Mountain Trains in US?

[Red Badger]

Hi. Me again.

I want to take DW on a great mountain train ride in the US. My inspiration is the Vancouver to Banff train. Does anyone know of trains in the Rockies, Sierra Nevada, Cascades, etc that do scenic justice? We don't need on train fine dining or 5 day itinerary. Just a day or two of awesome mountain views.

The Vancouver gig is hard as we are in the Charlotte area, so just getting there and back is a big hike in itself.

Any upscale hobos with advice?

As always, sincere thanks.

Also, if the original Canada train is THE THING, please weigh in as well.

RB

 

[Gumby]

Amtrak's California Zephyr between Denver and Salt Lake City. (that's the scenic mountain part; it runs from Chicago to San Francisco)

https://www.amtrak.com/california-zephyr-train

 

[Ronstar]

Take a look at the old narrow gauge train from Durango to silverton Colorado https://m.durangotrain.com

 

[Souschef]

We took a tour from Vancouver to Banff, and part of it was an overnight train from Vancouver to Jasper. I have attached the trip story, If you have any questions, PM us.
Another poster also suggested the Colorado train. I have also posted a story about a number of trains in Colorado.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

We took The Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff a bit over ten years ago and we thought it was indeed THE THING. It was much like a land cruise with a guide/steward in every car. It was a two day trip and they put us up in a hotel at the halfway point in Kamloops. Service was amazing. It’s really just a hop further from the Cascades.

 

[MRG]

Take a look at the old narrow gauge train from Durango to silverton Colorado https://m.durangotrain.com

Done that. If you go, pay for the rear car. Otherwise it's an uncomfortable school bus like experience. It's only a short day trip. There is plenty to do around the area.

We haven't done this one yet. I'm told it's built opposite of the Durango Silverton railroad. I'd like to do it this fall.

ETA: You can do Durango one day and Chama, NM the next. It's only a couple hour drive.

https://cumbrestoltec.com/

 

[Souschef]

We took The Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff a bit over ten years ago and we thought it was indeed THE THING. It was much like a land cruise with a guide/steward in every car. It was a two day trip and they put us up in a hotel at the halfway point in Kamloops. Service was amazing. It’s really just a hop further from the Cascades.

It is a wonderful trip, but very pricey. The 2 day one night trip starts at $1250 per person.

 

[Murf2]

We’ve done the Cumbres & Toltec ride. We loved it but it’s not like the Durango train. Scenery is more like out of a western movie. Not very mountainous. It is great though.

 

[davebarnes]

I would recommend somewhere in the Alps.
Just pretend it is the USA.

 

[Souschef]

I would recommend somewhere in the Alps.
Just pretend it is the USA.

Here you go

 

[Moemg]

Try this .My friends did the Boston to Quebec tour and loved it





https://www.vacationsbyrail.com/uni...avel United States&utm_content=Rail Travel US

 

[GalaxyBoy]

It is a wonderful trip, but very pricey. The 2 day one night trip starts at $1250 per person.

Indeed. We were blowing that dough celebrating DW being done with her cancer treatments. Must have worked - she’s still around after almost 15 years.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

It's not the mountains, but this is a nice scenic train trip along the north shore of Lake Superior. It's especially popular during the fall color season starting in mid-September.
Agawa Canyon

 

[youbet]

I'd appreciate some comments concerning the availability of amenities and the competition to use them on these train excursions.

DW and I have become very intolerant of activities where reservations are not available to guarantee easy access to the amenities and activities we desire without being in competition with others for them. For example, we no longer go to concerts offering only first-come, first serve seating. We want our seats reserved and waiting for us without needing to arrive early to assure sitting together in a decent location. (Outdoor concerts with lawn seating are an exception to this though.)

We had a bad experience on a train tour where seating in the dome viewing area was quickly taken up by folks who then left jackets, etc. on the seats to hold them while they returned to their lower level seats, sometimes for extended periods of time. We'd go up looking for a chance to sit in the dome area, see that there were many empty seats but all had "stuff" piled on them from folks who got there first and wanted to hold them. Yuuuuuch........

There are many other scenarios I could describe, but I think those examples are typical of what we're very much trying to avoid. Any experiences from train traveling where "non-competitive sharing" was the norm and there was no need for aggressive behavior to get your slice of the pie? Needing to be aggressive or confrontational quickly sours a vacation experience for us.

 

[Souschef]

It's not the mountains, but this is a nice scenic train trip along the north shore of Lake Superior. It's especially popular during the fall color season starting in mid-September.
Agawa Canyon

Trains are my passion, and I just want to share our experiences with others. I hope nobody minds. I have attached a story of a fall color trip in New England.

 

[Souschef]

I'd appreciate some comments concerning the availability of amenities and the competition to use them on these train excursions.


We had a bad experience on a train tour where seating in the dome viewing area was quickly taken up by folks who then left jackets, etc. on the seats to hold them while they returned to their lower level seats, sometimes for extended periods of time. We'd go up looking for a chance to sit in the dome area, see that there were many empty seats but all had "stuff" piled on them from folks who got there first and wanted to hold them. Yuuuuuch........

That is totally inconsiderate. This is akin to the "chair hogs" on cruise ships or at resorts.
I would have had a word with the tour manager.

 

[youbet]

That is totally inconsiderate. This is akin to the "chair hogs" on cruise ships or at resorts.
I would have had a word with the tour manager.

