The snow train to Jasper: VIA Rail Canada’s signature winter vacation Packages are as Exhilarating as the Rocky Mountain Air

VANCOUVER - Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow... and hop aboard the Snow Train to Jasper, VIA Rail’s wintertime version of its flagship Canadian service. Winding through the breathtaking Canadian Rocky Mountains, this classically romantic, once-in-a-lifetime rail journey delivers passengers to Jasper, Alberta, and its welcoming, luxurious resorts. A supreme winter-weather setting, Jasper offers countless outdoor activities and, once inside, impeccable Rocky Mountain hospitality. In all, a vacation including VIA’s Snow Train to Jasper provides enough vistas to give even the most amateur of photographers a chance at a masterpiece, so you won’t want to forget your camera.

The Snow Train to Jasper features VIA Rail’s Silver & Blue Class aboard the legendary Canadian, which this year celebrates its 50th year of operation. Silver & Blue Class passengers can choose from premier-level private or semi-private sleeping compartments with cozy down duvets, plump pillows, thick towels and a shower kit. Meals are also included in the price of a Silver & Blue Class ticket.

The panoramic Dome cars, a signature feature of the Canadian, provide 360-degree views of Western Canada’s magnificent landscape. Two lounges, the Bullet Lounge and the Mural Lounge - so named for their Collection of Canadian art - are ideal spots to enjoy a refreshing cocktail and friendly conversation. In addition, the Skyline Car features books, video, board games, and an Activity Coordinator who points out scenic highlights for passengers en route in addition to organizing activities and other entertainment options for passengers.

Nothing could be finer than dinner in the diner and the Canadian’s elegant and polished dining cars that, combined with the spectacular views from the wide windows, create a special mood and ambiance no matter what the time of day. Meals, freshly-prepared onboard, favour delicious regional cuisine. To complement meals perfectly, a selection of award-winning, all-Canadian VQA wines are also available for purchase. After dinner, passengers can retreat to one of the Domes for a nightcap under the stars or to the privacy of their room.

Once in Jasper, travelers have their choice of seemingly limitless cold-weather activities in this absolute winter wonderland. A destination surpassed by none for its natural beauty, Jasper offers everything from first-rate snowboarding, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing to “ice walks” exploring the park’s famous, cavernous Maligne Canyon. Frozen-lake ice-skating is also available at nearby Mildred Lake or, for the less agile, embark on a leisurely nature hike through the beautiful snow-clad landscape or tour the town in a horse-drawn carriage and breathe some of the purest air in the world.

Vacationers have a variety of hotels and resorts from which to choose, including the Jasper Inn and the esteemed Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, both located within the heart of the national park. Other premier accommodation possibilities include Mountain Park Lodges’ Amethyst Lodge, Lobstick Lodge, and Marmot Lodge, all in downtown Jasper, all of which also immerse winter revelers in the wonders of this rustic paradise.

For further information on Snow Train to Jasper, visit www.snowtraintojasper.com. For tour programs that showcase VIA Rail Canada’s The Snow Train to Jasper, please visit the package section of VIA Rail’s website at www.viarail.ca/packages, and select “The Canadian” from the drop-down menu in the “VIA Rail Trains Featured” section. To best optimize search results, it also is helpful to select “Jasper, AB” from the “Cities You Wish to Visit” section and complete the questions designed to identify which package best suits your needs.

For more details on VIA Rail Canada’s products, services and fares contact VIA Rail Canada at 888-842-7245 (888-VIA Rail) or visit www.viarail.ca.

As Canada’s national passenger rail service, VIA Rail Canada’s mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally responsible and cost effective passenger transportation services, both in Canada’s busiest corridor and in remote and rural regions of the country. Serving more than 450 communities with a 14,000-kilometer network of inter-city, transcontinental and regional trains, demand for rail services continues to grow as more Canadians turn to train travel as a safe and convenient travel choice.

Contact Information

Catherine Kaloutsky

VIA Rail Canada

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