TESTIMONIALS
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Traveler Feedback
Hi Carla,
Many thanks for making all the arrangements. It all worked smoothly and I had a lovely time. I will definitely recommend you and your comapany to all my friends.
You did really well to work out my trip so quickly and it fitted in nicely between the yoga retreat that I did near Picton and my stay at Niagara Falls where I ran the marathon. Perfect!
Vancouver was great. The suite was very roomy and I liked the district where the hotel was placed as it had plenty of restaurants and shops on the street. Very colourful with character. I now realise that from where I was staying I could have jogged to Stanley Park.
I was really chuffed to meet other passengers on the train at the champagne reception. A very nice welcome. The meals are not viaRail best feature but it was an opportunity to meet other passengers. It was good the way they placed you at tables so that I was not sitting on my own for dinner and breakfast. I was so suprised how comfortable sleeping on the train was. I really enjoyed travelling this way. It was the first time for me and I will do it again but I have been so spoilt on this trip with a single private room that I wont be able to travel any other way now! I found out from other passengers that the mountaineer train passengers actually have to come off the train at night and stay overnight in a hotel. Sleeping on board viaRail was so much more better. There was one lady who had semiprivate sleeping accomodation who was travelling to Toronto who mentioned that she booked in August and wasn't able to get a private room. So I am so pleased that you were able to book that room for me. The observation cabin was brilliant. The mountains are totally awe-inspiring. The train commentary was very helpful. They informed you of what you were looking at and also let you know beforehand what was coming up.
The hotel in Jasper was very good and comfortable. Free internet and telephone access was very good. I managed to catch up with my friends and family then. The wildlife tour and the all day tour were very good. The tour company were very informative without being pushy. They left you to do as much as wanted or as little. Again I was lucky that they were running as I was informed that they had continued for 1 more week as the weather had been quite mild and normally we would not have visited the Icefield. Quite a few of the passengers that I met on the train were also on the tours so that was good as well.
We got in very late to Banff. Just as well as the hotel I stayed in was really awful - probably my fault. I will know next time to go up a grade.
Flights and transfers to Vancover and from Calgary to Toronto went well.
So thank you for making this a holiday to remember. I have got some wonderful photographs.
Hi,
Everything was great, especially the tours, both of them. One little thing to keep in mind is that it gets very hectic trying to get into Jasper and to the hotel etc. for the tour with so little time in between. The train was a little late arriving which I think is a good thing to plan on happening all the time.
But,, considering what was involved,, all in all it went seamlessly,,all was good,, from start to finish. Vicki was blown away with the sights, wild life and as a bonus, from Calgary, the West Edmonton Mall after and Waterton Lakes National Park.
So, in conclusion,, you did a great job for us in all respects,, and we won't hesitate to use your service again. Thanks again Jennifer
Dear Carla,
My clients had an unforgettable, once in a lifetime trip. They where extremely happy with the hotels and all the excursions.
I will definately be calling you with any future clients looking to visit Canada. You where great to work with, I could not have asked for more.
Thanks so much
Hi Carla,
We've been meaning to email you since we returned from our trip. We had a wonderful and amazing time. The VIA Rail train exceeded expectations. We can't figure out how they could make such gourment meals on the train!
We were very happy with all the hotels in terms of location, amenities,comfort, and service. We particulary loved the Pyramid Lake Resort and highly recommend it for others. We ate many of our meals in the hotels and the food was excellent. Your choices for our sightseeing met our interests and needs. We particularly enjoyed the hot springs in Maligne. And, we appreciated having lots of time in addition to the planned sight seeing to follow our "noses." Everything went very smoothly, which added to the enjoyment. We are hoping to return to the majestic Canadian Rockies.
A number of our friends said they are interested in the same type of trip. If they decide to make arrangements, we will refer them to you.
Again, thanks for helping us put together such an outstanding vacation!
Hi Jennifer,
John and I had a wonderful time and the weather was fantastic. We had beautiful blue skies for the trip from Banff to Vancouver on the train. The trip to the ice fields was cancelled after our bus was turned back because of the snow. We were told the tickets were refunded.
Thanks for your help. All of our arrangements were perfect.
Jennifer,
the trip was great, the weather cooperated nicely. I would recommend some changes though: I would recommend adding a first night in Vancouver. We enjoyed the Comfort Inn. It was convenient to all points downtown and relieved any tension from late flight arrival, delays through customs, etc. The train was late arriving Jasper. We arrived at 1330 and the afternoon tour was scheduled for 1345 which made for some necessary phone calls so as not to miss it. The Fairmont Hotels have a free President's Club, which I joined prior to the trip. We got a room upgrade at Banff which included a free breakfast, etc. I would recommend that your travelers join the club before their trips, they might enjoy upgrades as well. The breakfast at Jasper was a pricey $26 each. I might change the tour option for Jasper to offer something more physical. I know the rafting wasn't offered because of low water levels, but I felt the two tours were repetitive: lakes, waterfalls and roadside wildlife was well covered on the Sundog tour through the ice fields. Maybe activities centered at the Jasper resort; canoeing, etc. We didn't get on the water this trip but I saw several opportunities. The shuttle to the Jasper lodge did not charge a fee. The cab would have been expensive. I enjoyed the pace of the trip. I liked that we kept moving, with no wasted time. Everyone we met was very friendly. Tour guides were terrific. Even the shuttle driver to Calgary airport was a good guide. My complements to everyone.
Thanks for all your help. I will recommend you to family and friends.
Hello Jennifer:
We had a wonderful trip, enjoying every new adventure. The weather was stunning, warm and no clouds for 5 days.
Our trip was all too short and we definitely have to return.
Dear Chris,
We had a wonderful trip. We thank you for your help especially the help with the hotel. When the hotel sent us to another place without explanations we felt not being respected. Thank you for calling the hotel manager for us.
The ride with VIA RAIL was awsome, and we have seen what we wanted to see in this trip. This is a great trip that my family would always talk about. Thanks.
Best Regards
Chris,
Overall we found trip to be an experience that we enjoyed but we would not do the trip again by train. The one thing that we found was the one day stay at each city was to short. If we had it to do over again we will stay a minimum of two days at each city. We enjoyed all of the cities that we visited and well go back at a latter date for longer stay. The tour that really stood out was the Halifax tour to Peggy’s Cove. We were very disappointed with the tour in Jasper. The reason was that it did not start until 6:15 PM and it was almost dark by 6:45 PM. It was suppose to be a wildlife tour and because of the late start we only got to see some elk at a distance. I fell that they should have adjusted the time as fall arrives with an early start time. I felt that it was a waste of money for that tour. We saw more wildlife from the shuttle from the train station to the hotel the night before. The other tours that we went on were OK but nothing outstanding. We did not go on the tour in Vancouver, BC because the train was 3 hours late.
We really enjoyed the Fairmont Hotel Chain and joined the President Club. We are planning to stay at different hotels in the Fairmont Hotel chain in the future. We really like the Gold rooms. Thank you for the experience.
We felt that the train sleeping quarters were tight especially on the Ocean Train from Halifax to Montréal. We had more room from Toronto to Vancouver, BC which made quite a difference. We talked to a number of people and they had the same feeling as we did and were glad that they were making this trip but would not do it again by train. Also the food on the Ocean was not good at all. They also served the same menu on the train to Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto. We would not eat the food because it was so bad after the overnight trip experience. The food on the train from Toronto to Vancouver, BC was excellent.
The over night trains were late as you had warn us. The Ocean was two hours late, the train to Jasper was fours hours late, and the train to Vancouver, BC was three hours late.
We will go back to Jasper and the surrounding areas in the near future as it is such a beautiful place. We will also be visiting Vancouver, BC again probably within a year.
Thank you for everything that you have done. We both know that when you make trip like this things can and will go wrong. You just try to keep them to a minimum.
Chris,
We received the documents late afternoon yesterday.
I want to thank you for everything that you have done and making the planning so easy. Now all we have left to do is enjoy the trip.
Dear Jennifer:
Overall we had a good experience. As with all travelling, there are high points and low points.
