J
Jean
Guest
Rail Freak,
I have travelled on several Via trains and have a few suggestions. Have also travelled on Amtrak, there is good and bad on both, that's just reality.
First, re the discounted prices, as AlanB has pointed out, these are cheaper prices with possible penalties. For some prices/routes, you may lose the whole fare. Check the fine print on these, Amtrak's excellent cancellation policy is not the same as Via's.
You may wish to consider a side trip on the Skeena, which departs from Jasper in the Rockies. I believe it is also stunning in winter. We travelled overnight (summer) in upper/lower berths (a couple) from Vancouver to Jasper in the Canadian, spent two days there, took the Skeena to Prince Rupert to connect with the Alaska Ferry to Juneau. The Skeena stops overnight in Prince George, where pax are responsible for their own accommodation (motels nearby), get back on the train before breakfast and spend the second day riding through more spectacular scenery, arriving at Prince Rupert late afternoon. I can honestly say this trip was the best train trip I have ever taken, on every level; train itself, food, OBS, scenery. The Skeena makes stops in various isolated places to pick up/drop off pax, mail etc. The engineer would wander through and chat at times, coming from the back of the train! I don't believe it was overpriced for what we got. I just didn't want to get off.
Re the upper/lower berths, these would be better with someone you knew, but probably still OK with a stranger. You get a double seat each opposite each other in the daytime. I remember the mattresses well, as some else mentioned, really excellent and fairly wide. Haven't checked their website recently, but they had quite good diagrams and 360 views IIRC.
If you can afford any part of a Via trip, then go for it!
Jean
I have travelled on several Via trains and have a few suggestions. Have also travelled on Amtrak, there is good and bad on both, that's just reality.
First, re the discounted prices, as AlanB has pointed out, these are cheaper prices with possible penalties. For some prices/routes, you may lose the whole fare. Check the fine print on these, Amtrak's excellent cancellation policy is not the same as Via's.
You may wish to consider a side trip on the Skeena, which departs from Jasper in the Rockies. I believe it is also stunning in winter. We travelled overnight (summer) in upper/lower berths (a couple) from Vancouver to Jasper in the Canadian, spent two days there, took the Skeena to Prince Rupert to connect with the Alaska Ferry to Juneau. The Skeena stops overnight in Prince George, where pax are responsible for their own accommodation (motels nearby), get back on the train before breakfast and spend the second day riding through more spectacular scenery, arriving at Prince Rupert late afternoon. I can honestly say this trip was the best train trip I have ever taken, on every level; train itself, food, OBS, scenery. The Skeena makes stops in various isolated places to pick up/drop off pax, mail etc. The engineer would wander through and chat at times, coming from the back of the train! I don't believe it was overpriced for what we got. I just didn't want to get off.
Re the upper/lower berths, these would be better with someone you knew, but probably still OK with a stranger. You get a double seat each opposite each other in the daytime. I remember the mattresses well, as some else mentioned, really excellent and fairly wide. Haven't checked their website recently, but they had quite good diagrams and 360 views IIRC.
If you can afford any part of a Via trip, then go for it!
Jean