Highly recommended. This was brilliant!
Rocky Mountaineer is billed as one of the most scenic rail experiences in the world and it did not disappoint.
We travelled on the Rocky Mountaineer train between Vancouver and Lake Louise as an extension to our Cunard Alaskan cruise, watch this space for more details about Cunard and cruising in Alaska. Spoiler alert!! The cruise was brilliant and we thoroughly enjoyed Alaska.
We travelled in the luxury of Gold-Leaf class, which included a double decker train carriage seating around 50 people in the upper deck, in spacious seating below a domed glass roof, giving a panoramic vista throughout the journey.
In fact let’s just dwell on the seats in the upper deck for a minute, as we sat in them for 12 hours over a 2 day period. They were big, very comfortable, electronically reclined with adjustable lumbar support and foot rest, were heated, had lots of leg room and each had a pop up table too. They were the perfect place to sit and enjoy the scenery.
The service from our 2 attentive attendants was non stop, serving a wide selection of premium drinks and snacks along the way, whilst also engaging us in story telling, highlighting points of interest and wildlife spotting too.
Twice a day, during the day-light only journey, (you overnight in a hotel in Kamloops) we were asked to relocate to the dining room downstairs where we were served a fabulous breakfast and lunch, from an a la carte menu. The food, inspired by local ingredients, rivalled many luxury and ultra-luxury cruises lines in quality, presentation and service.
Departing from Vancouver, the train travels through the fertile Fraser Valley and climbs into the dramatic landscapes of British Columbia. We witnessed the powerful Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon and the vast desert-like terrain near Kamloops, where we stayed overnight.
On day 2 the train ascended into the Rockies, the scenery transformed into alpine splendour, with highlights including Pyramid Falls, Mount Robson (the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies), and the serene beauty of Banff National Park. Albeit my personal highlight was the 2 spiral tunnels where the train climbs several hundred feet though two 270 degree tunnels, a mean piece of 1909 engineering.
To cap it all off Rocky Mountaineer picked us up from our hotel in Vancouver (Sutton Place Hotel is also highly recommended), checked some of our bags through to our overnight hotel, they were waiting for us in our room, and some through to our final destination, Chateaux Lake Louise Hotel, where Rocky Mountaineer dropped us off at the end of our fabulous train ride.
If you are planning an Alaskan cruise, I wouldn’t give too much thought to adding on Rocky Mountaineer, just do it!!
As always, if you have any questions or would like more details please speak to our team of experts on 0161 516 1137!
