I was fortunate enough to be offered this Bucket List Trip on their First Passage To The West, Banff to Vancouver leg, in early July 2021, and this is my review of my experience.

COVID Safety Protocols - As part of their ongoing efforts to keep passengers safe, you will have to complete the “normal” COVID Health Questionnaire, a Rapid Screening Test, remain in your assigned train car, remain in your assigned seat (i.e., no seat hopping) and wear your mask every time you leave your seat. In addition to this, they have wipes available should you wish to sanitize your area, however there is also someone on the train whose specific job is to clean everything throughout the journey.

Check In & Pre Night Screening - You will receive instructions prior to your departure date on how to check-in online, complete the COVID Health Questionnaire, and pre-register for your rapid screening test. Upon arrival at the check-in hotel, in this case Elk & Avenue in Banff, you will present all your documents, etc. and then complete your rapid screening test and pick up your luggage tags. Your results from your Rapid Screening Test will be sent to you by email or text.

Boarding - The morning of departure we met at the Elk & Avenue in Banff where we presented our documents, checked our luggage (bring only what you need on the train), and boarded the bus for a 2 minute drive to the station. Once at the station, they boarded us, via Red Carpet, directly onto our train car and our assigned seating.

Day 1 – Banff To Kamloops - I won’t go in to too much detail on the itinerary for this leg, but as you can imagine, it was amazing! I’ve seen the spiral tunnels from the road, but experiencing them from the train was pretty awesome too. The mountains, the rivers, the lakes, the towns – everything we passed through was so beautiful and the Rocky Mountaineer Hosts happily shared some history with us which I found very interesting. Unfortunately, the only wildlife I saw on the journey was a coyote, although some others saw bears and elk, but I wasn’t fast enough :)

Overnight Stop In Banff - Upon arrival at the station before getting off the train, you are given your room key as they have already checked you in, and we were quickly loaded onto motorcoaches and transported to our hotels, and for myself, in Gold Leaf Service, I was overnighted at the Delta Marriott Hotel in downtown Kamloops. Dinner is not included in this, however they feed you so well on the train that you probably won’t need it. But, if you’re hungry then check out my favorite go to Irish Pub, Kelly O'Byran's just up the street and try out their famous Pachos!

Day 2 – Kamloops To Vancouver - Unfortunately, due to the BC wildfire situation at the time of my travel, I was only able to complete the Banff to Kamloops leg of the trip by train and we had to take a motorcoach for the Kamloops to Vancouver leg. Although we did not get the views and experience that we would have on the train, our hosts at Rocky Mountaineer did their best to ensure we were treated well and enjoyed that part of the journey as much as we could, and provided us breakfast, lunch, snacks, games and a bit of history on the bus.

Amenities (Food, Drinks, Train, Hosts, Etc.) - Gold Leaf Service, which is where I was and is what my review is based on, gets the dome car which offers seating on the upper level within the dome offering amazing views, and on the main floor is the dining room with large windows and washrooms, one being wheelchair accessible. The upper level is accessible by a small staircase, and there is also an elevator/lift for those with mobility issues or in a wheelchair. If needed, they can remove seats within the car to make room for your own chair, or can arrange a transfer chair if you have some mobility.

Quite simply, the food aboard this train is beyond amazing! I was in Gold Leaf Service but I am told that there are similar selections for Silver Leaf. Our breakfast was served in the dome car at our seats to allow us to not miss any of the amazing view in the first few hours after leaving Banff, lunch is served on the lower level, and mid afternoon you are served a selection of cheese, crackers & fruit at your seat. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are available all day, no matter where you sit. As noted above, dinner is not included in this particular itinerary as you are normally at your hotel by dinner time, and to be honest, I was quite stuffed from all the food I ate on the train:)

The drink menu is pretty amazing too! A great selection of red and white wines, spirits, beers, cider, coffee, tea and non-alcoholic drinks. Sipping that glass of wine while relaxing in your seat and watching the beautiful views pass by is a pretty awesome way to spend the day!

The seats in Gold Leaf, as with the amenities on the train, are the same as in Silver Leaf. I had a wide, comfy seat with reclining back, footrest, lumbar support and heat if you needed it. And this might surprise those that know me well, other than to test it out I never had it on:)

Both levels of service offer an outdoor viewing platform, however the Gold Leaf Service has the larger one with room for several people at a time. I spent a bit of time out here and it was pretty fantastic! Our hosts were wonderful, as I am sure all hosts are on this train. Friendly, attentive, funny, full of knowledge on the many things we passed on the ride, and honestly, everything I expected from the Rocky Mountaineer.

Hotel - Our hotel in Kamloops was the Delta Marriott downtown on Victoria, and I do believe the Silver Leaf were in a different hotel as they are in most stops, i.e., Gold Leaf would be 4* to 5*, and Silver Leaf would be 3 ½* to 4*,depending on what is available within the city you stop in. The hosts will make suggestion on where to go for dinner if you’re still hungry, and/or what you can go see if there is time for making any visits anywhere.

Overall - Occasionally with travel, things will happen that affect your trip like it did with this one and not being able to do the 2nd day by train, and you just have to go with it, not let it ruin your vacation, and sometimes the unexpected results in something new, i.e., a conversation which grows into a friendship with another traveler you would not have met without the glitch in your travel plans.

If this is a Bucket List trip for you, then you need to keep it on your list! Although it is expensive in comparison to other trips, the experience is incomparable to any other trip I have taken to date and will be one that I will remember forever!

If you’re thinking about this trip, or just have some questions, please reach out to me and let’s talk. If I know you want to go, when you want to go and which journey you want to do, I can keep on eye out for some exclusive savings for you which might be the incentive you need to book:)

P.S. This is a good add-on trip to an Alaska Cruise starting out of Vancouver, or just a “filler” trip for in between experiencing Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Vancouver & Victoria.