Love Travelling Blog

Arriving at Montreal Central Station

Whilst we were planning our trip to Canada and deciding on whether to take a flight or train between Montreal and Toronto, we opted to enjoy a leisurely rail journey. With a journey time of five and half hours by train and the fact that we would be departing from one city centre and arriving into the other I doubt that it would be much quicker by air.

The railway station is served by public transport but as our hotel was only a short distance away we opted to walk. We arrived into the station around an hour before our morning departure of 10.48 as it was our first time using Via Rail and we wanted to check out where we needed to be.

As we were travelling Business Class we were entitled to use the Business Class Lounge so we headed there first. This was easy to locate and we didn’t need to ask for directions to find it.

Business Class Lounge

On entering the Business Class Lounge we showed our tickets to the member of staff on duty at the counter who was very polite, introducing us to the lounge’s facilities and informing us that an announcement would be made when our train was ready to board.

The lounge was comfortable with a mixture of armchairs and desk type seating for those wishing to work. We helped ourselves to complimentary hot drinks and although no biscuits were available, a healthy option of fresh fruit was on offer.

Sitting in the lounge, making use of the fast free Wi-Fi and sipping coffee was a relaxing start to the morning and far less stressful than queuing to check-in for flights and security checks. Our train was scheduled to depart on time with an announcement made for pre-boarding.

Boarding the train

An attendant stood outside the Business Class Lounge waiting to direct passengers to the boarding area where our tickets were scanned. We then made our way to the platform ahead of the economy passengers. Courteous staff were on hand to assist passengers with their luggage and to point out the Business Class carriages.

Once on board, there was ample room to store our large suitcases in a designated part of the carriage. A bonus of travelling Business class is that passengers are allowed two large bags in addition to one piece of carry on luggage and an additional personal item.

Business Class seating is set out in a 1 + 2 configuration with some seats facing each other. We had been able to select our preferred seats when we purchased our tickets on-line and had opted for a pair of single window seats facing each other mid-way along the carriage. The seats were very comfortable with plenty of leg room and could be reclined as on airlines. The table between us had a folding section at each side to extend it as needed. Interestingly, the train had similar overhead lockers to airliners and were not just open racks like we are used to in the U.K. There was also ample room between the seats and window to store additional items. A useful cupholder was located to one side which would be useful for those passengers wishing to work on laptops as this would avoid spillages onto the table top should parts of the journey prove bumpy.

Before departing from the station one of the train attendants came to speak to passengers seated by emergency exits explaining what they needed to be aware of in just the same way that airline cabin crew operate. Announcements throughout the journey were made in both English and French as Montreal is in the French speaking province of Quebec.

Via Business Class Journey

Soon after our on-time departure from Montreal a smartly dressed attendant handed out hot towels, glasses of water and nibbles. We settled into our seats spending time between gazing out of the window at the snowy landscape, reading our books and glancing at our phones. Wi-Fi on board the train worked well and was available whenever we needed to use it. About half an hour into the journey a drinks trolley was brought round with a wide range of complimentary drinks available. I opted for a gin and tonic whilst across the table my son enjoyed a glass of wine.

This was followed slightly later by a full lunch service. There was a choice of fish, chicken or pasta. This was served airline style on actual dishes rather than plastic trays and was both plentiful and of a high quality. Our starters of beetroot and goat cheese salad were very flavoursome and accompanied by warm bread rolls. For mains I opted for baked haddock served with broccoli and rice whilst my son also enthused about his main of roast chicken. We rounded off our meal with desserts of chocolate brownies and accompanied our lunch with glasses of wine. Tea and coffee was then served along with some delicious Vietnamese chocolates. We didn’t want any more alcoholic drinks but these were freely available throughout the journey if required

The Business Class carriage came equipped with two spacious WC’s complete with toiletries and large mirrors. Passengers remained nice and quiet throughout the journey and it was good to note that there were no loud phone calls or disturbances of any kind, allowing everyone to either work, relax or sleep in comfort.

As we neared Toronto the snowy landscape gave way to fields and spot on time we pulled into Toronto Union Station after our relaxing journey.

Overall

We found VIA Rail to be a very comfortable way of travelling and an excellent alternative to travelling by air. Being first time visitors to eastern Canada, the rail journey provided us with some pleasant views from our window seats as we travelled between the two cities. Information for booking tickets on Via Rail can be found here.

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