The unexpected high point was the Residence Inn by Marriott in Vancouver. They had superior customer service at the front desk and an excellent restaurant where we had a wonderful dinner after checking in. The room was very spacious and had a beautiful view of the city and water. The complimentary hot breakfast the next morning got us ready for a day of touring Vancouver before boarding the train. The next time we're in Vancouver we will definitely stay there.
The highs for the train were the food and wonderful views from the observation car. Service was what I would consider average. Met a lot of great travellers.
The biggest disappointment on the trip was the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. After 4 days on the train we were looking for a little luxury. Upon arriving at our room we were surprised it was not nearly as nice as the Marriott in Vancouver, nor as nice as other Fairmonts where we have stayed.
We enjoyed the trip and would consider using ExclusivelyCanada again.
Dear Chris,
I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the mail yesterday and found the SnowCoach refund. Thank you so much for taking care of this matter, it is very much appreciated. I must say that all dealings that we have had with you have been more than satisfactory. We certainly will do business with you again if the opportunity arises and will recommend you to our friends who are thinking of a Canadian trip. It has really been a pleasure.
Dear Chris,
We had a wonderful time on our trip in Canada and things worked so well. We were picked up and delivered on time and in high style, the hotels were comfortable and the included tours all interesting. Thanks fo much for your help.
We had a bit of serendipity on our train trip from Toronto to Jasper. There was a massive freight train derailment which prevented the VIA train from getting to Toronto without a huge delay so the company put us on another train to just past Cabrielle (sp) where we got off and walked around the problem and boarded the VIA train. For this inconvenience we were rewarded an upgrade to two adjoining bedrooms, an unheard of luxury for which we are very grateful, and a rebate in our train price. Sometimes you just can't help smelling like a rose.
Dear Jennifer,
We thank you for the gift certificate and for the repayment of 100$ we have got recently.
We really appreciated your professionalism and we enjoyed our vacation in Canada.
Chris:
My parents arrived Saturday from their trip. They enjoyed it fully and have great memories. They referred everything was well organized, the choice of hotels and restaurants were excellent and the food was great. The strike in the hotel was not a big deal compared with all the beautiful things and great time they had.
I want to thank you for helping me design this package and giving my parents a 50th anniversary trip that they will always remember. Special thanks for letting the Quebec hotel know it was their anniversary. They upgraded the hotel room and even send them a little card and chocolates. It was a beautiful detail.
Thanks again and we will definitely think of you for any future trips to Canada.
Jennifer,
We had a great time! The ons were wonderful in every spot. In Charlottetown, the hotel was quite modern, very nice, but very plain. We saw a couple small bed & breakfast places in the historic district, and I wondered if those might make this part of the trip a bit more intimate. The wharf there was great though. Leaving Quebec so late at night, after having to check out early made for a sort of slow last afternoon and evening, so a planned river cruise there might have been a nice option. The restaurant there was AMAZING!! The train travel was great and the staff really nice. Thank you again for all your help.
Hello Chris,
Sorry to be so slow in responding to you but we didn't get home until Monday night and have been busy getting caught up on things.
We had a wonderful trip. Your arrangements all worked beautifully and we thank you for doing such a good job for us. The package you sent us with the itinerary and maps and such was very well done and very helpful to us.
The two limos in Toronto and Vancouver were right there when we arrived and the drivers were very pleasant and helpful. I would keep on using them as I don't see how you could do better.
Likewise for the two tours. We were the only ones on the Jasper tour which was nice and the guide was very knowledgeable and did a good job for us. The Vancouver tour was very good as it gave us a quick overview of the whole city and let us know which areas we wanted to go back to spend more time.
So, all in all, it was a great and memorable trip. We will not hesitate to recommend you to friends who might want to do the same and we may well come to you for another Canadian trip within the next few years. Thank you again for all of your help.
Best regards
Chris,
Our entire experience was very nice and came off without a hitch. We had the car that met us at the Vancouver airport drop us off downtown where we had lunch and then took the two hour bus tour of your outstanding city. (You might offer that for those that arrive in time to take advantage)
The train experience was outstanding. The train people handled everything as one would expect and the scenery, accommodations and meals were excellent.
Our stay in Jasper was also excellent; the hotel was just perfect and the afternoon tour guide was exceptional.
The trip/tour down the Glacier Highway was also quite well done. Again we had an outstanding guide and our "bus" trip onto the glacier itself was a unique experience. The stop off at Lake Louise was also just right as were our accommodations that evening in Banff.
The ride to the airport the next morning was almost anticlimactic; sad only in the sense that our brief sojourn was coming to an end. We’ve touted our experience to many of our friends here in Jacksonville.
Thanks again for organizing and arranging this terrific experience.
The trip was great. I would definitely recommend your services.
Hi Chris,
I have to say THANK YOU, once again as the trip was amazing. You were definitely right about the long hours of driving, but it was well worth it.
The hotels for the most part were fantastic. The one in Quebec and the one in Wolfville were slightly disappointing.
Quebec I found was a little rude and not so helpful, but then again it was the 400 year anniversary and we spoke English so I can understand.
Wolfville unfortunately smelled of paint and cigarettes, maybe one hotel to take off the list. Very early 70’ feel to it, and I don’t think on purpose.
As for the rest of the hotels you made perfect choices, we only wish we could have stayed in them longer. We particularly enjoyed the Pictou, Louisburg, and White point. Fantastic views, great service and all around great time. We the Pines was another great place although we did feel a bit under dressed and out of touch but that was a good thing. If we had been prepared for it I think we would have utilized it much more.
There is nothing that I can say about the train because it far exceeded our expectations with the service, food and comfort. Thank you again for letting them know about our Honeymoon; we were spoiled with Bottles of Champagne (last over night into Halifax) and chocolates (last night in Halifax).
We will be using you again and again for all our trips. We have recommended you too many of our friends and I am sure they will be in contact with you for their trips.
Thank you.
Hello Chris,
We had a fantastic trip – thank you very much. Both Martha and I were very impressed that we did not have to worry about any arrangements.
Our hotel stays were great as were the sightseeing tours – our travel guide could not have been better. We were most impressed at how much local knowledge these tour guides had. We did enjoy the train but found it difficult to sleep – but the food was great!!!
All in all we could not have asked for a better trip and better arrangements and are certainly recommending exclusively Canada to our friends.
Thank you again for all your help.
Hi Jennifer,
I meant to send you an e-mail after I came back but it must have slipped my mind. Sorry about that!
I had a great time on the trip and everything worked out well. I was really fortunate with the weather and saw so many incredible things. The two highlights of the trip had to be Jasper National Park and the Zodiac tour which was a blast. Jasper was really incredible because I didn't know what to expect and was completely blown away. The day trips that you planned for that area were incredible with excellent tour guides.
I didn't golf in Vancouver or Banff but had a chance to play in Cochrane, Alberta at a beautiful course.
Thanks for organizing a great trip!
Hi Chris,
In short, it was everything I had hoped it would be. The itinerary ran like clockwork, there were no problems anywhere and I certainly did get some fantastic pictures... about 700 of them!
The weather was very kind too; there were a couple of wet days but that is to be expected this time of year, however nothing too disruptive. I think one of the main outcomes of this trip is the list of places I would like to return to and explore in more detail - I need no encouragement to return to Canada! That was one of the real benefits of travelling coast to coast. I found the whole Via Rail experience extremely enjoyable, if a little eccentric at times, particularly on The Canadian. I can sleep like a baby on trains though barely at all on aircraft!. Their staff were, without exception, excellent. Very professional and customer focused at all stages, Food and table service incredibly good, how they manage that while on the move is remarkable. It would have been preferable to have had more time in daylight in the Rockies section of the journey, so I will need little persuasion to go back to somewhere in that region at some time. Also the trains all ran pretty much on time, which is something of a rarity over here! I found the 'dome cars' wonderful for viewing but less good for photography because the glass is curved, which can distort the image and also because they are very bright inside, there is a lot of incident light bouncing around. I got most of my best pictures from the ordinary (flat) train windows.
