Spring Break in Gaspe Quebec with VIA Rail

I am very grateful to be in Gaspe for the March Break. It has been tons of fun so far and I have met a lot of good people. Everyone here is friendly and my trip was stress free.

Our train ride down was fairly long. We left on Friday morning at 9 or so and arrived here in Gaspe at 12 on Saturday. On the train from Brantford to Montreal, Christina and I sat in coach. It was very comfortable, the scenery was great, and everyone around us was nice.

One of my favourite things about riding the train is that you have the option of walking around, where if your in a car you have to stop which adds time to your trip. Thanks so much to VIA for their generosity and all their help along the way. They offer great service and help whenever it is needed.

The second train we got onto was in Montreal. I was amazed with the size of the station. It was fairly overwhelming, however, once again the staff from VIA Rail was there to help us with our confusion.

From Montreal to Quebec, we were set up to be riding in the cabin for two. When we arrived at the station we were allowed to wait for our train in the Panorama lounge where they offer comfortable seating, free food and beverages. I had a coffee before I got on the train to wake me up. It was very helpful because I was starting to get tired.

The cabins on the train were a whole new experience. We had a 2 person cabin which started off as 2 chairs and a great view out the window. We also had our own personal toilet and a vanity. The cabins surprised me with their small size, but we made do and enjoyed our ride. Also on the train, there was a restaurant where you could sit and enjoy your dinner. We didn’t eat in the dining car as Christina’s Mom loaded us up with lots of snacks.

One of my favourite features was the Skyveiw car which sat up high on top of the train and was made entirely of glass so you had a 360 degree view of the mountains as we were passing through them. It was absolutely beautiful , I have never previously rode a train before but that view alone could keep me coming back.

Come bedtime, we knew we had bunks in our room but were unsure how to get them down so we pressed the button for our attendant and he arrived to our surprise in under a minute. Our bunks folded down from the wall and the ceiling and we ready in just a few minutes. I was defiantly grateful to have beds for our night trip and Christina and I slept great.

Christina was in the top bunk because I guess it has always been her dream to be in the top of a bunk bed..I dont know it’s a girl thing i guess. I slept on the bottom bunk, it was a little bumpy at times on the bottom bunk but I got used to it and fell asleep in under an hour.

Christina said she had a great sleep also and both of us woke up around 7 to see the beautiful scenery along the ocean. Christina and I were both caught by surprise with how soon our arrival in New Carlisle was. Honestly, I wish they would have made an announcement or at least something of that sort because we were in a huge rush once we were informed. I was just getting in the shower when Christina came hammering on the door telling me that she asked the attendant and he said we would be in new Carlisle in 20 minutes. I quickly threw my clothes back on, rushed to get our clothes and bags all packed up. I’d say we didn’t do to badly considering we were all set to go with about 10 minutes to spare.

Luckily, we woke up early and didn’t miss our stop! Once we got off in New Carlisle, we had about a 2 hour bus ride to the station in Gaspe. At this point we were both very excited and eager to see Christina’s family. On the bus, they had complementary banana bread and juice for everyone which was great. Upon arrival, Christinas family was there to greet us with open arms and I was happy that VIA had successfully delivered our suitcases without trouble.