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Hey.

I'm looking to do some traveling in Canada this January, possibly starting Montreal / Toronto and taking long-distance buses maybe up to Hudson Bay (Churchill?) and / or further West (eg Yellowknife).

I can't find too many details on the web so I was wondering if someone could help me out on

(a) Feasibility of this
(b) Very rough pricing
(c) Time (I assume 24 hours or more is typical)

I'm hoping all roads are open in the winter, and the Greyhounds run with reasonable frequency. I'd rather not fly because going by land is more adventurous, and hopefully cheaper.

Respect and thanks to anyone who can advise.

Cheers!

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1

Hi!

If you're interested in comparing options, I recommend checking out rome2rio (example search: http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Toronto/Churchill)

Personally though (as a Canadian), I would only recommend taking the bus for that long of a distance if for some reason you really like buses. As you can see from the search I linked to above, which is of course just approximate, it is both more expensive to take the bus, and it would be a several day journey. Also keep in mind that in January we can have some really serious storms, which are annoying if your flight is delayed but which I imagine would be far worse if you end up stuck in a random small town because the highway is closed. If you're not travelling too far, buses can be ok, but I can't see the benefit of paying more money to spend several days in a bus. If you really want to see more of the country, take the time you'll save and do some day trips from different stops on your trip.

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2

Good advice.

Is there a reason you want to travel in January? Remember that in January so far north you are going to have very very very few hours of daylight. So you will see little to nothing from the bus and will spending most of your time in dark & cold. Think -40c or worse cold with storms that could have you stuck in one places for days (or longer).

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3

Hi,

First post link is very helpful - thanks!

I've traveled a lot in Lapland in the winter and would like to see Canada as well. Cold and dark doesn't bother me - in fact the latitude for all except the Northernmost tip of Canada is lower than Lapland. I'm quite used to not seeing the sun at all for 2 weeks. In any case, you Canadians probably (rightly!) findthe cold/storms a pain in the a** - unfortunately some people who live in temperate climates become bored / mad enough to find it exotic ;-) You get -30 in Lapland though -40 is rare.

I think the first poster is implying that planes can actually be cheaper? Would that be correct?

Thanks!

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4

I'm not sure I would trust that website. The directions from downtown Toronto to the airport are completely wonky!! The subway to the GO Bus? Who does that?!?!

I also think it's completely wonky to visit northern Canada in winter. It's hard enough in summer...but if that's the experience the OP wants then, well, good luck!

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5

Well you are not going to get a Greyhound to Churchill because there is no road, it is rail or air only, the road stops at Thompson (from where the train takes about 16 hours and $100) but the train starts from Winnipeg (from where the train takes about 44 hours and $200) and there are only a couple of trains a week, see www.viarail.ca
From Toronto to Winnpeg on Greyhound takes about 32 hours and between $125 and $200 depending on what kind of ticket you get (advance, web only, standard, refundable), from Toronto to Thompson on Greyhound takes about 44 hours and between $140 and $240 depending on what kind of ticket you get, there are only a couple of buses a day, see www.greyhound.ca

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6

If you're planning on staying in Montreal or Toronto I would fly to Winnipeg, Manitoba ($500-$600 roundtrip) and take Via Rail from Winnipeg to Churchill (2 days, $300-$350 roundtrip)

Good luck!

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7

Thanks everyone. :-)

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8

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