Page 11 - Explore Magazine Spring 2017

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Tips for travel on Rocky Mountaineer

• The luggage allowance is two suitcases with a total weight
not exceeding 30kg, and no one piece weighing more than
23 kg.
Everybody talks about the astonishing • The on-board dress code is smart casual, with flat, closed-
toe shoes.
scenery of the Canadian Rockies – and • Bring a day bag with you on board the train if you have
it is indeed. medication and other important small items you need to
access during the day as you won’t be able to access your
The second day was my chance to experience SilverLeaf Service. checked luggage till you arrive at your hotel at the end of
SilverLeaf Service is a single-storey carriage with two hosts and a the day.
culinary team member to assist with meals. The food is excellent • Kiwis need an eTA visa for Canada. Book online and it costs
in both GoldLeaf Service and SilverLeaf Service, but if the budget is CAD$7.00 (approx. NZD$7.70)
available I would always suggest upgrading as the added extras in
GoldLeaf Service are very well worth it.
Another great thing about both GoldLeaf Service and SilverLeaf
Service is that your luggage is delivered to your hotel room at the
end of each day. The following morning it is collected again: you just
leave it inside the door before going to breakfast.
Everybody talks about the astonishing scenery of the Canadian
Rockies – and it is indeed. But the thing that struck me was that it
seemed very familiar: it was like a mix of travelling down the West
Coast of the South Island and taking the TranzAlpine through Arthurs
Pass and driving through the Waikato countryside and taking the
drive from Picton to Kaikoura.
It was familiar New Zealand scenery, just on an immensely larger
scale; truly, Rocky Mountaineer is one of the great train trips of
the world.
Anyone who has seen any Canadian movie set in the wilderness with
moose and elk roaming about and Canadian Mounties coming to the
aid of the townsfolk will have a mental picture of what the towns of
Banff and Jasper are like. Although I didn’t see any bears or moose
wandering through town I did see several elk walking through car
parks and minding their own business.
These towns are fun though and full of souvenir stores, bars and
restaurants serving local delicacies like elk and bison burgers and
various choices of poutine. Try asking the bar or restaurant you are
in whether you can have local prices rather than tourist prices, and
mention you are on Rocky Mountaineer. It could save you money, as
it did for me.

HELLOWORLD : EXPLORE : SPRING EDITION