Lakes and Mountains

“Clean, First Class Travel, no worries

“This was an awesome trip! Absolutely first class.

“Great vacation. Great hotels. Train was very comfortable. Would love to do it again. Only suggestion for change is too many wildlife tours (3). Maybe schedule a tram ride instead.

“Great trip. Terrific staff who did a tremendous job of keeping passengers happy during trip.

“Well cordinated unescorted trip. Like some meals on our own. Particularly like just on night on train

“It was a terrific tour for viewing the Canadian Rockies.

“Great experience, good service. I would highly recommend it!

“Even though there was a slight mis-cue at the beginning, the overall product was worth the effect and cost. We enjoyed both the rail trip and the stays at Vancouver and Jasper, they were all top ranked in anyone's book. Staff was highly supportive at all venues.

“We did the Gold Leaf on the Rocky Mountaineer train. The service and dining options were impeccable. The bus tours were fantastic. The bus drivers and tour guides were very knowledgeable about the areas we visited. The best tour was to the ice field. We were able to walk on a glacier as well as drink fresh glacier water. Bring an empty water bottle with you so you can enjoy the glacier water during the rest of your day. We went in early September and there was already a dusting of snow on the mountain tops. We saw a black bear, moose, elk, and mountain goats on our various train rides and bus tours. Have your camera ready at all times, just in case you see any wildlife. Our only disappointment was the "gold leaf" hotels. We were not offered the option of booking "silver leaf" hotel rooms. Three of the "gold leaf" hotels were not worth the money to stay there. Yes, they are historic hotels, but we just needed a place to stay. We didn't need all the ambiance and fancy architecture. If you like sprawling hotels with beautiful architecture and reading up on the history of the hotels, then these are the hotels for you. The worst hotel was the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Very nice historic hotel (and they had an outdoor heated pool), but the room was extremely small (room 609) and located down a long hallway. The bathroom was the tiniest bathroom ever. The toilet was situated between the sink and bathtub/shower with little room to spare. If you are a larger person, you'd have a difficult time sitting on the toilet without hitting the sink or tub. My traveling companion uses a walker, so it was very difficult for her to walk around the larger "estate" hotels. If you have mobility issues, make sure you let Vacations by Rail know in advance that you need rooms closer to the elevators.