I agree about folks being inconsiderate, for sure. But the thing DW and I are urgently trying to avoid (we've become sensitive to it) is needing to be confrontational or aggressive while trying to enjoy entertainment, dining or travel. Needing to "have a word" with the tour manager would be a sour experience for us. We'd rather, for example, pay extra to have our spots guaranteed.

Your example of "chair hogs" on cruise ships or at resorts is a good example of things that take the fun out of travel/entertainment for us and we find ourselves not returning to places where we experience that sort of thing.

 

[oldphd]

Done that. If you go, pay for the rear car.

+1

 

[Red Badger]

Thanks all! As usual lots of great options!!

 

[Teacher Terry]

It’s been a long time since I rode a train but we were able to reserve a sleeping room and dinner. The only time a train trip turned into a disaster was one winter when we went from Wisconsin to New York. Instead of a 12 hour trip it became 24 because of the ice on the tracks. Then they ran out of food. We had 3 small children. So as they came to a town food was brought to the train. They fed people by cars and we had breakfast at 1pm. After that I always carried food. We have probably ridden them at least 20 times.

 

[RunningBum]

I'd appreciate some comments concerning the availability of amenities and the competition to use them on these train excursions.

DW and I have become very intolerant of activities where reservations are not available to guarantee easy access to the amenities and activities we desire without being in competition with others for them. For example, we no longer go to concerts offering only first-come, first serve seating. We want our seats reserved and waiting for us without needing to arrive early to assure sitting together in a decent location. (Outdoor concerts with lawn seating are an exception to this though.)

We had a bad experience on a train tour where seating in the dome viewing area was quickly taken up by folks who then left jackets, etc. on the seats to hold them while they returned to their lower level seats, sometimes for extended periods of time. We'd go up looking for a chance to sit in the dome area, see that there were many empty seats but all had "stuff" piled on them from folks who got there first and wanted to hold them. Yuuuuuch........

There are many other scenarios I could describe, but I think those examples are typical of what we're very much trying to avoid. Any experiences from train traveling where "non-competitive sharing" was the norm and there was no need for aggressive behavior to get your slice of the pie? Needing to be aggressive or confrontational quickly sours a vacation experience for us.

Totally understand that.

My only experience on scenic train travel in the west is on VIA from Jasper to Vancouver. We went first class, so we'd have sleeper bunks. This also gave us access to an observation car. My impression is that there were enough seats for everyone in first class as I think most people were up there during the day and we had no issues. This was in the late 90s, so I can't say what is current there.

Had we done the Rocky Mountaineer, they have different classes of service, but I think you're guaranteed a seat for whatever view is in your class. Since it's all about scenery, and they stop at a midpoint hotel overnight, you don't have a separate seat and an observation car, they are all basically observation cars. The upper classes have nicer cars with more glass. Last time I looked at their website that's what they still showed. I kind of wish I'd sprung for this over VIA.

I'm just guessing in the US, but it's probably similar, though I think Amtrak falls short of VIA. If you take an Amtrak train, you may or may not find a seat in an observation car. If you take a special scenic train, you'll have something with a view, but you may have to pay for an upper class to get the nicer observation car.

btw, here is what I found for Colorado scenic trains. https://www.colorado.com/articles/complete-guide-colorado-train-trips

 

[MRG]

I took this cog railroad on Mt. Washington 50 years ago. I had fun but couldn't tell you why.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_Cog_Railway

There's also a cog on Pikes Peak.

https://www.cograilway.com/

There was another up in the north midwest that I believe closed.

Here's a wikipedia about cogs.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rack_railway


ETA: These are day trips.

 

[explanade]

We took The Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff a bit over ten years ago and we thought it was indeed THE THING. It was much like a land cruise with a guide/steward in every car. It was a two day trip and they put us up in a hotel at the halfway point in Kamloops. Service was amazing. It’s really just a hop further from the Cascades.

It is a wonderful trip, but very pricey. The 2 day one night trip starts at $1250 per person.

Indeed. We were blowing that dough celebrating DW being done with her cancer treatments. Must have worked - she’s still around after almost 15 years.

Is that with a private cabin on the train or something? Still a lot for just two nights.

You could fly to Switzerland and back for that price, assuming USD.

Banff sounds wonderful but I balked at the hotel or motel prices up there. A couple of years ago they had free entry to national parks and the CAD was way down. But room rates were $400 and up a night and it wasn’t some fancy resorts either.

Planned trips to Austria for 2017 and then to Switzerland this past August instead.

 

[Souschef]

We took the Tauck Grand Rockies tour a few years ago. It was not cheap, right now it is $6200 for a 10 day tour. But-you stay in Fairmont hotels, have choice of menu dinners,and in general, it was a high class tour.
We enjoyed it thoroughly. We were in Vancouver, Victoria, Lake Louise, Jasper and Banff.
If you got back yo my post #4, There is an attachment with the trip story.

 

[Sunset]

Is that with a private cabin on the train or something? Still a lot for just two nights.

You could fly to Switzerland and back for that price, assuming USD.

Banff sounds wonderful but I balked at the hotel or motel prices up there. A couple of years ago they had free entry to national parks and the CAD was way down. But room rates were $400 and up a night and it wasn’t some fancy resorts either.

Planned trips to Austria for 2017 and then to Switzerland this past August instead.

You might want to look again. We traveled to Canada when the parks were free and everywhere hotels were full and expensive, even dumpy ones.

The next year the same hotels were back to regular rates. So it's worth a look