The only very slight negative was that on arrival in Toronto, although there is a direct, underground path to the Royal Oak Hotel from the station, it requires negotiating several staircases and, if I remember rightly, a revolving doorway. These are very difficult to manage loaded down with baggage. I think it likely that elderly people could find this very difficult. As far as I could tell it would be almost easier to exit the station at ground level and walk across the street to the hotel. It's quite possible I missed something blindingly obvious of course but I thought it might be worth your investigating this and if appropriate adding some guidance here in your very helpful and comprehensive notes for future travelers.
All of the hotels were excellent, extremely comfortable; impossible to find fault. So much so that I will try to make a point of using Fairmont hotels myself on future trips which I haven't previously, though I have no criticism whatever of the Westin in Halifax. I loved Halifax!
The conference in Montreal was definitely well worth attending. Montreal was wonderful - I think Quebec deserves another visit sometime, under more relaxing circumstances than a conference though!
What can I say about Vancouver? It still delights me as much as my first visit quite a few years ago. I enjoyed the tour round the city, though that Monday, (13th Oct) you probably remember was a washout. I know I will come back again!
Next visit, well maybe next year. No promises here yet. One of the things I would most like to do in the next couple of years is a trip much further north, during the winter months, to see the Northern Lights. My recent experience has confirmed my view that paying a premium price secures a (hopefully) problem free vacation. I've seen a number of packages to Yukon (via Vancouver!) or other locations further northeast for this purpose. Maybe you could tempt me?!
Chris:
Thanks for following up with us. We enjoyed the train trip, and we appreciated the first class amenities on VIA Rail VIA 1. So thank you very much for steering us into VIA 1. The Delta Centre-Ville in Montreal was a short walk from the Central Station, and it was lovely as was the hotel in Quebec City. I think I liked the Hotel Clarendon in Quebec better than the hotel in Montreal just because it was centrally located to all we wanted to see there. Having the limo service pick us up in Quebec was also very helpful.
We enjoyed the bus tour of Montreal, but 2 hours would have been adequate to see the historical and other sites of interest. We had an hour that covered residential and apartment building details that we didn't really have any interest in, and it kept us from getting to use the Museum pass (BMMD) as much as we would have liked. We were only able to see 3 museums with the pass and would like to have seen more but ran out of time.
We have been telling our friends about the trip and Exclusively Canada as a booking agent. Several have said that they might be contacting your company in the future. We may travel through the Rockies in 2 or 3 years and will certainly contact you again.
Thanks for all of your help.
Chris, it was absolutely wonderful! it was so relaxing to just show up everywhere and be taken care of. and the scenery - incredibly magnificent! I particularly enjoyed the tour from Jasper down to lake Louise. Robb was very knowledgeable and tailored the day to our preferences. Happily, two lovely ladies from the train were on the same tour with me that day, so we doubly enjoyed it. I had one of the best, most restful trips of my life. Also, i LOVED the Rimrock in Banff, so no regrets that the Fairmont was full. My gosh, 5 minute walk from the springs and gondola, and the best gym on the whole trip. I am a very happy customer :-)
Life is normal back here, too busy, too stressful, but I won't be here forever. And I WILL visit Canada again and use your service, too.
Thanks for everything
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the welcome back. We had arguably our best vacation ever! We'd like to thank you for all your help and assistance. Canada continues to be our favorite vacation destination. Nova Scotia a few years ago was beautiful but this trip was even better. Accommodations were first-class all the way and the excursions were great!
The only two bumps along the way were the delay in the train in Vancouver that caused us to miss the Maligne Wildlife tour and then the confusion at the Delta Calgary which you resolved very quickly.
We will seek you out again the next time we vacation in Canada and will no doubt be sending referrals your way.
Thanks again
Dear Chris,
Both Joan and I had a great holiday. The choice of hotels and the train etc were more than satisfactory.
We were particularly thrilled with the location of the hotel in Quebec. What a great spot! Right in the heart of the activity in the 'old city'.
We also enjoyed the War Museum in Ottawa; so thank you very much for encouraging us to go there when we were slightly reluctant.
Keep up the great work you do and and I have already recommended you/ Canada Your Way to others.
Good wishes,
Chris:
I just wanted to let you know that Barbara and I returned back to Houston, late last night and had a simply fantastic adventure! Your arrangements were simply exemplary! More later!
Thank you so much for arranging such a memorable and wonderful trip.
Hi Jennifer – We had a GREAT time! The hotels were both lovely. We really appreciated that the Toronto hotel was so close to the train station – it made for an easy start to the trip. The train trip was beautiful. The train staff were (mostly) delightful, and solicitous without being smarmy – the only downside to the trip was that we traveled through the Rockies at night. Can’t think of a reasonable way to change that, other than traveling during the high season.
Anyway, thanks for asking and thanks for your help in planning this trip. We had a great time
Hi Chris!
The trip was fabulous! My husband and I commented as we were returning to Washington, DC that it was one of THE BEST vacations we had had in a while. You did a tremendous job for us! Thank you!
"Seamless" is the perfect descriptor for our time in Canada. We were able to move from activity to activity without barely a thought.
Everything was planned to a "T"! The hardest decision we faced was deciding what and where to eat during the non-scheduled dining events as Toronto has SO many wonderful options. But, as you can tell, even that was an enjoyable activity.
The hotels were awesome. The Fairmont truly lived up to its reputation as a leader in the hospitality industry. And, the view from our room at the Sheraton of the Horseshoe Falls at Niagara was something we'll never forget. Both properties were very appropriate choices for the level of package we purchased.
The packaging of the travel itinerary, receipts, etc., was a perfect start to the trip...it created a nice anticipatory excitement within us.
Quite impressive assembly with the travel portfolio, etc. Nice!
Finally, even the one, small glitch we encountered -- not having the Toronto attraction coupon booklet vouchers included in the travel portfolio -- was handled with ease. We made the request from the hotel to your office...left to explore Toronto... and, by the time we returned, VOILA!, there they were waiting for us in our room. Wow!
We had such a great time we have already begun to view our calendars to see when we can fit in a longer visit...this time to not only Toronto, but perhaps also another city. What would you suggest?
Whenever we decide to visit Canada again, I have your number on speed-dial, and your email address in my book, so that you can be the first one I contact to be sure I do it right!
Thank you, THANK YOU, for providing a marvelous service, Chris.
Hi Chris:
I am sorry that i am so late in answering you back. We did enjoy our trip very much and appreciated the work that you did for us. Our flight connections went well and our train journey was very good.
Thanks so much for planning a wonderful vacation for us! I know you had nothing to do with the weather, but each and every day was PERFECT – especially coming from 95-degree humid days in Florida. Every hotel we stayed in was wonderful – clean, friendly and beautiful – ending with a 19th floor view in Vancouver. Trains were great (we had no schedule so 6 hours late was no problem). VIA Rail had great service – the people – all of them – were just charming. We loved being in the Park car, seeing everything during the day and visiting with new friends after dark. We did not realize the double “bedroom” would be quite so tiny, but it was an experience. I cannot say enough about the food – to die for! I would recommend VIA without hesitation.
The other train was fine but not as friendly. Of course, we were in Red Leaf, not Gold, and maybe that made a difference. We were about to upgrade when we met people in Jasper who were coming the other way and said it was not worth it. Perhaps not if we had not experienced VIA’s dome car for 3 days.... I had to keep moving from side to side or to the back and stand outside to see what the attendant was talking about. You really could not see everything from those windows. My husband liked it fine for the $2000 or so we saved! And the cold food made no difference as we had to buy our own at night anyway.
On a good note, though, since we got in 6 hours late, Via fed us supper and saved us the price of a meal for that night. A pleasant unexpected surprise!
Again, this was a great trip you put together, including the Niagara Falls tour. All details were taken care of, and I would recommend you and your company to anyone.
Thank you for the the FABULOUS vacation. We enjoyed very minute. With our small window of time, we visited every "must see" attraction in the Canadian Rockies.
The accommodations were OUTSTANDING and comfortable. Our hotel rooms had "picture postcard" views.
And no problems with transportation.
