, 1 Chicago-New York, 1 New York-Orlando. If you want sleep, note that sleepers charge extra These costs tend to be high, although bed rates include all meals in the car (both Via and Amtrak). Note that prices for Via and Amtrak vary greatly. Amtrak follows the traditional pricing method in North America with a separate fare Rail transport is about room accommodation fee.So in Amtrak, each segment will have two rail fares, plus one room accommodation fee.On the other hand, a similar method is now used by airlines, per person inclusive fare.
One thing to remember is that most North American long-distance rail services only have one train per day at most, so you won't be able to catch other trains at different times. With that said, most schedules for the more beautiful parts are timed during the day.
Finally, one detail on your leg in Vancouver and Los Angeles. You can go to Vancouver-Seattle all by rail, but you will have to lie in Seattle, as the Vancouver-Seattle morning train does not connect with the Seattle-Los Angeles Coast Starlight. Amtrak offers a connecting bus between Vancouver and Seattle to connect with Starlight that leaves at 5:30 AM.Comment
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