Has anyone ever done any of the itineraries on the Rocky Mountaineer train in Canada? From the few reviews I've been able to find, they run the gamut from "great" to "awful."

I can't help you but hopefully someone on the board can remember where threads are talking about this subject in the past.

Friends of mine have been on the 'gold' Rocky Mountaineer train which has the dome on top and although expensive, thought it was absolutely fantastic. Lee

Tina,

We did the Gold Leaf Circle a few years ago. This included stays at the various Fairmont hotels, with the exception of Kamloops. It was a land cruise. We did the Canadian Rockies - train from Vancouver to Banff via Kamloops, (motorcoach to Lake Lousie, Columbia IceFields and Jasper) then on the train back to Vancouver via Kamloops. You are on the train during the day and off at the hotels at night. This means you have to pack it up everyday. The Gold Leaf service on the train was excellent. We took a snowcat to get to the Ice Fields - this was an incredible experience. We had a great guide during the motorcoach portion. The scenery was wonderful. We just wish we would have had more time in Banff, Lake Louise & Jasper. It was a true "taste" of Canada. Hope that helps.

Thank you both. This is very helpful. I know the Gold service is expensive, but it seems that it makes a significant difference in the overall experience. I think we've decided to do the 11-day/10 night circle which will give us the 2 nts. each in Jasper, Lake Louise & Banff, along with Vancouver and Kamloops.

Miriam, the Icefield Explorer sounds like a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it.

Thanks again,

Tina

That sounds great. This is on my "someday" list. I've driven the Canadian Rockies a couple of times, but this train trip sounds heavenly. Of course, all Canadians are supposed to cross the country by train, and I haven't done that yet either!

If it's a clear day when you're in Banff, the gondola lift to the top of the mountain (can't remember it's name) is fantastic. The view is really spectacular. I hate heights (and gondolas, chair lifts, etc, etc) and had to have a glass of wine to get me back down, but it was worth it. We were told that we were exceptionally lucky to have the view as clear as it was.

You'll love the Rockies - unbelievable scenery. I loved it all, especially Lake Louise. Lee

Wendy, just like all Americans should see the Grand Canyon (oops... it's on my list...really!).

Lee, when we were in Auckland, my husband cajoled me into going up to the observation deck at the Sky Tower. It took me 45 minutes to unglue myself from the inside wall and two glasses of wine to get back down. If the gondola ride is an option, I'll "medicate" before hand.

Tina

Tina, didn't know that about the Grand Canyon. It's high on my list too, as is the whole southwest. I've seen it twice, but only from the air!

Hi Tina,we took the Rocky Moutaineer, Gold Leaf service, for a week a couple of years ago. While the scenery is great, I would caution you about a couple of things, and point out the good and bad (as least in my opinion.)

1. The train NEVER STOPS during the day. I did not know that, and I got very antsy having to stay on board for 11 hours. Once you board around 7:00 a.m., you travel continuously until stopping for dinner. There is only so much chit chat you can make, reading you can do, cards you can play, before boredom sets in (again, at least for me).
It also was very frustrating when you would pass wildlife. The natural inclination is to stop to take a photo, or just look, but the train keeps rolling on..........

2. Meals are great. I gained a lot of weight from just sitting all day and eating 3 good meals, plus snacks in the morning and afternoon....you begin to feel like a stuffed turkey.....

3. Sometimes the train stopped (finally) after dark, when it really didn't matter what beautiful setting you were in, you couldn't see it anyway. That happened to us at Lake Louise - we walked down to the lake in the darkness, and had to be at the bus for the train before 7:00 a.m., so oh well - not much scenery to see in those conditions.

I don't mean to discourage you, but these were my reactions. If I wanted to do it again, I would definitely rent a car so we could stop where we wanted.

If you do go, I think you are very wise to pick an itinerary that includes 2 days at each main stop - that way you avoid the situation I have described, where you have no time to really see the place you spent all this money to see.

glenda

Glenda, thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. The issues that you addressed and that obviously impacted your overall experience are exactly the ones that we were concerned about. Eleven hours on a train day after day can get old very quickly, and, since we were planning on the 11-day/10nt. it is definitely something to consider. We will have to seriously weigh the value of multiple nights and a longer trip (and more expense) vs. something shorter.