ALL ABOARD!

A train ride through the Canadian Rockies! Are you one of the many that have that on your bucket list? I did this trip last month and loved it.

Rocky Mountaineer calls their tours, “Truly Moving Train Journeys”. The majesty of the Rockies meets the comfort of luxury travel is their motto.

Your choice is between four- to nine-night journeys. Two to three full days on the train are part of the tour. The rest of the time the tours are by motor coach. You do not sleep on the train. The days that you are on the train start at 7:00am. If you don’t mind a few very early mornings and 2-3 days train ride from Vancouver to Calgary and or Jasper, then this is the trip for you.

You choose your level of service. GoldLeaf Service is what they call their five star service. By selecting GoldLeaf Service you will travel in the bi-level glass dome coach and dine in a dining car on the lower level

with gourmet cuisine. Enjoy complimentary drinks, including alcoholic beverages and be amazed at the beauty of the Canadian Rockies. For the best views, you can walk out to the viewing platform. GoldLeaf also offers hotels in the 5 Star Category. Think Fairmont hotels in most locations.

The other class of service that costs less, is called SilverLeaf. Train cars are one level with large viewing windows. Dining is at your seat. The cuisine choices are different than what you get in GoldLeaf Service. Hotels are 3+ to 4 star. I recommend the GoldLeaf Service. It only costs a little more to go first class and it’s worth it!

On this trip it’s important to know that freight trains get the right-of-way on the railroad tracks. You never know what time you will arrive at your destination because of that. One evening we we disembarked at 7:30pm. The next night was 9:00 pm. We pulled over several times to wait for the freight trains to clear the tracks.

All images courtesy of Rocky Mountaineer. Article first appeared on Cruise & Travel Specialists.