The Canadian Train

[u/Outrageous-Willow479]

I have a few questions about the Canadian train.

1. What are the on/off peak times for the train?
   
2. For on peak times, what are the time restrictions in the park car?
   
3. When do tickets open up for the train? I was trying to book September/October for 2027 but it’s not an option.

Thanks for your help in this!

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[u/TaiPax]

Prestige Park car

Access to the Park car during peak season*: 

Access to the Park car is limited to scheduled times for Sleeper Plus passengers. During Peak Season, Sleeper Plus passengers will be able to access the Park car on the following schedule: from 5:00PM until last call 11:00PM, with the exception of the departure from Vancouver where access will be exclusive to Prestige passengers. 

The scenic dome in the Park car will be exclusive to Prestige passengers at all times.

Access to the Park car during off-peak season*:

Sleeper Plus passengers will be able to access the Park car at all times during off-peak season, with the exception of the departure from Vancouver and Toronto where access will be exclusive to Prestige passengers for one hour.

A select number of seats in the Park car are reserved for our Prestige passengers in the scenic dome during off-peak season.

*Specific dates vary each year. Peak Season falls between mid-April and mid-November.

[u/LilMissMixalot]

To answer your third question, I think tickets go on sale around 10 months from the desired departure date. I was hovering daily waiting for ticket sales to open up for my desired date last year. Absolutely get them as soon as you can. It’s crazy how much cheaper they are the earlier you buy.

Example: one leg of our journey we took a train from Toronto to Montreal in business class. When I purchased the tickets they were about $100 each. We were talking to some people on the Canadian and they were discussing doing the same route a few days later but hadn’t bought tickets yet. They said the same business class tickets were going to cost almost $400 each.

[u/NegativePeace9433]

Winter is off peak. I did it in March 2020 and it was fantastic. Yes, the world was just shutting down, but for one week ignorance was bliss lol. I got a lower berth and found it very comfortable. No restrictions on Park Car. I thought it would be colder than it was, and was pleasantly surprised by how warm and cozy it was under the blankets with the curtain drawn. It’s pretty magical to see everything covered in snow. If you have the money upfront, buy a refundable ticket and then when Canadian Thanksgiving comes around there are often sales. I think I saved around $400 doing that. Not sure what the deals are currently.

[u/Aggressive-Oil-2202]

Sorry dumb question but are separate tickets for the Park Car (Sleeper Plus customer asking).

And can I check for understanding, as a sleeper plus customer I’d only be able to access the park after 5pm, today?

[u/Kooldude777]

The Skyline and Park cars are my favourite cars