Civilized and unhurried travelling, slow cooking and refined dining, listening to re-mastered stereo albums of The Beatles on vinyl, film noir from the ’50s, nostalgia fashion and re-discovering weekend getaways without going far away are lifestyle trends that are coming back in style in Canada.

This means that the concept of leisured journeys like it used to be is currently being enjoyed by today’s generation of Canadian baby boomers and their elders who are enjoying their golden years.

Both groups have the time, the money and the ability to enjoy life to the fullest. They have countless opportunities to reshape contemporary lifestyle because of their demographic power. Slowing down does not mean slacking down on worldly activities.

Because of the economic downturn, more and more Canadians are staying at home and enjoying weekend getaways close to where they live.

One mode of transportation that is now enjoying a healthy comeback is travelling on VIA RAIL CANADA to enjoy once again Canada’s legendary and classic train journeys. It’s a travel experience unlike any other. It’s comfortable, luxurious and romantic. You travel in classic stainless steel and art deco-style cars, just like in the movies.

You don’t suffer the indignities of waiting at crowded airports, taking your shoes off when your luggage is checked, cramped airline seats at coach, bad or no food, suffer the noise of wailing children or being treated like a cow by a harassed attendant or fear that the customs officer may think that you have liquid explosive in your bottled water.

One can book a three-day and two-night journey on VIA RAIL from Vancouver to Jasper and back. The train travels 1,160 km between the Rockies and the north Pacific coast through breathtaking and varied landscapes. It is a voyage of discovery and the realization that Canada is truly a vast country and it has kept the beauty of rich forests, natural landscapes and its wilderness.

The Vancouver to Jasper run is short and long enough to experience trail travel. The train leaves Vancouver at 8:30 p.m. on a Friday, arrives Jasper Saturday afternoon. A night at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and dinner at the world-renowned Edith Cavell restaurant are highly recommended.

Return to Vancouver is on Sunday afternoon, to arrive Vancouver Monday morning around 9 a.m., fully refreshed. It is best to check the schedule that fits your travel plans.

I have vivid memories of sipping champagne in the observation dome car while Vancouver slowly faded from my eye level, drinking coffee while working at the game room with large picture windows, taking long naps in a functional private compartment and a long shower before breakfast. There were memorable breakfast, lunch, dinner, all freshly prepared by the on-board chef. The chefs prepare seasonal cuisine to fully showcase the best of Canadian ingredients, vegetables, meats and fruits.

Jasper was a revelation. Besides the National Park which is a wildlife sanctuary, there are unforgettable mountain lakes and views. It is no wonder that over two million visitors travel to Jasper and is among the country’s most-photographed places. It has a laidback mountain lifestyle but offers first-class accommodations and gourmet dining in several renowned restaurants.

By Mel Tobias, Philstar.com, >>> continue reading
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Canada By Train: The Complete VIA Rail Travel Guide

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Q: For some time, we’ve wanted to visit the Canadian Rockies by rail. Probably in June or July we’d fly to Vancouver, then tour by train. But there are so many itineraries and options that it’s hard to choose. Can you give some guidance about which railroad and what not to miss?

A: The Canadian Rockies offer some of the most jaw-dropping scenery in the world, and traveling by rail is a smart way to see it up close. Three train companies serve the area; choose depending on your budget, your time frame and how much pampering you require. Prices below are in American dollars and include lodging.

• Taking it from the top, Royal Canadian Pacific is the luxury offering, with restored vintage train cars and lots of cosseting. The six-day Royal Canadian Rockies Experience starts and ends in Calgary, Alberta, stopping at Banff and Lake Louise, Kicking Horse Pass, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and other marvels. Lodging is on board, in private staterooms. You pay one (whopping) price, but everything is included: airport transfers, all food and beverages, and some pretty spectacular side trips. Two trips are scheduled this year, leaving July 31 and Sept. 14. Cost is $6,563 per person double. Details: 877-665-3044; royalcanadianpacific.com.

• The Rocky Mountaineer train has three routes through the Canadian West, including Vancouver to Calgary, via Banff. Its six-day Canadian Rockies Highlights trip includes some meals, guides, a glacier helicopter tour and a ranch lunch. Lodging is at hotels along the way. Three levels of service and accommodations are available; costs this summer are $1,886, $2,911 and $3,198 per person double, plus a 5 percent fuel surcharge. Shorter trips are available. 877-460-3200; rockymountaineer.com.

