Getting There By Rail
VIA Rail (tel: (888) 842 7245; website: www.viarail.ca) is the national rail service provider. The infrequent rail services are generally reliable and standards within the carriages are high. A large number of passengers choose rail for the scenic trip, rather than to get from A to B.
Pacific Central Station is the terminus for the main transcontinental lines. It is located at 1150 Station Street, adjacent to the main coach station. Facilities include bureau de change, food and drink concessions, gift shop and newsagents.
Rail services: VIA Rail operates the transcontinental Canadian service. This thrice-weekly train passes through Winnipeg, Edmonton and Jasper on its three-day journey from Toronto. Both economy and first-class services are available. Amtrak (tel: (800) 872 7245; website: www.amtrakcascades.com) provides a daily service from Seattle (journey time – 4 hours). A service from Calgary is offered by the privately run Rocky Mountaineer (tel: (604) 606 7245 or (877) 460 3200; website: www.rockymountaineer.com), with an overnight stop in Kamloops so that the entire rail journey through the scenic Rockies is in daylight. The thrice-weekly service runs from mid-April to mid-October and advance reservations are required. The same company has plans to operate a similar service along the Sunshine Coast and then inland to Whistler: the Whistler Mountaineer (website: www.whistlermountaineer.com) is due to start rolling in 2006.
Transport to the city: Pacific Central Station is located next to the Main Street/Science World SkyTrain Station. Buses 3, 8 and 19 (northbound) all lead to Downtown. A taxi ride to Downtown will cost approximately C$8-10.
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