I will highly recommend your services to our friends.
Dear Chris,
We were very pleased with our train trip. Everything worked out very smoothly. Loved the Toronto Fairmont. No complaints at all.
Thanks for everything.
We were very satisfied in the other arrangements you made for our trip, the services were excellent in picking us up at the airport and at the rail station and taking us to our hotel and they were there promptly on the last day of our vacation to take us to the airport. The Fairmont Royal York, Toronto and the Residence Inn, Vancouver were excellent choices. We couldn’t have been more satisfied. The tour of Victoria and Butchart Gardens was breathtaking.
Jennifer:
Just thought I would let you know about my trip. First, I loved the whole experience. Canada is a beautiful country, and this was the best trip I have taken in a LONG time. I met wonderful people and had great food.
Again, thank you for setting this trip up for me. It was wonderful!!!!!
Dear Chris,
We had a great trip! Thanks for all your help.
Dear Chris,
I do not know whether or not I. de Maaijer already contacted you or not, but, just in case she did not have the time to yet, please let me thank you for arranging the wonderful vacation we had in Canada.
On the 12th we flew to Toronto. An uneventful flight and they were waiting for us at the shuttle counter.
The only thing that was a little off was that we had to hurry to catch the bus, and they did not give us time to buy something to drink.
The bus trip to Niagara was fine.
Radisson Falls View : excellent view !
Check in was somewhat mixed up, as they could not find our reservations and then could not give us the room with the pull out couch.
We settled for a roll away bed, which was okay, but makes the room crowded of course. It is a beautiful room by the way, and the bathroom is first class. The view from the jacuzzi tub is amazing ! The sleep number bed is awesome.
You can recommend other travelers.
The train ride from N.F. to Toronto was a little on the early side.
The brochure said to be there 1 hour in advance. Well, the train station was not even open ! I think that, on these "hop on with your own suitcase" trains, you can arrive like 15 minutes in advance.
This train was delayed along the route and we just made the Ottawa train in Toronto. We literally were pushed and carried by the train employees from the one train to the waiting one. Now this one was excellent ! We were very glad with the comfort and the service of the Via 1 class. Our purser was extremely friendly and the seats you had booked for us were terrific.
We really enjoyed the ride.
Lord Elgin Hotel : super location.
Check-in was a breeze; everyone was very helpful and friendly. The rooms are good, but a little dark, because of the small window. Very clean and comfortable, and you can see the guards going up the hill from your room. Super !
Excellent breakfast buffet for only $15. Very good location to the tourist info center, restaurants, the tour booths, and of course Parliament.
You can recommend this hotel.
The train ride to Montreal was just as great as the other Via 1 train.
(Living on an island, you have to understand that we have absolutely no experience with trains!)
Our seats were perfect and the service was A-1.
Montreal Bonaventure Hilton : super fancy and expensive.
The hotel is across the train station and is connected by underground shopping and restaurants. This was great as it was raining when we arrived.
The hotel rooms are beautiful, the beds are great and chic, but a little narrow and the bathrooms are deluxe. However, a roll away bed or cot would cost us $35. a night ! We opted to use that money to shop instead and slept a little cramped. The hotel pool and gardens are wonderful.
The location of the hotel is very good and service was good. Concierge was very knowledge-able and friendly.
Only thing is that they tried to charge our credit cards for the lodging, which problem we know you later fixed for us.
The museum and Metro passes were great. So was the 3 hour bus tour. We had a very good time with our driver/guide.
We also got a form to claim back most of the taxes we paid in Canada, and have to return it, complete with copies of all invoices, as to get back a check. So this is still valid.
Hi Chris,
I had been meaning to contact you to thank you for organising my holiday in Canada this past May. Although the weather was rather chilly I had a wonderful time, and could not have asked for a more personal, well organised and enjoyable experience.
I really enjoyed the rail part of my tour, it was quite comfortable and the service was great. The only disappointing thing was that it had to get dark and I missed some of the scenery! But it was a great way to start to trip. All the hotels I stayed in were lovely, all clean and comfortable and no problems with my bookings. Same for my tours - no problems with being picked up from my hotels, the guides were fantastic, and I loved the small groups and personal feel to each of the tours.
I appreciated all the information provided, with maps and brochures etc. Having traveled on my own I was grateful for having organised my trip with such a professional and organised company. It met all of my expectations and more, and I would love to be able to go back to Canada for longer at some stage and would definitely consider booking a holiday through you again.
Thanks again for all your help and for a fantastic holiday experience.
Dear Chris
We had an amazing trip across Canada on the train and you planned everything wonderfully! I cannot say one bad thing about the whole experience, except it went by too quickly! Taking your advice and going Gold star on the Rocky Mountaineer was the best thing, and everything was so well planned we had a dream holiday. We would love to try going the other way, east, next time, do you offer that trip?
Many thanks once again, for the trip of a lifetime.
Dear Chris
I just received our train excursion package today and was really impressed with the way it came, the wallet it came in, and the professional way everything has been laid out!! Thank You and also both Rayna and Anya. Exclusively Canada personnel are friendly and top notch and my hope is our trip is of the same quality that we have grown accustomed to by your company. Again, many thanks and we shall send a picture from Halifax when we arrive standing along side the train. Please express our appreciation to the manager in charge at your facility and thank him from my wife and myself. We are very excited about this trip as Exclusively Canada has made it a pleasure to get aboard.
Diedra & Christopher,
Thanks for setting up our trip to Toronto, Montreal, & Halifax. It was great. The train travel covered beautiful country and the train was great. The VIA Ocean was marvelous, beautiful cars, great food, wonderful people. We drove for 10 days around Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, & Prince Edward Island. They were all great. The people are so nice and the scenery beautiful. We just had a great time.
Again, thanks for your help.
Dear Chris,
We have had a most enjoyable holiday, with all the logistical arrangements running incredibly smoothly. Thank you so much for devising our itinerary, and enabling us to get the very best out of our time in Canada. The choice of hotels worked very well and their locations proved ideal. We loved Canada, the Rockies were spectacular and the train journeys amazing. Vancouver is a most beautiful city and we were blessed with the most perfect weather! Above all we were given a very warm welcome by everyone who we came into contact with.
Thank you for all you did to ensure that we had a perfect holiday!
Thanks Chris.
Overall the trip was very good.
The hotels were nice - VIA rail was very good.
Enjoyed Niagara falls the most, however may be we should have spent more time at Niagara instead of Kingston.
Thanks for arranging the trip.
Hi Heather,
I just wanted to say thanks for doing such a fantastic job with organizing our trip. We had a wonderful time. The hotels and tours were great. Thanks so much.
Dear Chris,
Yes, I've been meaning to e mail you since we got home but the arrival of some visitors and the usual stuff to do when you get home after a long trip prevented me.
Anyway, it was wonderful. All the reservations and arrangements you made for us just helped everything to go so smoothly. I've always made reservations myself but with all these stops and everything this was certainly much easier and better.
VIA Rail was very nice. We loved our tiny room, and it was fun to go to the dome car. We always had nice meal companions too. The meals on the train were really good and the staff friendly and helpful. It was nice to just sit there looking out the window and watching the landscape go by and slowly change. People had told me that it would be boring across Ontario and Manitoba but I didn't think so at all. It was beautiful.
The Pacific Palisades was great--a wonderful room and we liked that a lot. I wasn't crazy about Robson St but that didn't matter--we went other places, Chinese Garden, Stanley Park, Granville Island, library, museum, etc.
And the Rocky Mountaineer was great too.
Jennifer,.
Thought you'd like to know we enjoyed the Toronto , Montreal & Halifax by Rail trip very much. Really enjoyed the train, excellent service.
The Fairmont Royal York Hotel was absolutely fabulous, the food wonderful and everyone so helpful, treated like royalty!!
The Pier 21 was a non event, nothing to see and a long walk to see it.
Hi Chris,
We loved the trip through the Rockies. Very beautiful. Everything went well and the accommodation was great. We had a fantastic time and loved the beauty of the area.
