posted
My Pacific NW/Canadian Rocky sojourn nears, and I have a few questions to those in the know:
(a) We're taking the Rocky Mountaineer eastbound from Vancouver to Banff, and the VIA Rail westbound from Jasper to Vancouver. I obtained the old book recommended here about western Canadian trains, but I cannot tell from it what routes the trains take now--seems to be a little of one route described in the book, and a little of the other. I am afraid I don't have time to research the old CN and CP routes and figure out what the trains did then and what they do now. If this is communicable without too much work on your port, can anyone tell me? Please don't say, "The Rocky Mountaineer takes the old CN route as far as X" (or whatever) because I won't know what that is; instead, maybe you could just say "The RM goes Vancouver to (town), (town) to (town), (town) to Kamloops, Kamloops to (town), town to Banff and something similar for the VIARail return? Then I'll be able to follow the route by patching different bits of info together from the routes described in the book.
(2) For both trains, is there a "better" side of either train to sit on?
(3) We're taking the Red Leaf service of the Rocky Mountaineer--can't afford more (need the money for other trips). It overnights in Kamloops. Rocky Mountaineer offered us two entertainment-cum-dinners, a lumberjack show with buffet and another, also with a buffet--but they were both over $60 a person extra, which seems a bit steep, esp as I saw some of a lumberjack show last year on the Alaska cruise. Should we opt for one of these anyway, does anyone know? Or should we have dinner on our own and Kamloops, and maybe check out a local color bar, if there is one? If the latter, any recommendations? Keep in mind we don't know which hotel Rocky M is putting us in, or where it's located, but of course we won't have a car!
(4) What's this I hear about no business class on some Vancouver-Seattle Cascade trains, does anyone know?
notelvis Member # 3071
posted
Hey Sojourner,
My wife and I were in Business Class on the Cascade Talgo from Seattle to Vancouver in 2004. I think it's still available.
As for your Canada question, I think (but am not sure) that CN and CP have instituted some directional running between Vancouver and Kamloops. In other words, the old CN and CP lines parallel each other on opposite sides of the river. All trains (including the Canadian and the Rocky Mountaineer) go eastbound on one route and westbound on the other.
East of Kamloops, the Canadian is on the CN line and the Rocky Mountaineer on CP.
Hope this helps.
Beacon Hill Member # 4431
posted
The SEA to VAC service is being covered by Superliners until the middle of June. There is some mechanical issue that is being repaired and only 4 of the 5 Talgo trainsets are in service until then. The good news is that there is a Sightseer Lounge in the consist; so if you see Superliners run and grab seats in the lounge, they'll be gone before the train leaves the station. Sit on the left side of the train heading north. Southbound you'll want to sit on the right side. The best views are between Seattle and Edmonds. The scenery south of Bellingham along Chuckanut Mountain is also wonderful.
kenchappell Member # 2245
posted
According to Via Rail's timetable your route from Jasper will be Jasper - Valemount - Blue River - Clearwater - Kamloops - Ashcroft -Boston Bar - Hope - Chilliwack - Matsqui - Vancouver (I will be travelling that route, having originated in Toronto in mid June).
From my recollections of the "Southern Canadian" route which I travelled a couple of times in 1980/1982 and which I presume the Rocky Moutaineer now follows, your outward route from Vancouver to Kamloops will broadly be the same as your return. The route from Kamloops will probably be Kamloops - Salmon Arm - Sicamous - Revelstoke - Glacier - Golden - Field -(Spiral Tunnels) - Lake Louise - Banff
I hope you enjoy the whole trip - The road element from Banff to Jasper along the Icefield Parkway is somthing I never get enough of and I have traversed it many times. I will adding another round trip on it in June (by spitting my SEA to Chicago journey at Whitefish).
sojourner Member # 3134
posted
Thank you so much for the info. Beacon Hill, that is great news about the Superliners. Do you think the train between Seattle and Vancouver will be so busy that one must run and grab seats in the lounge? When I took it southbound last year in May (I had business class), there were not all that many passengers, as I recall. Is it busier northbound?
Ken, Thank you SO MUCH for describing the route by place, which is exactly what I wanted. I am looking forward enormously to the ride between Banff and Jasper too. I think we will be taking the Brewster Excursion 9-hour 1-way tour, from Banff, leaving us off in Jasper (unlike the trains, we are able to book that much closer to the time of the time of the trip and so have not booked it yet).
As we will be in Banff 3 nights, I do hope to see Lake Louise too, and Brewster does offer a half-day Discover Lake Louise tour. It is in the afternoon--though there will be time to see Fairmont's famous hotel there, we will not be able to have lunch there, and we may not be able to explore the lake as much as we would like either. I know renting a car we would be more flexible, but my driving skill are way too poor, and frankly, I wouldn't enjoy it if my friend were driving either. I did look in to other ways to get to Lake Louise from Banff--there is a shuttle bus that originates in Calgary and runs through both towns, but it runs only in the afternoon too. Greyhound, on the other hand, does have a morning bus, but there is no return bus until late afternoon either. Do you think it would be worth it to spend a whole day in Lake Louise (and have only 1 other full day in Banff) or would we better off with the afternoon bus tour, in your opinion?
