Introduction
Like many of you, we had not been on vacation for a few years due to COVID-19, and were desperate to go somewhere. However, we were not yet ready to leave Canada so decided to take the opportunity to visit the West Coast and in particular the Rocky Mountains.
We chose the Rocky Mountaineer trip that starts and ends in Vancouver, with stops in Kamloops, Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff.
We took the Gold Leaf Plus Hotel Upgrade Package, which turned out to be a great choice.
It was a wonderful trip with the most amazing scenery. Please read on if you would like to find out more details about the trip.
Day 1 - Fly to Vancouver
We chose WestJet Premium Economy to fly to Vancouver as it is quite a long journey and the added 'luxury' fitted in with the rest of the trip as the train is a first class experience.
We arrived in Vancouver and checked in to the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver and stayed there for 2 nights. This was a very positive experience.
Day 2 - Vancouver
We had a relaxing day in Vancouver. Having been here a few times already, and with 8 days of travel ahead of us we didn't bother doing any sight seeing.
In the evening, we had to check in for the train trip. The check in was available in the hotel so for us it was not a hardship, although the lineup was long and the wait to get checked in could have been a better experience.
Day 3 - The Rocky Mountaineer, Vancouver to Kamloops
The coach picked us up at the hotel to drive us to the train station. It was a short ride and when we arrived at the station everything was clearly posted with signs telling you which way to go.
We boarded the train, and were very pleased with the initial experience. Lots of staff welcoming us aboard and helping us fin our seats. The seats are indeed luxurious - wide, lots of leg room, adjustable (including lumber support) and charging ports.
Of course here we first saw the glass domed roof, which, along with the wide, super-clean windows allows you to get a panoramic view of all the scenery. It should be noted that only Gold Leaf service has this type of railway car with 2 levels - top level for enjoying the journey and a lower level for dining. For other service levels please read other reviews or contact the Rocky Mountaineer.
It wasn't long before we were invited downstairs for breakfast. Once again, lots of staff to welcome us and show us to our seats. Breakfast consisted of a starter (usually a fruit cocktail) and then a choice of main courses along with croissants and butter and of course coffee and tea. You could also order orange juice although this was not on the menu.
Because the dining level only seats about half of the upper level, dining is done in 2 seatings. If you are in the first seating one day, you are in the second the next. When it is your turn to go second, you are provided with a small delicious snack to tide you over.
After breakfast, we started to see some of the beautiful mountain scenery of British Columbia, although we were not yet at the Rockies.
It wasn't long until the bar opened and we were able to have a glass of very good wine before we were invited down for lunch.
On the train, gourmet breakfast and lunch are included. Dinner is at your own cost and is not available on the train. Usually we were too tired and not at all hungry by the time we reached our hotel room so did not bother with dinner. (Yes, hotels - the Rocky Mountaineer is not a sleeper train so you stop each night and stay in a hotel, included in your package).
So the lunch was excellent, with a starter and a choice of mains. My wife can eat meat although I do not, but there are a number of choices on the menu that should keep everyone happy. Once again the staff are superb and lunch is also served with a choice of good wines and of course coffee and tea.
Throughout the day on the train, the crew chief gets on the microphone to announce various sights of interest and historical facts about the area. On the outward trip, we had Holly as the crew chief in our car and she was fantastic! very knowledgeable and friendly.
We arrived in Kamloops around 7:00 PM (it is a long day - sometimes there are stops on the track because freight trains always have the right of way. Some freight trains can be as long as 5 kilometres!)
The Rocky Mountaineer tries to make everything as easy as possible for its guests, and so they brought all the hotel room keys on the train and handed them out to us as were already checked in. This allowed us to go straight to our hotel room where our luggage was waiting for us.
A couple of notes here: one is that the pre-check in on the train was not available for all hotels on the trip but the Rocky Mountaineer and Fairmont Hotels did as much as they could to make the check-in process as painless as possible. The second note is that in most cases (perhaps all but I'm not sure) your luggage travels separately from the train so was always waiting for you when you arrived in your hotel room.
We didn't see a ton of wildlife but there were lots of long horned sheep and marmots along the way.