Dear Heather,
Just wanted to let you know how great our tip to Canada was, thanks to your planning. VIA Canada from Vancouver to Jasper was wonderful. We were picked up at the ship and taken to the depot where we checked our luggage until boarding time. We roamed around Vancouver until time to wait for the train. When we got back to the depot, cookies and coffee/tea were waiting and a gentleman was entertaining us with various instruments. What a delightful way to wait for a train. After we boarded, we went immediately to the observation car and were greeted with Champaign and canapés. Watching the scenery go by was breathtaking especially after we gained altitude into the mountains. Our dinner and breakfast in the dining car were delightful. The best surprise I had was how comfortable the beds were. The last time we traveled by train (AMTRAC), the beds were just awful. All in all our train trip couldn't have been nicer.
The sightseeing trips you booked us on were all wonderful…..small groups of 10-12 with driver/guides who were interesting and funny and knew about the wildlife and the country. The Hotels worked our well. We were very comfortable and the service was very good.
Everything went together perfectly with not snags. Thank you so very much for all your help.
I am definitely handing your name to all my friends. Hope you get some business out of our lovely trip.
With much thanks.
Dear Chris,
Thank you for your e-mail.
Anthony and I had a fabulous time on out trip. Yes the itinerary format was seamless and we did not experience any problems at all. We loved the train trip, thank you. The scenery was breathtaking on the trains and the food on the VIA rail was excellent! The accommodation aboard the VIA rail also exceeded expectations. We had an excellent guide on the Rocky Mountaineer who was very knowledgeable. The hotels were also great, we especially enjoyed our stay in The Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto and we could have happily moved into our spacious hotel room in Vancouver. We are so glad we booked an extra night stay in Vancouver because it gave us a bit more time to explore.
We definitely hope to visit Canada again, as there is plenty more we want to see and do. Yes we will keep you in mind for our next trip and we have in fact recommended you to a friend.
Thanks again for organizing our trip.
Chris: We had a great time. The Rocky Mountaineer was superb. The hotel in Kamloops (Best Western) was o.K. The lodge in Jasper was super. The VIA Rail Canada train was very nice but the fact that they get shunted aside for every freight train in Canada was not great. We arrived in Toronto four hours late at midnight.
Hi Chris:
We were waiting for a trip follow up from Exclusively Canada. Thanks for your interest. On a scale of 1 to 10 & 10 being the very best - we would rate this trip an 8. Although rail travel is great for relaxing and seeing the country side sleeping allows you to understand what Dracula must feel like sleeping in his casket. We do have one important point we would like to share with you pertaining to sleeping in Via's small compartments. Do not be placed in the first or last compartment of the sleeping car. Compartments that ride directly over the steel wheels are not only noisy but are subject to the extreme pushing and pulling action because of their proximity to the other cars The only other problem with Via Rail was that they only have one main line from Montreal to Moncton(hard to believe is it not)Every time we met an opposing freight train we were forced to a siding. We were delayed over two hours going to Moncton and over four hours coming home. Putting the getting there and getting home behind us we must say the balance of the trip was fabulous. Chris I don't know if you have ever been to P. E. I. before but if not you should. The contrast, the patch work landscape, the people and the history of that little island is wonderful. Our accommodations in Charlottetown were mediocre but the city itself was stellar. My wife and I still rave about the play "Anne Of Green Gables" . The seating was perfect the actors professional the meal previous to the play was done to perfection. All and all our stay in Charlottetown plus the tour of the surrounding country side was the high light of our trip.
I don't know your affiliation with P.E.I. tours but believe me its a good choice. Our tour guide Tammy Mac Callum quickly became more of a friend than a guide. She is very knowledgeable, pleasant and accommodating. The stay in Halifax was delightful. Our accommodations were very good . The tour to Peggy's Cove was enjoyable and filled with interesting facts and history of the area. Our guide was great. By the way we took 369 pictures and have put them on discs and in photo albums. As you can see we enjoyed our trip and thank you for your input. Chris you and your company did a hell of a job for us and we truly appreciate it.
Thanks Again.
Hi Heather,
Jim and I want to thank you for having done a marvelous job both in planning our trip and then having made all of the accommodations and reservations. There was not a single hitch and you had just everything so well laid out. Although we always had the confirmation numbers with us, there was no need to use them.
And the scenery was just amazing. Words and pictures do not do justice to the majesty of the Rockies. They are awe inspiring. We had about 24 hours of snow when moving from Jasper to Lake Louise and it only made the evergreens more beautiful and the mountain peaks stand out even more. Plus the weather was really very good. Some sprinkles came down while in the train and one day in Vancouver it was showery but I didn't even take out my rain jacket.
I am a passionate gardener and the tour through the Butchart Gardens was spectacular. I would have stayed and volunteered to weed, which is my forte, but there was not a weed in sight!! It is a wonderful place.
We did appreciate your arranging private transportation from the Vancouver train station to the hotel and then back again to the airport. We saw people at the hotel trying to flag down taxis and it was not easy.
Just a terrific job and if we ever travel in Canada again on such a scale, we would certainly use your talents or direct other people to you.
Again, our sincere thanks for a wonderful time.
Hi Heather,
Our friendly UPS guy delivered your wonderful package this afternoon. I have not had a chance to go through it but Jim did rather quickly. It is a very impressive presentation and lots to look through.
We want you to know how pleased we are with everything that you have put together for us and we are looking forward to this trip which we had hoped to make back in 1976 (!) but bought this house instead.
Thanks again and we shall report back once we have gotten home, in case we don't talk with you before that.
Chris,
I just wanted to thank you for putting together such a great vacation package! Everything was first rate, with a few exceptions (difficulty getting through to tour companies to confirm). Mom had a wonderful time and can't stop talking about it to everyone she knows. Thanks again for everything. If we decide to go to Canada again, I know we'll be getting ahold of you!
We enjoyed our holiday.
Thanks.
Chris,
First off, we had a wonderful and relaxing trip. Most of that was because everything was arranged so well.
Vancouver: Hotel was fantastic. Loved the fact that they had "hotel dogs" in the lobby. City tour was perfect. left us with long enough time to explore ourselves but we still saw all the highlights. Dinner cruise was excellent...food was delicious, nice way to see the city lights!
Grouse Mountain and Capilano bridge tour were both very good.
Train: Vancouver to Edmonton. Staff very friendly. Cabin perfect and views tremendous. Food and food service were both amazing. Pleasant surprise by the quality and variety.
Edmonton: Hotel: Beautiful. Tours with Peter (city tour) and Wayne (Evening Elk park) were both highlights for us. Only thing was we didn't have much time between the two to get dinner. Peter spent a little longer showing us the sights. These two excursions were highs of the entire trip.
Train: Edmonton to Toronto: Fantastic change in scenery. Staff fantastic. Interesting to meet so many Australians!! (Sarah's an Aussie!) Would be good to note that the train was notoriously late into Toronto for other guests. By the time we arrived at the hotel they did not have any King bed room left. We were asked to wait for a couple of hours at the lounge as the hotel staff found us a non smoking room but they took care of us while waiting, $60 coupons worth of free booze, not complaints.
Next day they moved us to the room we'd requested. Hotel was very very packed with convention people and hotel was bit noisier that the others but still met our needs. Location was fantastic.
Toronto City tour was a little on the disappointing side. It did cover a large area of town but didn't allow anytime to disembark or slow down for sights....this could have been the particular guide also.
Dinner at the CN tower was a highlight...pity the weather didn't behave as we were fogged in. Niagara falls was another trip highlight. Excellent day trip ....especially finishing up the day with the wine tasting.
Train Toronto to Quebec via Montreal. We understand the last part of our trip was so compressed. Would have been good to take the train with the baggage car on the Montreal leg but understand that we could not do that without spending more time waiting. Montreal to Quebec trip was great.
Quebec: Lovely city. Wish we could have spent longer here. City tour was excellent, perfect balance in time in bus and getting out to see sights. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and we were very much impressed. Perfect for our short amount of time. Hotel: Fantastic! Amazing building. Very quiet.
Montreal: Not much time due to our flight out but we were aware of this from the start. Next time we'll spend longer. Hotel at airport: Very clean and conveniently located. Perfect for us.
