Canada is made up of a network of rail lines that provide passenger service to many of the country's major cities. Via Rail is the provider of passenger train travel in Canada, and its trains run between Montreal and Quebec City daily. If you want to reach one city from the other by rail, your only method is to ride one of Via's trains.


Montreal and Quebec City are the two biggest cities in the province of Quebec, and it's easy to travel from one to the other on Via Rail. Depending on the number of stops your train makes, a one-way journey takes between three and three-and-a-half hours. Driving from one city to the other takes approximately the same amount of time, but the benefit of taking the train is not having to contend with inclement weather or city traffic.


Because of the size of both Montreal and Quebec City, Via Rail runs several trains between the two cities each day. As of October 2012, from Monday through Friday, five trains leave each city to travel to the other. On weekends, three trains travel each direction from city to city. The train times vary depending on the day, and this information is available on Via Rail's website. The station in Montreal is named Montreal Station, while the station in Quebec is called Quebec Station.


When you book a Via Rail ticket for the Montreal-to-Quebec City route, you must decide the class of ticket you wish to buy. Via provides economy class and business class options for its travelers. An economy class ticket is the most affordable and basic in nature. Guests in economy class have basic seats and are provided with an option of food and drinks to buy. In business class, travelers have more room around their seats, have access to a private lounge before boarding, board the train first and receive a choice of meals.

Traveler Information

Travelers on Via Rail's trains between Montreal and Quebec City are permitted to travel with up to three pieces of luggage without having to pay an additional fee. In October 2012, Via introduced a new luggage policy that gives travelers three options. This policy is outlined on Via's website. Depending on how much luggage you plan to carry, you'll be grouped into one of the three options. If you have excess baggage, you're charged $20 per item.

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