We enjoy Amtrak and ride about once a year. Trips are always long hauls. Our favorite though, is VIA Rail. We ride VIA at last once a year, usually round trip Vancouver to Toronto. We typically take a short run to Niagara Falls while in Toronto, and a Blue Jays game if they are in town. Yes, VIA i expensive; however, I've done a lot of comparing between Amtrak and VIA, and quite honestly, VIA isn't that much more expensive. We don't take the train on vacations because it's cheap. We take it for the love of riding the rails. We always get a sleeper. We find the service on VIA to be exceptional, and we love the old equipment. Hands down, the dining car, menu, meals, table appointments, and service are far superior to Amtrak. The dome observation car is wonderful, even if you don't go back to the Park Car. We think Amtrak is missing the boat by not putting a Prestige equivalent on their trains. The Parlour Car was a close second to the Park Car, and sadly, Amtrak took it off. Car attendants on VIA are excellent. We have always had terrific service. Always. We will gladly pay the additional cost to travel on VIA. We have taken a trip every year for the last ten years, and this year's April trip is already booked. We can hardly wait.