In summary, this has been an excellent vacation for us. We have a lot of our friends asking for itineraries and your company contact information which we have been very happy to pass along. Don't be surprised to get more tourists from Houston. Thank you very much for all your assistance and we will contact you again next time we go to Canada for vacation.
I want to thank you for planning such a wonderful trip for us. We had a really great time. Everything worked to perfection just like you scheduled it. Our tours were great, the Rocky Mountaineer was wonderful, and the VIA Rail trip was a great experience.
The poorest tour was the ones by Toronto Tours. They had little busses and you could not see out the window very well. Other than that their tour was very nice. All the other tours were spectacular.
Again thanks for arranging this great trip of us.
PS Darlene finally got her ride in a Lincoln Continental that she has been begging me to do for her for years.
Dear Jennifer
This is a rather belated message to thank you for organizing our vacation to Montreal and Quebec so well. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, which was certainly one of the highlights of our overall tour of Canada. Also, everything worked like clockwork – all your drivers and coaches turned up on time – and both of the hotels were absolutely excellent.
Our only real complaint was the weather, which was unfortunately quite wet – but it didn't’t dampen our enjoyment too much. It is just that everywhere looks nicer in the sunshine!
However, in order to provide you with a little feed-back (which I trust you will find helpful), I would just mention two small things:-
The first (about which you can obviously do nothing) is that all three trains that we took were serving identical menus – and although the food was very nice, it did become rather boring as a result!
The second was the restaurant that you arranged for us in Montreal (Auberge Saint-Gabriel), which was quite a long way away from our hotel. We took the underground train, but still had a longish walk from the nearest station. Our meal was pleasant, but not by any means special – and we were given a limited menu to choose from, rather than the full à la carte that was available to other diners. We felt that we could probably have had a better meal much nearer to where we were staying. (In Quebec, however, the Aux Anciens Canadiens was just a minute’s walk from our hotel, the food was excellent and we were able to choose from the full menu.)
Once again, many thanks for arranging everything so well. I shall certainly recommend your company to my friends.
Diedre
This is just to let you know that we are now home safe and sound after a truly magnificent trip to and across your country. All your arrangements went perfectly and in all but one occurrence exceeded our expectations by heaps. That one occasion was totally out of your control but on our arrival we found that most of the staff at Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montreal was on strike so service was pretty basic.
Anyhow, thanks very much for your very good work – we appreciate it.
Hi Heather,
I just wanted to say 'thank you' for planning such a a wonderful trip for us.
All the organisation, timings, trips, hotels etc worked out perfectly. Everyone who took us places was extremely friendly. The tours we took and the places we went were wonderful, intersting and FUN and we had the best time as a family having a great adventure together.
Thank you
Dear Chris,
We had a truly wonderful time. The hotels were all excellent. The location of the Sheraton Wall Centre worked perfectly to go to Granville Island, the Blue Water Café and Raw Bar, the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Aquarium. All of your suggestions for places to visit were great. Everyone enjoyed the Anime/Cartoon exhibit at the Art Gallery and the meal at the Blue Water Café was beyond comparison.
We enjoyed all of the train rides. The scenery cooperated beautifully as we were able to see the tops of the mountains on the Via trip. We took many, many pictures of the Rockies, the Fraser River and the other spectacular views. The entertainment at the train station before we boarded the Via was an unexpected pleasure and we couldn’t have asked for better service on either the Via or the Rocky Mountaineer rides. We were certainly treated royally, with baggage being handled for us, tour guide available in Quesnell, on-call beverage service, etc.
Your mentioning that this was an anniversary celebration was above and beyond what we expected. We were upgraded to first-class accommodations at several hotels and even received a complimentary bottle of Merlot at the Delta Village Suites in Whistler (and the wine is excellent!).
We felt so pampered that it was almost difficult to come home and back to normal living.
Thank you again for putting together an excellent and unforgettable anniversary celebration trip. We have advertised Exclusively Canada to everyone who has asked about our trip and would not hesitate to use your services again.
Hi Jennifer,
We're sitting here looking at our photos and reliving our holiday.
The trip you organized for us was great. The only slight hiccup was on the Ocean where meals weren't included as of Thanks Giving weekend. However the staff were very understanding with our early booking and we got our meals.
The Hotels were all great especially the Marriott in Vancouver where the room was ready for us when we arrived at 8am and we were able to book the room until 9pm the next day.
The Canadian from Toronto was the pick of the trains especially cabin F which was larger and closest to the shower. The champagne in the afternoons created a happy and friendly atmosphere, so much so we were farewelled in Jasper like long lost friends. The same atmosphere continued on the next part of the trip.
Our high light of Canada was the scenery. The reds and oranges of the fall on the east coast and the green and white of the Rockies were spectacular. If we did it again we'd spend more time in Jasper.
The organized tours were all of a high standard in the cities and to Niagara Falls and all went off with out a hitch.
We went back to Stanley Park by our selves and had a great day at the Aquarium and walking in the park (pity it rains so much in Vancouver).
We will certainly recommend Exclusively Canada to any persons wishing to organize a trip to Canada.
Thanks for a wonderful holiday
Dear Jennifer
Thank you for your email. We had a truly marvelous time and all your planning was exemplary. Thank you so much as everything was very straightforward. And even though we are not that old, neither of us are very experienced travelers so it took all the worry out of everything, it all went like clockwork!!!! THANK YOU!
We loved everywhere we stayed, with the exception of the Banff Springs. Whilst it looks spectacular, staff were cold and rude and everything was twice the price of the other hotels and we were not the only people complaining. Although being reserved Brits we didn’t actually complain at all. When we arrived our room was not ready and we had to wait three hours, and though this sounds ridiculous, in every other Fairmont Hotel, there were zillions of tea bags in every flavour imaginable. In the Springs, only 3, and all herbal. Each day I rang for Breakfast tea and milk and each day they turned up with ONE tea bag and then they charged us for the milk! Also if you don’t arrive in approved transport you are not even allowed to pull into the front of the hotel! In Vancouver we were treated like Royalty and everywhere else really. Fabulous!
Churchill and Frontiers North were fabulous. That has to be the highlight because of the bears. We saw 24 bears and our guides were excellent, as were all the other tours that you booked for us. Sun Dog tours around Jasper and the Icefield were great.
The only hiccough (not your fault by the way), the weather got very bad in Churchill and the train was predicted to be a day late, so Frontiers North flew us out to Winnipeg and paid for the hotel for that night. (They were excellent by the way). They have told us to send the train ticket to you and any receipts for the next two days for you to forward to them and they will reclaim it from VIA Rail. It didn’t spoil anything at all as we got more of a chance to look around Winnipeg and the hotel was more than adequate. The train did actually arrive at 10am the next morning, but in the evening before they did not think it would so we decided to take the flight out just in case we missed our train at Winnipeg. And we got to see some Ice Hockey which we both love and doesn’t happen around here. I will scan in the train ticket and send to you in the post.
We loved Canada and Canadians and we are definitely going to try to come back again. Many, many thanks for everything. It truly was a wonderful trip, it’s impossible to put into words really, but I definitely had the best trip of my whole life. My husband also really loved it, but now accepts he’s just the photographers assistant!
With kind regards
Dear Jennifer:
I just wanted you to know that we had a wonderful trip and that all your planning was perfect. We were missing one voucher for the icefield ride but it was all sorted out by the driver and his company (Sundog) so we were not at all inconvenienced. We were exceedingly fortunate with weather and in the Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper area it was t-shirt weather for the most part. We had gorgeous weather in Vancouver with the exception of one rainy day and we had chilly but dry weather on all our cruise stops. We even had total "cloud failure" as one of our guides put it at Ketchikan.
I did want to tell you that we very much enjoyed the "open dining" offered by Holland America. It gave us lots of different options. One night we were late back to the boat after a trip so we just ate in the cafeteria. For the most part we made a nightly reservation at a convenient time and joined a large table in the main restaurant. That way, we were able to chat to a different group each night and we met some delightful people. One night we chose to pay the supplement and eat at the restricted restaurant. For us, it worked very well.
