Exploring the Rocky Mountaineer: Unforgettable Train Journeys through the Canadian Rockies & Western U.S.

In this episode of All Things Travel, Ryan and Julie dive into the world of luxury train travel with Rocky Mountaineer, a leader in showcasing the breathtaking landscapes of the Canadian Rockies and Western U.S. Discover why this extraordinary experience should be on your travel must-do list.

Ryan, a true train enthusiast, shares his family’s connection to the rails and why he’s excited about this new travel option. They explore the scenic routes available, from Vancouver to Banff, and the lesser-known Rockies to Red Rocks journey in the U.S. Whether you're a couple seeking romance, a solo traveler looking for a safe and social experience, or a multigenerational family wanting a stress-free adventure, Rocky Mountaineer offers something unique for everyone.

Key points include:

• Overview of Rocky Mountaineer's routes and destinations
• The luxurious on-board experience, from Silverleaf to Goldleaf service
• Who this type of travel is perfect for: couples, solo travelers, nature enthusiasts, and more
• Tips on combining a Rocky Mountaineer trip with an Alaskan cruise for the ultimate vacation

Don't miss out on this unique way to explore some of the most beautiful parts of North America!

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Introduction and Ryan’s Train Family Story
• 05:15 - Overview of Rocky Mountaineer Routes
• 10:30 - Who is Rocky Mountaineer Right For?
• 15:00 - Benefits of Rocky Mountaineer: Scenery, Luxury, and Unique Experiences
• 22:45 - Sample Itinerary: Vancouver to Banff
• 30:00 - How to Extend Your Trip and Customize Your Rocky Mountaineer Experience
• 35:00 - Final Thoughts and How to Plan Your Own Rocky Mountaineer Adventure

Call to Action: Ready to plan your unforgettable Rocky Mountaineer journey? Reach out to Ryan at ryan@creatingmagicvacations.com or Julie at julie@creatingmagicvacations.com to get started on your customized travel itinerary.

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Transcript

Ryan: 0:00

Silence.

Julie: 0:08

Rocky Mountaineer is a leader in offering unforgettable train travel through the Canadian Rockies and Western U. S. Today, we'll discuss why this type of trip has to be on your travel must do list. All aboard! Listen in with travel advisors and destination experts Ryan and Julie. He is your travel professor teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation and I am a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and specialist in family travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, Top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel.

Ryan: 0:51

How are you doing today, Julie?

Julie: 0:53

I am well. How are you, Ryan?

Ryan: 0:55

I'm good. We are back recording on a Sunday night. And excited to talk about this topic. I come from a train family.

Julie: 1:03

What does that mean?

Ryan: 1:04

So my grandfather, my father's father, Drove the South Shore train from South Bend, Indiana to Chicago.

Julie: 1:13

that's pretty

Ryan: 1:13

on top of that was a big collector in Lionel trains, and all that stuff, so he had tons of train memorabilia. So anytime I can ride the train, I love it. And this type of trip, is right up my alley.

Julie: 1:29

That was not what I was expecting you to say to start this episode, but very pertinent. This is a new partner for our travel agency, Rocky Mountaineer. When they presented at our agency conference this year, I was definitely intrigued and immediately thought of some clients I'm excited to share more about them.

Ryan: 1:47

yeah, absolutely. I think a lot of people have seen pictures of this or videos of this, but we're going to talk about why this trip really makes sense if you want to explore some beautiful parts of North America. But before we talk about that, if you did not listen to last week's episode, Julie and I talked about all sorts of holiday travel ideas. Anything from theme park parties to river Cruises to visiting big cities and really getting in the holiday spirit. Rocky Mountaineer has become a world renowned luxury rail experience showcasing the beauty Of western canada and the u. s. With Rocky Mountaineer, you can go at different seasons so you can see how the Rockies are different in the springtime versus the summertime versus the fall. So before we talk about Is Rocky Mountaineer right for you? I want to talk about where they go. So they have two main routes and destinations. They have the Canadian routes. They have the first passage to the West, which is Vancouver to the BAMP Lake Louise area, passing through the Fraser Valley, Can Loops and Spiral Tunnels. They have the journey through the clouds. Doesn't that sound awesome? Journey through the clouds, which is Vancouver to Jasper. Highlights include Mount Robson, Pyramid Falls, and Yellowhead Pass. They have the Rainforest to Gold Rush, which is Vancouver to Jasper via Whistler and Quiznell, featuring a Pacific Rainforest and Caribou Gold Rush history. How much fun! And if you haven't figured out what Rocky Mountaineer is, listeners, this is the train where you see the domed glass ceilings. So you're seeing all of this, scenery in such a unique, intimate way as you're traveling along with the train. And then, A newer option, Julie, is in the U. S., and that's Rockies to the Red Rocks. So that's Denver to Moab. Highlights include Glenwood Springs, Ruby Canyon, and the Red Rock landscape of Utah. And I know this is one area that they're really trying to expand. So when we think of this type of trip, Julie, who is Rocky Mountaineer right for? There's several different groups.

