The train journey from Vancouver to Jasper via Whistler on the old Pacific Great Eastern Railway is unlike any other in Canada.
Stretching more than 1,000 kilometres, the luxury Rocky Mountaineer Rainforest to Gold Rush passenger rail service takes visitors from the heart of North Vancouver through Whistler, Pemberton, Quesnel, and finally, Jasper, passing through nearly every kind of geography in B.C. in the process.
Recently, TikTok and YouTube influencers Sebastian (sebpic_) and Mike Downie (DownieLive) took the train journey through the Sea to Sky to Jasper and shared their experience with a large audience on the online platform, with the videos garnering more than 1 million views in just a few days.
“My friend Mike and I are riding Canada’s most luxurious train from Vancouver through Whistler to the Rocky Mountains in Jasper,” Sebastian said in the video.
The short videos give a glimpse into a three-day train journey most people will likely never experience due to the significant cost of a one-way ticket, as the average price to ride the train, which includes hotels, runs between $4,665 and $5,512. The route typically sees about 5,500 guests annually, with the train running from May to October.
The train followed the current schedule, leaving North Vancouver for Whistler on a sunny morning. After soaking in the view of Howe Sound, the influencers were treated to a fancy breakfast in the dining car and ate together as they watched the mountains roll by.
Typically, the train arrives in Whistler between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to allow guests to explore North America’s best ski resort. Once the train arrived at the Nita Lake Train station, a shuttle took them to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Hotel, where they spent the evening.
Due to the proximity of the hotel to the Blackcomb Gondola, the pair opted to head to the top of Blackcomb Mountain to take in the views. After enjoying a beer on the patio overlooking the valley, they finished off the day with a swim at Lost Lake.
On the second day of the journey, the travellers took a shuttle to Spud Valley to board the train at the historic Pemberton Train Station. The Rocky Mountaineer makes passengers skip this section of the train journey due to the extensive time the trip to Quesnel takes.
“Due to the long travel days of this route and the possibility for our trains to be speed-restricted during hot summer weather, this saves at least an hour of travel time,” Rocky Mountaineer communications coordinator Dallas Carlson said in an interview last year.
The journey from Pemberton to Quesnel takes travellers through some of the most stunning landscapes in the province, as the topography shifts from the wetter Coastal region into the dry, rugged Interior. The train passes by settlements seldom seen by visitors to Whistler, like D’Arcy, Seton Portage and Tsal’álh (Shalalth) along Anderson and Seton Lakes, before making its way past Lillooet to the Interior Plateau. If you find yourself on the train, keep an eye open for wildlife—the travellers were fortunate to see a moose cooling off with a swim in one of the lakes along the route.
Following in the historic fashion of the PGE’s unofficial moniker of “Prince George Eventually,” the train had to stop for several hours due to the railway track requiring maintenance near Williams Lake.
CN Rail currently owns the railway, after it was controversially acquired in 2003 from the provincial government, and the Rocky Mountaineer is now one of the main sources of rail traffic between Squamish and Prince George.
Due to the delay, the Rocky Mountaineer treated passengers to wine and snacks while waiting for the train to continue moving. Eventually, passengers had to depart the train and take buses the remaining hour-and-a-half drive north to Quesnel, arriving late in the evening.
Once in Quesnel, the travellers found out the train wouldn’t leave until 11 a.m., resulting in the party having to find things to do in the quiet Interior city (population about 10,000). After a few hours exploring the town, back on the train they went, and the pair finished off the three-day journey finally reaching Jasper and the Rocky Mountains.
Check out the full TikTok series here.
@sebpic_ Day 1 Vancouver to Whistler of our trip on the Rocky Mountaineer with @DownieLive ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) - Danilo Stankovic