Thank you again for a wonderful holiday and it was a pleasure planning with you. We would not hesitate to recommend your company to anyone wishing to plan a similar trip.
Anya,
The itinerary looks great and we are eagerly looking forward to it.
Thanks to Heather and yourself for the extraordinary service, advice and considerations Exclusively Canada provides. It makes it so much easier when looking at holidays from the other side of the world. I would be delighted to endorse your services at any time.
Again many thanks.
Hi Heather,
At present in Vancouver - the holiday so far has exceeded expectations - We have had a fabulous time and are looking forwarded to boarding the Zandaan tomorrow
Congratulations on the way you put our vacation together and be sure we have been recommending you and your company to others we have met on the way
Hi Heather,
I just returned from my Montreal / Quebec City trip and had a wonderful time! You had everything so well organized and everything went so smoothly, without any hitches or problems. It was first class all the way. I couldn't have been more pleased. I particularly enjoyed the train rides and the premium service. And, I'm so glad that I upgraded my room at the Chateau Frontenac because I had the most delightful room. I felt like a princess in the tower of her castle because I was given a corner room in one of those
turrets, with windows looking out over the river and the promenade.
Spectacular.
Thank you again for all your help in arranging this. It was a perfect vacation -- and I'd go again in a minute!
Hi, Jennifer,
Ah - back from the trip of a lifetime. Incredible beauty, wonderful food, great accommodation and
delightful people.
The train offered the chance to see things I never would have otherwise - eagles en masse (I thought
they were fairly solitary), beaver, deer, snow, waterfalls, sun, lakes, ah, scenery that was awe-inspiring.
I spent considerable time in the observation car. The seats were quite comfortable and the company charming.
Ha ha - I had saved a Traveler magazine from the late 80's that featured this very trip. While the author
thought well of the staff and his accommodation, he called the cuisine 'macaroni and cheese.' Believe
me when I say it was nothing of the sort. I had an opportunity to talk with one of the chefs and told him
that the salmon dinner I enjoyed was the BEST I've ever had - and that's saying something!
The train station in Montreal is at least as busy as an airport and quite nice. That portion of the trip,
Montreal to Halifax, right along the seashore, was stunning.
I had heard some folks were bored by the time crossing the plains. Speaking for myself, this was
not so. I enjoyed the vast farmlands and the beautiful, sunny skies.
My only 'worry' was keeping track of tickets - but that was made much easier by the train folder you sent
with my tickets. It was so useful and easy to find that I kept all my important travel papers, including passport,
there.
Favorite part? The pace at which I got to view the scenery. Stopping places like Jasper. Taking time to
enjoy the ever-changing vistas along the route. Whenever I mentioned this trip - choo chooing across Canada -
other than delight, the only response was that puzzled, 'Why didn't I think of it?' kind of reply.
Having visited Toronto before, I was thrilled at the prospect of staying (finally!) at the York. I was shocked
to learn that getting there either outside (I tried two entrances) or via the tunnel meant stairs. Especially as
I was traveling alone, that was a difficulty I had not considered.
As far as hotels go, the gem of the trip was the Westin in Halifax. Beautiful room, in-room safe, fragrant
linens and NO stairs from the train station to the hotel. It was far and away the best hotel and I enjoyed my time
in Halifax immensely.
Lastly, Jennifer, I flew (bah!) home November 6 after a five-day stay in Wonderful Wolfville. It was a great
place - again, wonderful people and a lot to enjoy. Flying home - packed like cattle - slogging through security -
hurry up and wait - simply validated my choice of the train. How could any other form of travel even begin
to compare?
Thank you for your part in this incredible journey.
Dear Heather,
Juan and I had a lovely time in Jasper. The hotel met our expectations completely. Actually, the room was quite large and the view was spectacular, so that was a bonus. The train ride was a great experience. The only hiccup was that we were booked in separate cars on the train to Jasper. If I had been told that beforehand I would of changed it. Thank goodness the train was not full, and I was able to change it to an upper birth above Juan. The train back, we were across from each other in lower births and that was perfect. Our excursions were quite nice. The dog sledding was the best, the ice canyon walk came in a close second and the wildlife tour came in third on our list. Juan fell in love with Jasper, and the scenery of course is beyond words...just breathtaking.
Overall your planning was right on target and it made for a carefree vacation. We did not have to worry about anything.
Thank you again for everything
Kind Regards,
Hi Jennifer, just wanted to let you know we had a great time and thank you for arranging it all for us....it was awesome...especially the Ice canyon walk at night.....also we really LOVED the Residence Inn....it is the best for travellers/business people....we really enjoyed our stay there and it was great value!!!! One hitch was the people from West Coast tours didn't have any record of our tour...it was not a big deal...I think it was Vancouver tours we ended up going with.....the guide was great and we really enjoyed it....and Errol from west coast picked us up and took us to train station........it just meant we were running a bit late........other wise it was perfect.......
Oh well we are off to San Fran now for a couple of days.....the weather in Calgary is -47....so we will be glad to leave it behind........loved Vancouver.....if you ever get to Perth let us know would love to meet you...take care
Dear Chris,
We are back home after a fantastic holiday and would like to thank you for putting such a good package together.
The Fairmont Gold rooms at both the Royal York and Chateau Lorrier were first class and the Via 1 train service was excellent.
We thoroughly enjoyed and we will not hesitate to use your services again if we return to Canada. Our thanks once again.
Well.....what can I say, Chris? Overall the trip was GREAT! The majority of it went without a hitch. However, there are some things I think you should be aware of. The first, of course, was at the Fairmont Royal York as they had the date wrong for our arrival. While they were very nice and were able to assign us a room, it was an inconvenience to not have access to our room until just before 6 p.m. We ate lunch at the hotel and managed to walk across the street to check out the train station. After my husband told them we had been waiting since 1:00 o' clock, the hotel did give us $20 apiece discount which we used toward supper, also at the hotel.
The next day went very well. Really convenient to walk across to the station and caught our train without a hassle. It was a beautiful three days on the train and we could really appreciate the beauty of all of Canada. When we arrived in Jasper, it was about 13 degrees below zero and really really cold to us southerners! We called the Amethyst Lodge for transportation and they sent a car immediately. However, the driver gave us a letter explaining that the Amethyst had to change and put us in the Lobstick Lodge instead. Again, the people were extremely friendly and helpful as they could be. However, the location and view didn't seem to measure up to the Amethyst. The next morning, the hotel furnished us transportation back to the station and we were on our way.
When we checked our luggage at the Rocky Mountaineer station, we never had to touch it again. It was waiting in our room in Kamloops when we arrived where they gave us a key and had a bus waiting only a few feet from our train exit. I can't say enough about the excellence of this experience. Even though the Gold Leaf was more expensive, it was well worth the extra for the service and attention we got on this train. It more than exceeded our expectations in every way and we loved every moment of these next two days. Until we arrived at our hotel, the Residence Inn Marriott, where our luggage was waiting, but sad to say, our room was not. Again the manager told us they couldn't accommodate us and gave us a selection of three other properties to choose from. We chose the Opus and he kindly arranged for us to take a taxi a few blocks away which he paid for. They put us in the executive suite which was nice but we were out by 5:00 a.m. the next morning in order to catch our flight home.
But, we are home and will share many happy memories with all of our friends. Thanks for your efforts.
We had a wonderful time!
Vancouver and Butchart Gardens were spectacular! Everything went like clockwork. Rocky Mountaineer trip was great. Food wonderful! Service excellent. Banff was spectacular! We loved the snow which made it look like a winter wonderland! Ate one night at the Maple Leaf . Very good food. Our Discover Banff & Its Wildlife Tour was perfect. Animals everywhere. Good tour guide! We did not do the Gondola Ride as it was so windy. The only problem we had on whole trip was confusion by the hotel about where we were to meet each of our excursions. We finally found each other both times. The driver, Ron, of Sun Dog Tours was very special. Gave us different insight on the scenery and wildlife....saw wolf, coyote, etc. Gave us lots of ecology, history and geology. He did leave us at the wrong hotel but the hotel was very gracious and arranged for us to get to the right hotel. We liked Chateau Jasper because we could walk everywhere.
