Review: Titan Travel’s Rocky Mountain Railtour
“It was my first time visiting Canada and it exceeded every expectation I had. It’s an absolutely beautiful country, and I recommend that it should be on everybody’s bucket list without a doubt!”
Our very own Senior Travel Consultant, Deana Harries, recently took a familiarisation trip to Canada with Titan Travel, visiting iconic settings such as Banff, Lake Louise and Vancouver. Deana also had the unique opportunity to ride the incredible Rocky Mountaineer, and in this review, she’ll take us through her fantastic experiences during the trip and any key recommendations she would give to someone planning on visiting Canada with Titan Travel.
Listen to the podcast of her experience or continue to read the review of Titan Travel’s Rocky Mountain Railtour
Travelling with Titan
Yes it was, and I’ve got to say it was superb because you get the VIP door to door pickup, which was lovely way to start and end the holiday where the driver just picks you up from the door. It saves all the hassle of airport parking and sorting out travel, so I would say that they’re really good addition to their trips as everything is made really easy and stress free.
It was my first time visiting Canada and it exceeded every literal expectation I had. It’s an absolutely beautiful country, and I recommend it should be on everybody’s bucket list without a doubt.
Visiting Banff
it’s got a real village feel to it with all traditional hotels made in wood which also gives a bit of a Swiss vibe to it. Everything is conveniently located on the main road where all the shops, bars and restaurants are everywhere you look.
The mountains surrounded the resort we were staying at so it really is a beautiful place to stay. When we were out in the evening, we saw a load of elk walking across the street and it made you really feel like, oh my God, we’re in Canada! Honestly, it’s incredible. It’s a really wonderful resort that you could enjoy all year round.
While in Banff we also did the Banff Gondola, which is a highlight of anybody staying here. You literally go up into the mountains on a cable car and then you have views from across the whole region. There’s a coffee shop up there that you can visit and the scenery from here is absolutely incredible. Without doubt, the Gondola ride is a definite highlight of visiting Banff.
Experiencing the Rocky Mountaineer
This experience was incredible I have to say. You have the helpful staff onboard that point out if they see any wildlife and any kind of highlights. When we came across any bridges and tunnels the team was always on hand to keep you really informed and describe your surroundings.
We were lucky enough to do the gold service, which I honestly cannot recommend enough. It’s a fully immersive carriage, so the views are literally all around you. It’s got a viewing deck on the train as well.
There’s a fully serviced bar, so you can get drinks and snacks throughout the whole of the trip. You also have a specified seat for dining, where they take you down to the dining restaurant and the food is sublime. It’s a really high standard and the whole experience just feels luxurious from start to finish. As I said you have really, really knowledgeable and friendly staff that can only literally be described as first class to be honest.
All in all, it’s an incredible experience and one everybody should do without a doubt.
Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf Service
So on the Rocky Mountaineer, they do the silver service and the Gold Leaf service. With the Silver Service, you still get the on board leader who gives you information about your surroundings. You are also fed every couple of hours and you are able to eat at your seat.
But in the gold service you get a full, fully stocked bar throughout the whole of the trip. You also get to experience the proper dining carriage where you can enjoy a sumptuous feast. If you want to add anything else to your menu, they absolutely are open to you doing that and they serve really good quality wines from the region that you’re travelling in as well. So the Gold Leaf service for me personally is definitely yes.
Although It comes at a premium, if you’re doing the Rocky Mountaineer, then do it in style I say, and I just think that that upgraded price in, in my personal opinion, is worth the money.
Tips and advice for anyone wanting to visit Canada
100% do it! You have experiences you wouldn’t get anywhere else. We ended up in Vancouver, and had a city tour which included going to see some rescue bears at the end of the trip. These two rescue bears would have faced certain death had they not been rescued, so getting the chance to see a couple of bears up close was amazing.
All of the trips are included and it’s a nice pace, so it’s not too full on. You will get experienced leaders and tour guides throughout and with that VIP door to door service, I really think Titan are probably one of the best operators to do this kind of trip with.
One of their other popular trips, which we didn’t get to do, is combining what I did with an Alaska cruise. That’s probably one of their best sellers and again seeing the cruise is in port when we were in Vancouver, we were all wanting to get on board and get to Alaska. So if you can combine the two, then I think you’d really be in for a trip of a lifetime!
If you are interested in booking a similar trip to the one Deana took, or if you would like to ask one of our travel experts a question, call free on 0800 707 6229. Alternatively, visit www.travelclubelite.com to view our wide selection of Titan holidays, and send us your enquiry.
Be sure to check out our latest podcast episode where Deana goes into more depth about her experiences in Canada, and listen to more travel podcasts from our travel experts on Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple podcasts.
