Tim and Anne’s Rocky Mountaineer Canadian Rail Adventure (April 2019)

by Tim Larison, CLIA Certified Master Cruise Counselor

with comments by Anne Larison, Family Travel Gurus Travel Consultant

Thirty years ago Anne and I took a magical honeymoon trip through Canada.  First visiting Banff and the Canadian Rockies, then taking a train to Vancouver to see the sights of that area.  Thirty years later we recreated parts of that trip through the wonderful Rocky Mountaineer – a luxury train trip in Western Canada and so much more.  The journey not only gave us an appreciation a product we sell as part of our travel business, but also brought back memories of our life together as young newlyweds so long ago.  Come with us as we tell the story of our 2019 Canadian adventure.

Vancouver

 We started in Vancouver, Canada – one of our favorite cities to visit.  We had been here a few times in the past, from our first visit on our honeymoon to other years when sailing out of Vancouver on Alaska cruises.  There is so much to see and do in this coastal Canadian city!

On a Sunday morning we went to the top of the Vancouver Lookout for an awesome view of the city.

At Canada Place we experienced the thrills of the FlyOver Canada attraction , a simulator ride very much like Soarin’ at the Disney parks.  Well worth it!

Outside of town we trekked across the Capilano Suspension Bridge.  Some incredible views from the bridge!

We also visited Stanley Park, and dined and walked around downtown Vancouver.  Though we only had one full day in Vancouver on this trip we could have easily spent more time here.  We can arrange an extended stay in Vancouver as part of your Rocky Mountaineer vacation.

Anne says:
Vancouver is an amazing city with something for everyone. Don’t forget your umbrella! There can be some liquid sunshine, but it didn’t dampen our spirits. We had not done the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park before and it was great. There are other activities in the park, such as a Cliffwalk and Treetop Adventures. Definitely a family friendly destination.

Rocky Mountaineer Two Day Luxury Rail Trip From Vancouver to Banff, Canada

Monday morning – off to the train!  The Rocky Mountaineer transfer process was extremely efficient.  We were given instructions to pack and tag our bags.  The bags were picked up from our Sheraton Wall Centre hotel and the next time we saw them were at our stop for the night in Kamloops.  Rocky Mountaineer arranged transfers to their train station.

And what a train station it was!  In Vancouver Rocky Mountaineer has its own terminal, not shared with any other rail companies.  There was plenty of room to stretch out and relax as we awaited boarding time.

The friendly Rocky Mountaineer staff were there to greet us. 

We were given a grand sendoff before boarding the train – complete with bagpipe music!

Anne says:

As part of the first train of the season, Rocky Mountaineer went all out to make us feel welcome and raise the excitement level as we waited to board. Everyone’s train ticket has their car number, as well as seat number, so boarding is very organized and takes very little time to get on the train and get settled.

Soon we were on our luxury rail car.  This first day we had Gold Leaf Service, one of two service levels Rocky Mountaineer provides.  More on the other option, Silver Leaf Service, later.  With Gold Leaf service our seats were in the upper level of the train car with windows all around.

The Gold Leaf train car was the best and most comfortable I have ever experienced!  There were controls by our seats to adjust the seating level, and even a heated seat option!

As we departed the train station the Rocky Mountaineer staff waved goodbye.  We were excited for our journey through the Canadian countryside by rail this morning!

First up was a hearty breakfast served in the lower level of our train car.  With the wide windows we could still take in the scenery.  The Rocky Mountaineer offers two meals per day (breakfast and lunch).  The train does not operate at night (rather you stop at an overnight town for a hotel stay there – in our case this was in Kamloops)

As the Rocky Mountaineer train weaved its way through the Canadian countryside we were treated to some incredible views from the comfort of our seats in the Gold Leaf Service car.

One feature of the Gold Leaf Service I really liked was an open air viewing platform between the cars.  Standing on the platform gave us the opportunity to take some wonderful pictures and to bask in the cool outside air.

Anne says:
The Rocky Mountaineer staff was friendly and made sure that all the guests were comfortable, engaged and well fed. There are two seatings for breakfast and lunch on the Gold Leaf Service. Juice and pastries were served to the guests who had to wait for the 2nd seating of breakfast. Hot towels for our hands were provided prior to meals and there was a nice selection of food on the menu for breakfast and lunch with a few options and dessert was included with lunch. Snacks were provided in the afternoon. Drinks were available throughout the afternoon as well.

As we approached Kamloops we were treated to some amazing views of wildlife next to the train.

