TAKING THE TRAIN IN CANADA - All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide - page 229

variety of sleeping accommodations, and all dining-car meals are
included in the fare.
On the Ocean (Montreal-Halifax), VIA makes a distinction
between sleeper class and sleeper touring class . The choice of
accommodations is the same for each, but the touring-class
fare is offered only in the high season—from mid-June to mid-
October—and includes all your dining-car meals. For the rest of
the year, the fare is lower, but sleeping-car passengers pay for
their meals.
Sleeping cars on the Winnipeg-Churchill train are not as lux-
urious as those used on the Canadian and Ocean trains, but they
serve their purpose. There are several different accommodations
for one and two passengers, including very small one-passenger
roomettes.
Within the Windsor-Quebec corridor, for a supplementary
charge you can opt for VIA 1, a first-class service in coaches pro-
vided on the shorter trips. If you board in Toronto, Montreal, or
Ottawa, you'll get to wait for your train in a first-class lounge
and board ahead of the regular coach passengers. The VIA 1 cars
are spiffy, and you'll get a good complimentary meal served to
you at your seat. VIA 1 includes specific seat assignments, so you
can reserve either a window or an aisle seat when you book. (I'm
always disappointed if I can't sit by a window, so this one feature
alone makes VIA 1 a very attractive option for me.) Coach class ,
as on Amtrak trains, means you'll be in a standard railcar with
rows of two seats on each side of a center aisle.
Paying for Things
Cash or credit cards will be accepted either in railroad stations
or onboard. Personal checks are also accepted but should only be
used as a last resort; you will have to jump through several hoops
in the process. You may also use your American dollars, but don't
let that lull you into thinking you can get by without ever having