My TripAdvisor Review No.553: Jasper Downtown Hostel, Jasper, Alberta, Canada.

Decent Dorm Rooms.

Getting budget accommodation during the peak summer season in Jasper can be really difficult, but we managed to grab the last few bunks available in Jasper Downtown Hostel a couple of weeks before doing our VIA Rail trip from Vancouver to Prince Rupert. We spent two nights in an 8 bedded mixed dorm room in the hostel.

The hostel is just a 5 minute walk from the Jasper Rail Station and we did it in 15 with all our baggage, admiring the mountain scenery along the way. We had arrived early as check in time is 4 pm, but we were allowed to deposit our luggage in the downstairs lockers and go out for lunch and some window shopping.

Our room was nice and simple with 8 bunk beds, each having their own curtain, reading lamp, charging point and a small shelf to keep small bedside stuff. We were each given a towel and bedding kit, and a kitchen kit which we kept in the common kitchen locker. The room was very clean and there was a common en-suite separate toilet and bathroom. Only a few lower bunk beds had storage lockers under the bed, so the others had to keep their bags next to their bunks. All common lights were supposed to be switched off by 11 pm.

There was a large community kitchen with cook-tops and microwaves. Tea and coffee makers were also available. One could buy food and drinks from the downtown market and store it in the large refrigerators with glass doors, with our name and room number tags. We used the utensils provided by them and had to wash it after use with the liquid soap provided by them and return the kitchen kit before departing. We cooked our own dinner, and breakfast next morning.

There was a common lounge with TV and a bookshelf, and some sofas near the reception area and a small garden with outdoor seating. The staff were quite friendly and helpful. Free parking is available on the road next to the hostel.

We enjoyed the experience of staying in a hostel, though getting up and down from the upper bunk was a little challenging for us senior citizens.

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Date of stay: July 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.552: McBride Visitor Center, BC, Canada.

Whistle Stop Station.

The McBride Visitor Centre is housed in the heritage station building of the village of McBride which is located 166 km west of Jasper and 210 km southeast of Prince George in the Robson Valley region of British Columbia. The train station was built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in the year 1913. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1919 after being burnt down by a fire in 1918.

What we thought would be a whistle stop on our VIA Rail journey from Jasper to Prince George turned out to be a much longer halt at the McBride Rail Station. We were probably waiting for a freight train to pass. So we were allowed to get down and stretch our legs at McBride. We found the station building to be quite interesting because the McBride Visitor Centre is also located here. We found quite a good collection of free pamphlets and maps of the interesting places of British Columbia and particularly of the Rocky Mountains.

There is also a gallery of paintings and art works done by the local artists on display and yes, the name of the gallery is ‘Whistle Stop Gallery’. There is also a café and coffee shop called ‘The Beanery’.

We wish we could have browsed a bit more but the locomotive’s engineer sounded the train’s hooter, the conductor blew her whistle, and we had to board our train to head to Prince George.

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Date of experience: July 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.551: Mount Robson, BC, Canada.

Rocky Mountain High.

Mount Robson located in the Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia is the highest peak in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The peak stands at an elevation of 3954 meters or 12972 feet. The Fraser River originates as a trickle from up this mountain eventually flowing down to the Pacific Ocean. It can be easily seen and photographed from the Yellowhead Highway and the VIA Rail train running from Jasper to Prince Rupert. The nearest towns are Jasper in the east and Valemount in the south-west.

We passed Mount Robson twice while doing the VIA Rail trip from Jasper to Prince George and back. The first time we passed it was covered by thick clouds so we did not get to see the peak, but on the return trip we got a clear view of the high mountain and took some pictures too. It was an impressive sight to behold.

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Date of experience: July 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.550: Jasper Train & Tour, Canada.

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.

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Date of experience: July 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.548: Barako Cafe & Gifts, Jasper Railway Station, Alberta, Canada.

Brunch At Jasper Station.

