posted
My original plan, for this summer, was to fly up to Portland and take the Empire Builder to Montana. From there, figure out a way to get from Montana to Alberta to catch the Toronto-Vancouver "Canadian" back to Vancouver. Then a Cascade train back to Portland to complete the loop.
Unfortunately, I found it is very hard to get from Montana to Alberta. You can't rent a car, one-way, and there are not flights from any Montana city to any Alberta city. So, I think I will divide the trip up into 2 parts. This year I plan on a trip on the VIA, from Vancouver to Jasper and back. Next year, possiblly, a trip to Montana on the Empire Builder, starting out in Portland.
I plan to fly to Seattle. Then take the Cascade train to Vancouver. From there, a round trip to Jasper on the VIA "Canadian". With that in mind, I have some questions:
* I called VIA just to get some basic information. They said their sleepers fill up, fast, and it would be best to get reservations while on the phone. I did. I booked a 2 person cabin (although I will be traveling alone). It is in the "Manor Car". The other sleeper is called the "Chateau Car". The VIA web site says the Manor has recently been renovated. Besides that, is there any real difference between "Manor" and Chateau" sleeping cars? The agent, on the phone, said both have an armchair, sink, and toilet in each sleeper. Is that true?
* A few issues back, in "Passenger Train Journal", there was an article about one of the VIA trains in Eastern Canada (I think it was the "Ocean"). I can't remember, but they were saying either there was no timetable, aboard, or no route guide, or both. I don't care about a timetable, but I do like route guides to read along the way. Maybe the Canadian does have one or the other. I wonder if there is a route guide, for the Canadian, that I can purchase to take onboard?
* What recommendations can you make for hotels or motels in Jasper. I will have a rental car, so it isn't necessary I stay in lodging right in town. I believe, a while back, a forum member suggested the Astoria Hotel. Looking at the Amtrak lodging search:
I entered "Jasper, Alberta" and got a listing of several motels/hotels. I kind of like the Lobstick Lodge and it has a pretty good rating from AAA. I would like something at the edge of town, not right in Jasper. Any other suggestions?
* This will be my 4th time in Jasper. I will only be there 24 hours. I have seen many of the attractions down the Iceberg Highway. Also, Maligne Lake and the Jasper tram. Are there other places to stop and see that are not far from the town of Jasper?
* What about restaurants in Jasper? The last time I was there, we had some good meals at the restaurant in the Athabasca Hotel. I would especially like a good place for breakfast.
I will appreciate any help with the above questions. Thanks.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
When in Jasper, I stayed in the Whistler Inn across from the train station. It was inexpensive and convenient, not the fanciest place in the world but still fine. They had good folky (or Irish, perhaps? I forget) music there in the afternoon while we were waiting for the (late) train to take us back to VAncouver.
If you stay in the old Canadian rr hotel in Jasper, the Jasper Park Lodge, I believe they have a shuttle to pick you up and drop you at the train station. You would not be in the village then, though. Eating there is very pricey at night but supposedly quite gourmet; we had lunch there (we got out by sneaking on to a free shuttle being used by a convention of dentists or something staying there), not overwhelmingly expensive, nice views, and walking around the property before returning to the downtown area.
Downtown we had an excellent dinner in a place called La Fiesta. That was about four years ago; whether it is still there and still good, I don't know.
BTW, we got there by taking Amtrak Cascades to Vancouver, with a couple overnights there, then the Rocky Mountaineer to Banff, a couple nights there, and then the Brewster Excursion bus up to Jasper (on the Ice Highway). The Rocky Mountaineer run may have had the most spectacular scenery of any tride I've ever taken, but while the setting of Banff was gorgeous, the town itself was very very touristy in a somewhat annoying way; I think I might have preferred taking the Rocky M all the way to Calgary and seeing that instead, and then catching the Brewster Excursion bus from there. But I'm not sure, never having been to Calgary!
We came home from Jasper using the VIA Canadian and then the Amtrak Cascades down to Seattle.
posted
Lately the Canadian does not get as heavily booked as it did before the recession of 2008. It is often a smaller train than it was then in peak season, so there's no harm in booking early. Although the Manor and Chateau sleepers have different configurations, the "cabins for 2" are identical with one exception. Room "F" in the Manor sleeper is bigger than the others; that room was originally a Compartment as opposed to a double bedroom and had a slightly higher charge. VIA does not charge extra. A room "F" can be hard to get if there are a lot of regulars on the train - word gets around.
