You don’t have to be an avid Paul Theroux fan (even though I am) to enjoy traveling by rail. In most every country
I’ve ever been in, the opportunity to take a train someplace has resulted in some of the best experiences of my
life.
India, whose railroad is excellent, Thailand, Chile (not such a good railroad), all through Europe…riding the rail in
these and other places was wonderful. But the reality is you don’t have to go that far to find great rail trips.
There’s a big little country just up North called Canada that offers epic rail trips across its vast expanse.
And what’s even better, a trip on VIA Rail is now about pretty darn
cheap…indeed almost forty percent cheaper than during summer, when prices go up due to the high season. But take a look
at this example: a three-day journey aboard from Toronto to
Vancouver runs about $2000 per couple. Not massively cheap, but still that’s three days, and you are treated to
some amazing countryside, wonderful Canadian service, top-notch meals and that bearable lightness of being that you
experience when traveling by train.