Our train ‘The Skeena’ to Prince George was delayed by over an hour so we were waiting in the Jasper Station Lounge and beginning to feel hungry. The complimentary coffee and cookies provided by VIA Rail was not enough to keep the hunger pangs at bay.

We found this nice café and gift shop in the annex of the railway station. I ordered ham and cheese sandwiches and some coffee with latte and cream. It took them a while to prepare and I was wondering why. When I was served I found the sandwiches really hot and tasty, and the coffee was also exceptional. Full marks to them for providing freshly prepared stuff. They have some chairs and tables to sit and eat near the café and out on the platform, but we carried our brunch to the lounge where we had occupied seats next to our luggage.

There are some gift items and memorabilia also which they have on display, like picture post cards, coins, key-chains and bookmarks which we were almost tempted to buy.

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Date of visit: July 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.547: Jasper Station, Alberta, Canada.

Heritage Building.

We had to change trains at Jasper on our trip by VIA Rail from Vancouver to Prince Rupert. After boarding ‘The Canadian’ at Vancouver we arrived at Jasper the next morning and alighted at Jasper Station. We had to stay one night at a Jasper hotel and come back the next morning to catch ‘The Skeena’ which travels to Prince Rupert on the north western coast of Canada.

Jasper Station is housed in a beautiful heritage structure which was reconstructed after a fire burned it down almost 95 years ago. It is managed by the Canadian National Railway. Both VIA Rail and The Rocky Mountaineer use the station as transit points for their tourist trains.

There is a large high ceiling-ed waiting hall cum lounge where passengers can relax till their trains arrive. Heavy suitcases can be weighed at the check-in baggage counter next to the VIA Rail enquiry counter. Free tourist literature about the Rocky Mountains and the rest of western Canada can be picked up from the racks. Complimentary tea and coffee with cookies is available, and there are clean restrooms. There is a restaurant, coffee and gift shop in the annex. There is a large parking lot in the building compound. Services of tourist buses and taxis can be availed at the kiosks within the station.

The station is within a short walking distance from downtown Jasper and the shopping boulevard is just across the road. One can easily walk across to a regular restaurant while 'The Canadian' stops at Jasper for its onward journey to Toronto.

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Date of experience: July 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.491: VIA Rail, Canada.

Great Way To Explore Canada.

We opted for the VIA Rail to explore and sight-see the western part of Canada. We took ‘The Canadian’ from Vancouver to Jasper and ‘The Skeena’ from Jasper to Prince Rupert. We travelled Economy and had to spend one night sleeping in our comfortable reclining seats since the Vancouver to Jasper section is an overnight journey. For the Jasper to Prince Rupert section the train stops overnight at Prince George, so we had to book a room at Prince George for the night. Though it may sound a very tedious way to travel, most of the travellers on the train seemed to be enjoying the trip.

Our Economy Class seats were very comfortable with lots of leg room. Of course one can also choose to travel in the higher class like Sleeper Plus and Prestige Class by paying a higher fare which also includes buffet meals and drinks served on the train. For the economy class, meals and snacks have to be purchased separately from the train kitchen. Some passengers opted to bring their own packed sandwiches and snacks.

There train staff were friendly and ever helpful. They would also 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 a couple of bears, some deer and elk along the route. The snow covered mountain peaks and fast flowing rivers always kept our gaze riveted out the large windows during the day. We had access to the Dome Car on The Canadian.

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 and opportunity, with the engineer’s permission, to get off the train and stretch our legs and explore the countryside at ground level. As a results the trains, especially the ‘Skeena’ could never stick to their schedules. We had to check in to our Prince George hotel once at 11 pm, and beyond midnight on the return trip.

Surprisingly, our train back to Vancouver arrived more than two hours ahead of schedule, and the engineer apologized to the passengers for being early!

On the whole we quite enjoyed our to and fro rail trip from Vancouver to Prince Rupert through the mighty Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta.

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Date of experience: July 2019

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC