This was my first trip outside of Europe. It was a two week adventure by plane, train and bus, spanning all the way from Toronto to Vancouver. I booked this tailormade trip via Trailfinders, and can highly recommend this company to anyone looking to embark on a complex, multistage adventure, or any trip of a lifetime. I did this one solo, and can safely say that two weeks is probably my limit for solo travel for now (as of 2024… who knows, this may change in the future!) It was varied and paced enough, however, for me to not get bored in any of the destinations I visited. Read further below for my experiences!

Toronto

Toronto was my first taste of a proper North American city, with its towering skyscrapers and huge inner city roads. I had never before experienced skyscrapers to this extent, so I spent a lot of time looking up! I had also never experienced a Tim Horton’s before – this was a pleasant surprise for me! The weather was mostly nice on this trip, since it was during the late spring, therefore I had plenty of opportunities to get out and about and enjoy what the city had to offer. I admired the CN Tower from below (since I have a bit of a fear of heights!), visited Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, visited the Royal Ontario Museum, and took a hop on hop off bus tour of half the city. Out of these, I would say I enjoyed the bus tour the most, as the weather on this day was gorgeous and the guide was really knowledgeable. I would now recommend taking a hop on hop off bus tour to anyone, and will be doing this myself on future trips!

I didn’t get the time to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, however I have heard that this museum is a key attraction for the city. Casa Loma is another recommended tourist attraction which I didn’t visit, due to already coming from a land of spectacular castles (it didn’t appeal to me as much, as a Brit!) If I visit Toronto again, however, I would probably pay a visit to both of these places. The CF Toronto Eaton Centre is a sprawling downtown mall with every shop you could ask for. I paid this place a couple of visits during my time in Toronto, since I must admit that I do like a bit of retail therapy! I visited my first Canada Goose store here to see what all the hype is about, and wow, aren’t the products expensive! Blew my mind… suffice to say, I didn’t buy anything from here, but I could at least appreciate the quality of the jackets!

As part of my stay in the Toronto region, I also had to visit Niagara Falls! I did this as an independent bus trip so that I could take my own time and visit/leave when I wanted to. The journey time each way was about 1hr 30min, with rather underwhelming scenery until you reach the falls. I wandered around the welcome centre and outside for a couple of hours or so, then headed back to Toronto! I got some stunning photos and videos of the falls, but apart from that, I didn’t find that there was an awful lot more to do there. If visiting, I would recommend staying in Toronto and paying a day trip to the falls – there is no need to stay overnight at Niagara Falls.

VIA Rail’s The Canadian

This was a real treat, and one of the highlights of the whole trip. I spent 4 nights living on a train, travelling from Toronto to Vancouver and stopping briefly at a few different towns & cities across southern Canada. I was staying in a cabin for 1 for the duration, enjoying delectable 3 course meals in the onboard restaurant car and generally being super cosy in my own little room! The food was exquisite, I could not fault it, with the steak (both fillet & rib-eye) being my absolute favourite.

The train passed through Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, giving a nice sample of the scenery on offer in each province. What surprised me is how much I appreciated the sunny, wide open plains of the prairies – a region of the country which through my research, I hadn’t fully appreciated, until now! The journey through the Canadian Rockies was also exceptional, with stunning natural beauty and an assortment of wildlife around every corner.

The cabin for 1 option didn’t come cheap, but I would say that it was 100% worth it just for the privacy. The cheapest sleeper option on this train is the “berth”, which entails seats in the corridor which convert into beds (with an upper bunkbed coming down from the roof) at nights. These still looked cosy, but had no privacy during the day, and only a fabric curtain at nights in bed mode. They also don’t come with any form of sockets to use to charge personal electrical items, therefore, the public sockets on the train have to be used instead.

The next sleeper option up from the berth is the cabin for 1, and I would fully recommend this for any solo traveller on the Canadian. The cabins come with their own small sink and toilet, with a murphy style bed which folds down from the wall (you can do this yourself at any time you wish to use the bed), covering the toilet. There are also two sockets for charging personal electrical items, and different lighting options to create the ambience you desire. I am not sure that I would do this journey alone again, however I would consider it in future if I was joined by friends or a partner.

Vancouver

I spent two nights total in Vancouver, which definitely wasn’t enough for my liking! During my brief time there, I met up with a family friend and visited Stanley Park, the aquarium, and downtown Vancouver. The hotel I stayed at (The Westin Bayshore) was probably the best accommodation of my trip, which was a shame since I spent the least time here on my Canadian adventure! I had harbour views through the floor to ceiling length windows and a powerful walk in shower – luxury!

I would have liked to have spent more time in Stanley Park, since even in the rain, this place was pretty – an oasis right next to the hustle and bustle of the city. My time in Vancouver was unfortunately marred by the rain, but this is to be expected considering that Vancouver’s unofficial nickname is “Raincouver”! The aquarium was interesting but a bit too busy for my liking (plus the rain put me off visiting the outside bit – I missed out here due to my wimpyness!) Downtown Vancouver seemed nice, and the main mall provided a good chance to while away some time as it poured down outside. I would 100% visit Vancouver again in the future, and would spend more than two nights there!

Banff

Banff was the cherry on top of my Canadian adventure. Mindbogglingly stunning natural beauty and landscapes filled with mountains, lakes and forests. Some of my photos from here are arguably the best I have ever taken, and I even got to see a couple of wild black bears! The highlight of this leg of the trip was going on a day’s coach tour around the Banff & Yoho National Parks. We visited Lake Louise, Emerald Lake, and Lake Moraine, amongst a few other stops on the way. Below you will see some of my favourite photos that I took at these locations.

I also managed to get a few photos of the one of the bears I saw, however, these are a bit blurry as they were taken from the coach…

Even just the area around Banff town was stunningly beautiful…

Banff is a haven for nature lovers. In the summer time, Banff is also a great place for outdoor activities such as kayaking, cycling, and hiking. Winter of course brings the winter sports and ski season. I spent only 4 nights in Banff, therefore I had to pack quite a bit into a small amount of time (again!) Apart from the day tour and some light walking around Banff town, I didn’t do any activities. I did, however, enjoy the local museums (Banff Park Museum & The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies), and sample some new food (the Canadian dessert treat “Beaver Tails” and a delicious bison burger!)

I would return to Banff, however, for the next trip I wouldn’t go alone. This was the part of my Canadian tour where I started to really feel alone, and was longing to have someone else there with me to share the experience with. It is definitely more of a holiday destination for families and couples, and this hit home pretty fast after I arrived there. I wanted to visit a spa or maybe the Banff Upper Hot Springs, but just wasn’t in the mood to do this on my own… maybe next time!

Getting to Banff is relatively easy if you plan ahead. I flew from Vancouver to Calgary airport, then took a pre-booked bus from the airport direct to Banff. The bus trip is really a type of sightseeing tour in itself, as you pass through some beautiful prairie land, lakes, rivers, and mountains to get to Banff town. I would advise to always have your camera at the ready – the place is picture postcard wherever you look!

Canada was truly amazing. This was a once in a lifetime adventure for me, and I could see myself returning again some time in the future. I would be interested to see how many of my readers have been to Canada before, or indeed live in Canada, and have your views and opinions of the country!