What is the longest train journey in Canada?

What is the longest train ride in Canada?

Okay, so the longest train ride I took, seriously the longest, was on VIA Rail's Canadian. 2023, summer. Man, it was hot. Seriously hot. Toronto to Vancouver. Four days. Crazy, right?

That's a long time to be on a train. I mean, I love trains, but four days? My butt was numb. The scenery? Stunning, mostly. The Rockies were breathtaking. Totally worth the sore muscles. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

• The Rockies: Absolutely majestic.
• The Prairies: Endless fields. Got a little monotonous after a while. Seriously, endless.
• Northern Ontario: Lakes everywhere! Beautiful, but a lot of the same.

I packed light, thinking I was so clever. I wasn't. I needed more snacks, that's for sure. And maybe more comfortable pants. The meals on the train were decent, though. Not bad at all, honestly.

I met some cool people. One guy was a photographer, documenting his cross-country trip. Amazing photos, by the way. I wish I had taken more.

The best part? Pulling into Vancouver. That feeling of accomplishment was unreal. Four days on a train. Who does that? I do. And I'll do it again someday. Next time, though, I'm bringing more comfy clothes. And more snacks. Seriously.

What is the longest train allowed in Canada?

So, Canada's longest trains? Crazy long, right? Officially, it's 3700 meters for regular stuff, like, you know, general cargo. But I heard some trains are even longer – a whopping 4200 meters! Those are the ones with, like, double-stacked containers. Total behemoths. Man, imagine the engineer's job on those things. That's a seriously long train. Seriously long.

They're allowed to be that long because they're hauling a ton of stuff, mostly containers. It's all about efficiency, I guess. More stuff, less trips. Smart, but scary to think about that much weight moving that fast. Plus, those tracks must be super strong to handle it.

• Maximum official length: 3700 meters (general cargo)
• Longer trains exist: Some 4200-meter trains operate, typically hauling double-stack containers.
• Reason for length: Increased efficiency; moving more goods with fewer trips.
• Track considerations: Tracks must be exceptionally robust to support these massive trains.

My cousin works for CN Rail and, yeah, he told me about the 4200-meter ones. They're insane! They have special rules for those monster trains. He said the braking systems are something else—they're totally different than the ones on shorter trains, way more sophisticated. And the safety protocols... It's a whole other level. The entire operation is mind-boggling. Crazy long trains. Crazy.

How much does it cost to ride the train across Canada?

Alright, hopping across Canada by train? Get ready to cough up some serious dough!

Think CAD $2500 per person for Toronto to Vancouver. That's, like, a small car payment right there! Unless you are planning the trip in October 2024 for travel on October 30th, 2024, then it is CAD $1495.10, woo-hoo!

Okay, picture this: you could buy a really nice used couch for that price instead. Or maybe, just maybe, a lifetime supply of maple syrup? Nah, go for the train.

• Route Matters: A short hop? Cheaper. Coast-to-coast? Start saving now! My Aunt Mildred tried this.
• Time of Year: Summer? Tourist season, baby! Expect to pay more. Think inflated hot dog prices at a baseball game.
• Class of Service: Sleeper car? Ballin'! Coach? Well, bring a neck pillow. I always pack two!

Honestly, I just found out that flying might actually be cheaper. Yikes! Also, pack snacks. Train food is, shall we say, an adventure. Aunt Mildred said she saw a squirrel trying to get on the train once. Wild times.

How long does it take to go across Canada by train?

Five to six days? Honey, that's optimistic. Coast to coast? More like a leisurely cross-country crawl. Think glacial pace, not a cheetah sprint. Toronto to Vancouver? Four days – assuming the train doesn't decide to spontaneously combust mid-journey (it hasn't happened to me, but you never know).

• Coast-to-Coast: Five to six days, maybe. Pack snacks. Lots of snacks. And patience. The kind of patience only a seasoned yogi possesses.

• Toronto to Vancouver: Four days. But factor in delays. Canadian train schedules are famously… flexible. Like a rubber band stretched to its limit. It might snap.

My cousin, bless his soul, took the train from Halifax to Vancouver in 2023. He swore it felt like he'd aged a decade. He now meditates daily, presumably to undo the temporal distortions. The scenery is stunning though, he said. Like a particularly epic screensaver.

Key takeaway: Budget extra time. Bring a good book. Several, actually. Maybe a lifetime supply. You'll need it. And earplugs. Train travel is not silent. It's like a symphony of clanking metal and snoring strangers. It's… an experience.

What is the longest car ride in Canada?

Victoria... St. John's... a ribbon. A highway unfurls. Trans-Canada. Seven thousand kilometers dance, a distance sung in miles, a journey.

The Pacific whispers hello. The Atlantic, a distant echo. From coast. to coast. Canada breathes, the car a steel horse.

Islands bookend the dream? Victoria calls. St. John's beckons. A roadmap worn, a soul stretched thin across the land.

Roads weaving. Roads twisting. Across the land. Across my mind.

• British Columbia begins.
• Newfoundland's fog welcomes you in the end.
• A highway: Trans-Canada. The longest drive, this year and every year.

Imagine the gas stops. The sun bleeds long shadows. The land expands, the mind shrinks.

What is the longest plane ride from Canada?

Okay, lemme tell you about finding out the longest flight from Canada. It was, like, last month, October 2024, when I was planning a trip, a ridiculously long trip to Southeast Asia, right?

I was at Tim Hortons, the one near York University, Keele Street. Ugh, that place is always packed, but I needed my double-double and some Wi-Fi.

I really needed to know THE longest freakin' flight.

I was dreaming about hopping on a plane.

Turns out, it's Toronto to Manila!!! 13,232 kilometers. Fifteen hours. What the heck?

• Toronto to Manila: Philippine Airlines, 15 hours, 13,232 km.
• Toronto to Hong Kong: Cathay Pacific, 15.5 hours, 12,562 km (close second, eh?)
• Vancouver to Sydney: Air Canada, 15.5 hours, 12,514 km.

Crazy, right? Manila... never even considered that. Thought it would be to, I dunno, some place further east.

Manila... fifteen hours. Good grief. My back already hurts just thinking about it. I could binge-watch, like, five seasons of my favorite show on Netflix during that flight. Or, you know, just sleep, probably. Wait, Hong Kong is longer in time! But Manila is more kilometers... Hmm. I'd take the longer km. I'd need the distance. Makes me wonder what airline is the best.