How to Book Via Rail Tickets Online? (2024)

If the horror stories of hours-long layovers, lost luggage and last-minute cancelled flights have kept you from travelling much this year, why not book VIA Rail tickets and spend your summer exploring Canada by train?

Train travel can take longer than flying. However, consider how much time you waste in airport check-in lines, as well as unpacking and repacking your bags as you go through airport security.

And on a plane, forget about wifi and data. But on a train, you can work, relax, or catch up on emails.If you cannot fly private, take the train.

Train travel is a comfortable, affordable and practical alternative to crowded flights. You also avoid long drives, car mileage, gas, and sleepy drivers. All aboard the train! Here we go!

What is VIA Rail?

Established in 1977, VIA Rail was Canada’s first-ever national passenger rail company. Today, VIA Rail is a comfortable, convenient and scenic way for tourists and locals alike to get around, offering routes to popular destinations across the country.

Via has adventure routes to more remote regions of northern Canada.Passengers can travel all the way across Canada via the Great Western Way, which stops at all major cities between Vancouver and Toronto.

The Ontario-Quebec Route gives travellers easy access to the major hubs along the Quebec-Windsor corridor. Finally, travellers can enjoy a stunning trip from Montreal to Halifax via The Maritime Way, with stops in Moncton and Bathurst.

How to book VIA Rail tickets online

Begin at the VIA Rail homepage. Clicking on ‘Plan your trip’ will open up a new menu with links to information on specific inquiries. Here you find:

  • where to find a train station
  • view all routes
  • baggage informaton
  • a sign up for train alerts.
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How to Book Via Rail Tickets Online? (2)

Booking your trip

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Enter your departure and arrival dates. If you just need a one-way ticket, click ‘no return, thanks’ instead of entering your return dates. You can tell the search engine how many days you’d like to spend travelling.

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If you want a multi-citiy itinerary, click the multi-city option. Via takes you to a new page with the option to add up to 6 segments to your trip.

Do you have any discount codes? Enter them in the space beneath the number of passengers.

Via is reintroducing the rail pass system in the fall of 2022.Once you enter your travel information, click ‘Search’ and VIA Rail will redirect you to a new page, displaying results.

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If no trains are running on your selected dates, VIA Rail shows you the next available options. Click the drop-down menu to select the class and see the price. If you book a seat only, you can choose from 5 different classes.

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Types of fares

Trains have a lot of different travel classes. All classes include power charging stations and wi-fi. Here is the breakdown.

Economy Escape, Economy Plus, and Business Class tickets

Economy Escape tickets are non-refundable. The Economy Plus and Business Plus tickets are more flexible and there is no charge for refunds or exchanges.

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Sleeper cars

Sleeper cars are much more comfortable for longer journeys. You can book a sleeper in an upper or lower berth, or book an entire cabin, for 1 or 2 people. Sleeper car tickets include meals.

Prestige Class

Prestige class cabins are available only for journeys between Vancouver and Toronto. They have amenities like a private washroom and shower, TV, personal concierge and gourmet meals.

Using the information (i) icon

Clicking the info icon in the top right corner provides users with more information on specific journeys and available classes. In addition to departure dates, you can filter your search results by arrival dates, duration and connections.

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After you select your trip, you get to the payment page, where you can go over your trip details before entering your debit or credit card information. You can continue as a guest or open an account.

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Via and baggage allowances

VIA Rail tickets include 2 large items in their baggage allowance as well as 1 personal and 1 large or 2 small carry-on items free of charge. You can pay for up to 2 additional carry-on bags. The price is $40 per direction.

Modifying your booking

Making changes or cancelling VIA Rail tickets purchased online is easy. Most bookings can be changed or cancelled with no service charge or cancellation fee.

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If you have a VIA Rail profile, log on through the website or the app and select ‘Manage your bookings’ from the menu on the left. Find your trip and click either Modify or Cancel, and then follow the instructions.

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If you don’t have a profile, enter your reservation number and follow the instructions provided. New boarding passes are automatically emailed to you.

VIA Rail’s Preference rewards program

VIA Rail’s reward program gives members the chance to earn points for every dollar spent on tickets. In order to collect points, be sure to log in and enter your account information each time you book. The program is open to Canadian and American citizens and there is no fee to join.

Honestly, this is a perfect opportunity to stack more rewards. If you book with a rewards credit card or a credit card like Scotia Scene or TD First Class Infinite Travel, you earn credit card rewards and Via Preference points.

How to redeem your Via Preference points

To redeem your reward points, log into your ReserVIA profile. If you have enough points for your trip, the VIA Preference payment option automatically comes up during the checkout process.

The number of points you need will depend on the distance travelled. You can find this handy chart on the website that breaks down how many points you need to reach each destination.

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Some tickets cannot be booked online, and members will need to call the VIA Rail service centre to complete bookings. You cannot combine points with cash, but you can book a ticket one way with your points and pay cash for the return ticket, or vise versa. Any changes to a ticket reserved with reward points need to be made by calling customer support.

Via Rail tickets and Air Miles

Additionally, you can convert Air Miles to eVouchers worth $20 to $50. These eVouchers are valid towards the purchase of train tickets or upgrades. Call Air Miles customer support to make the conversion.

[Offer productType=”CreditCard” api_id=”5f316f8592ec22115033b2b9″ id=”200798″]

How do you get cheap Via Rail tickets?

Booking ahead saves you money as ticket prices tend to fluctuate greatly, even throughout the day. To learn how to save even more, the ‘Ways to save’ link under the ‘offers’ tab has more information on all the ways to get cheap Via Rail tickets.

Cheap ticket Tuesday

Booking on a Tuesday will save you money as VIA Rail offers special discounts every Tuesday. To claim a discount simply enter the discount code TUESDAY during checkout.