Day 4 - The Rocky Mountaineer, Kamloops to Jasper
Another long but amazing day on the train. Once again, fantastic meals in the dining car in between beautiful scenery and a few glasses of nice wine. This leg is when you really hit the Rockies and it is absolutely astounding.
At Jasper, we stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. We were once again too tired to do anything at night but early next morning we took a walk through the complex where we saw many elk. In some cases, they came right up to the hotel room doors although you couldn't get too close to them.
Day 5 - Sightseeing Tour, Jasper to Lake Louise
From this point we travelled by coach (until Day 8). We drove through the Jasper and Banff National Parks and had a few exciting stops.
First stop was the Ice Explorer on the Columbia Icefield, where we took a 6 wheel drive onto a glacier, then got off and had a few photos beside the Canadian flag.
Next we stopped at the Glacier Skywalk, where we walked across the glass boardwalk which is a 400 metre walk over the Sunwapta Valley. You need a bit of nerve to walk across it and look down through the glass under your feet, where the valley is about 280 metres below you.
We heard the story of 'The Boss', who is an approximately 20 year old bear who has been hit by trains at least twice. The Boss is the head bear in the area, and has to fight off the younger pretenders to his throne.
We saw a black bear on the cliffside, although he was a little far away to get a great view.
Late that afternoon we arrived at the beautiful Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, our 'home' for the evening. What a stunning location! When we opened the drapes in our hotel room we had a picture postcard view of the lake and the mountains behind it.
We were there early enough to be able to enjoy a great dinner at the hotel, where the service as well as the food was amazing.
Day 6 - Sightseeing Tour, Lake Louise to Banff
We only had a half day tour today which was a welcome break as we were able to get to our hotel mid-afternoon. And what a hotel it was! The beautiful Fairmont Banff Springs would be our base for 2 nights.
This place is amazing, with natural hot springs and fantastic amenities. It is also set in picturesque Banff, which is one of the most beautiful towns you could ever see.
Some famous people including Marilyn Monroe stayed here, while she was filming River of No Return.
Day 7 - Sightseeing Tour, Banff
The highlight of the day was the gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Between the Glacier Skywalk and the gondola, these tours are not for the faint hearted or those with a fear of heights.
We then took part in a Minnewanka tea ceremony, where we were able to make our own tea, and the history of the area and the band was described to us.
We then went to Minnewanka lake to see some of the beautiful scenery of the area and heard additional stories about the history of the area.
We also did a coach tour through the town and then had time to ourselves. We chose to have a drink at one of the hotel bars in a beautiful setting.
Day 8 - The Rocky Mountaineer, Banff to Kamloops (via Lake Louise)
We got the coach to the train station to once again join the Rocky Mountaineer train. We had a different crew but they were also amazing.
We saw a grizzly on the tracks at one point. This was our third confirmed bear sighting of the trip.
Once again, the scenery was amazing as was the food and service on the train.
We stopped in Kamloops for the night and had an early night to get ready for our last trip on the train the next day.
Day 9 - The Rocky Mountaineer, Kamloops to Vancouver
You always have mixed feelings on your last day. You're a bit tired from the travel and want to get home but on the other hand you don't want to leave all of 'this' behind.
We were glad though when we pulled into the Rocky Mountaineer train station in Vancouver. We were meeting some relatives for dinner, who also happened to be in Vancouver that evening. We had a great time with them and a very nice dinner.
Day 10 - Flights Home
The flights home were relatively uneventful, and we arrived home in time, where our dogs (and later the kids) treated us to a wonderful welcome home.
Summary
Overall I would highly recommend this trip, but with a few caveats. One, you are sitting a long time in the same spot, and even with very comfortable seats this can be a bit hard on older bodies.
Second, you really need to have good mobility to take advantage of all the trips and sight seeing opportunities. Last, the Rocky Mountaineer has many trip options. Some people may prefer a shorter option as a lot of the scenery is similar when you are on the train. Beautiful, but similar.
It was a wonderful experience though, and we have many happy memories of amazing landscapes, wonderful food and good friends we met along the way.
