Self-Launched Best of Eastern Canada: Toronto to Montréal by Train & Bus
9 days · Eastern Canada
Trafalgar charges £2,840
No-markup version: ~£790 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A do-it-yourself version of Trafalgar's 9-day coach tour through Toronto, Niagara Falls, Kingston, Ottawa, Québec City and Montréal. Instead of a 20-50 person coach and Sheraton hotels, you'll ride VIA Rail and Ontario/Orléans Express intercity coaches (booked in advance for cheap escape fares), stay in hostels and budget guesthouses, and self-book the same headline experiences: a Niagara Falls boat ride, a winery lunch in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the hockey "learn to play" session, a sugar shack lunch in the countryside, an Old Québec walking tour and Notre-Dame Basilica in Montréal. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget rates in GBP (Canada is not cheap — plan for £75-95/day all-in), and exclude international flights. Book rail and buses 4-8 weeks ahead; VIA Rail "Escape" fares roughly halve walk-up prices.
Day-by-day
Arrive Toronto — Kensington Market & downtown orientation
Toronto
Land at Toronto Pearson and take the UP Express train to Union Station (~CAD$12.35, 25 mins) rather than a CAD$61-70 taxi — then walk or take the TTC subway to a hostel in the King West/Entertainment District area. Do your own orientation loop: Nathan Phillips Square, the outside of Queen's Park and the Ontario Legislative Building, University Avenue and Yonge-Dundas Square. Evening wander in Kensington Market for cheap eats (a good poutine or roti is £8-10).
🚌UP Express airport train CAD$12.35; TTC subway/Presto card for the day (~£5)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room in a budget guesthouse, downtown Toronto (£30-45)
- →Self-guided downtown orientation walk (Queen's Park, University Avenue, Dundas Square)
- →Kensington Market food crawl
Toronto: CN Tower, ROM and waterfront
Toronto
Pre-book the CN Tower online (GetYourGuide/Klook or direct, ~£28-32) for the Glass Floor and outdoor Sky Terrace at 342m — go at opening or sunset to dodge queues. Afternoon in the Royal Ontario Museum (~£14) or the free Art Gallery of Ontario's free-wednesday-evening window. Walk the Harbourfront and either catch a free ferry to the Toronto Islands (CAD$9 return) or do a Toronto Islands bike loop. Grab dinner in St Lawrence Market area.
🚌Walking plus TTC day pass (~£5); optional island ferry CAD$9
🛏Same hostel, Toronto (£30-45)
- →CN Tower Glass Floor & Sky Terrace (self-booked)
- →Royal Ontario Museum
- →Toronto Islands ferry or Harbourfront walk
Niagara Falls day trip — boat ride and winery lunch
Niagara Falls / Niagara-on-the-Lake
Take the GO Train from Union Station to Niagara Falls (weekend GO service, ~CAD$20 return with the GO weekend pass) — the cheapest way to do this instead of a coach tour. Book the Hornblower Niagara Cruises boat to the base of Horseshoe Falls (~£25) direct online; bring a waterproof shell. On the Niagara-on-the-Lake side, book a wine tasting and lunch at a Niagara winery such as Ravine Vineyard (~£25-35) — reachable by local taxi or the WEGO shuttle. Optional: a 12-minute helicopter flight over the falls from ~£115 if you want the splurge. Return to Toronto in the evening.
🚌GO Train Union–Niagara Falls (weekend pass ~£11), WEGO shuttle or taxi in Niagara (~£8)
🛏Same hostel, Toronto (£30-45)
- →Hornblower boat to the base of Horseshoe Falls
- →Niagara winery tasting and lunch (self-booked)
- →Optional helicopter flight over the falls
Toronto → Kingston → Ottawa by rail
Kingston / Ottawa
Book a VIA Rail Escape fare from Toronto to Kingston (~£25-35, 2h40) and stop off for a few hours. Do the 1000 Islands and Kingston Harbour from the water with a 1-hour Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises harbour cruise (~£20, self-booked at the dock) — sit on the top deck for Millionaire's Row. Rejoin VIA Rail Kingston–Ottawa (~£20, 2h) late afternoon. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near ByWard Market and eat cheap there (beaver tails, market food stalls).
