Chantal Agius - Rail Europe

Chantal Agius
Rail Plus Australia
I was one of a few lucky rail agents from around the world to
be selected to experience Amtrak and Via Rail, train travel
across the USA and Canada. The whirlwind trip started in
Los Angeles and ended in Washington DC, via Vancouver,
Kamloops, Edmonton, Montreal and New York over 10
days.
LOS ANGELES
I landed in Los Angeles the day before meeting up with the
others. First thing to do was make my way to my hotel. I had
never been to LA before, but knew of the FlyAway shuttle
service that goes to Union Station and knew I had booked a
hotel near the station. The FlyAway bus stop is colour coded
green and with multiple stops it is outside most exits of the
airport. The service runs every half an hour and takes
around 30-45 minutes. The cost was $7 which you pay at a
ticket booth on arrival at Union Station. They don't take
cash.
After arriving at Union Station I connected onto the metro
service to Little Tokyo, 1 stop away where my hotel was.
Metro tickets are $1.50 for one way trips or $5.00 for an all
day pass valid on most metro trains and buses. They don't
need to be swiped in or out of the station; just every now
and then an attendant and the station will check them. The
metro was frequent, easy to use and took you to places
such as Santa Monica and Hollywood.
COAST STARLIGHT (Los Angeles – Seattle)
The next morning it was back to Union Station to meet the
lovely group of people I'd be spending the next 10 days with,
to travel on the Coast Starlight train
to
Seattle.
The station is very well signed, so
it's easy to figure out where to go
for Amtrak or the Metro. There are
many attendants at the station, one
who even saw me looking around
with luggage in hand and asked if I was lost and needed
help!
We checked in our luggage for the train and took our carry
on with us. It's a 35 hour train so you want to make sure you
take a carry on otherwise as you won't have any access to
your
luggage.
After being driven on a buggy around the station and up the
platform we were shown to our sleepers. We travelled in
Roomettes, which are cosy sleepers suitable for 1 or 2
people. The day configuration is 2 large and comfy seats
facing each other. At night the 2 seats turn into a bottom
bunk, and a bed pulls down from the wall above to make the
top bunk. Little extras such as coat hangers and a bag with
toiletries are provided. Food is included in the price of the
roomettes. Each roomette has a curtain and a door, or if you
wish you can leave it open and chat to the people in the
next roomette. When you're ready to leave the room, those
in sleeping cars have access to a Pacific Parlour car, which
offers a coffee and bar service, wine and cheese tasting and
an onboard theatre playing 2 movies a day. A sightseeing
car provides panoramic windows with seats facing these
windows so is perfect for capturing photos of the
spectacular scenery and enjoying the Californian
sunshine. The wine and cheese tasting was great fun and
complimentary. It was a great way to meet people, and we
were given 5 different wines as well as 3 different cheeses
and chocolate to taste.
The meals provided were delicious and offered a range of
vegetarian, seafood, meat and healthy options. Non
alcoholic beverages and the meals are complimentary for
sleeping car passengers. The cabin attendant comes
around to your cabin to reserve your seats for dinner, and
then calls you when it’s time to head to the dining car.
During dinner the cabin attendant made up our beds, so
when we got back we were ready to curl up with a book and
let the rocking put us to sleep. I woke up 8 hours later to the
cascades out my window. We headed to breakfast where
we were served again by John; a man who you knew loved
his job just from the enthusiasm in his voice. In fact, all the
staff on this train had the same genuine enthusiasm and
professionalism. A fresh omelette and 2 coffees later, it was
time to head back to the room for a day of reading, relaxing
and watching the views.
Lunch in the Parlour is quite special, with a different,
gourmet menu from the dining car and proper white linen on
the tables.
THRUWAY BUS (Seattle – Vancouver)
8pm arrived and we were at the last stop, Seattle. Luggage
is collected inside the station just like at an airport. If you are
continuing to Vancouver on the bus, you just need to go out
the opposite door of the station and the bus stop is there.
The bus is comfy, with reclining seats, a reading light and a
TV.
When arriving at the US/Canadian border, we pulled up to a
small building, and went through customs. As it was late
evening and quiet, the process was quick and we were back
on our way to Vancouver, BC to the luxurious Hyatt
Regency.
VANCOUVER
The following morning we were up bright and early for a day
of sightseeing. We visited Vancouver’s answer to Central
Park, called Stanley Park and the famous Grouse Mountain,
where we saw our first bear while on a chair lift ride over the
mountain. We continued towards one of North America’s
most spectacular suspension bridges, the Capilano
Suspension Bridge. We were in for a major adrenaline rush
crossing the bridge, 137 metres long and suspended 230
feet above the Capilano River. The bridge swayed as we
moved and looking down was a little daunting, however
every one of us gave it a go and made it to the other side
with no regrets! There are other attractions at the park to be
enjoyed, the Treetops Adventure, and the new Cliffwalk – a
Cliffside walkway with viewing of the rainforest.
ROCKY MOUNTAINEER (Vancouver – Kamloops)
The next morning we arrived at the Rocky Mountaineer train
station bright and early for an 8am departure on one of the
most famous trains in the world. We were travelling on day 1
of the Rocky Mountaineer, from Vancouver to Kamloops.
Most travellers will continue onto the 2 nd day to Banff or
Calgary.
Shortly after being farewelled outside the carriage by the
station staff, the onboard staff welcomed us all with a toast
(of orange juice). We were in Silver Leaf, the middle, and

