Tag: rocky-mountaineer

  • Rocky Mountaineer- Day Two: Ascending to the Rockies

    The Rocky Mountaineer- Day Two: Ascending to the Rockies

    After a few hours of rest, we were up just after 5:15 a.m. for our 6 a.m. coach pickup. It was still dark, so we didn’t get to see Kamloops in daylight at all. Just before 7 a.m, we pulled out of the station, once again waved off by the cheerful staff lined up along the platform.

    Breakfast was served shortly after departure—another fabulous meal, and we were off, filled with anticipation as Banff awaited us at the end of this breathtaking day. Today, we would ascend into the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountains.

    I felt overwhelmingly happy. Visiting the Rockies had been a long-held dream for us, one we’d spent nearly a year planning in detail, all centred around this train journey. At the same time, there was a tinge of sadness, as by the end of the day, this magical journey would come to a close. But with numerous photos taken and countless moments etched into our minds, we knew we’d be carrying these memories with us forever.

    One particularly memorable moment was passing through Craigellachie, the historic site where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven in, with a monumental point marking the completion of Canada’s first transcontinental railway. A monument now stands there to commemorate the event.

    As we continued through Revelstoke, the landscape transformed dramatically. We were now in true mountainous country, pressing on toward Golden, and crossing the Stoney Creek Bridge in Glacier National Park. The views from the bridge were incredible, but then again, the views throughout the entire journey were consistently stunning.

    This second day felt even more awe-inspiring. You begin to truly grasp the immensity of the mountains and the sheer scale of Canada itself. The Rocky Mountaineer hosts were exceptional, keeping us informed along the route with fascinating insights into the history and significance of each location. Their knowledge and warmth made the experience even more special- Huge credit to them.

    We began to notice the changing colours of the river waters, a result of glacier melt feeding the rivers. The vibrant turquoise hues were unlike anything I’d ever seen. Passing through Golden, we followed the Kicking Horse River toward Field, entering one of the most mind-bending stretches of engineering: the Spiral Tunnels. Even now, I find it hard to fully comprehend how they work. You enter a tunnel with the view on one side of the train and emerge with the view now on the opposite side—after a 270-degree turn. Then you move into the next spiral tunnel. It’s a genius feat of engineering, designed to safely navigate the steep gradients of the mountains.

    As we passed through Field, we soon crossed the Continental Divide—where the border between British Columbia and Alberta lies. Here, we also shifted from Pacific Time (GMT -8) to Mountain Time (GMT -7), gaining an hour. Not long after, we arrived at Lake Louise station, where a few passengers disembarked. At that moment, it hit us that our own journey was nearly over. But before reaching Banff, the hosts came around with the drinks trolley one last time, offering a final toast to this unforgettable experience. Almost 13 hours after leaving Kamloops, we pulled into Banff, where we’d stay for nearly a week.

    It’s impossible to do justice to this journey in a short blog. It was truly an incredible experience—one of epic landscapes, towering mountains, deep valleys, cascading waterfalls, and endless forest—all accompanied by the unparalleled care of the Rocky Mountaineer team. These are memories we’ll treasure forever, and hopefully, one day, we’ll return to ride the Rocky Mountaineer once again.

    Tips:

    • As I already mentioned in a previous blog, we travelled Silver Leaf. It was fabulous. The hosts are trained to serve in both classes, the natural world views out of the oversized windows are amazing and the food, albeit served at your very comfortable seat was first class, which actually meant you didn’t miss a thing. I see negative comments on social media from time to time saying that Gold Leaf is the only way to travel. Take no notice of this, Silver Leaf was exceptional, and I would have no hesitation booking the same class again. For more info, please check out their website, where you can watch various videos to you help you to decide- rockymountaineer.com

  • Coastal to Canyons

    The Rocky Mountaineer- Day One: Coastal to Canyons

    Day one of our two-day journey to Banff took us eastbound from Vancouver to Kamloops, travelling from lush coastal rainforest into the arid interior plateau. After boarding the Rocky Mountaineer and settling in for what would be around 12 hours onboard, we were served a beautifully presented and delicious breakfast, accompanied by coffee or tea. Mealtimes offered a choice from a curated menu, with plenty of hot and cold drinks — including alcohol, if you fancied it. Every meal was generous and of exceptional quality.

    As we made our way across the Coast Mountains, we followed the Fraser River — British Columbia’s longest, winding through the scenic Fraser Valley. Since this route uses the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Rocky Mountaineer occasionally has to yield to colossal freight trains by pulling into sidings. And when I say colossal, I mean it: some are over two miles long! For an Englishman, that’s almost inconceivable. At several points, we had to pause and let them pass, which caused a few delays — but honestly, aboard the Rocky Mountaineer, nobody seemed to mind. Watching the seemingly endless freight cars roll by was almost hypnotic. During these stops, we’d often play a quick game of cards or gaze out the opposite windows, soaking in the scenery.

