Canadian Railroad or drive?
May 29th, 2004, 10:08 PM
#2
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I have never done that particular route by rail, but I know several people who have done it and have enjoyed it.
On balance, I would not recommend it, unless you have some sort of challenge that rail travel would help you to overcome.
Advantages that I can see to train travel are the fact that all people travelling in the party can relax and enjoy the scenery. In addition to that, one can get up, walk around, and stretch one's legs on a train.
Advantages that I can see to road travel are the flexibility to stop, get out, look at the view, and also to take detours to see sights that are off the main route. When it comes to the Rockies, there are several places that are worthy of special attention, so I would place a high value on this point. Furthermore, road travel between Vancouver and Calgary is considerably less expensive than the passenger train service that operates that route.
All of my family members and friends who have caught the train from Calgary or Banff or Lake Louise to Vancouver have had the benefit of accompanying my husband and me to the mountains prior to boarding the train. So in a sense they've had the best of both worlds. We've taken them on a few of those detours that they would have missed if they'd done the rail trip only.
Now that I come to think about it, there's another feature that all of my family members and friends who have caught the train have shared in common. They've all been challenged in some way. Either they've been elderly and a little frail, or they've been visiting here from South Africa (where I come from originally) and have not felt confident about driving on what feels to them like the wrong side of the road.
No doubt there are young, healthy, confident people who undertake the train journey too. I'm just saying that all those whom I've known personally have suffered from a disadvantage that the train has helped them to overcome.
The passenger train that serves the Vancouver - Banff - Calgary route is called the Rocky Mountaineer. Here is its website from which you can find out more details:
http://www.rockymountaineer.com/index.htm
The Vancouver - Jasper - Edmonton route is more fortunate in the sense that two passenger rail services operate on it, the Rocky Mountaineer and VIA Rail. Some classes of accommodation on VIA Rail are considerably less expensive than the Rocky Mountaineer.
The advantage of the Rocky Mountaineer is that it stops in Kamloops, where its passengers spend the night in a hotel. This means that the train travels through scenic terrain only during daylight hours.
The VIA Rail train, on the other hand, travels through the night. Since we have so many hours of daylight in the summer, though, a passenger doing the Vancouver - Jasper rail trip during the summer would still manage to see a good deal of mountain scenery.
In case you're interested in VIA Rail, here's their website:
http://www.viarail.ca/trains/en_trai_roch.html
On balance, I would not recommend it, unless you have some sort of challenge that rail travel would help you to overcome.
Advantages that I can see to train travel are the fact that all people travelling in the party can relax and enjoy the scenery. In addition to that, one can get up, walk around, and stretch one's legs on a train.
Advantages that I can see to road travel are the flexibility to stop, get out, look at the view, and also to take detours to see sights that are off the main route. When it comes to the Rockies, there are several places that are worthy of special attention, so I would place a high value on this point. Furthermore, road travel between Vancouver and Calgary is considerably less expensive than the passenger train service that operates that route.
All of my family members and friends who have caught the train from Calgary or Banff or Lake Louise to Vancouver have had the benefit of accompanying my husband and me to the mountains prior to boarding the train. So in a sense they've had the best of both worlds. We've taken them on a few of those detours that they would have missed if they'd done the rail trip only.
Now that I come to think about it, there's another feature that all of my family members and friends who have caught the train have shared in common. They've all been challenged in some way. Either they've been elderly and a little frail, or they've been visiting here from South Africa (where I come from originally) and have not felt confident about driving on what feels to them like the wrong side of the road.
No doubt there are young, healthy, confident people who undertake the train journey too. I'm just saying that all those whom I've known personally have suffered from a disadvantage that the train has helped them to overcome.
The passenger train that serves the Vancouver - Banff - Calgary route is called the Rocky Mountaineer. Here is its website from which you can find out more details:
http://www.rockymountaineer.com/index.htm
The Vancouver - Jasper - Edmonton route is more fortunate in the sense that two passenger rail services operate on it, the Rocky Mountaineer and VIA Rail. Some classes of accommodation on VIA Rail are considerably less expensive than the Rocky Mountaineer.
The advantage of the Rocky Mountaineer is that it stops in Kamloops, where its passengers spend the night in a hotel. This means that the train travels through scenic terrain only during daylight hours.
