One of the best ways to get to know a country is traveling by rail—especially a nation as vast at Canada. Canadian train vacations come with the added bonus of gorgeous natural scenery, whether it’s the mountains of the west, seemingly infinite landscapes of the far north, or dramatic bays and cliffs of eastern Canada. Since someone else is doing the driving, you can also keep eyes out for wildlife; on many train routes, you’ll see bears, moose, beavers, and other denizens of the country’s more untamed terrain. Canada’s national passenger rail service, Via Rail, operates many of the routes, though a handful of private companies, like Vancouver’s Rocky Mountaineer, offer luxury train trips across sought-after routes.
We’ve criss-crossed Canada for 13 of the most beautiful train trips you can take across the Great White North, as well as some recommendations for where to stay at the beginning or at the end of your Canadian train vacations. (And for more fabulous train rides, check out the results of Condé Nast Traveler‘s Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 to see which trains our readers voted the best in the world.)
This gallery has been updated since its original pub date.