We had a fine overnight stay at the Doubletree hotel in Kamloops as part of our Rocky Mountaineer package.  We were free to dine on our own in one of a number of Kamloops restaurants that evening before retiring for the night.

Rocky Mountaineer transported us from our Doubletree hotel to the Kamloops train station early on day 2.  There we saw our train arrive.  On this day we would journey into the Canadian Rockies before arriving at Banff.

On day 2 we experienced Rocky Mountaineer’s other class of service – Silver Leaf Service.  While Silver Leaf does not have all the amenities that Gold Leaf Service provides, we still had an enjoyable day watching the scenery go by from our single level train car.

With Silver Leaf Service we dined at our seats for breakfast and lunch, rather than having a separate dining area like in Gold Leaf Service.  Here is the Rocky Mountaineer chef assigned to our car taking our breakfast orders.  Like the day before, breakfast and lunch were yummy!

Drinks are included in the price of a Rocky Mountaineer train trip.

We saw more incredible scenery from the comfort of our Rocky Mountaineer train.  As we approached Banff the mountains towered above us!

Another feature we really liked in both Silver Leaf and Gold Leaf Service was the expert commentary of our Rocky Mountaineer guides describing the areas we were traveling through with interesting historical facts.

The Rocky Mountaineer train features a meeting room that can be reserved for groups.  Here Anne and I sat in on a Rocky Mountaineer sales training.

Gold vs Silver Leaf Service

 We enjoyed both days of our Rocky Mountaineer train trip.  In comparing the two service levels, we feel it is definitely worth it to pay more for the Gold Leaf Service (more comfortable rail car with more features) however you will still have an enjoyable ride if you book the Silver Leaf Service.

The rail portion of our journey was a two day sampler.  Rocky Mountaineer offers rail trips with more days on the train to different parts of Canada.  They even offer a Seattle to Vancouver or vice versa rail trip.  Contact us for more information on the different routes Rocky Mountaineer offers.

Anne says:
Silver Leaf Service on the Rocky Mountaineer trains is good. But Gold Leaf Service is a big step up. The comfort level of the seats, dining car, outdoor viewing area and other things make it worth considering the upgrade. We all ended up at the same destination but arriving in style makes for a first class trip.

Banff, Canada

The Rocky Mountaineer transfers to our hotel in Banff went smoothly.  We were free to dine on our own that night.  We were surprised to find a fondue restaurant we had dined at on our honeymoon 30 years ago was still open for business!

We may have aged a bit in those 30 years (the first picture above taken in 1989, the next picture in April of this year) but we enjoyed the fine food at the Grizzly House just as much!

Rocky Mountaineer partners with Brewster Sightseeing to give guests touring options in Banff and other areas.  The tours we took were excellent!

On our full day tour we saw many of the sights we had visited on our honeymoon 30 years ago.  This time, though, we visited in April rather than August so we were to experience the winter wonderland of the Canadian Rockies!  A highlight for us was seeing Lake Louise covered with ice and touring the famous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel. 

Our last day of our Rocky Mountaineer tour started with a visit to the Banff Gondola.  This is a must do if you are visiting Banff.  The views from the top of the surrounding Canadian Rockies are awesome.

Anne says:
We saw many skiers heading up to the slopes when we were in Banff. Whether you come in the winter for the cold sports or the summer for the warm sports, the city and surrounding area is some of the most beautiful in the world. There are many restaurants, parks and shopping opportunities in Banff and we enjoyed walking the main street checking out the sites. We were thrilled to go up the gondola and view everything from the top – Amazing.

As we departed Banff by bus for Calgary we were in for another surprise – a 20 minute helicopter ride with more spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies.

On our final night we stayed at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel, a true luxury experience!  Rocky Mountaineer hosted us for a farewell dinner at the hotel, giving a fun recap of our previous six day tour.  This was the only Fairmont property we stayed at on our trip.  We can arrange hotel stays at the Palliser and the other iconic Fairmont resorts in Banff and Jasper as part of your Rocky Mountaineer vacation.

Summary

What an amazing trip!  I can’t think of a better way to travel across Western Canada than through the vacations offered by Rocky Mountaineer.

Anne says:
Every Rocky Mountaineer train trip would be unique. Depending upon the time of year, the itinerary and the other guests on the train with you. There is really nothing like it and this experience is one that we highly recommend. 

You too can experience the thrills of a Canadian Rocky Mountaineer vacation like we did!  Contact us for more details and a no obligation price quote.