CANADA ROCKY MOUNTAINEER TRAIN

If you really want to treat yourself to something special, board the Rocky Mountaineer for a two-days' ride 

The train is a masterpiece of engineering. The double-decker carriages have comfortable seats and a glass doom to enable you to see the maximum of the majestic Rocky Mountains. There is also an outdoor viewing platform which gives a chance of taking a closer and perfect picture. The Gold leaf service will spoil you beyond belief.

Every Gold Leaf carriage has its own kitchen. It will spoil you with omelettes, eggs Benedict, pancakes, yoghurts and granola for breakfast. For lunch you will taste Alberta beef, pacific salmon and British Columbian wine. The dinner will be an even bigger surprise.

The Rocky Mountaineer trains only runs between April and October because of the Canadian winters. A journey in the spring will give you a chance to see a great wildlife. In the autumn the rivers will be teeming with salmon and bears wading in the rivers to catch the fish. You will be able to watch coyotes, deer, elks, eagles and ospreys.

For British Columbia to become part of Canada, instead of the USA, the conditions were a coast-to-coast railway to be built. The harsh Canadian winter and the landscape of huge mountains was a great challenge. It entailed a 594-mile journey. It was built with a figure-of-eight tunnel system to prevent runaway trains. The train makes a 226 degree turn and it is a most fascinating sight. It enables you to see the track you travelled but is now 50ft below you.

If you travel from west to east you will experience an even more awe inspiring scenery. There is the Fraser River, you will travel along magnificent woodlands and then the high mountain tops to be admired.

The many names of unforgettable scenes are Hell’s Gate with fast water gushing down.  Avalanche Alley and Jaws of Death Gorge will point out the danger and powerful nature.

After an overnight stop at Kamloops the sceneries are getting more magic but it must have been even harder for the engineers to put the railway through this beautiful countryside.

The Stoney Greek Bridge, at 325ft above the canon, leaves you spellbound. However, the Spiral Tunnels built as far back as 1907 going through Mont Odgen, rising another 54ft and then circled 288 degrees in Cathedral Mountain leaves you speechless. There is no word to describe such an achievement mot only of engineers but even harder for the workers who had to built them almost by hand.

At Banff you will see scenery which is indescribable. A hot spring on Sulphur Maintain will be beneficial for your health. A gondola ride on Sulphur Mountain will give you an overall view of the majestic mountains.

These described experiences can’t be missed. Canada is definitely worth a holiday and the train journey in the Rocky Mountaineer will be unforgettable. The costs is £599pp and worth the price for such a service. The flight from Gatwick to Vancouver is about £358pp. Prices will vary but it might be cheaper to book them separately than package.