That is so cool your going to Whitefish. Is there a way to get from Whitefish to the Canadian Rockies without a car, or are you renting one?
Thanks, everyone, again.
Beacon Hill Member # 4431
posted
I've taken 2 trips so far on the Cascades Superliners and lounge window seats were snapped up instantly. You might want to practice a few "elbow in the ribs" moves or just arrive early enough to get in the front of the line.
kenchappell Member # 2245
posted
Your question as to whether it would be worth spending a whole day at Lake Louise is difficult to answer.
There is no doubt that the Lake with its setting against the backdrop of the Victoria Glacier is stunning but I have never done the walks that you can take so I can't offer any advice as to how you might fill a full day. (I have always had a car and combined Lake Louise - which can get busy - with side trips to Moraine Lake [also very attractive] and to the spiral tunnels viewpoint just east of Field on the Trans Canada Highway}.
My trip from Whitefish up (and down) the Icefield Parkway in June will indeed be made by the use of a hire car. Just 4 days on the road will give me 1 night in Banff outward, 1 night in Jasper, 1 night in Banff inward with the final night before reboarding the morning Empire Builder spent in Whitefish. I still enjoy "sightseeing" on the move whilst driving on the much quieter roads than we have here. (I once clocked up 4700 miles in 7 days Calgary - Yellowstone - Grand Canyon - Salt Lake - Calgary - Vancouver BC and thoroughly enjoyed myself but that was when I was 15 years younger)
train lady Member # 3920
posted
Sojourner, we spent several hours at Lake louise and that was enough. We walked down to the lake, saw the hotel and sort of wandered around , took some pictures and left. The ice fields parkway between Baniff and Jasper is magnificant. We stopped at the Glacier and took the tour bus there. We still laugh at the pictures because it started to snow (in May) the temp dropped below freezing and we are taking pictures of us taking pictures!! Very quickly the steps leading down from the glacier to the parking lot froze and a wonderful young Japanees man helped me down. We had planned a picnic outside the restaurant there but with 6 ft, snow drifts we picniced in the car.Both Jasper and Baniff were great.I must say I liked Jasper better. At the train station along with the train crews, the passengers standing outside the train were the Elk, moose or which ever the creatures were. we spent only one day in Baniff and I was satisfied. We were driving and headed west to Vancouver and Vancouver Is. We took the train from DC to Seattle, rented a car there and then headed for northwestern Canada.We also drove around the Olympic peninsula so we did have time constraints to get back to Seattle and the train.I forgot to say the busdriver was very informative about glaciers and pointed out several others on our way to ice fields.
sojourner Member # 3134
posted
Thanks again for the info, everyone. I don't know if we'll be able to get to the train early for the trip up, Beacon Hill, but we should be able to on the way down. Ken, your travels sound wonderful. From all you and Train Lady say, it does sound like 1/2 day in Lake Louise with the tour will be enough. And those elk or moose passengers sound very interesting, Train Lady. If I see them, I will make sure to tell them you say "Eh?"
BTW, Ken, I see you are from Bristol. I was there many moons ago, maybe it was 1981. Wonderful, gorgeous city, with so much interesting history--not to mention the home of Harvey's. And I still remember that fantastic rail bridge.
Now I haven't been flying for so many years I don't get to Britain any more. But I did see Bristol Pennsylvania (home of the Bristol stomp) on my recent travels to Philly and Harrisburg.
train lady Member # 3920
posted
Sojourner, it' not a question of if you see them (waiting for the train or not)unless things have changed drastically they are all over the place. I was told that most of the houses had 8 ft fences because the creatures would eat all the greenery. We stayed in a cottage in the middle of a wooded area in Jasper and in the morning there was a moose stretched out in our front yard happily chewing away. They were wandering around the soccer fields where the kids were playing soccer. They were walking down the street with us (didn't go into the stores. I guess they didn't like my taste)
kenchappell Member # 2245
posted
Sojourner,I agree with you that Bristol (England) is a pleasant and historically interesting city - but having lived here all of my life (approaching 60 years) I am probably biased.
Like any city it has its bad as well as good but it will do for me. The bridge you refer to is almost certainly the Clifton Suspension Bridge which is actually a road bridge not rail. It was built in the 1860's and spans the River Avon Gorge. However the bridge was designed by Isambard Kindom Brunel (great name)a famous British railway engineer who amongst many achievements was involved in the design and construction of the Great Western Railway from London to Bristol and the SS Great Britain, an iron steamship now restored and on display in Bristol City Docks.
sojourner Member # 3134
posted
Thanks, Ken, for some reason I had forgotten--my memory gets a little fuzzy some time (probably too much brisol cream in my youth).
posted