Review : Via Rail to me is a Perfect 10

If you're destination oriented,  take the plane.  If you want a real TRAVEL, take the VIA Rail train ~ Freddie Miranda 2012

I have travelled on VIA Rail quite a few times between Toronto, Kingston, Montreal and Ottawa and will continue to use their services in order to get between these cities.

I really love this train. I can shell out the extra money for the comfort, the service, the speed, and the free WIFI. Personally, I prefer purchasing my train tickets online with VIA Rail. Their website, www.viarail.ca is user-friendly and easy to understand.  The staff at the Union Station in Toronto are polite and very efficient whenever I pick up my tickets. The VIA crew are friendly, cheerful, helpful and very professional.  Excellent job! Keep up the good work guys! What else can I say?

Some people think that it might be cheaper flying. I tell them it's not, if they travel with VIA. The price is affordable. They frequently have special promo.  The price of the promo tickets does not even cover the taxes if you fly.  As for the time it takes, yes the train ride is a solid 5-hour travel outside Canada, but a one hour flight can turn into 3 to 4 hours when you consider the time it takes to get through security and other formalities, not to mention the wait for your checked-in baggages.  The Via trip is more relaxing, and the stations are located in city centres, unlike most airports which is located in the suburb.  Booking tickets in advance will save you money with the supersaver fare. It gets sold out really quickly, so booking in advance is your best option.

In Via Rail, you have to stand in a long queue to board the train. It did not bother me at all.  Last month, on my trip from Toronto to Kingston, it took less than five minutes for a long queue of  passengers to board the train.

On my next trip, I am travelling on a business class ticket as adviced by some friends. "Do yourself a favour, dish out the extra dollars and take the business class, you won't regret it", says one of my friends. I want to try and maximize the benefits as much as I can using my Via Preference. Create a profile with Via Preference and be a member. You can accumulate one point for every dollar spent.  I got my ticket from Toronto to Kingston for free redeeming my point using this programme. If you are a frequent traveller, take advantage of this, you will be glad you did.

I've had nothing but friendly service in the 10 years using VIA Rail. With this review, I am giving VIA Rail a perfect 10 as I agree with them, its "A more human way to travel."

Category:Transportation/Train
Name of Transport: VIA Rail Train
Address: Union Station, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Website: www.viarail.ca
Rate: 10 

Read Reviews: (Rated between 1 and 10) 1-Worst   10-Excellent

From the desk of: 

Freddie Miranda

A blogger and a Canada-based freelance writer. He shares the value of his travel experiences and discoveries with his friends and fellow travellers. Share your passion, join and visit him. Send a message @ fromatravellersdesk(at)gmail(dot)com.