"It isn’t just that you miss so much when you’re driving, there’s the conviviality of a train. On the Rocky Mountaineer the downsides of train travel have been thought through and eliminated."


NEW FOR 2011 The importance of the Rocky Mountaineer’s UK market has been signalled by pricing in pounds for 2012 and the appointment of a new sales director. Two agent fam trips and incentives will run and until October 3 one free seat will be rewarded for bookings of 11 on a minimum four-night package. Dedicated groups sales consultants can provide expert help, bespoke itineraries and exclusive lounge cars for groups.


GOLDLEAF SERVICE Reserved seating in two-storey, glass-domed coaches, with panoramic views on the upper level and private dining room below for à la carte breakfasts and lunches.


THE CLASSIC ROUTES The two southerly routes share the same tracks between Vancouver and Kamloops where both trains stop for the night – it’s a great advantage of all Rocky Mountaineer trains that travelling is done in daylight. Once the sprawl of Vancouver’s satellite towns is left behind, you wouldn’t want to miss a mile as the coastal plain ends, the contours narrow and the train begins its sinuous course through the precipitous Fraser River valley. With the demise of restaurant cars,


eating on trains has become a rare pleasure, and the regional dishes served on Rocky Mountaineer trains do not disappoint. The only challenges are what to choose (in GoldLeaf) and not missing too much of what’s passing by the window. Arid hill country of sagebrush and


bunchgrass is relieved by the 25-mile-long Kamloops Lake, just before the town, and overnight stop in a hotel. From Kamloops the Journey Through The Clouds follows the North Thompson River past the 300ft Pyramid Falls, the range of mountains named after premiers, and Mount Robson before dropping down to Jasper from the Yellowhead Pass. The train slows for scenic highlights


flagged up by the on-board staff who are full of information and anecdotes, delivered both over the PA system and informally. The First Passage To The West route is


the most popular and retraces the journeys of 19th-century pioneers. Its second day enjoys equally grand-scale landscapes, starting with the picturesque stretch beside Shuswap Lake. No road threads the narrow defile of


the Illecillewaet River after Revelstoke, a fantastic stretch of railway as it edges along a few feet away from the churning waters. But the climax of the day is the famous spiral tunnels through Mount Ogden and Cathedral Mountain which raise the train over the continental divide for the descent to Banff. From Banff many choose to head north by road over the spectacular Icefields Parkway to Jasper for a circular return to Vancouver, or there is the option to follow the Bow River to the city of Calgary. The many permutations offered by


Rocky Mountaineer, supplemented by its partnership with Holland America Line for Rail & Cruise journeys, provide a degree of flexibility to satisfy all but the most picky customers. Recommend rail and your clients won't be sorry.


SILVERLEAF SERVICE This new upgrade from RedLeaf Service on select departures offers a single-level dome coach and hot meal at-seat service. Guests can move around and interact without missing any scenery. SilverLeaf service is fully in place for 2012 on the First Passage to the West route.


REDLEAF SERVICE Assigned reclining seats, large picture windows, and at-seat meal service.


SAMPLE PACKAGE


Air Transat Holidays


AIR Transat Holidays' Grand Rail Circle, with 18 departure dates between May and September, starts in Vancouver. It takes in the classic First Passage To The West route to Kamloops and Banff for a helicopter tour and a night at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise before a coach journey over the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. After the Rainforest To Gold Rush route to Whistler, there are two nights in the year-round resort before returning to Vancouver by the Whistler Sea To Sky Climb. Prices from £2,299pp excluding international flights. www.transatholidays.co.uk


Selling Canada • SPRing 2011 11


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