Ontario Tours

“All of the transfers arranged by Vacations by Rail worked flawlessly. No stress there. The train trip itself was as promised, beautiful views out our picture window, very good food and very pleasant and accommodating staff, with one exception. The dining car manager, who had originally agreed that we could have a table for two, when we arrived for the first lunch seating said she couldn't accommodate us - she was too full. Since all of the literature about Prestige Class says you are entitled to room service dining, and since COVID is definitely not over and the usual seating in the dining room is four to a table we had no intention of sitting across the table from two strangers. We had, however, agreed to try the dining room as long as we had our own table. The dining room manager told Sunny, our cabin attendant, that she could accommodate us, so we told Sunny we would try it out. Unpleasant experience when we arrived for lunch, so we left and had room service for the rest of the trip.

“I have been looking forward to this trip since 2020. It did not disappoint. One has to remember that Vacations by Rail is a travel agent, not a tour company. This trip is "independent" travel of sorts in that you don't have a guide doing things for you. Shortly before your departure date, you receive a final itinerary along with vouchers for hotel rooms, tours, train travel, etc. You are responsible for getting to the appropriate places on time. No big deal as long as you don't expect a tour guide to take care of you. You will be with many of the same people throughout your travels so you have the opportunity to make friends along the way. The Rocky Mountaineer portion was a wonderful experience. I would recommend getting a seat on the left side of the train (we sat on the right side) as 98% of the points of interest were on the left. We booked the Gold Leaf service and I would recommend it. Sitting in the elevated dome car gave you an awesome view of the Rockies and surrounding area. The hosts (upstairs and downstairs) were excellent - efficient, helpful, informative. The meals (breakfast & lunch) were tasty and filling. You were also offered snacks and beverages throughout the day. It was nice going down to the dining car to eat meals and sitting with new people. There were 750+ people on our train. If you are traveling with someone, you'll need to make sure it's noted somewhere so you'll be assigned to the same train. The hotels (we booked all Fairmont Hotels except for in the one in Kamloops which Rocky Mountaineer booked) were first class. Our view of Lake Louise was stunning. The Fairmont in Toronto was right across the street from the Toronto train station. The Brewster Sightseeing tours (in Banff, between Banff/Lake Louise, and Lake Louise/Jasper) were all informative; and, the guides/drivers-guides were friendly, patient, and fun. I wish the Niagara Falls tour company was more flexible with what was covered. I would have liked to spend more time at the Falls themselves. That tour gave us a spectacular view of the Falls...on land and on the water. That sightseeing company was a bit disorganized as they told people the incorrect departure time and didn't specify a location (the hotel wasn't sure either)...but it all turned out fine. I love train travel so I enjoyed the VIA train from Jasper to Toronto. Some people did not realize that the bags they checked were not accessible until they reached their final destination. The rooms are much too small to accommodate full-sized luggage. We had a Sleeper Plus for two people. It had a toilet (in a separate small room) & a sink. The bunk bed are set up/take down by the room steward daily (we elected to keep them down) since we occupied the public areas during the day. Breakfast is first come, first serve. Lunch and Supper are scheduled - there are 3 seating times for each (you reserve your first dinner slot at the station in Jasper before you board the train.). The customer facing staff from Jasper (they started in Vancouver) to Winnipeg were outstanding. They were so efficient, friendly, and knowledgeable; the staff from Jasper to Toronto were fine, but not outstanding. I would have appreciated having transport arranged to take us from the hotel in Toronto to the airport. We weren't told that the arranged transport wasn't available early in the morning. There should be a note stating the hours of availability so customers can schedule their flights accordingly. The Toronto airport has been experiencing personnel shortages so it is a mess. They really mean it when they say get there 3 hours in advance. People should know there is a phone number they can call to speak to someone at the airport. That person can confirm the departure terminal and how early folks need to arrive. Remember, if you're returning to USA, you go through Border Patrol screening to clear travel into the USA in Toronto. Having NEXUS or Global Entry eased the chaos. NOTE: tips are not included. I hate having to figure out tips. The travel guides usually recommend you tip a certain percentage of what you paid. It's helpful to figure that out before you leave home. We tipped at the table during meal services but there are many others who rely on tips to augment their wages - hosts on Rocky Mountaineer, guides/drives on tour buses, staff on the VIA train, porters, etc. I'm recommending this trip to my friends. I would book with Vactions by Rail again.

“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 had a wonderful experience on our trip.

“Enjoyable trip, meet interesting people and the view from the sky view train wonderful.

“Cruise was very good. Holland America a great partner to utilize in future tour packages. After cruise accommodations were wonderful (we upgraded). Our major disappointment was the total lack of tour guide/director after the cruise ended. We were completely on our own to navigate getting to train stations, etc. We didn't necessarily expect to be held by the hand, but even a person waiting for us after we disembarked to direct us to the hotel, or a meeting place at the train station to be helpful as we needed some assistance since we were tourists (foreigners) in a strange location. Very disappointed there wasn't some "point people" from Great Rails Journey to touch base with us along the way.

“Rail across Canada was a fabulous trip! The only issue was the way in which our reservation was forgotten. However, disaster was pulled from the flames and, though accommodations were not always as we hoped, the trip was wonderful.