• VIA Rail, Canada’s national railroad, travels the same routes as the sightseeing trains; you can create your own itinerary and stop off at Jasper or Banff for as long as you like, or buy a package tour. The eight-day Rockies Circle West trip, for example, travels from Vancouver to Jasper, then switches to a motor coach to explore the mountains before returning to Vancouver. Two levels of service and accommodations are offered this summer, at $2,593 and $3,364. 888-842-7245; viarail.ca.

Still confused? Lori Grant, of Canada’s Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, recommends mixing and matching; for example, taking VIA Rail from Vancouver to Jasper, renting a car and driving to Banff, then taking the Rocky Mountaineer back to Vancouver. Driving some of the route, she said, is the best way to have “a true, authentic experience of the Rocky Mountains.” Whichever company you choose, don’t miss the glacier-studded Icefield Parkway, she said.

Source Link: Washington Post

VIA Rail Canada: The Canadian Travel Experience

Source Link: Memory McLeod, Leader-Post
REGINA — Despite more than 20,000 passengers using VIA Rail’s five stations in the province, most are from other provinces.

Now the company is hoping that a change in scheduling — allowing passengers in Saskatoon, Melville, Biggar, Unity and Watrous to board during daytime hours — will bring in more local fares.

“It’s likely that we will see more people opting to travel by train with the new changes. It’s too soon to tell what kind of impact it will have, but we are expecting to see in an uptake in passengers boarding at the stations,” said VIA Rail spokesperson Catherine Kalowtski.

As it stands now, The Canadian, a passenger train travelling from Toronto to Vancouver, runs through most of Saskatchewan in middle of the night. After the changeover takes effect Dec. 2 the reverse will happen with boarding times either in the morning or afternoon.

“We looked at how we could make trips more convenient for our passengers and looked at some of the other things we were hearing in feedback and so this new schedule will reflect that,” Kalowtski said.

Ronald Haskell believes the changes will be better for Canadians, particularily Reginans.

“Even for people who lived in places where VIA Rail stopped, (the previous schedule) was still an inconvenience, because with train times at 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. it made it difficult for (passengers) to start their journey in the middle of the night,” said Haskell, who is vice-president of Transport 2000 Prairie, a non-profit organization advocating for various transportation issues.

He pointed out that when the new boarding times take effect Reginans will be able to take a bus from the city and arrive in time to Melville to catch a train.

“The bottom line is that residents of Regina will have another option. Rather than just driving or flying to a destination in Canada, train travel will now be more accessible,” Haskell said.

One major request among travellers going west was for daylight viewing time through the Rockies, which the change will now offer.

“Travelling by train is the best way to see the landscape of our vast and beautiful country. Unfortunately the Rockies, being one of the greatest highlights of Canadian travel, is missed due to night travel,” Kalowtski explained.

Kalowtski also predicted that the new hours will also allow for more accurate scheduling times.

“Over time an increase in traffic on the main line caused delays and our advertised times were not accurate with actual arrival and departure times. So these changes address that and we are seeing this as a way to have more accuracy in our scheduling. It’s the same thing as Reginans are seeing when they compare the traffic today with what rush hour traffic was like five years ago,” Kalowtski said.

Same day connections will be offered in Toronto, where travellers currently have to wait overnight to board another train heading east the next day.

Another feature of the new plan is that tourists will have more time to visit centres such as Jasper, Alta. and Winnipeg.

“In places such as Winnipeg, the Forks, which is a tourist attraction there, is like a five-minute walk from the station. So there is a couple of hours there to explore and to have a look around at the city,” she said.

Kalowtski said that while there is interest in expanding the train line to a station in Regina, there are no immediate plans for such an expansion.

Via Rail has a second passenger train, The Hudson Bay, which dips into Saskatchewan through the towns of Canora and Hudson Bay before going continuing on to Churchhill, Man.

Rail in Canada is experiencing something of a renaissance.

There are good reasons for this.

VIA Rail Canada employs a “learning co-ordinator” on some of its trains, a plaid-vested chap who is something of a cross between a pedant and a concierge.

For those passengers with the means to afford Rail Canada’s Easterly class, the trip includes sleeping accommodation, meals and, best of all, access to the caboose, where stairs lead to a second-floor observation dome, a thrilling conservatory on wheels.

There the concierge serves Champagne and holds court, regaling travellers with stories of the struggles between the British and Acadian French, while the train, the Ocean, winds its way through forests of sumac and sugar maple, their leaves a hundred brilliant colours on autumn afternoons.

The Ocean, VIA Rail Canada’s train from Montreal to Halifax, leaves six days a week in each direction, and sleeper cars, comfort class and multiple dining options are available year-round (www.viarail.ca).