Julie: 4:11

The first one that they really target are couples and there's a romantic aspect of doing this type of trip. Like you're sitting side by side, you're in luxury accommodations, there's fine dining options.

Ryan: 4:24

I think train travel is just kind of a romantic thing too, maybe not the average, commute train trip, but a cross country or a longer train trip, it just really sounds romantic.

Julie: 4:36

Because you don't have to do the driving. So no one's arguing about directions and things like that.

Ryan: 4:42

Yep, the train, the train goes one way, we can't argue much about that.

Julie: 4:48

This is a great trip for solo travelers and friends because there's a lot of social opportunities on board. You're in the train car with a lot of other guests traveling on the same route it's a really safe experience. If you're by yourself, you don't feel uncomfortable because everyone's moving together as a group. It's a great way to meet new people. This could also be good for multi generational families because it is a very accessible type of travel. Like I mentioned no one is driving here. You fly in, get on the train, and they take you where they're going to take you, then you fly back home. You don't have to worry about the food or what you're going to do. Everything is ready to go for you, which makes it easy. The last group that this is a wonderful trip for is nature and photography enthusiasts. If you've ever seen a picture of Banff and the lakes up there and those turquoise waters. Just imagine being taken there via train and those beautiful landscapes that you would be able to capture.

Ryan: 5:52

I know from learning about Rocky Mountaineer they have interpreters and hosts that will discuss what people are seeing. And they will actually slow the train down you can, take pictures and see the scenery. And we'll talk about these different levels here in a few minutes. Based on the level that you choose, there's actually observation decks that you can go out and see firsthand, not even through the domes. I want to throw one more group in here, and that is people who are getting off. An Alaskan cruise because many Alaskan cruises will start or end in Vancouver. Why not throw an extra few days on and have this experience with Rocky Mountaineer? Especially, as they're expanding in the U. S. West, national park buffs, people that want to check some of those off their list, but they want to do it a unique way. Rocky Mountaineer sounds awesome.

Julie: 6:47

Right. Because the other main way to do those types of parks, whether they're in the U. S. or Canada, is to drive through on your own. And then you've got to map your route. You've got to think, where am I going to stop? Where am I going to eat? Where am I staying overnight? And with this experience, you don't have to worry about any of

Ryan: 7:02

And instead of you driving somebody else is doing it for you so you can take full advantage of that.

Julie: 7:08

Absolutely.

Ryan: 7:08

So, Julie, I want to talk about everything that's included in a Rocky Mountaineer vacation and also show an example. But first, I want to talk about where in the world does all things travel?

Julie: 7:20

Okay.

Ryan: 7:21

This is a very unique U. S. destination Caleb and I actually drove through this town twice, and that's Leadville, Colorado. Leadville is a small town, but it's situated at an elevation of 10, 119 feet, which is the highest incorporated city in the United States. It's surrounded by two of the tallest peaks in Colorado. When you start driving through there, you can tell that you are Up high one thing that's really cool about Leadville is the name. It's very much has a mining history to it. So you can learn all about mining and see the beautiful mountains of Colorado. So I definitely want to meet our listener at a, old mining saloon in Leadville, Colorado, and take in the scenery while I still have some oxygen. Maybe only one beer at the saloon but hey, seriously, listener, we are so glad that you're listening to all things travel. Do us a favor, reach out to Julie or I. You can do that via email or on the Facebook group because I would love to send a thank you gift and we actually have some new thank you gifts.

Julie: 8:31

Yeah.

Ryan: 8:32

thanks to Julie. I want to send it all the way up to Leadville, Colorado. All right, Julie, let's talk about The benefits of a Rocky Mountaineer vacation. First of all, you have unparalleled scenery, just as we've talked about. And you're up close and personal with that scenery. You have luxury and comfort. When you book this vacation there are two levels of luxury. I'm going to call both levels luxury, but you'll see a difference here in a second. So with Silverleaf service, you have panoramic windows and delicious meals served at your seat. And when I say meals, that means you get on the train in the morning, there's breakfast, there's snacks. There's lunch, there's snacks, there's drinks all there for you and you've got that beautiful panoramic window and I'm sure this week when this show comes out, you're going to put up some pictures and maybe some videos of Rocky Mountaineer

Julie: 9:31

Yes.

