Advice needed: train thru the Rockies
 

What is the most scenic rail route thru the Canadian Rockies? I've seen a run called Skeena, that goes from Prince Rupert to Jasper. Is it more scenic than the Canadian, from Vancouver to Edmonton?

A friend is suggesting that we take an organized train tour. I'm a stalwart independent traveler, and wonder if it is really essential to take an organized tour. Are tickets sold individually, or is there a scenic route that is only sold to travel agents?

The travel agency tours have stopovers each night, with stays in hotels. The Skeena has a 1 night stop, but the Canadian appears to be thru service. Is it possible to have stops with the Canadian?

If anyone knows a good site or a good guidebook that talks about train travel thru the Canadian Rockies, I'd love to be directed to it.

Just be aware that you're forced to take a long (12-13 hour?) layover in Prince George with the Skeena if going east bound.

There's not much non-organised trains in B.C. for purely public transportation. The above-named is one of them, as it the Canadian. The only other one is the West Coast Express commuter train. The BCRail Cariboo Prospector run from North Vancouver to Prince George was cancelled 4-5 years ago (if not longer). Not sure if the Vancouver island train is still running.

The Canadian has the advantage of going through some rugged canyons of the Fraser canyon. Go to the VIA Rail site for ticket conditions.

Most of the scenic routes have been taken over by the Rockie Mountaineer outfit which is more like a land cruise. They do the Vancouver-Banff/Calgary run that previously was operated by VIA Rail. I think they've also taken over the Cariboo Prospector route but it's also more of a tourist train now.

A luxury option is the Royal CPR (Canadian Pacific Railroad) that operates train carriages used by WInston CHurchill and the then Princess Elizabeth on their tours of Canada. Total luxury as you can imagine and not cheap but the train takes you through private CP railtrack not available to other rail companies.

There is also the Rocky Mountaineer, a private operation between Vancouver and Banff with an overnight in Kamloops. The operator will also apparently begin serving the Vancouver-Prince George route. These trains are designed for tourists.

The Skeena has great scenery. I will be travelling on that service in August.

Another approach is to take the VIA Canadian from Vancouver to Edmonton, and fly back from there.

Unless things have changed I was under the impression that the schedule for Canadian has it going through the Rockies in the middle of the night.

That's an extremely helpful tip. Does anyone know if that is still true today? And is it true whether going west to east, or east to west?

The Rocky Mountaineer is a day only train. You overnight in Kamloops if you are doing the Vancouver-Calgary/Banff route. Be aware this is definitely a tourist/leisure train, so priced accordingly. Very good according to my mother who went on the train 3 years ago, but priced accordingly. The top end "Gold Leaf" gets you special viewing cars (domes). Extraordinary views, very comfy, very good food - if you are willing to spend the money to go on this train in the first place, spend the extra for the viewing domes.

I'm not sure this type of train would fit with your preferred travels, but it is an option. The Via rail train goes via Jasper (Rocky goes via the kicking horse pass ). You'd need to ask Via about the timing - is it day only or both day and night.

Looking at the schedules it appears that it's still true that the Canadian covers at least some of the scenic part of it's route in the dead of night both directions. The Skeena does seem to run days only and overnights in Prince George.

http://www.viarail.ca/tickets/en_hora_pdfs.html

Your posts have all been very helpful. It looks as though my alternatives are;

1. Skeena - self booked - 2 day trip with an overnight stop, Prince Rupert - Prince George - Jasper
2. Rocky Moutaineer - organized tour, lots of variants, but core is a 2 day train ride - Vancouver - Kamloops - Banff

The Canadian Pacific RR sounds spectacular - and spectacularly expensive.

I'm still thinking about whether I should take the Skeena or the Rocky Mountaineer in early October. I'd love any opinions that folks have.

I will need to get air tickets from San Diego; I don't know if that makes one stand out over the other due to ease of access.

I hear that Prince Rupert (YPR) does get socked in so allow extra time for starting or ending your Skeena journey. I imagine it'll be a lot more expensive to get to than YVR.

The Rocky Mountaineer is said to offer the better scenery though it'll cost you more too.

Royal CPR. Not bad for 5 days including transfers from Calgary, and also a maximum of 32 pax per train/tour.

Can anyone figure out when the peak season ends for Skeena? All I can find is:

Totem class, available only in peak season (from mid-May to late September), includes meals and exclusive access to the superb Park car and its panoramic dome.

Both the dates for the Royal Canadian, and their breathtaking fare of $13,200 CAD for a 6 day trip for 2 excludes them for me.

Looks like you can book Totem /Totem Deluxe for Prince Rupert-Jasper on 30 Sept. but not on 3 October so there lies your answer.

The Via train crosses the Rockies in Mt. Robson Provincial Park and Jasper National Park during daylight hours, but operates between Vancouver and eastern BC overnight in both directions.

Schedules for VIA are available on Viarail.ca, which also has a frequent flyer program.

The correct URL is http://www.viarail.ca/ not via.com.

I did the Canadian Edmonton - Vancouver a couple years back and you travel through the nicest parts of the Rockies during the day. You have a nice stops in Jasper also. I went in late April, so it obviously got darker sooner.

If booking with Via, here is a link for a discount with a Visa card. Not sure if it only work with Canadian Visa charge cards or others too. http://www.viarail.ca/visaoffer/en_index.html

I believe there is another discount floating around if you sign up on some student website.


If you decide to go to Prince Rupert and have the time, you ma yconsider taking BC Ferries down the coast further. Might also be a ferry that goes to Alaska too from there. Not sure.

This is a great idea. I really like the Alaska ferry. It's a great way to meet real Alaskans who rely on the ferry to go to school sporting events or to bring babies home from hospitals or for pastors to get between their widely separated churches.

My current thinking, though not pinned down:

• Alaska ferry, Juneau to Prince Rupert - roughly 1 1/2 days
• Skeena, Prince Rupert - Jasper - 2 day trip

Totem class on Skeena runs til October 16, so that works for me. It appears to be operating 3 days a week - Oct 3, 5, and 7.

Your 2007 Totem class ticket will cost you only $599 for the entire two-day trip from Jasper to Prince Rupert, and $649 in Totem Deluxe class. In both cases, all your meals on board are included. Then again, Comfort class is just $106.

Your overnight accommodation in Prince George is NOT included in the price of your train ticket. Passengers must make their own hotel reservations. Transfers to and from the train station are also not included in your train fare.

Any suggestions on a place to stay in Prince Rupert, Prince George, and Jasper?