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Tailor Made Rail · Self-guided rail holiday

Eastern Canada Discovery

Self-guided 12-day rail journey through Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Montreal

Illustration of Eastern Canada Discovery

Tailor Made Rail's Eastern Canada Discovery is a 12-day self-guided rail and flight package that connects four major Canadian cities: Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Montreal. You depart London by Economy Class flight, arriving at Pearson International Airport, and return by overnight flight from Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Between flights, you spend 11 nights in handpicked hotels, traveling by VIA Rail in Economy Class. The itinerary opens with three nights in Toronto, including a day trip to Niagara Falls with a Hornblower Niagara Cruise beneath the 188-foot waterfall. From Toronto, you take a train to Ottawa, the national capital, where you stroll the Rideau Canal and visit Parliament Hill. A second rail journey carries you eastward across Ontario's plains into French-speaking Quebec for three nights near the Château Frontenac in the UNESCO-protected old city. Your final leg by train takes you to Montreal for three nights, where you explore the city's galleries, botanical garden, and Old Town. This package suits independent explorers and first-time rail travellers seeking a city-focused holiday with flexible pacing.

What to know before you look closer

  • Rail is standard Economy Class with seat reservations; no sleeping cars or premium rail experience.
  • The trip includes a transatlantic flight outbound and return; it is not purely a rail journey.
  • Most days are unguided; the operator provides hotel and rail documents but no daily tour guides or group activities.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Toronto

    London to Toronto

    Fly to Canada, arriving at Pearson International Airport, for a 3-night stay in downtown Toronto.

  2. Day 2overnight: Toronto

    Toronto & Niagara Falls

    Day trip to Niagara Falls (around 80 miles away), including a Hornblower Niagara Cruise beneath the 188-ft waterfall.

  3. Day 3overnight: Toronto

    Toronto & Niagara Falls

    Further time exploring Toronto's restaurants, museums, theatre and galleries, including the iconic CN Tower.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Ottawa

    Ottawa

    VIA Rail service from Toronto Union Station to Canada's capital, Ottawa, for a 2-night stay.

  5. Day 5overnight: Ottawa

    Ottawa

    Stroll the Rideau Canal, visit the National Gallery of Canada, and climb the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.

  6. Day 6overnight: Quebec City

    Quebec City

    InterCity service across the plains of eastern Ontario into French-speaking Quebec, for a 3-night stay near the Château Frontenac.

  7. Day 7overnight: Quebec City

    Quebec City

    Explore the UNESCO-protected Vieux-Québec (Old City) and walk the historic city walls, the only walls of their kind in North America.

  8. Day 8overnight: Quebec City

    Quebec City

    Further time exploring Quebec City's French-Canadian cultural and historical heritage.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Montreal

    Montreal

    Around 3-hour train from Gare du Palais to Montreal Central, for a 3-night stay.

  10. Day 10overnight: Montreal

    Montreal

    Explore Montreal's galleries and museums, the world's second-largest botanical garden, and numerous parks.

  11. Day 11overnight: Montreal

    Montreal

    Further time in Montreal's Old Town, with its hint of medieval Europe and Gallic-twist cuisine.

  12. Day 12

    Montreal to London

    Transfer to Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport for an overnight flight back to the UK.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Day-trip to Niagara Falls: a Hornblower Niagara Cruise takes you beneath the 188-foot waterfall.
  • Day 4VIA Rail service from Toronto Union Station to Ottawa, Canada's capital.
  • Day 6InterCity train crosses the plains of eastern Ontario into French-speaking Quebec, arriving near the Château Frontenac.
  • Day 7Walking the historic city walls of Vieux-Québec, the only walls of their kind in North America.

Included

  • Economy Class flights from London to Toronto and Montreal to London
  • Economy Class rail travel with seat reservations
  • 11 nights' handpicked hotel accommodation
  • Clearly-presented wallets for your rail tickets, hotel vouchers and other documentation
  • All credit card surcharges and complimentary delivery of your travel documents

Also sold by

The same itinerary is listed by more than one company. Prices and inclusions can differ; compare before booking.

Questions travellers ask

Is rail travel included in the price?
Yes. The price covers Economy Class rail travel with seat reservations on VIA Rail between Toronto-Ottawa, Ottawa-Quebec City, and Quebec City-Montreal, plus Economy Class flights from London to Toronto and Montreal to London.
Is this trip guided or self-guided?
It is self-guided. Tailor Made Rail provides hotel vouchers and rail tickets with documentation, but no daily guides or group tours.
Which hotels are included?
The package includes 11 nights at the Hilton Toronto (3 nights), Westin Ottawa (2 nights), Manoir Victoria in Quebec City (3 nights), and Hotel ALT Montreal (3 nights).
How much time do you spend in each city?
Three nights in Toronto, two nights in Ottawa, three nights in Quebec City, and three nights in Montreal.
When does this trip run?
Pricing is split by season: low season (November-March) from GBP 2399, and high season (April-October) from GBP 2699. Specific departure dates are not listed in the package details.
What is not included?
Meals, entrance fees to attractions (such as the CN Tower or National Gallery of Canada), and optional activities like the Niagara Falls cruise are not included; the tour highlights these as options.

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