new level of service, between Red Leaf and Gold Leaf.
Shortly after breakfast was served - a warm blueberry
muffin, fruit and a Canadian favourite which I tried for the
first time - French toast with bacon and maple syrup. Tea,
coffee and juice were also offered.
As we headed toward the Rockies we sat back, relaxed and
listened to the wonderful on board attendant’s
commentaries about what we were seeing. They were very
knowledgeable and interesting, and I heard a lot of laughter
coming from the passengers talking to them.
We watched the amazing scenery change through our
panoramic windows and didn’t need to leave our seats as
lunch was served to us. The choices were delicious, and in
Silver Leaf a complimentary glass of wine or beer is
included.
Upon arriving in the evening at Kamloops, things couldn’t be
simpler. We were given our hotel room keys, a transfer bus
was waiting outside our train carriage to take us to our hotel,
and once we got up there our luggage was waiting for us
inside our rooms. It was completely stress free and very well
organised.
THE CANADIAN (Kamloops – Edmonton)
The following morning we departed Kamloops for
Edmonton, Alberta on The Canadian train. Although we
were only travelling on one part of this journey, the train
travels from Vancouver in the West to Toronto in the East,
two of Canada's biggest and most famous cities. This 4
night journey is on the bucket list of many.
After departing in the early morning, and arriving late the
evening before, we were desperate for a snooze. We were
lead to our upper and lower birth accommodation. As we
were travelling during the day, the beds were folded down to
spacious seats which easily would fit 2 people, and we were
asleep within 10 minutes of lying down. We were devastated
to miss out on breakfast as I was eyeing off the banana
pecan pancakes when I saw the menu, however the sleep
was needed. At night time these seats would be converted
to upper and lower beds, with a thick curtain to provide
complete privacy. Alternatively these trains also offer private
cabins.
There was a dining car for all our meals, which are included
for all sleeping car passengers. Having meals included is
fantastic. You can choose anything you want from the menu
without thinking about the cost, and besides alcoholic
beverages there’s no need to spend any precious spending
money on board the train. The food was wonderful and
fresh, and all reservations for dining was organised by the
dining car staff.
Although 4 nights may sound like far too long to be on a
train, time would fly with everything the train has to offer,
including the dining car, with 360 degree views on an upper
observation deck, 2 lounges and a little cafe. VIA Rail do
allow 1 free stopover in either Kamloops, Jasper, Edmonton
or Winnipeg so you can break the journey down this way if
you prefer. This is a train I will be back to do in full one day.
We arrived into Edmonton late in the evening and went
straight to sleep to get ready for our flight to Montreal the
following day.
MONTREAL
Our hotel, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth was part of the
train station complex. Montreal Station is amazing. I
eventually walked so far into the huge shopping complex
that is part of the station that it took me close to an hour to
find my way back to the hotel! After a very satisfying
afternoon of shopping, we explored the amazing French
flavoured city, where you will be greeted with both a bonjour
and a hello so it can be distinguished which language you
want to speak in.
ADIRONDACK (Montreal – New York)
The next morning we were all buzzing with excitement ...as
we were headed to NYC! We boarded the Adirondack
service at 9:30am, ready for the 11 hour or so journey
ahead of us. As it’s a day train, there are comfortable
reclining seats rather than sleepers. Time flew by as we
settled in and got stuck in our books. There is a cafe car on
board where you can eat food purchased at the snack bar.
Once we arrived at the Canadian/US border, officials came
on board and checked our passports and arrival cards that
we were provided. We didn't need to leave the train, it was a
simple process.
After finishing our books and excitedly spotting a beaver at
one of the stops, we arrived right into the heart of New York
City. Penn station is underneath Madison Square Garden, in
the heart of Manhattan. The perfect location for exploring
the city, only a few minutes to the famous Times Square.
ACELA EXPRESS (New York – Washington DC)
The following day after a morning of sightseeing around one
of the most amazing cities in the world, (including stumbling
upon the taping of one of my favourite New York based TV
shows!) we headed back to Penn Station for the final train
on our journey, the Acela Express from New York City to
Washington DC. This is an easy and low stress way to get
between NYC and Washington DC, and definitely the most
popular. As in a lot of places around the world, the train
stations were right in city centre so it’s simple to get to and
from them, unlike the airports in both cities which are quite
far out. The full route of this service is Boston – New York –
Philadelphia – Washington DC, all must see cities on the
east coast of America.
This train especially suits the business traveller – with free
Wi-Fi, power sockets, and even a ‘Quiet Car’ where being
noisy is not allowed! We travelled in Business Class and as
seating is not assigned we got on early to get 2 x 2 seats
facing each other with a table in between. A delicious
chicken Panini (USD$7.50) and chocolate cookie
(USD$2.50) later, and we had almost arrived. Acela also
has First class, which is an upgrade from Business Class.
First Class passengers are treated to a meal and beverage
at their seat and extra comfy seats.
We arrived at Washington DC’s Union Station only 3 hours
later.

Travelling across the US and Canada by train has made me
even more sure that trains are by far the most easy,
interesting and comfortable way to travel.