I have just returned from a Rocky Mountaineer
rail journey, and all I can say is: I love
Canada!
My trip started out in Vancouver, which is a wonderful city with lots to do and a large variety of hotels. For me, a highlight in Vancouver was participating in Flying Over Canada, which is a 3D ride and film experience. In it, you feel like you are flying, and you see all the great sites of Canada, including Niagara Falls!
Afterwards, we boarded our Rocky Mountaineer trip. It started off great as they picked us up by motor coach from the hotel, handled all the luggage, and brought us to the train depot for send-off. There was a piano player, coffee served, and a bagged pipe musician, which created a lot of excitement.
On the first day, we rode from Vancouver to Kamloops. We were on a double-decker train car, and the seats are luxurious and heated, can recline, and more. I loved that you can turn two seats around in front of you so you can have four people facing each other, which we did so we could play cards while enjoying the stories by the hosts as well as scenery. There are two seatings for meals; you go down to the first level to eat and sit at tables of four with white table cloths and gourmet food. They serve breakfast and lunch and then, at your seats, there are two snack services along with unlimited alcohol.
When we arrived in Kamloops, we were taken by motor coach once again to our hotel. Kamloops only has moderate hotels and is a very cute town. The next day, we rode on the train again from Kamloops to Banff through the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains were beautiful, and we looked for wildlife along the way. We did see a bear with three cubs, and that was the number one highlight of the vacation.
The train dropped us off in Banff.
There, we stayed at a beautiful five-star hotel that is on the mountain. I loved it. Others stayed at more moderate hotels in the town but didn’t like them as much. The town of Banff is adorable, the people are nice, and the views are wonderful. Both days, we went on Brewster tour buses through the Rocky Mountains. We also went on the gondola in Banff and on a 12-minute scenic helicopter ride. Both are a part of the Rocky Mountaineer experience!
After Banff, we went to Calgary, which I adored. Our hotel gave us all white cowboy hats and made us honorary Calgarians, which was a fantastic end to the trip. It was such a lovely way to journey through Canada!