Via Preference

If you are a VIA Preference member, you can travel for free by redeeming points earned for every dollar spent on travel with Via Rail. The higher your status, the more quickly you can earn points.

Seniors, students, military, families, and indigidenous communities

VIA Rail also offers discounts to seniors, students, military members, Indigenous community members, and families travelling with children.

Newsletter deals

Plus, on select days between June 7, 2022, and October 1, 2022, children can travel on some trains for just $20. Subscribe to Via’s newsletter to find out about upcoming special offers and other ways to find cheap VIA Rail tickets.

Sleeper Plus

To score cheap VIA Rail tickets in a private cabin, click Sleeper Plus class deals and explore discounted tickets to all VIA Rail destinations.

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Last minute tickets

You may have some luck finding cheap last minute tickets. Clicking ‘lowest fares’ will take you directly to the discounted train tickets page where you filter by the city to instantly book seats at the lowest possible fares.

Are Via Rail tickets refundable?

VIA Rail offers its customers an extremely forgiving refund policy. Most VIA Rail tickets are 100% refundable, regardless of when you booked. Unlike airlines, VIA Rail does not charge a service fee for cancellations.

How to Book Via Rail Tickets Online? (2024)

FAQs

What are the steps to book online railway ticket? ›

E-Ticket
  1. Register as an individual. Registration is FREE.
  2. Login by entering your user name and password.
  3. The "Plan my travel" page appears.
  4. If the From/To station selected by you are correct in the route of the train then :
  5. Select e-Ticket option.

How to get train tickets quickly? ›

QUICK-TICKET BOOKING ON THIS SITE
  1. This form is for users who are well acquainted with the ETICKETING Ticket booking Procedure. ...
  2. Register as an individual. ...
  3. Login by entering your user name and password.
  4. For Quick Book click on the link “QuickBook” after login.
  5. Select Ticket Type as E-Ticket or I-Ticket for quick book.

How early should I show up for VIA Rail? ›

It's best to arrive at the station half an hour before departure for travel within the Corridor, and one hour before departure for long distance trains.

How to book train tickets for the first time? ›

How to Book Train Tickets Online
  1. Visit the official NRC Website. Visit the NRC website. ...
  2. Select Your Route. Explore the various routes available across Nigeria. ...
  3. Choose Your Class. ...
  4. Select Travel Dates and Passengers. ...
  5. Secure Payment. ...
  6. Receive E-Tickets.

How do I get my ticket when I book online? ›

After purchasing your ticket online, download the file and print your ticket. Passengers can find their e-ticket files in the email sent to them. For domestic flights, passengers do not have to show their e-tickets at the security checkpoints.

Is it better to buy train tickets in advance or on the day? ›

Did you know that you could save money by planning well ahead and booking an Advance train ticket? Plus, we'd recommend booking travel before you get to the station, as this will limit your time spent there. For safe, contactless travel, choose a digital ticket where possible.

What day of the week is cheapest to take a train? ›

Here's a tip: 1-832-252-9195 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are usually your go-to days for the cheapest fares. Keep in mind, though, that Amtrak's special sales often come with restrictions on these days.

How to get a big discount on train tickets? ›

Choose your date – most Advance tickets go on sale 12 weeks before the date of departure, so the earlier you book the cheaper your tickets could be. Don't forget to add your Railcard, if you have one, to get an even bigger discount.

Which is the best portal to book train ticket? ›

MakeMyTrip is the leading portal for making your IRCTC ticket booking within a few minutes. All you have to do is enter your source and destination and look at all the trains available on the selected route. In order to confirm your tickets, enter your IRCTC login ID and be ready to embark on a journey of a lifetime.

Is it better to purchase your ticket at the station or on the train? ›

To secure the best available fare, passengers should purchase tickets prior to boarding the train.

Can I book a railway ticket through a credit card? ›

Payment Modes: When you book your tickets online, you can choose a payment mode that suits you best. From mobile wallets and UPI to Credit/Debit Cards and NetBanking- the choice is all yours! Accessibility: With online booking, you can reserve railway tickets for any region of India, from anywhere, at any time.

How strict is VIA Rail with luggage? ›

Any baggage weighing more than 23 kg/50 lb will not be allowed on board the Corridor trains. Each passenger is responsible for their own baggage. Please only bring baggage that you can carry and store unassisted (under the seat in front of you, on the overhead shelf or in the towers).

Can you bring food on VIA Rail? ›

You can bring your own snacks and non-alcoholic drinks on the train. We also offer a selection of refreshments and food, prepared with carefully selected local products from Canadian artisans.

Do I need to wear a mask on VIA Rail? ›

board VIA Rail trains and at stations. All employees, contractors, and visitors, as well as passengers must comply with the obligation to wear a mask.

Do I have to print my online train ticket? ›

You can load a smart ticket onto a smartcard, keep it on your mobile, or print it at home if you also prefer a physical copy to bring with you on your journey.

When online train ticket booking starts? ›

Service Hours: Booking through Internet is allowed from 00:20 AM to 11:45 PM (Indian Standard Time) on all days including Sundays. Service hours are liable to be changed without prior notice.

How does Ticket to Ride Online work? ›

In Ticket to Ride, players are competing to claim train routes between major cities on the board. In standard Ticket to Ride, the map depicts North America in the early 20th century. By claiming routes and completing their hidden destination tickets, players earn victory points that decide the game's final winner.

How does booking tickets online work? ›

The online booking system follows a few simple steps: the customer visits the business's website or mobile application, selects the type of service they want to book, confirms their selected date and time are available, enters their contact information such as name, email address and phone number, and then makes ...

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