Public transports in Canada
Replies: 18 - Last Post: Dec 7, 2012 12:24 AM Last Post By: jayanraj
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Public transports in Canada
Hi there,Before taking decision on Canada tour I need advices from experienced travellers.
I would like to spend 26 days in Canada and visit Montreal, Toronto, Niagra falls, Maynooth, Ottawa and Quebec city.
This is my plan -
Fly into Montreal from Amsterdam,
Montreal 3 days,
Montreal - Toronto by bus or train,
Toronto 3 days,
Toronto - Niagra falls by bus or train,
Niagra falls 01 day,
Niagra falls - Maynooth or Kingston by bus or ???
Maynooth or Kingston 4 days,
Maynooth or Kingston - Ottawa by bus or ???
Ottawa 4 days,
Ottawa - Quebec city by bus or train,
Quebec city 3 days,
Quebec city - Montreal by bus or train,
Fly from Montreal to Amsterdam.
Do I need to buy bus or train tickets well in advance ? What could be the peak touristic season as per my plan ? I won't mind flying if I don't get seat in bus / train for some routes.
Thanx in advance.
1
bus tickets if booked 7 days or more in advance gets you about 50% off greyhound your route is basicly i road 401 trans canada. train i would not opt for since they are unreliable most times as to schedule. . toronto to niagara falls is Q EW road check around TORONTO since there are free or low cost casino buses to get TO The falls JUST go into casino then out again but not telling any one. bus leaves at a certain time so check with via and go bus or trains for return even to get there.3
You don't need to book well in advance except at holiday periods -- 1 day should be enough, but as #1 says, look for the discounts.The peak travelling days will be the days immediately before & after the main holidays when people are going home and then going back to work/school. The busiest holidays are New Year's Day, Easter, May 24th weekend, Labour Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving (in October in Canada) and Christmas.
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Hi!First Of all I realy like your Itinerary.You have good amount of time in each city + calculated travel days to make sure you get complete 3 or 4 days in a town.
1.I vote kingston over maynooth,Also suggest taking a day off from there and add it to another city.
2.Take the Bus from Ottawa to Quebec!While taking the train you have to change train at montreal and wait upto 3 hour depending on the day.You also have to go to Montreal with the Bus but with all the travel I did from Ottawa to New-Brunswick,I preffer the Bus (Greyhound)
Another alternative since you said you wouldnt mind flying for some route would be to go from montreal-ottawa-kingston-toronto then fly to Quebec city
3 While In Ottawa dont forget to take a day and go see the Canadian Museum of Civilization.It is located in Gatineau,Quebec just across the river from The Parliament of Canada.
5
For both the bus and the train, you can save money by buying ahead. Sometimes the train can be sold out. If you're okay about losing the discount, you can show up for the bus 1 hour ahead of time and you'll be able to get a ticket. Sometimes if there is a long line you might not make it on the one you want and have to wait for the next departure. Sometimes they will put on extra buses.The train services Niagara Falls, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal, and Québec. It is very comfortable but usually much more expensive than the bus, unless you happen upon a sale. Sure it can be late but it's not something to worry about, IMO.
The bus between Montreal, Kingston, and Toronto is Megabus. The bus between Toronto and Ottawa and Ottawa and Montreal is Greyhound. The bus between Montreal and Québec is Orleans Express. Greyhound goes to Niagara Falls as does Coach Canada. There are also those casino buses.
I assume you have a reason to spend so much time in Kingston or Maynooth? And why Maynooth? And, you say Kingston or Maynooth...but they're not close to each other. I'm not sure how you will get to Maynooth; perhaps there is a bus via Peterborough. Have fun!
6
Thanx to all.for poppageorge -
I am surprised that trains are unreliable. Canada is a well developed country. I checked http://ca.megabus.com but booking possible only if you want to travel within next 6 weeks.
for misterbee -
I expect to travel between May & July.
for MHache -
Visit to Kingston is a backup plan. I want to stay at Maynooth to visit Algonquin provincial park and if I get chance I will stay inside it for a day or two. Also I am going to stay at Gatineau so cannot miss Canadian Museum of Civilization :)
for ref_traveller -
Regarding Maynooth there are three weekly direct connections on Greyhound from Niagra falls. If I miss the date then I will go to Kingston. Unfortunately Greyhound doesn't sell discovery pass anymore. But will check all bus companies online suggested by you.
7
I am surprised that trains are unreliable. Canada is a well developed country.
Irrelevant. VIA Rail used to have only 75% on-time performance. (The French-language joke was that VIA meant "Viens. Installe-toi. Attends.") You don't plan to travel when winter weather can affect equipment, so that will help. But you might be traveling on tracks shared by a shipping company and/or a provincial commuter service. I'm not sure VIA always gets first priority on the shared track.
8
I was going to still question your decision to go to Maynooth...but I see that there is a hostel there that runs trips into Algonquin Park. I had no idea. Very cool. Have a great time.If you don't go there and choose Kingston...well, I think 4 days in Kingston is too much. You can see it all in an afternoon, including a boat trip to the 1000 Islands. I also see that you put 4 days in Ottawa but only 3 days in Montreal and 3 in Toronto. My sense is that you're probably not a big city person, which might be the reason for that allocation. However, I still think that's too much time in Ottawa. And given that you'll have jet lag upon arrival to Montreal, I would put an extra day in Montreal. With that extra time, you might be able to look for a hiking trip into the Laurentians...or put it into Quebec City because there will be some good hikes within a few hours of Quebec.
If you do go to Maynooth, you can stop in Kingston on the way from Montreal to Toronto. Really, one day is enough...and this is from someone who likes the city a lot. FWIW, I like the train. It's not perfect but I wouldn't call it unreliable. My main problem is the price; rarely is the extra price worth the extra comfort compared to the bus. But look for sales. Good luck!
11
Maynooth? What a notch to put on your travel log!Maynooth is a speck of a village in central Ontario, at an intersection where Highway 127 heads north while #62 cuts east. It's about half way between the towns of Bancroft and Barry's Bay. In the fall the drive northeast from Peterborough through many wooded areas shows off some of the most spectacular autumn foliage in the province. In summer there are vacation cottages on a small scale while in the winter some ski hills are within driving range. And as a previous post mentioned, it is a jumping-off point for Algonquin Park.
As for public transportation, the freight railroad is long gone. Greyhound does list a bus stop on its website:
http://www.greyhound.ca/en/locations/locations.aspx?state=ON Just a stop, though, no station, and no place to buy your fare.
The backpackers lodge also mentions Greyhound on its site http://www.algonquinbackpacker.com/home.htm Here is Wikipedia's write-up on the area: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maynooth,_Ontario
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I sure have offered this P.S.: I am a steady customer of VIA in the winter, from Windsor to Toronto. It certainly beats being on the highway in snowy conditions or fogged in at an airport. Canada was stitched together by railroads and the freight carriers remain highly successful. CN is the most efficient hauler on the continent (single biggest shareholder: Bill Gates.) So the country can still be proud of its rails. VIA has its problems, with under-investment from the government on rails and rolling stock. But the ride can be pleasant and convenient to downtown destinations, and in the Quebec-to-Windsor corridor both the prices and the speed are competitive with the airlines.13
Algonquin Park is definitely worth a visit, you will have the opportunity to see moose, deer, possibly wolves, black bears and many other animals and birds. If you have time a canoe trip would be a great way to see the back country of Algonquin.