    As we approached the Fraser Canyon, we reached the dramatic narrowing known as Hell’s Gate. Here, the river funnels through a tight gorge with immense force. There’s a footbridge that spans the canyon and offers an impressive view, and an Airtram that allows visitors to glide across in a cable car, offering a bird’s-eye perspective of the thundering waters below.

    We continued our journey, mesmerised by the ever-changing landscapes and on the lookout for wildlife. The crew encouraged us to shout out any sightings — for example, “Bald eagle on the left at 11 o’clock!” — so everyone could quickly turn and try to catch a glimpse. This sparked great camaraderie among the passengers, and we soon made friends in our carriage. Of course, there were some memorable characters onboard, which added to the fun. One highlight I’ll never forget was seeing thousands of salmon migrating upstream — an incredible sight to witness from a moving train.

    Next came the Cisco Crossing, an iconic railway intersection at Siska, BC, where two major rail lines crisscross the Fraser River. We were travelling on the Canadian Pacific line, which was built first. As we crossed our bridge, we could see the Canadian National bridge just above us on the left- longer and loftier, which we passed under shortly afterwards.

    Further along the Fraser at Lytton, we reached its confluence with the Thompson River. This was a particularly striking scene: the sediment-heavy, brown Fraser flowing side-by-side with the clear, green-blue waters of the Thompson, the contrast in colour marking the meeting of these two great rivers. From there, we followed the Thompson eastward toward Kamloops.

    We passed through Rainbow Canyon, where vibrant bands of coloured rock lit up the cliffs, and then into Black Canyon, named for its darker, dramatic stone formations. At one point, we even spotted a hillside covered with painted college graduation years — in the middle of nowhere!

    As evening fell, we skirted the shores of Kamloops Lake, eventually pulling into Kamloops station after almost 12 unforgettable hours. True to the Rocky Mountaineer’s finely tuned logistics, coaches were ready and waiting to whisk us off to our hotel. In just 5–10 minutes after disembarking we were in our room, ready for a quick shower and a night’s sleep before our early start for Day Two — the ascent into the heart of the Rocky Mountains, and onward to our final destination: Banff.

  • The Rocky Mountaineer – The Grand Départ

    The Rocky Mountaineer – The Grand Départ

    The day had finally arrived for us to experience the iconic Rocky Mountaineer train. Our entire Western Canada adventure had been planned around the specific dates the train runs from Vancouver in September.

    Originally, we had booked the Journey Through the Clouds route, taking us from Vancouver to Jasper. However, due to the devastating wildfires that caused significant damage to Jasper and the surrounding area, our itinerary was changed to the First Passage to the West, which instead took us from Vancouver to Banff.

    The day before departure, we checked in at the Rocky Mountaineer guest centre desk at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, where we collected our boarding passes and luggage tags — we were all set. It was an early start the next morning, as the bus picked us up just down the road from our hotel on West Hastings Street at around 7 a.m.

    At the station, we found ourselves among a crowd of equally excited passengers. We grabbed a coffee and listened to the warm welcome address. Then, after the sound of the train whistle and the stirring notes of a bagpiper, it was time to board. As the train slowly pulled away from Vancouver station, the entire Rocky Mountaineer staff lined the platform to wave us off — it was a fabulous and moving sight. I have to admit, I felt quite emotional as we departed Vancouver. This journey on the Rocky Mountaineer was the pinnacle of our Canadian adventure, and the sense of excitement and anticipation was almost overwhelming.

    We had booked seats in SilverLeaf Service, which turned out to be fantastic. Meals were served at our seats in the carriage, which was ideal, as the seats were spacious, with ample legroom, and could recline without impacting the person behind you. The food was excellent and generously portioned. The team of three onboard our carriage were exceptional — friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely attentive. The panoramic views from the large domed windows, which extended into the roof of the carriage, were simply breathtaking.

    Our journey on the first day took us to Kamloops for an overnight stay. We opted for a budget hotel, as the stop was short — we were there for little more than nine hours, just enough time for a shower and a sleep. The train runs only during daylight hours so that you don’t miss a moment of the incredible scenery.

    I can’t recall exactly how many carriages our train had, we were close to the middle,   but it was somewhere in the 20s. With the full crew, including hosts, managers, chefs, maintenance staff, and of course, the drivers, there must have been close to 90 staff onboard. The level of service provided by the Rocky Mountaineer team is truly world-class and easily the best I’ve ever experienced.

    On arrival in Kamloops, coaches took us to our hotel, and as we were already checked in by Rocky Mountaineer, we were handed our room keys and straight off to our room, where our luggage was already waiting in the room. The next morning, we simply left our luggage in the room, and when we arrived in Banff, there they were again- neatly placed outside our door. It is a very slick operation, and I just cannot fault a single part of the experience. The entire Rocky Mountaineer team was wonderful, and the journey itself was everything we had hoped for, and more.

    Tips

    • The Rocky Mountaineer experience was exceptional; you won’t be disappointed- book it.
    • For the short time you will spend at your stopover hotel, go budget. Ours was clean and warm and had all we needed.
    • Check out the various videos on the Rocky Mountaineer website for more info and to get a feel of this wonderful experience.