Ryan: 9:32

You can choose a higher level called the gold leaf service and this has dome windows. It has gourmet dining and an exclusive outdoor vestibule or viewing area so that you can, go out and actually see. Both of these levels of service have Nice comfortable chairs. These are not train benches. These are nice chairs again. You're gonna have servers that are with you. Another benefit of Rocky Mountaineer is unique experiences. You have storytelling by on board host about the history, geography and wildlife. And we're gonna talk about extending these trips a little bit. You have optional excursions like helicopter tours, sightseeing, nature walks, really good. I want to talk about a sample trip, Julie.

Julie: 10:21

Okay.

Ryan: 10:22

Looking at their most popular trip, this is the two day rail from Vancouver to Banff, Julie. So this is Vancouver to Banff. to Kamloops. Kamloops is kind of a Western town, so a fun place to spend the night. And then Kamloops to Banff. This includes two days aboard the Rocky Mountaineer and one hotel night. That starts from 1, 720 per person for those days of train experience. And then when you're in Banff, you can add on your extended time where you're hiking, where you're seeing the scenery, doing different excursions there. And remember that includes everything as far as dining, hotel accommodations, transfer service, from the moment you get there, you are all set.

Julie: 11:16

And there are options to make this trip, like there's a four day option, there's a seven day option.

Ryan: 11:24

I was just kind of giving the most popular kind of lead in that people look at. But you can really make this a bigger trip, or customize it how you want to do it based on where you start, based on where you end. Again, maybe you fly into Banff and spend a few days there. You take the train to Vancouver and then you hop on a cruise. I mean, that doesn't sound terrible, does it?

Julie: 11:47

That sounds lovely. When you are choosing those longer itineraries through Rocky mountaineer, all that that's doing is extending how long you're staying at each destination. So maybe you're staying at Banff longer. You're saying it can loops longer or Vancouver longer, and the price will go up, but it's still including all your nights at your hotel. It's just saying that when you're getting from one destination to the next, that's where you're on that luxury train transport.

Ryan: 12:14

absolutely.

Julie: 12:15

I don't want people to think you're just sitting on a train the whole time. The train is literally just taking you from one place to the next. It's this beautiful luxury experience. And then you're getting to hop off and experience the

Ryan: 12:27

When we've heard about the itineraries before, you're, getting transfer to the train, getting on, having breakfast, spending the day on the train with the naturalist, with the interpreter, you're having that experience, you roll into you know, cam loops in the afternoon. You get off the train. They have, Hey, here are places you should eat. Here are things that you want to see. You have that time to explore that destination. In the meantime, your luggage that you've just left at your hotel room magically appears in your hotel room. They really try to make it as seamless as possible.

Julie: 13:04

I just think a lot of times when people think of train travel, they almost picture those bus tours,

Ryan: 13:09

Oh, yeah, yeah,

Julie: 13:10

on a bus all day. And I just want to clarify that that's not the case. This is such a cool way to see this stuff. It's not like stuffy or anything like that. It's very, very nice. And I hope that when we share the videos on the Facebook page, you'll really get an idea of what this trip could look like for you.

Ryan: 13:30

Thoughts on Rocky Mountaineer, Julie?

Julie: 13:33

I think it's just such a unique experience and I could totally see myself doing something like that, in a couple of years without kids. I just don't think kids is the right demographic because I also don't think the destination is best for the kids. I think I'd prefer to do it without them. And I love what you said about adding it on to an Alaska cruise because when you're on that cruise, you stop in Vancouver, you don't get to see any of those beautiful rocky mountains and stuff

Ryan: 14:02

not at all

Julie: 14:02

Exactly. You've traveled that far. Keep it going.

Ryan: 14:06

I love it. I would try the U. S. National Parks, just because I want to spend more time in the United States, and I see this as a unique way to do that.

Julie: 14:16

And just an easy way to combine it with so many other experiences out there. I could see you on this, Ryan. You want to plan a trip to an amazing destination like the Rocky Mountains, but don't know how to get started. As your travel advisors, we work with you to create a customized itinerary for your vacation and take the stress of planning away. So you can focus on the fun and creating memories. You can reach me at Julie at CreatingMagicVacations. com.

Ryan: 14:45

You can reach me, Ryan, at ryanatcreatingmagicvacations. com. We look forward to talking to you next week on all things travel when we have a very special guest, Julie and I are so excited to have our friend Mary Trotter from Viking Cruise Lines here to talk all about sailing on the rivers and oceans with Viking and offering some unique promotions to our listeners.