lauramsgarden

I've seen ads for the rocky Mountaineer train trip from Vancouver to Banff and checking out the website it looks intriguing.
Has anyone worked with these folks - and if so what did you think? I'm sure the trip is beautiful, how are the train accommodations? and was it worth it? thanks

kgsneds

Whether the Rocky Mountaineer is worth it depends on what you want to get out of your vacation & your budget. Some people enjoy it, but there seem to be a fair number of folks who felt the advertising was misleading. It is very, very expensive (plane tickets are cheaper).

The main thing to understand is that it's a train TO the Rockies, not through the Rockies. En route to Banff, part of the way is in flat land/hills, and you pass through a couple of other mountain ranges. However only the last few hours will be in the Rockies proper. To see the Rockies - including all the places in the brochures- you need to either rent a car or book further bus/coach tours. The most scenic part of the Rockies is between Lake Louise and Jasper where the train does not run.

The train itself is supposed to be very nice -- the one night en-route is spent at a hotel in Kamloops, which is not particularly scenic.

So it really comes down to what you want to get out of your vacation, and your budget. If you want flexibility to stop & see things at your pace and to see the Rockies, the train is not likely going to be worth the splurge. If you simply want a relaxing way to get to the Rockies with some pretty scenery, then it might be worthwhile.

lauramsgarden

Thanks, that is very helpful. I think we were intrigued by the idea of an overnight train journey which we've never done - but if it doesn't really go through the rockies maybe not the best option. would flying to Calgary and then booking a car and spending a week between Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper make sense?

SB25

We decided the Rocky Mountaineer was way too expensive, so in June we instead took Canada's ViaRail. We chose to start in Toronto, through to Jasper. There we got off the train for a week. We rented a car to tour the Canadian Rockies and drive the Icefields Parkway to Banff. Then back to Jasper to get on the train again, and continue the trip to Vancouver.

We loved the whole thing (but then we do like train travel!) Lovely scenery, comfortable accommodations (we had a sleeping cabin with 2 comfy bunks), excellent food (ate too much) and interesting fellow passengers.

The ViaRail.ca website is easy to navigate, and I booked the whole thing myself. I would highly recommend it, and we would be happy to do it again some day!

Let me know if you have questions.

kgsneds

Either flying to Calgary and doing a loop from there or train to Jasper and loop from there are excellent options.

thursdaysd

The Rocky Mountaineer doesn't travel at night, which some people prefer. I, too, decided it was way too expensive (plus I would have had to cross a picket line that year) and took Via Rail instead. I ws very happy with my decision:

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...ils-to-jasper/

I got a good deal on the price by booking early and traveling before the end of May.

lauramsgarden

thanks all - what is the via canada web site? when I googled it I only found the site for the Canada train vacations. I think I must be missing or misspelling something.

tomfuller

http://www.viarail.ca/en?gclid=CJ39w...Feo9Qgod1wgANQ
When coming from the east, I spend 2 or 3 nights in Winnipeg.
There are several car rental places within walking distance of the Jasper ViaRail station.
There is also a Brewster tour bus counter inside the station.

lauramsgarden

We live on the west coast so I was thinking of flying to Vancouver - a few nights there and a few nights on Victoria Island, and then take the train to Jasper, rent a car, and explore Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise...does that sound like a plan? and thank you Tom - the link worked!

Yooper2013

We booked a Rocky Mountaineer vacation with Canada Rail, a travel agency out of Calgary and highly recommend their expertise. We booked a year in advance to take advantage of the promotions that were offered. We loved the Rocky Mountaineer, priceless! The staff on the train are wonderful. They are professional and provide insights throughout the journey. Your assigned seats are very comfortable and the food in the dining lounge is delicious. You can choose what you eat from a menu if you have Gold Leaf service, which I'd recommend. We took a circle tour and went from Vancouver to Whistler to Quesnel to Jasper to Lake Louise to Banff to Kamloops to Vancouver. The journey between Vancouver and Kamloops is pretty and you see lakes and scenery but the true beauty is when you're getting closer to Banff and the Rockies. Rocky Mountaineer doesn't have sleeping onboard; they transport you from train to hotel. They bus luggage ahead of the train so its in your hotel room when you arrive and you leave it in the room in the morning and its taken to the next hotel for you. How convenient is that? Our tour included trips to the Ice Fields, touring around Lake Louise, Banff and Jasper. Jasper Tour Company was excellent! The weather in June was drizzly so pack rain gear whatever the season. The biggest issue we had with the train was that some of our days were 10-12 hrs on the train. You can walk around and there's an observation deck on the back of the train but it still can make for a long day. The trip you're interested in isn't as long on either of the legs. We enjoyed our Rocky Mountaineer experience but it isn't cheap.

lauramsgarden

Thanks Yooper - that is helpful to hear the first hand experience. My husband wasn't wild about sleeping on the train so the hotel option is worth thinking about. I've been on both coasts of Canada, but never explored the middle so I am intrigued.

