Hi everyone...

For several months now, I've had booked a month long rail tour of the USA and Canada.... basically running: Montréal - Chicago - Denver - San Francisco - Santa Barbara - Seattle - Vancouver - Edmonton - Winnipeg - Churchill - Winnipeg - Toronto - Montréal - Halifax - Montréal.

With a few weeks to go until I depart, my girlfriend might be able to join me from the UK for the second (Canadian) half of the trip. We're looking to find a way of getting her from London (LHR, LGW or possibly BHX since she's in Oxford) to Vancouver for my departure from there on VIA train 2 on Tuesday May 2. She would then want to fly home from Halifax some time on Thursday 18 or Friday 19 May, at the other end of the trip. The twelve day Canrailpass would neatly provide exactly enough time to travel between the two, not including stopovers.

Unfortunately, I'm leaving Vancouver two days too early for Canadian Affair's brilliant value summer service out to Vancouver (starting on Thursday 4 May). After much searching on schedule and charter (to YVR and SEA), this is the best I can find (two one ways with Zoom and Canadian Affair)


Sat 29 Apr: LGW-YVR Zoom Airlines arr. 1520 £240.00
Thu 18 May: YHZ-LGW Canadian Affair dep. 1945 $260.50 (£129)

flights = £369 (inc. all taxes).

Obviously if she went both ways on the same airline, the flights would be a bit cheaper, but it seems that's just not possible. A return on Zoom from Halifax won't work because the flight is once weekly on Tuesday (we arrive by train in Halifax on Tuesday afternoon, and I have to return to Montréal on Friday... we are looking into a return from Montréal with Zoom, but the saving would be wiped out by the additional days required for her train pass).

Can anyone beat that, or suggest a less obvious routing? aa.com expedia.co.uk and opodo.co.uk haven't been able to come close.

Thanks!

*j*

To update, I've just shaved a few pounds off the best so far in post # 1 with this...


Mon 1 May: LGW-YVR Air Transat arr. 2045 £209.60
Thu 18 May: YHZ-LGW Canadian Affair dep. 1945
$260.50 (£129)

flights = £338.60 (incl. all taxes)



...but of course I defer to your superior knowledge :-)

*j*

Dear james -- welcome th Flyertalk!

I am in awe of the rail itinerary you have booked. But perhaps it can be improved. Skip to Winipeg-Toronto portion. Take a flight. Maybe you should fly from Churchill (after seeing the polar bears) direct to Toronto. From the 'Peg to Hogtown (T.O., Tee-dot, etc.) by rail is booorriinng. Save the time and catch a cheap flight. You will have an extra day to spend in YYZ, or you could detour through Ottawa on your way to Montreal.

You could also fly back from Halifax to Montreal rather than repeating the same rail journey -- I estimate 24 hrs or so. An extra day in YHZ will be quite enjoyable and there's lost to see and do.
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13F

Thanks for the suggestions... unfortunately the last time I checked, a flight from Churchill to Winnipeg with Calm air clocked in at C$790.

Not *so* bad, except that entire train itinerary cost me just US$488 with the low season student priced North America Railpass, bought before Amtrak jacked up the prices. :D

All the details and a live travelogue-o-blog here:

http://jamesbrownontherails.blogspot.com/

*j*

Great deal on the rail fare. And nice blog. But you can fly YWG-YYZ for about CAD150/pax and avoid the treelined run north of Superior.
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13F