Banff Train Tours

Alberta's Rocky Mountains consistently deliver 360 degree scenery.

Enjoy Banff, Alberta and Canada on a rail tour

By Michele Kadison
Staff Writer
Rockies.com

BANFF, Alberta (Rockies.com) – Why drive through Canada when you can take a leisurely train trip through some of the most magical vistas on earth?

Take the train for scenic Banff views you can't reach by car.

Taking a Canadian Rocky Mountaineer train tour is one of the best ways to enjoy the Canadian Rockies as you wind your way through mountain settings that defy the imagination. With the Rocky Mountaineer and VIA Rail tours, all the navigation is in someone else’s hands, leaving you free to gaze, oogle, gasp, and just generally absorb the vast Canadian expanses that unfurl before you as you sit in the exquisite comfort of an elegant railway car.

As if the 360 degree panoramic Canadian views aren’t enough, dining on the Rocky Mountaineer and VIA Rail affords you its own magnificence, with menus concocted by world-class chefs. Imagine the luxury of enjoying an international cuisine in a setting that takes your breath (but not your appetite) away.

Jane and Richard Sembrose of St. Paul, Minnesota took the Rocky Mountaineer to get their fair share of Alberta’s Banff and Jasper National Park’s spectacular settings while letting someone else worry about the navigation. They had the time of their life saying, “We decided to take a rail tour of the Canadian Rockies and it was the most relaxing vacation we’d ever taken. We delighted in the amazing scenery, found ourselves eating some of the best meals ever, and stayed at some really terrific hotels along the way. Our tour was something to remember forever.”

Taking a rail tour Canadian Rockies style is, in actuality, an adventure vacation. Choose the package most suitable for you and you’ll find yourself exploring the vast beauty of Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, the Kootenays, and a plethora of other Canadian landmarks in between.

Canadian Rockies rail tours provide a wide variety of options, from economy packages to luxury accommodations. Once off the train, tours provide you with the flexibility to stay in Banff’s economy hotels or its world class resorts.

Allan Hemmings from Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland made a great point when he said, “Why on earth would anyone want to see the Rockies any other way? I had a ball on this trip, meeting interesting people, dining like a king, and seeing some of the most astounding sites I’ve ever seen in all my travels. It was like being in a moving first class hotel!”

As if this isn’t enough, create the ultimate Canadian Rockies vacation by combining your Rocky Mountaineer rail trip with a luxury Alaskan cruise.

The options are there for the taking! Ginger and Don Ryan of Troy, New York celebrated their 50th anniversary by making this combination. When I spoke with Don after his trip he said, “Traveling by VIA rail was our gift to ourselves for this memorable anniversary. I can’t think of any better way to celebrate than by touring the Canadian Rockies by train.”

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