Dukey1

The journey between Vancouver and Kamloops is pretty

Be aware that if you did that portion on The Canadian you would be doing it at night so you can forget about any of that canyon scenery unfortunately.

nukesafe

Following.

jranger

We live in Calgary and have driven to Vancouver many, many times over the years. However, two years ago we decided to fly to Vancouver and take the Rocky Mountaineer home. This was a FANTASTIC experience. The train follows along the rivers and offers a totally different perspective from the highway. The tour guides on board point out all of the interesting sites enroute and we found the food and drink to be excellent. We met some really nice people with whom we dined the evening we were in Kamloops. The Kamloops hotel was just fine - our luggage was waiting in our room when we arrived there, which was great. The train seats were very comfortable in the Silver Leaf car and the views were outstanding. There was an outdoor area where we could stand to take photos or take in the fresh air. I can't recommend this experience enough. It is pricey but when you see all of the staff and high level of service, you will see it is well worth it.

maribethp

There are more than a few poor reviews of the RM service of late. Wonder if that has deteriorated. They also spoke of delays, the train moving after dark when you could not enjoy the tour, hours spent waiting for a long bus ride to a remote hotel, other issues. Mostly the reviewers felt they had way overpaid for the experiences they had and that no one really cared.

tudor

Took my 90 year-old mother on the Gold Leaf to Banff. Very expensive! However, it is a world class operation and you will not regret. The other guests we met were amazing people from all over the world and also enjoyed. The only issue that negatively impacted our particular trip was that RM must stop and wait for the long (very long!) freight trains owned by CP or CN to pass. We waited over one hour several times causing us to arrive very late (~10pm) when it was too dark to see the amazing Rockies. We stayed at the Banff Springs (Fairmont) for two nights before heading to Calgary. Many of the other guests took a bus to Jasper to the Jasper Lodge (also a Fairmont). Both are 5 star hotels and amazing. The drive to Jasper is one of the nicest drives in the world. spectacular! You can drop into Lake Louise hotel (another Fairmont) if you have time. Make sure to do the 2-3 hour hike to the cabin at the end of the lake for lunch! Not difficult but use good hiking boots! You can jump onto a new RM train from Jasper that takes you to Whistler for 1-2 nights before returning to Vancouver. As noted above, if you care about the cost you probably should not consider. You can probably spend $12,000 for two people but you will never forget! I would do it again in a heartbeat! There may be some poor service incidents from time to time but when you consider the enormous capital investment in the beautiful trains, staff, and all other fixed costs it is amazing they actually make a buck!

lauramsgarden

sounds lovely - thanks

Southam

The mountainous areas of Canada's west, from the Alberta foothills just west of Calgary to the ocean at Vancouver, are often casually jumbled together as the "Rockies". This can miff the locals. They recognize a set of mountain ranges, all massive and individually named, and sheltering fairly extensive valley areas (although not comparable to the Colorado plateau to the south.) The VIA train service is a relic of the past, with its glass-roofed observation cars and (I think) a working train kitchen. The Rocky Mountaineer belongs to the present as a land-based luxury cruise. While I enjoyed the VIA trip many years ago, riding the rails that stitched together Canada as a nation, there is one unavoidable truth: Depending on the direction you are travelling, at least part of the ride will be at night, hiding the scenic vistas. But I encourage you to continue your research. Among many other historic attractions, the construction of the railroad inspired an opera, taking the perspective of the imported Chinese labourers that died at an appalling rate. (The Golden Road.) For a colourful account of the mammoth construction project and its national significance, see Pierre Berton's venerable two-volume history, The National Dream and The Last Spike.

tomfuller

On the ViaRail Canadian, the seating area of the glass top dome car is directly above the snack bar, kitchen and dining room. There is a set of steep steps to get up into the dome.
There is a second dome car for the sleeper car passengers.
When he was done with the Canadian rail system, James J. Hill came to the US and became the "Empire Builder".
http://www.american-rails.com/james-j-hill.html
Currently the BNSF Railroad is owned by Warren Buffet