# Sold Out Trains



## Seaboard92 (Oct 1, 2015)

Does the Canadian sell out a lot in May. I found out my business partner who owns a travel agency. And I help with his excursions. He helps on mine put me on his IATAN list. So I qualify for the discount. But that requires a reservation between 21 days and 3. The train won't be sold out in May less then 21 days out will it


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## zephyr17 (Oct 1, 2015)

Depends on the accomodation, probably. Berths, probably not sold out, roomettes, also probably not, bedrooms may well be. Also, figure out what your travel agent discount is on the non-discounted fare. If they have space that late, they might not be offering the "discount" fare, and you may be stuck with the full fare, and the difference is hundreds of bucks. So you should know the actual trade-off between what a discounted full fare would be and the offered "discount" fare.

Also, early May is much less likely to be sold out that late May.


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## Seaboard92 (Oct 1, 2015)

Thank you. I will have to price that again. I know my discount is 75 for me and 50 for my companion


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## zephyr17 (Oct 2, 2015)

Is that 75% or $75? 75% off is the full fare is considerable less than the discount fare, as is 50%. $75 off full fare is significantly higher than the discount fare, at leat for the full Vancouver-Toronto run.


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## Seaboard92 (Oct 2, 2015)

It's 75 percent off


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## zephyr17 (Oct 2, 2015)

Then it is a deal even if the basis is the non-discounted fare, so I think you can afford to wait.


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## Seaboard92 (Oct 3, 2015)

The deal is pretty good. I'm just worried I won't get a seat the time I want to go. Is it stop two days a week in may


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## zephyr17 (Oct 3, 2015)

Should start 3 days a week on May 5 leaving Toronto, Sunday May 8 leaving Vancouver. Tuesdays from Toronto and Sundays from Vancouver are the days dropped during the winter season, and I did a trial run reservation on www.viarail.ca on those dates and they are open, so the train is running. It is 3 days a week starting the first week of May.

It really does depend on what accomodations you want. Berths and roomettes often go begging. Bedrooms are what book up. If you can live with a section or two roomettes (same price as a bedroom), you almost certainly will get space. Since Via prices fares per person, there isn't a difference between two people traveling in two roomettes versus traveling in one Bedroom. A Bedroom ("cabin for 2" in Via's current, non-traditional parlence) may be iffy in your time frame in late May, but I wouldn't think early May would be a problem. The discounted versus the non-discounted fare isn't an issue for you, apparently. I don't know how that works, so I don't know the willingness of Via releasing space for the travel agent discount when there is significant demand, only you would know that. If it isn't an issue, then you ought to be able to get Sleeper Plus space of some sort.

If you are flexible on accomodations and May dates, I don't think you would have any problems at all. Even if your dates were set, as long as you are flexible in accomodations, I think you'll be all right.

One note, over the last 4 years, I've ridden the Candian 3 times. The last was in winter (March). I discovered I much preferred the train in the off-season when it feels like a real train serving real passengers (8 cars) as opposed to the bloated 26 car tourist behemoth it becomes during the summer. It is a great ride no matter what, though, and the very last of its kind.

I am about to book another trip for March 2016, BTW. I live about 120 miles from Vancouver and about 25 minutes from the Everett station where I can catch the Amtrak Cascades to Vancouver, so getting to the starting point for a trip on the Canadian isn't a big deal for me and I can be relatively casual about getting to Canada to ride it. I want to keep my 50% off discount for being Via Privilege level coming so I can keep riding it every year


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