One of the journeys I have always wanted to do, is the Rocky Mountain Explorer train. However, that is ridiculously expensive, on par with say The Orient Express, but what an experience it would be. Nevertheless, I am at the start of The Rockies and having made the decision not to fly or drive, I’m taking the train. Fortunately there is one called ‘The Canadian’ operated by Via Rail which runs across the country from Vancouver to Toronto in just over 4 days.
Passenger trains take second place to freight trains, often held at signals or waiting in sidings, maybe up to an hour or more, while the huge freight trains trundle past. They can be up to 4km long and weigh 18,000 tons so easy to see why. That’s not really an issue in The Rockies as the scenery is simply picture postcard breathtaking. It’s not uncommon for The Canadian to arrive at stations up to 12 hours late or more, depending on weather conditions.
I booked my train journey in two legs. The first would be Vancouver to Edmonton taking one and a half days. Then about a week or so later, Edmonton to Toronto taking just over 3 days. The train was set to depart Pacific Central station at midday. I checked out of my hotel, walked one block to the skytrain and after four stops I arrived at Main Street, yards from the station.
There was a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air as people checked in. The scenery on this journey is perhaps amongst the best in the world and is on a lot of peoples bucket list. Some passengers were going all the way to Toronto, others like me, were getting off somewhere along the way. Checking in was a very smooth and efficient process, better than checking in at most airports. At check in they ask if you would like first or second sitting for dinner and give you coloured vouchers accordingly. I went for second sitting and was handed a green voucher. My bag was processed and transferred to the luggage car. Fortunately I had remember to put a wash kit in my hand luggage but they do provide amenity shower kits with towels better than in most hotels.
I had booked a sleeper plus ticket which cost about £330. Very reasonable when you compare alternative transport options and timescales. It meant that I had lounge access at the station with complimentary drinks and snacks and priority boarding.
On the train I had a upper berth seat, access to the panorama cars, the park car, the dining car with a la carte meals included as well as free hot and cold soft drinks throughout. Alcohol was extra but reasonably priced.
My seat was 3ft wide and converted into a bed in the evening. Although they say it is 5’ 10” long, I was actually able to stretch out flat and am 6’ 2”. There are cabins for 2, 3, or 4 people but they are more expensive and there are prestige cabins but they really are expensive. With only 3 people including myself in this part of the carriage, we were able to spread out in the evening. The next day, one of the 2 berth cabins was available so I managed to sit in there for a few hours just to lord it up.
Unlike the trains back home, people actually talk to one another. I guess having journeys in days, rather than minutes or hours makes the difference. There are people of different ages and backgrounds using the train for different purposes, business, pleasure, holiday, something they have always wanted to do, or have flown across the country to get the train back, the list goes on.
When the dinner announcement is made people disappear to the dining car. There’s a hand sanitiser to use at the entrance and then you are shown to your table. There are about 16 tables each seating four people and you could be sat with different people at each meal service.
This is a really nice way to engage with the other passengers and exchange stories. There were people from Canada, England, Netherlands, Germany, USA, Asia and elsewhere. Many of the people I spoke with over meals were amazed by my travels but all seemed to want to discuss Brexit. Yawn. They really feed you very well on board and there is no chance of going hungry. I think I ate more on the train than I did when I was in Vancouver! The quality of the food was very impressive too and always 3 or 4 main course choices. After each meal you are asked whether you would like first or second sitting for the next meal and again, handed a coloured voucher accordingly.
You are not confined to your seat or cabin while on the train. The panorama cars are definitely worth spending time in as you get to see the majesty of The Rockies. Perhaps the only issue is, the windows become slightly dirtier as the journey goes on but not too much. There are no windscreen wipers to keep the windows clear, but it would be nice if at various stations they were wiped down. How often do you get a chance to see views like this.
One of the nicest cars on the train is the park car. This is the last car on the train and is more of a plush lounge. The view from the rear of the train is unique and nice to look back down the rail tracks.
It has a panorama section too, a bar with snacks plus free tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Just the job to keep the cold out. In the evening there is sometimes a resident musician performing for a couple of hours and movies on show too, or just a place to relax with a drink and exchange stories.
When it came to sleeping, the sleeping car manager, David, had made up all the beds ready. We didn’t have to do anything and it was a really nice luxury experience. The train was very smooth, mostly, so managed to get some decent sleep. At no point was it too cold, uncomfortable, noisy or too shaky. Remarkable when you consider the age of the train.
After a good nights sleep and a very filling breakfast, we stopped in Jasper and were able to get off the train. This is a very picturesque town.
But getting off the train I was hit by the cold instantly. Although I had a coat, hat, gloves and thermals, my face was exposed and there was a bizarre sensation of the moisture in my nose and my nose hairs freezing. Not too surprising when it was -26 degrees centigrade with added windchill. I wondered round for about 10 minutes in the biting cold, taking a few pictures but this was too cold, even for me. I found a tourist souvenir shop and bought myself a scarf. An essential piece of kit here helping prevent frostbite.
Back on board the train and a few hours later, we arrived at my destination of Edmonton. I had booked a hotel here for a couple of nights before I was to catch the bus to Calgary where I would meet up with friends I met in Australia 10 years ago on my first Walkabout. Or as am here in Canada, my first Walkaboot 😉