Taxes and tips add up, and the rail pass is for the view

Prices are shown before tax, and tax is 13–15% depending on the province, plus a tip of 15–18% in restaurants; budget about 30% above the menu price. VIA Rail's long routes (the Canadian between Toronto and Vancouver) are scenic experiences, not cheap transport; flying is faster and often cheaper. For city travel, Toronto's and Vancouver's transit accept tapped bank cards. Free: Vancouver's Stanley Park seawall, Toronto's islands by a cheap ferry, Ottawa's Parliament tours.