🚌VIA Rail Toronto–Kingston–Ottawa (~£45-55 total)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near ByWard Market, Ottawa (£30-40)
- →Kingston Harbour / 1000 Islands cruise
- →ByWard Market evening wander
Ottawa: Parliament Hill, Rideau Hall and Indigenous culture
Ottawa
Free self-guided walk of Parliament Hill (book the free guided Centre Block tour online in advance if you want inside access), then along the Rideau Canal to Rideau Hall and the ByWard Market. For the Indigenous experience, book a visit or workshop at Mādahòkì Farm (seasonal — check their events calendar; entry/workshop ~£10-20) or catch an Indigenous-led experience via GetYourGuide as a substitute. Optional afternoon Ottawa River cruise (~£18 self-booked at the dock) or a museum afternoon (National Gallery is free on Thursday evenings).
🚌Walking and local bus/OC Transpo day pass (~£5)
🛏Same hostel/budget hotel, Ottawa (£30-40)
- →Parliament Hill self-guided tour
- →Rideau Canal & Rideau Hall walk
- →Mādahòkì Farm Indigenous visit (book direct)
- →Optional Ottawa River cruise
Ottawa → Québec City with a sugar shack lunch stop
Québec City
Take an Orléans Express coach or VIA Rail from Ottawa to Québec City (~£35-45, 4.5-6h). If you want the cabane à sucre experience, book a lunch at Chez Dany (or any cabane à sucre in the Lanaudière/Île d'Orléans area) direct — these are family-run and reachable by local taxi or a shared shuttle; expect traditional pea soup, ham, sausages, baked beans, pancakes and maple taffy on snow (~£25). Alternatively pick an Île d'Orléans sugar shack and combine it with a bike hire loop. Evening: walk into Old Québec and up to the Château Frontenac lit up at night.
🚌Intercity coach or VIA Rail Ottawa–Québec City (~£40); taxi to sugar shack (~£12)
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Old Québec / Saint-Roch (£28-40)
- →Cabane à sucre lunch (self-booked)
- →Old Québec & Château Frontenac evening walk
Québec City: Old Town walking tour, Plains of Abraham, Citadel
Québec City
Join a pay-what-you-want or cheap small-group walking tour of UNESCO-listed Old Québec via GetYourGuide or the local tourist office (~£15-20), covering Place Royale, the funicular, the fortifications and the Citadel exterior, then continue yourself through the Plains of Abraham (free). Afternoon: Musée de la civilisation or the free-ish Musée national des beaux-arts (Wednesday evenings free). Climb the Escalier Casse-Cou, eat tourtière or a cheap crêpe in the lower town, and finish on the Dufferin Terrace boardwalk.
🚌Walking; funicular CAD$5; local bus if needed (~£4)
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse, Québec City (£28-40)
- →Old Québec small-group walking tour (self-booked)
- →Plains of Abraham & Citadel exterior
- →Musée de la civilisation or MNBAQ
Québec City → Montréal: Old Montréal and Notre-Dame
Montréal
Take VIA Rail Québec City–Montréal (~£30-40, 3h15) into Gare Centrale and check into a hostel in the Plateau or near Old Montréal. Walk the Old Port, Place Jacques-Cartier and Place d'Armes yourself, then pre-book Notre-Dame Basilica entry (~£12) — the AURA light show in the evening (~£20) is a great substitute for a guided church visit. Dinner in Old Montréal or cheaper on Rue Saint-Denis; finish with a walk up Mont-Royal for the sunset skyline (free).
🚌VIA Rail Québec City–Montréal (~£35); STM metro day pass (~£5)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Plateau/Old Montréal (£28-40)
- →Old Montréal & Old Port self-guided walk
- →Notre-Dame Basilica entry (self-booked)
- →Mont-Royal sunset viewpoint
- →Optional AURA light show
Montréal: Plateau, markets and departure
Montréal
Morning walk through the Plateau and Mile End — bagels at St-Viateur or Fairmount, coffee on Mont-Royal Avenue — then Jean-Talon or Atwater Market for picnic supplies. If time allows, the free Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery walk or the McCord Museum. Head to YUL airport on the 747 express bus (CAD$11, ~45-60 min) or the REM/STM combo. Tour ends in Montréal.
🚌STM 747 airport bus CAD$11 (~£6)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Plateau & Mile End self-guided food walk
- →Jean-Talon Market
Self-launched vs. Trafalgar
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Trafalgar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£790 | £2,840 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,050 per person (72%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Trafalgar-style trips? Check them out here.~£790
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Best of Eastern Canada: Toronto to Montréal by Train & Bus cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £790 per person for 9 days in Eastern Canada. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Trafalgar?+
Yes — Trafalgar charges around £2,840 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £790 — a saving of roughly £2,050 (72%) per person.
How long is the Eastern Canada trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Eastern Canada.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through Eastern Canada, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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