Road and Train to Churchill, Manitoba (The Looooong Journey to Churchill)

Churchill, Manitoba is known as “The polar bear capital of the world” and I wanted to go there in late summer, as it was possible to see Polar Bears, Beluga Whales, and the Northern Lights, and the cost to visit was a small fraction of the cost to visit in the high season of October-November.  My parents live just south of Manitoba in Minnesota so I asked if they would like to road trip to Churchill and they joined me for the adventure.  How to Get to Churchill Manitoba? There are only two ways to get to Churchill because there are no roads to Churchill… by expensive flight, or by much cheaper train ride on Canada’s VIA rail**.  The Winnipeg to Churchill train starts in the capital of Winnipeg and takes almost 48 hours of riding but I found a hot tip on the internet that you can do a much shorter trip – about 17 hours, if you take a bus or drive to the city of Thompson, MB in the center of the province and then take the train from Thompson to Churchill. This is the account of my trip from Winnipeg to Churchill and back on the train to Churchill, and why I think drive/train is the best way to get to Churchill.

** For summer 2019 Departures, the cost of a flight to Churchill is $1067 USD, and the cost of the train is $447 CAD, or $335 USD, less than a third of the cost of a flight.

How to get to Churchill Manitoba – The Drive from Winnipeg to Thompson

For many, the drive and train to Churchill starts in the capital city of Winnipeg. The drive from Winnipeg to Thompson is exclusively on Highway 6 and is 762 kilometers (473 miles) and takes approximately 7 hours and 40 minutes. There is a very sparse population between Winnipeg and Thompson.  There are many, many trees and a few bodies of water.  Since we were driving from southern Minnesota to Thompson, the drive took us two days, so the first night we stopped in a motel in the town of Grand Rapids, MB.  The biggest excitement came in the morning when I went to load the luggage in the car and scared a black bear that was rummaging thru the garbage nearby.

There was some beautiful scenery north of Grand Rapids – a few beautiful ponds, interesting statues that people put by the road, and some wildlife (a fox and sandhill cranes).

The one must stop destination between Winnipeg and Thompson is the powerful Pisew Falls, the 2nd tallest falls in Manitoba.  It’s well worth the stop at the Pisew Falls – the falls are only a few minutes drive + few minutes walk from the main road.
This park is also home to the tallest falls in Manitoba – the Kwasitchewan Falls. These falls can only be accessed by a rough 22 km hike from the car park of Pisew Falls, so only attempt this if you have a full day and are fully equipped and prepared.

Visiting Thompson, Manitoba

The train leaves for Churchill in the afternoon, so you’ll likely have a little bit of time to explore Thompson, Manitoba. Here are some of the top things to do in Manitoba before your train departure:

• Visit the Heritage North Museum, full of stuffed animals, and artifacts fro the First Nations and fur trade industry.
• Do a short walk to see the multi-story wolf mural on the side of the tallest building in town, this is part of the longer “Spirit Way” walk that takes you to various points of interest in Thompson.
• Walk around town and look at all the wolf statues. The wolf is the town symbol.
• Insider Tip: Go shopping and pick up snacks or meals for the long train to Churchill and back as well as your time in Churchill (The prices at the Northern Store in Churchill are crazy high, especially on produce, as the cost to transport food to this remote outpost is high). The prices at Walmart are quite good compared to the prices for food and drinks you will pay on the train and in Churchill.
• Stay overnight. Unlike the sparse hotel selection in Grand Rapids, MB, Thompson has some pretty good choices. The Best Western is the highest regarded hotel, but others are worthy of a stay. Check Rates and Availability.

How to get to Churchill Manitoba – The Train to Churchill

We waited patiently in the Thompson Train Station. The station was full, but mostly because there was a large church group from Winnipeg who had also driven to Thompson rather than taking the 48 hour train.

The overnight trip to Churchill by train was pleasant.  There was enough room that my parents could stretch out over 4 chairs facing each other, and I grabbed 4 chairs for myself.  We ate snacks purchased at Walmart for dinner and watched the sunset over the many water ways in northern Manitoba. The views were great!

Late at night, the train stops in some of the First Nations villages that are only accessible by train.  Because this is tundra area, there are no roads during the spring to fall as the area is too marshy.  The only way they can get from town to town is by boat or by winter ice roads on frozen tundra.

There was a spectacular sunrise over the tundra trees as we got closer to Churchill in the morning, eventually arriving around 9am on schedule.  We were lucky – in the past the train has been a day or more late due to buckling train tracks in the heat.

The Churchill To Thompson Train

The trip from Churchill back to Thompson was uneventful.  The train was fuller so we couldn’t stretch out as much.  We arrived to the Thompson Train Station at noon, and immediately got on the road to Winnipeg.

The Thompson to Winnipeg Drive

We spent the rest of the day driving back to Winnipeg.   We had seen a Tim Horton’s at a remote Shell Gas station on the way up and had talked about making a stop for donuts only to discover the Tim Horton’s had been closed for over 6 months.  The biggest treat of the drive was the amazing pink sunset.  First it dropped over the Manitoba grasslands, then we discovered a gravel road just north of St. Laurent, MB where we could access a beach on Lake Manitoba for one of the most amazing sunsets ever.

Tips on How to Take the Train to Churchill:

• Reserve your train tickets at VIA rail.
• If driving to Thompson it’s better to do the full drive from Winnipeg to Thompson in one day.  The motel choices between these two cities is limited.  However, this would require a night stay in Thompson the night before the train or a very early start from Winnipeg.
• Important Note: The train was closed from 2017 to late 2018 due to damage to the tracks. Locals and travelers alike were worried it would never be fixed. However, I am happy to say the rail line was fixed and this route was reopened in December 2018! Let’s hope it says open for a long, long time as it’s a lifeline to the Churchill community

Are you planning on taking the train to Churchill? Read here about my adventures in Churchill and why I think Late Summer is the Best Time to visit Churchill.

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