After riding through Canada in one of the Rocky Mountaineer's plush GoldLeaf carriages, I started to worry that I'd never be content travelling on a regular train again.
Two days of soaking up stunning views of Canada’s remote wilderness – from snow-topped mountains to rushing rivers and plunging waterfalls as well as birds, bears and other wildlife - from the panoramic windows, meant getting back to my daily commute was a struggle indeed.
A journey on the Rocky Mountaineer is often included on ‘bucket list’ travel experiences and it was easy to see why from the moment we boarded the GoldLeaf train carriage in Vancouver on the west coast of Canada.
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Running between mid-April and mid-October, the Rocky Mountaineer has three rail routes in Canada each of them taking in a variety of dazzling destinations, such as Lake Louise, Jasper, Whistler and Calgary. The train also has a new route in America which takes you from 'The Rockies to the Red Rocks' between Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah. I was travelling on the ‘Journey through the Clouds’ Canadian route from Vancouver to Jasper, with an overnight stop in Kamloops.
A bucket list experience in Rocky Mountaineer's GoldLeaf carriage
With its gleaming carriages, smart blue livery and bright flags, the Rocky Mountaineer instantly brought to mind other classic trains such as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, but with a much more modern feel.
As a GoldLeaf passenger, I was lucky to be travelling on a two-tier coach, with a glass dome upper level – meaning you were immersed in views from all sides – and a dining car on the lower level.
Upstairs in the viewing car, the pre-assigned, fully-adjustable seats were incredibly comfortable, with plenty of legroom, a tray table, charging points and even a heating option, so you are guaranteed to travel in comfort - they could even spin round 180 degrees so you could chat with your neighbours while looking for wildlife.
Travelling from Vancouver to Kamloops as a GoldLeaf passenger
A kilted bagpiper played us out of the station as the wheels began to turn, and soon we were travelling eastwards towards the tranquil beauty of the Fraser Valley. First there were the suburbs of Vancouver to negotiate, which meant it was the perfect time for breakfast.
Our super-efficient hosts Jacques and Mauro invited us to take our seats in the dining car downstairs (SilverLeaf passenger are served food in their seats) and choose from an a la carte selection which wouldn’t look out of place in a luxury hotel, with classic Eggs Benedict, Smoked Salmon and Avocado Toast and Lemon and Honey Buttermilk Pancakes just some of the options.
With a galley kitchen and several chefs for each rail car, the quality of food on the Rocky Mountaineer is incredibly high with the menu designed to reflect the different regions through which we would be passing over the next few days.
Once we left Vancouver, the scenery really started to open up, taking in the Cascade Mountains and the notorious Hell’s Gate, the narrowest part of the Fraser River, where up to 750 million litres of water can surge each minute though a 33 metre wide gorge.
The open-air viewing platform at the end of each GoldLeaf railway carriage really comes into its own at highlights such as this throughout the journey, allowing you to take in the crisp, fresh Rocky Mountains air while getting some excellent photos of the epic surroundings.
Jacques and Mauro were experts in letting us know when sights of particular interest were coming up, as well as telling us about the history and geography of the area, and were able to instantly relay information from the front of the train about any wildlife which we could spot from our seats.
We cruised past waterfalls cascading down steep rocky cliffs, the bright mineral colours of Rainbow Canyon and the white-water rapids of the Thompson River, as well as mile-long freight trains following the single-track railway on the steep sides of the valley opposite.
Travelling by train made you appreciate how fast the scenery can change, switching from the dark green pine and fir trees which carpeted the landscape to vast lakes fringed with steep mountains. There was plenty of wildlife to look out for too – we saw bald eagles, ospreys soaring over their nests and bright red salmon swimming in the rivers – and when we arrived in Kamloops, our overnight stop, it felt like it had been a day packed full of memories.
Travelling from Kamloops to Jasper
Thankfully we were just halfway through our epic rail adventure and after a night of much needed sleep we were back on ‘our’ train by 8am for the final leg to Jasper (there was also the option to travel to Banff on the First Passage to the West itinerary).