The VIA Rail train, on the other hand, travels through the night. Since we have so many hours of daylight in the summer, though, a passenger doing the Vancouver - Jasper rail trip during the summer would still manage to see a good deal of mountain scenery.
In case you're interested in VIA Rail, here's their website:
http://www.viarail.ca/trains/en_trai_roch.html
May 29th, 2004, 10:17 PM
#3
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The VIA Vancouver-Toronto train, Canadian, doesn't go through Calgary. It stops at Edmonton, and you need to connect to Calgary by bus.
From Vancouver to Calgary, you can drive, fly, or take the bus. It's 600 miles driving, and is really not recommended to do it in a day, as it's non-freeway after you pass Kamloops.
From Vancouver to Calgary, you can drive, fly, or take the bus. It's 600 miles driving, and is really not recommended to do it in a day, as it's non-freeway after you pass Kamloops.
May 29th, 2004, 10:52 PM
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Certainly one can drive the trip!
We drive Vancouver to Calgary regularly in a single day. It takes about 11 hours with stops for gas and meals only, taking the TransCanada highway from Calgary to Kamloops, and the Coquihalla highway from Kamloops to Vancouver.
In my opinion the best scenery is along this route, which the Via rail train doesn't take. The northern route (which ends up in Edmonton) is not as pretty.
If you're comfortable, drive and break the trip up into at least a couple of chunks. Vancouver to Salmon Arm, then from there to Calgary the next day. Or 3 chunks - Vancouver to Kamloops. Kamloops to Golden, then from there to Calgary - stopping in Lake Louise and Banff.
Driving lets you stop at will and see things. And while the highway is not a 4 lane divided "freeway" for the whole trip, it is certainly a proper highway (why, it's even paved!!)
I know there are some who love the train, but I agree with Judy that on balance driving is preferable.
We drive Vancouver to Calgary regularly in a single day. It takes about 11 hours with stops for gas and meals only, taking the TransCanada highway from Calgary to Kamloops, and the Coquihalla highway from Kamloops to Vancouver.
In my opinion the best scenery is along this route, which the Via rail train doesn't take. The northern route (which ends up in Edmonton) is not as pretty.
If you're comfortable, drive and break the trip up into at least a couple of chunks. Vancouver to Salmon Arm, then from there to Calgary the next day. Or 3 chunks - Vancouver to Kamloops. Kamloops to Golden, then from there to Calgary - stopping in Lake Louise and Banff.
Driving lets you stop at will and see things. And while the highway is not a 4 lane divided "freeway" for the whole trip, it is certainly a proper highway (why, it's even paved!!)
I know there are some who love the train, but I agree with Judy that on balance driving is preferable.
May 29th, 2004, 10:55 PM
#5
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The Rocky Mountaineer is a pretty luxurious rail-tour that takes 2 days to get to Calgary; and the lowest price on its brochure is US$469 per person, including one night of hotel in Kamloops, based on double-occupancy.
Driving will be cheaper, even with just 2 persons. Or just fly. Westjet flies almost hourly YVR-YYC and is about C$100 each way, per person.
Driving will be cheaper, even with just 2 persons. Or just fly. Westjet flies almost hourly YVR-YYC and is about C$100 each way, per person.
May 30th, 2004, 05:16 AM
#6
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I've taken the train from Edmonton to Vancouver several times, but never taken any of the special tourist trains whioch stop alongthe way, and let you stay in hotels overnight.
And I've driven from Calgary to Vancouver and back several times, and from Edmonton to Vancouver and back.
The best way, I think, is driving, because you can stop whenever you want.
But allow enough time for these stops. It stays light out late into the evening in the summer, but you'll still want to stop and have a nice dinner and relax, rather than keep driving hour after hour.
BAK
And I've driven from Calgary to Vancouver and back several times, and from Edmonton to Vancouver and back.
The best way, I think, is driving, because you can stop whenever you want.
But allow enough time for these stops. It stays light out late into the evening in the summer, but you'll still want to stop and have a nice dinner and relax, rather than keep driving hour after hour.
BAK
May 30th, 2004, 01:37 PM
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My husband took the Rocky Mountaineer train trip and absolutely loved it but he agrees that driving is the best way to see the mountains, if you do indeed want a good look at the mountains on your way through.
