Let’s be honest: North America was never going to have a grand old luxury train in the 1920s style of the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul, or the Asian opulence of the Eastern & Oriental Express through Malaysia. Long-haul on Amtrak is not exactly a glamorous experience.
But the western half of the continent has a uniquely New World kind of railway magic. The Rocky Mountaineer is epic. Its original route stretched across the most dramatic landscapes of the Canadian Rockies, from Banff or Lake Louise to Vancouver. Its railcars — particularly the ones used in the top-tier Gold Leaf service — have huge curved windows and largely glass ceilings. And an open-air viewing platform at the back of each car lets guests feel the wind in their hair.
The Route and the Ride
I grew up in the Rockies. My family road trips, weekend hikes, and summer camps were all under the wide-open skies and magnificent pines of the American West. Even though I built my career in New York and later in Europe, I’ve always been drawn to the mountains and forests west of the Mississippi. When I had the opportunity to ride the Rocky Mountaineer on its original route, I didn’t hesitate. The train goes back and forth, of course, and given the choice between eastbound or westbound, I thought the answer was obvious. Go west, middle-aged lady!
I wanted to approach the ride with the spirit of adventure that early European explorers brought to North America. I imagined starting out from the dense forests and high peaks of Alberta and watching the landscape slowly flatten out as I neared the Pacific. I signed on for the journey between Lake Louise and Vancouver, the only passenger rail service on the historic tracks that crossed Canada from east to west. In two days, the train would roll its way past the iconic Spiral Tunnels, an engineering feat completed in 1909, and the Continental Divide, which doesn’t look like much of anything.
I’m using this language of magnificence because old-fashioned train travel inspires grandiosity. During long stretches on the viewing platform in the back, standing in the wind and watching the traversed tracks unspool behind me, I imagined myself as a vagabond, or at least that sort of slow traveler the marketers inspire us to be, one who values the journey over the destination.
There was time to entertain such ideas because much of the trip passed through wilderness with no phone service. My dopamine-delivery device stayed largely in my pocket, coming out only when I wanted to take a photo. The photos, of course, rarely did the landscape justice. Better to pass the hours just taking it in, lost in the magnificence of nature, or letting the easy rhythm inspire conversations. On my trip, the train was filled with railway aficionados who had dreamed of this for years. Naturally, there were lots of Canadians, but also a surprising number of Australians, who’ve put the Rocky Mountaineer on their collective bucket list.
Sleeping Arrangements
Whereas many grand old trains in other parts of the world were built as transportation — then luxury-ied up for the rich folk — the Rocky Mountaineer was designed for leisure. Obviously, if you need to get to Vancouver, there are more efficient ways. You ride the Rocky Mountaineer to value the journey.
There’s no point in missing any of it, so the train stops before sunset and nobody sleeps on board. (Well, naps are permitted, especially after the lavish meals and free-flowing beverages, but more on those later.) And without sleeper cars, the train can carry more passengers, which in turn makes for a more accessible price.
I went all-in on the grand Canadian heritage thing and bookended my ride with stays in hotels from the country’s historic Fairmont brand. In Banff National Park, that meant the baronial castle writ large that is the Fairmont Lake Louise. Although I’m generally not a fan of 539-room hotels, this one had a strong sense of place that helped me appreciate the Rocky Mountain landscape and psyched me up for the journey to follow. And I ended at the sleek, modern Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, a soothing re-entry to 21st-century life.
As for the midway point (Kamloops), I’m sure the hotel was fine but it didn’t leave an impression. Kamloops is not a luxury hotel town. It’s a place to get off the train, get some exercise, eat dinner, and sleep.
Eating and Drinking
Meals are a highlight of any journey like this, but the Rocky Mountaineer makes an especially big fuss about them. The double-decker Gold Leaf cars have regular seats upstairs and a dining car below. Mealtimes are staggered, so when it was our turn, my friends and I went downstairs to spread out around a white-clothed table. (In Silver Leaf, you eat at your regular seat.)
In the morning, there was eggs Benedict — if there was ever a time for Canadian bacon, this was it — lemon and honey buttermilk pancakes, and the inevitable avocado toast. Lunch was equally lavish, with freshly baked garlic and herb focaccia, Alberta strip loin steaks, and steelhead trout from a mountain lake. And before, after, and in between, servers strolled the aisles with (open) bar carts, pouring wine and mixing Caesars (Canada’s answer to the bloody mary) with gusto.
PS on the Routes
The First Passage to the West, as it’s called, is just one of the routes currently offered. Along with the flagship, there are two more northern journeys. The stunning, two-day Journey Through the Clouds goes between Vancouver and Jasper, also with a stop in Kamloops and passes by Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and the historic, three-day Rainforest to Gold Rush includes stops in the resort town of Whistler and Quesnel, an important city in British Columbia’s Cariboo Gold Rush between 1861 and 1867.
A separate Rocky Mountaineer also runs in the United States. The Rockies to Red Rocks line is a two-day trip between Denver and Moab, Utah, that crosses vast canyons, natural archways, and striking deserts. It has an overnight in Glenwood Springs, a resort city in western Colorado known for its hot springs — the perfect pause between days of sitting in wonder.
Featured image by Nico Knaack via Unsplash