‘If you think the views were good yesterday, then you’re in for a treat,’ said one returning passenger, and he was right: the landscape was becoming even more rugged, with snow-capped mountains in the distance, including Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies and closer up, the magnificent Pyramid Falls which cascades 91 metres towards the railway tracks.
There was the chance to get some great photos of the train in motion as it skirted around the edge of the beautiful Moose and Yellowhead Lakes and then were heading into Jasper, our final stop.
GH'S EXCLUSIVE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER TRIP
The visual treats hadn’t stopped though – far from it. As we trundled into this remote town, we saw not one but two brown bears next to the train tracks and even better, on arriving at our luxury hotel resort, we saw a mother grizzly bear and her baby cub right by the hotel entrance, looking for all the world like they had been placed there by the Jasper tourism board.
The Icefields Parkway
This was the end of our railway adventure, but thankfully it was by no means the end of our Rocky Mountaineer itinerary, even though our journey was to continue on road rather than rail.
While guests can travel directly from Vancouver to Banff on the Rocky Mountaineer, there’s also the option to travel to Jasper by rail and then travel from Jasper to Banff via one of the most scenic highways in the world, the Icefields Parkway.
This was stunning scenery on a truly epic scale as we drove by bus down the highway past vast, jagged mountains, the powerful Athabasca Falls, the still-as-glass Bow Lake and the Columbia Icefield, one of the largest accumulations of ice south of the Arctic Circle which feeds six major glaciers, of which two can be seen sweeping down to the Columbia Icefield Visitor’s Centre where we stopped to gaze in awe at the views.
By the time we reached Banff, our final destination, I had taken hundreds of pictures and videos, and still hadn’t finished, as I just had to go on a trip up the Banff Gondola to the peak of Sulphur Mountain to overlook the town itself and Bow Valley, nestled within a ring of six mountain ranges. Standing at the highest point, on a level with the surrounding peaks, I felt I was truly on top of the world - the sign of an epic adventure indeed.
My Rocky Mountaineer hotel guide
Vancouver
Most guests choose to spend a night or two in Vancouver before embarking on their Rocky Mountaineer experience. This was a perfect way to get into the Canadian way of life (and get over any jet lag). I stayed in the Fairmont Waterfront, a bustling, modern hotel which – as the name would suggest – is right on the water’s edge near the cruise terminal. The location is ideal for exploring Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood, Gastown, as well as walking along the seawall water walk past bustling bars, shops and pretty marinas to Vancouver’s Stanley Park, a vast 400-hectare green oasis which boast rainforests, beaches, hiking trails, lakes and ornate gardens.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
While you can’t expect to be greeted by a mother bear and her cub every time you arrive at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, this resort will certainly impress, with cabins and lodges spread across its 700 pristine acres. Just walking to the restaurant in the Main Lodge building you might encounter, as I did, a trio of friendly deer grazing on the shores of the vast lake, while activities include golf, water sports, health spa and star gazing in Jasper National Park’s dark skies in the hotel’s own Planetarium.
The Rimrock Resort hotel, Banff
Here's a hotel where just opening the bedroom curtains in the morning will take your breath away, as the Rimrock Resort hotel’s location on one of the hills just outside Banff means spectacular views of the mountain peaks which surround the town. You can pop on the hotel’s shuttle bus to explore the town itself, just a short ride away, or hike five minutes in the other direction to jump on the Banff Gondola and ascend to the peak of Sulphur Mountain. If you prefer a more relaxing stay, there’s a selection of bars and restaurants, plus a swimming pool and spa and outside terrace.
Good Housekeeping has an exclusive 16-day Rocky Mountaineer trip combined with an Alaska cruise. This luxurious rail and sail holiday takes in Vancouver, Lake Louise, Banff, Juneau and Alaska's Inside Passage.
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