All Aboard The 'Skeena' to Prince Rupert.
We decided to take the VIA Rail tour to explore and sight-see the western parts of British Columbia. We took ‘The Skeena’ train from Jasper to Prince Rupert, sometimes referred to as the ‘Rupert Rocket’ by the train staff. The journey takes about 20 hours to cover the distance of 1160 kms with an overnight stop at Prince George.
Our Economy Class seats were very comfortable with lots of leg room. Of course one can also choose to travel in the Touring Class, which has free access to the Dome Car and Park Car, by paying a higher fare, and which also includes buffet meals and drinks served on the train. For the economy class, meals, snacks, fruit juice and coffee have to be purchased separately and it is served to you at your seat. Some passengers opted to bring their own packed sandwiches and snacks. While traveling to Prince Rupert we did not have access to the Dome Car, but while returning we did, as there was only one couple in the Touring Class and they very kind and did not mind mingling with us.
The train staff were friendly and ever helpful. We had lady Louise as our guide, ably assisted by gentleman Anthony. They would periodically inform us about the route and stations we were passing, as well as the main attractions and points of interest along the way. Wildlife spotting was high on everyone’s agenda and we did spot some deer and elk along the route. The snow covered mountain peaks and fast flowing rivers, the Fraser and the Skeena, always kept our gaze riveted out the large windows during the day. The train would slow down while passing points of interest like Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.
One of the most controversial aspects of this way of travelling was that the VIA Rail trains were given lower priority than the freight trains, and we would have to stop at a siding quite often to let the freight trains pass, sometimes for as long as an hour. But this gave us an opportunity, with the engineer’s permission, to get off the train and stretch our legs and explore the countryside at ground level. As a result the ‘Skeena’ could never stick to its schedule. We had to check in to our Prince George hotel once at 11 pm, and beyond midnight on the return trip.
We had to arrange our own accommodations in the frontier towns of Prince George and Prince Rupert.
On the whole we quite enjoyed our rail trip from Jasper to Prince Rupert through the mighty Rocky Mountains.
Show lessOur Economy Class seats were very comfortable with lots of leg room. Of course one can also choose to travel in the Touring Class, which has free access to the Dome Car and Park Car, by paying a higher fare, and which also includes buffet meals and drinks served on the train. For the economy class, meals, snacks, fruit juice and coffee have to be purchased separately and it is served to you at your seat. Some passengers opted to bring their own packed sandwiches and snacks. While traveling to Prince Rupert we did not have access to the Dome Car, but while returning we did, as there was only one couple in the Touring Class and they very kind and did not mind mingling with us.
The train staff were friendly and ever helpful. We had lady Louise as our guide, ably assisted by gentleman Anthony. They would periodically inform us about the route and stations we were passing, as well as the main attractions and points of interest along the way. Wildlife spotting was high on everyone’s agenda and we did spot some deer and elk along the route. The snow covered mountain peaks and fast flowing rivers, the Fraser and the Skeena, always kept our gaze riveted out the large windows during the day. The train would slow down while passing points of interest like Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.
One of the most controversial aspects of this way of travelling was that the VIA Rail trains were given lower priority than the freight trains, and we would have to stop at a siding quite often to let the freight trains pass, sometimes for as long as an hour. But this gave us an opportunity, with the engineer’s permission, to get off the train and stretch our legs and explore the countryside at ground level. As a result the ‘Skeena’ could never stick to its schedule. We had to check in to our Prince George hotel once at 11 pm, and beyond midnight on the return trip.
We had to arrange our own accommodations in the frontier towns of Prince George and Prince Rupert.
On the whole we quite enjoyed our rail trip from Jasper to Prince Rupert through the mighty Rocky Mountains.
Date of experience: July 2019
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
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