tentseller

The Rocky Mountaineer is much more mountain scenic than the Jasper Vancouver VIA train. These rail cars are designed with Rocky Mountain sightseeing in mind. The Jasper/Vancouver is a regular VIA train going East/West across Canada.

Ontario

Thank you, to both PPs.
For some reason I thought the Rocky Mountaineer would do both routes but completely understand that the VIA train will be a much different experience.

They currently have an early bird booking on - this is probably as good as it gets? With arranging flights from Europe, it all as to work together so waiting for a last minute deal in 2014 will not work.

Can anybody comment on Gold versus Silver class and whether it is worth it?

CharlesRay

The train ride from Toronto to Vancouver is approx. 84 hours in duration and only runs 3 times each week.

The general consensus on the Canadian forums is that you should fly from Toronto to Edmonton and then board the train for the ride through the Canadian Rockies.

CMK10

Is this an agreed upon consensus? My Dad and I do a lot of US trains but we're considering doing this in 2016 as a post-graduation trip. We were planning to do the whole route though.

tentseller

C:

Just take a look at satellite or topographical map of Canada and you will know why.

But you can put up with about a day and night of flat grain field the Toronto north to Winnipeg and Edmonton to Vancouver are worth doing.

Remember to BYOB from US duty free when you cross the border. Somehow I find single malt goes great with mountain scenery.

CMK10

I've done some boring trips in the US (Denver to Chicago comes to mind) so I think I can handle it. It will be fun to say I've done the trip end to end.

Great advice re: the booze. My Dad and I always BYOB on the trains here too and for me it's The Glenlivet ^

ghYHZ

Funny......I don’t remember voting.

I’ve done the Toronto to Vancouver trip several times now and would do it again in a heart-beat. Even did it right across from Halifax about 20 years ago and there’s a lot to see down there besides the tops of clouds if you just fly to Edmonton. I usually do the trip westbound......seems the anticipation of the mountains builds as you roll across the country.

One of the most memorable trips was during a snow storm through northern Ontario......then that evening, up in the dome car under a full moon on the fresh snow......it was almost a bright as day. Just a relaxing trip.....read a book on the warm and cozy train or coffee and conversation with the many people you will meet. And the food......gourmet quality!

There’s a four hour stop in Winnipeg on the second morning and an organized bus tour of city highlights. Well worth taking.

And don’t let anyone tell you the prairies are all flat. The train begins its climb up to the second prairie level west of Rivers, Manitoba on curves and trestles high above a river valley. (This was just as a Wine Tasting was being offered in the Park Car.....the Dome Observation on the tail end of the train)

Here’s a link to my trip report from just a year ago this weekend:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/inde...n-with-photos/

emma69

I looked at the train option last year for sightseeing with my parents. The biggest issues were

a) the Rocky Mountaineer train was absurdly expensive during the peak season - 2 days Vancouver to Jasper came in at around $1200 each per person in the 'no dome car, basic food' standard class and over $2000 per person for the next tier of service including a dome car.

b) If we chose the 'next best' option and went Via Rail, the schedule meant that we would miss most of the 'good' scenery as we would pass through at night

c) not much to see 'in the middle'

In the end we drove 'the long way' from Calgary to Vancouver, and I am so glad we opted to do this (even if I did the driving!) We saw so much more than we would have done by train, could stop when we wanted to, walked through beautiful scenery, ate when where and what we wished, etc. We saw things off the beaten track, wildlife etc. that we would never have seen from a train.

This year I spent a little time in and around Winnipeg - I enjoyed the city, and glad I didn't just pass through on a train.