In Jasper I can also recommend the Jasper Park Lodge (formerly CN, then CP, now Fairmont), but it is pricey in summer. It has lots of atmosphere and although three miles from town you can hear but not see the trains. I have stayed there many times, all but once in off-season when the rates are more reasonable.
As the previous poster said, the Whistler Inn is good value and right across from the station. The Lobstick looks decent but, from my experience, if you book there make it clear you will not accept a room over the kitchens. I once had a deluxe room for our family of three and it was incredibly hot. The kitchen staff start making a lot of noise about 5:00 a.m. The hotel was sold out so I had to spend one night there - never again.
Posts: 216 | From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 2000
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ghCBNS - I downloaded the route guide. Thanks.
Sojourner - I noted the shuttle information from East Glacier to Waterton to Calgary. I have looked into that shuttle. The cost from Waterton to Calgary is extraordinary. There is a much more reasonably priced shuttle from Waterton to Lethbridge, but it takes a long time to get there. To shuttle from East Glacier to Waterton to Lethbridge would pretty much take an entire day. I am open for more suggestions, if anyone can figure out another option.
David: We stayed at the Jasper Park Lodge during my first trip to Jasper, a good 15-20 years ago. Very expensive but very nice. I thought my cabin at Jasper Park Lodge, when I was there 3 years ago, wasn't anything to write home about (I was on the Rocky Mountaineer and I think they reserve cheaper rooms whenever they book). The inside of the Jasper Park Lodge was not a nice as when I was first there. Not as many shops and restaurants. The AAA tour book rates JPL "3 diamonds". It used to be "4 diamonds":. I also see that some of the lodges, within the Jasper town site, are also rated "3 diamonds" and they are a lot cheaper, compared to JPL.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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Sorry to hear that the Jasper Park Lodge is going downhill in some ways. After reading the above comments I looked at their Website and I see that the dining venues are fewer than on my visits, the last of which was about eight years ago. It appears that the exquisite Edith Cavell Room has been downgraded to a more casual venue. From my personal experience many other hotels in the chain have been downgraded since the change from Canadian Pacific to Fairmont.
There's no doubt that a lot of money has been spent sprucing up the hotels, but the overall ambience has been negatively affected in many cases. In a lot of the hotels the silver has been sold off and replaced by stainless steel. Use of computers in the business centres was complimentary for guests and now there is a charge. Even some of the Gold lounges have been downgraded. The offerings of food at cocktail hour and breakfast is noticeably less at several hotels, notably the Queen Elizabeth in Montreal, the Château Laurier in Ottawa and the Château Frontenac in Quebec. From a recent visit to the Gold section of The Empress in Victoria I am pleased to see that it is as good as ever. I mentioned to the head concierge that I had noticed much downgrading in other Gold sections of the Fairmont chain and he said he had to fight with management to keep the standards high.
One other thing: members of the loyalty programme when it was called the Canadian Pacific Club received frequent room upgrades. I have been upgraded to deluxe rooms and even suites many times. Once at the Jasper Park Lodge we received a large suite with fireplace and separate dining room. Now that the the club is called Fairmont Presidents Club I have only once received an upgrade and it was nothing special at all.
To keep this rail-related, recently I met two people on a VIA train who had stayed at several Fairmont hotels. They were somewhat surprised that there was now a fee for the shuttle from the station to the Jasper Park Lodge. On all my visits there was never a charge.
Posts: 216 | From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 2000
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I have to agree with David about the downgrading of certain Fairmont Hotels. I have recently been to Fairmont hotels in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Quebec City. It is always annoying to pay top dollar for their expensive gold floor rooms only to find the offerings much less than before, and that the elegant dining rooms have had the silver replaced with stainless steel or the dining rooms becoming "bistros." These were once railway hotels, and those of us who remember the first-class service with both CN and CP are very sad to see Fairmont becoming like any other basic hotel.
Posts: 524 | From: Toronto Ont. Canada | Registered: Mar 2001
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