5 Reasons To Travel Ontario By Train This Winter

Last Updated: 10 November 2021

Written By: Landsby Editorial Team

At Landsby, we love travel in all its forms: from jetting off in an airplane to the good old family road trip. But there’s something special about getting to your destination by train.

We especially love the cozy feeling of riding the rails through the winter months, speeding past snowy landscapes and ice-logged waterways while drinking a cup of warm tea in a comfy seat. Need some incentive to hop aboard? Here are five reasons to love winter train travel:

1. The journey is part of the vacation

Your winter getaway doesn’t have to start when you arrive at your destination. When you travel by train, getting there is part of the fun. Your journey takes place in comfortable seats with the freedom to move around, chat and engage in activities. If you’re off on a romantic getaway, the train offers a chance to start reconnecting right away. Chat over a cup of coffee, enjoy the view together and let the relaxation begin. If you’re travelling with children, you’ll love the fact that little ones can wiggle around, draw, play games or just snuggle up with you. And if you’re travelling solo, the train lets you relax with a good book or just daydream while looking out the window, without the stress of watching the road.

2. The scenery is spectacular

If you’ve ever been stuck along one of Ontario’s big highways, you’ll know there’s usually not much to see out the window. But take the same route on a train and you’ll be amazed at all you can spot on the journey. Trains will carry you through countrysides, forests and along the edges of lakes and rivers. Depending on your destination, the journey can be one of the most scenic parts of your vacation. We love to sit back and enjoy the winter views from the big train windows. Perhaps you can even grab a few Instagram-worthy snaps as you roll on by.

3. Staying connected is easy

All VIA trains on the Windsor – Quebec City corridor are equipped with free Wi-Fi, meaning you can catch up on emails or put on a pair of headphones and watch a show or movie. Unlike driving, taking the train lets you stay connected to the world outside without compromising your safety. We love being able to sneak in an hour of work aboard the train if it means we can leave for vacation a tad earlier.

4. Winter weather isn’t a big factor

Ontario winters can be treacherous, with conditions changing from one day to the next and one region to another. This can make travel during the winter unpredictable and it often leaves travellers with the conundrum: should I stay put or should I go? Choosing to travel by train can take some of the headaches out of navigating snowy and icy conditions. With less worry about the journey, you can focus on the winter fun you’ll have at your destination.

5. Traffic? What traffic?

We love a good road trip but doesn’t it always seem like a 3-hour trip turns into a 5-hour ordeal? From unexpected traffic jams to inconvenient bathroom stops, the trip always seems to take much longer than our GPS suggests. The convenience of train travel is that you have all you need onboard: from clean bathrooms to delicious food (complimentary in Business Class and available for purchase in Economy). The train is designed to keep you comfortable and happy as it chugs along to its destination.

Photos courtesy of VIA Rail.