Rocky Mountaineer- Loraine Laustsen

Calgary to Vancouver with a stopover in Kamloops.



I am a native Calgarian, and as such, have travelled by car or plane from Calgary to Vancouver on many an occasion. When we travelled on the Rocky Mountaineer, we were amazed at the scenery we had been missing!

Our "Information" guide

Ken looking out of Observation Car

Dining Car

My husband, Ken and I chose to book the "Gold" category of the train, This is a two tiered observation car, with a dining room below. All drinks are complimentary and the dining menus are wonderful. Yes, this IS an expensive alternative, but most on the car agreed they had weighed the options and decided they would always regret not going in this observation car. It WAS a trip of a lifetime and something everyone should have on their bucket list!

The Rocky Mountaineer mainly follows the riverbed, and most of the time, we couldn't even SEE the highway...just amazing scenery as we were wined an dined in an exquisite train car with high "Ceiling" windows.

Passengers have a choice to board in either Calgary or Banff for the trip west. As we live in Calgary, that was our choice. From Calgary, the car we were in was about half full, and we were able to have our breakfast in the dining car before we picked the rest of the passengers up in Banff.

I have travelled by Via Rail when it had a passenger train stopping in Calgary, and was always disappointed when we travelled through the best part of the scenery in the dark! With the Rocky Mountaineer...they put you up in a hotel in Kamloops so you don't miss the wonderful scenery in between!

We were happy with all of our choices, except maybe deciding to go to the dinner theatre in Kamloops. All of the fresh air, food and drinks made for a LONG day. I might have preferred just going to the hotel restaurant and relaxing. We had left Calgary at around 6:30. When the train stopped in Kamloops they had to take us to the hotel to get settled and then pick us up to go to the theatre. We didn't get there until around 9, and it was quite late when we got back.

I would go on this trip again in a flash, and hope to try some of their other itineraries to Whistler, Jasper or Seattle!

Any comments or questions?

please address to our general mailbox crowfoot@cruiseshipcenters.com

my e-mail llaustsen@cruiseshipcenters.com

or your own consultant at either Aspen Landing or Dalhousie Station