Travelling Through Canada by Train: What It’s Like Taking VIA Rail from Toronto to Ottawa and Montréal
When you think of travelling across Canada, it’s easy to picture epic road trips, endless highways and landscapes that stretch for hours. But there’s another way to explore multiple cities without the stress of driving: taking the train.
As part of our 9-day Canada adventure in June, we travelled with VIA Rail from Toronto to Ottawa, then later from Ottawa to Montréal. It gave us the chance to experience three very different Canadian cities in one trip, without having to hire a car, navigate unfamiliar roads or lose precious travel time getting back to an airport.
Why take the train in Canada?
Canada is huge, and if you’re travelling from the UK, the scale of the country can be a bit hard to get your head around before you arrive. What looks like a simple city hop on a map can often be several hours of travel, so choosing your route carefully makes a big difference.
For our trip, we flew directly from London Gatwick to Toronto with Air Transat, then travelled onwards by train to Ottawa and Montréal, before flying home from Montréal. This made the whole itinerary feel really smooth: no doubling back, no internal flights, and no need to cram everything into one city.
The train worked particularly well because Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal all offer something different. Toronto gave us big-city energy, food markets, neighbourhood exploring and the islands. Ottawa brought history, politics, riverside views and a much calmer pace. Montréal gave us that dreamy blend of European-style streets, rooftop bars, French-speaking culture and brilliant food.
Taking VIA Rail meant the journey between them became part of the experience rather than just a transfer.
Photography by Pippa Moyle, using a Sony RX100 VII from MPB
Toronto to Ottawa by VIA Rail
Our first VIA Rail journey was from Toronto to Ottawa. After a packed couple of days in Toronto, including St. Lawrence Market, the Distillery District, Toronto Islands and Do West Fest, the idea of sitting down for a few hours felt very welcome.
The train departed Toronto’s Union Station in the morning, which worked well because we could have breakfast, check out of our hotel and still arrive in Ottawa with enough of the day left to explore. It’s recommended to arrive around 45 minutes before departure, which is something to bear in mind if you’re planning your day around the train journey.
The journey itself was a proper reset moment. After the buzz of Toronto, it gave us time to slow down, look out of the window, sort photos, reply to messages, and actually process everything we’d already done. That might not sound glamorous, but on a multi-city itinerary, those quieter moments really matter.
For solo female travellers, it also felt like a very manageable way to move between cities. You’re not worrying about driving on the other side of the road, working out petrol stops, or arriving tired after a long day behind the wheel. You can just get on, settle in and arrive in the next city ready to go again.
Our VIA Rail Business Class experience
We travelled in VIA Rail Business Class, which we’d wholeheartedly recommend. After a busy few days in Toronto, it felt amazing to board earlier, get settled properly and have the extra space to stretch out, work and reset before arriving in Ottawa, and again to Montréal a few days later.
For us, Business Class was especially helpful because it gave us time to catch up on work. Having Wi-Fi, more room and a calmer onboard experience meant we could edit, plan, reply to messages and make the most of those hours between cities.
The food and drink service also made the journey feel more premium. Meals and drinks were included, and being able to choose our meals in advance meant we knew what we were having to eat before we travelled, which was especially useful with dietary requirements to consider.
VIA Rail describes Business Class as its premium experience, with benefits including priority boarding, lounge access at major stations, wider seats with extra leg room, Wi-Fi on the Québec City–Windsor Corridor, power outlets, meal service and drinks. In practice, those details made the journey feel easier, more comfortable and much more productive.
It’s the kind of upgrade that might feel like a nice-to-have when you’re booking, but once you’re on a multi-city itinerary, it really earns its place. Being able to board earlier, settle in without rushing, choose our meals in advance, enjoy included drinks and use the journey as proper productive downtime made the whole experience feel smoother.
In short: VIA Rail Business Class is well worth the extra cash. It turns the train journey from a simple transfer into a genuinely comfortable part of the trip.
Ottawa to Montréal by VIA Rail
Our second VIA Rail journey was from Ottawa to Montréal, after spending time in Outaouais. This was a shorter journey, leaving Ottawa in the afternoon and arriving in Montréal just over two hours later.
This leg was especially convenient because Montréal Central Station is right in the city centre. From there, we could get to our hotel quickly and still have the evening ahead of us for dinner at Monarque and a first wander around the city.
There’s something really satisfying about arriving into a city by train. You don’t have the same airport faff, and you’re not landing miles outside the centre. Instead, you step off the train and feel like the next chapter of the trip starts almost immediately.
For a girls’ trip, that makes a big difference. Less time in transit means more time for rooftop drinks, food markets, neighbourhood walks and actually enjoying the place you came to see.
What to expect on board
VIA Rail felt straightforward, comfortable and easy to use. The biggest thing we’d recommend is giving yourself more time than you think you need at the station, especially if you’re travelling with luggage, filming content or trying to find the right platform.
Arrive early, especially for longer journeys. Around 45 minutes before departure is a good guide.
Download anything you need before you travel, whether that’s maps, articles, playlists or a podcast.
Consider Business Class if you want more space, including food and drink, earlier boarding and a journey that feels genuinely comfortable rather than just practical.
Check the baggage allowance before you leave, including the weight of the baggage. Some stations will weigh them before you board. (https://www.viarail.ca/en/plan/baggages)
Our suggested Toronto to Montréal itinerary with VIA Rail
Fly from London Gatwick to Toronto with Air Transat: Start with a few days of food, culture, shopping, neighbourhoods and lake views.
Take VIA Rail from Toronto to Ottawa: Spend at least one night in Canada’s capital, with time for Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal area, museums and dinner in the city.
Travel into Outaouais: Cross over into Québec for nature, culture, Chelsea village, Gatineau Park and a Nordic spa moment.
Take VIA Rail from Ottawa to Montréal: Finish with French-speaking culture, markets, murals, rooftop views, Old Montréal and some of the best food of the trip.
Fly home with Air Transat from Montréal: Avoid backtracking and make the most of every day.
Final thoughts: would we recommend travelling in Canada by train?
Definitely. VIA Rail made our Canada itinerary feel more relaxed, more connected and much easier to manage.
It’s not just a practical way to get from Toronto to Ottawa or Ottawa to Montréal. It’s a way to make the journey feel part of the trip. You get time to pause between cities, see more of the country, and arrive somewhere new without the stress of airports or driving.
For anyone planning a first Canada trip from the UK, especially a girls’ trip or solo female travel adventure, we’d really recommend looking at a multi-city itinerary rather than staying in one place. Fly into Toronto with Air Transat, use VIA Rail to travel onwards, and fly home from Montréal.
It’s a brilliant way to experience more of Canada; one city, one train journey and one very good travel story at a time.
This article was created in partnership with Air Transat and VIA Rail as part of the City Girl Guide to Canada.