Lake Louise was beautiful of course but still snowed in. We had great visit with our granddaughter at Calgary Airport. Train trip to Montreal and Moncton was very interesting. The flood during this time made for interesting trip. We arrived in Moncton and got a taxi to Budget.
FYI :they would come to train and pick us up had we called.
We had good trip to PEI even though we had to drive thru a snowstorm the last 15 miles before the bridge. No problem. Enjoyed our trips around PEI even went to Green Gables. Roger was fascinated with the enormous fields of potatoes and rolls of hay. He even stopped and talked to some farmers.Took ferry back!
Had good visit with our daughter and grandson. Enjoyed watching the international Hockey Tournament crowds. We even walked the 15 blocks to The Citadel and up the 50 steps to top and back....Not bad for 2 seventy three year old overweight.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR A WONDERFUL 52nd ANNIVERSARY TRIP.
Thank you very much for the refund. Yes it all worked extremely well and was most enjoyable. The VIA rail journey was a highpoint. It started inauspiciously with somewhat yesterdays rail station, rather pedantic passenger processing and top of the range MacDonalds, if hungry. The train ground thru endless stockyards at snail pace and many stops. But it picked up its skirts, the dinner was very good, the bed comfortable, Mt Robson in view, we started overtaking freight trains on dual sections and arrived on time in bright sunshine.
The 2 guides you arranged thereafter were excellent.
The Fairmont Jasper was empty and food was served in a windowles area. We had a cabin without view. But we walked right round the lake and found wildlife.
The trip to Banff was wonderful and Sara went on the ice machine over the glacier.
Rimstock was unexciting, and nearly empty. So we walked into town, had an excellent meal and the following morning went up the Gondola and thoughourly enjoyed seeing and reading about the "weather man"
The drive to the airport was efficient.
We should like to come again when the flowers are out but have to say that we would probably stay down market. There was a cabin area complex close to Jasper fairmont which looked good but shut at present.
Be in touch and again many thanks,
Chris,
It was good to hear from you. We did enjoy everything about our Canadian trip. I guess the highlight was the Rocky Mountaineer Gold class. I've raved about it to a lot of people. We stayed at the Thompson Inn at Kamloops and that was lovely. We loved our hotels in Banff and Jasper and Lake Louise, and the twoMarriotts in Toronto and Vancouver were nice as well. You did a great job coordinating the trip for us, especially since my husband had that accident in May and was using a cane and sometimes a walker. We always got a handicapped room which was a great help. I will recommend you and your company to anyone taking that trip.
Thanks again,
Hi Chris,
Everything you arranged was great. The hotels were really great and well located. Food was fabulous, the dining staff was lovely and very upbeat. Your arrangements were fabulous. You did well Chris, & honestly I would recommend & use you again.
Your part of organising everything was just super.
Many many thanks
Dear Chris;
The trip was fabulous! We had such a wonderful time, and everything was so well planned, and went very smoothly.
I would like to know what it would cost for two seniors, my parents, to do the same trip. Please send me a quote. My Dad is 83, and Mum is 76, and they are both in excellent health, and Dad has never been on a train!!!
The Via Rail employees were very accomodating and the food was very good as well.
What a memory for all my children!
Thankyou for all your help, and I understand you are a new father...take your son or daughter on this trip for sure, when he/she is old enough to appreciate it. Congratulations! Was it a boy or a girl?
I'll look forward to the quote for my parents. They live near London, Ontario.
Sincerely,
Hello Chris,
We had a wonderful trip that gave us plenty of memories. We ran into a few challenges, but everything turned out fine.
The Intercontinental Hotel was very nice and we found the location to be perfect for us. We walked everywhere!! I was a little worried when we arrived because there are huge construction sites on either side of the hotel. As it turned out that was not a problem at all. The Montreal Dinner Cruise was nice----the food was okay, but nothing to write home about.
Our stay at the Claredon in Quebec City was quite the experience!! They checked us into a room on the first floor near that very noisey elevator. The room was nice but small. We were fine with everything and decided that was part of staying in an old hotel. Later that evening I stopped by the front desk to ask a question about the breakfast buffet. The young man at the desk asked if I could wait just a minute while he checked something on the computer. When he came back he asked if we would like to upgrade our room. We of course said YES. Our new room was in the newer part of the hotel on the third floor. Huge room---just lovely. The Countryside Tour outside of Quebec City was very enjoyable.
The Via Rail train overnight to Moncton certainly took us through some beautiful country. We saw so many colorful trees and beautiful scenery. The train did break down in the middle of New Brunswick and there we sat for a few hours. At least it was in a pretty area. We arrived in Moncton 2 1/2 hours late. I felt bad that the driver had to wait all that time. He was very nice and said he spent the time running some errands. Our drive from Moncton was longer than we had expected and we never did stop at Victoria. That was probably due to our last arrival.
All in all, we loved our trip. The people we met in Canada were all so nice and very helpful to us.
We have returned from our vacation in Canada, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The tours were good, and so were the accommodations. Riding the train was an adventure that we will fondly remember, even though it was its customary 3 hours late arriving in Churchill.
Thank you for your assistance along the way.
Dear Chris
May I thank you for arranging our Canadian trip. We found it very interesting. Hotels, trains etc were to a very high standard and the attention we received exceptionally good.
We had only one disappointment - the train was 2 hours late in Kamloops and we missed the show but have been promised a refund.
Again, thank you for your help.
Just as a side note, may I compliment you on your organisation and particularly your team in Heather and Anya.
Having spent my life in the Hotel business and as such had a long relationship with the Travel Industry, the way I have been made to feel as if I am the only customer you have, is a credit to you ...it is all about service and you give it. Having travelled a great deal (being fortunate enough to work for Orient-Express I have been spoilt!), I am often disappointed with the lack of service or more importantly the failure to meet expectations ...they over sell the sizzle !! Apart from being prompt and efficient and personal, I have found an honesty in dealing with your team that gives me confidence that we really are going to have a great vacation ...and this we are looking forward to.
Thank you again.
Regards
Hi Chris,
The Tale of Two Trains trip was wonderful! We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Everything was superb.
Thanks
Dear Jennifer,
Thanks for your kind message. The trip was wonderful! We loved the hotels and the VIA Rail's Canadian Train, including the tours and the transfer from Banff to Jasper with Joel, a very polite young guide. Our trip was very pleasant and unforgettable! Be sure we will recomend Exclusevely Canada for ours friends.
Best regards,
Thanks Chris, we had an excellent time. The hotels were great...really enjoyed the Fairmont Banff Springs. The only thing I would probably change was the time spent in Jasper was too short. The train got in late, just made the Malign Valley Tour and then whisked off early the next morning. Probably would have stayed an extra day there in hindsight. We thoroughly enjoyed it though and have already recommended it to others.
Hi Jennifer
We had a fabulous time. One of the purposes was to see Canada in the snow. Well we certainly got our share. The entire country was blanketed in white from the B.C. mountains to Quebec. And, of course, we got an extra day of vacation thanks to the big snowstorm in Montreal cancelling our flight for a day. We just loved it - snow falling through the night and day made for a very romantic scene and brought back many memories of snow storms through the night for both of us "Midwesterners."
The accommodations were first rate throughout the trip. Using the Fairmont Hotels is a good choice. We were treated royally in each facility.
Several years ago we took a train trip acrossthe U.S. on Amtrak and were very disappointed by our experience. Mostly the bad attitude of the service staff. Well, the VIA Rail really puts Amtrak to sahme. We were treated better by the train staff than the hotel staff. (This is big compliment to both.) We really enjoy our four days on the trains. The romance suite was very comfortable and made for cozy nights. The attendants throughout the trip - Greg to Jasper, Alan to Winnepeg and Scarlett to Toronto were wonderful. Tell anyone from the U.S that they will definitely enjoy the train across Canada. We certainly did.
Thanks to you and you staff for arranging, effortlessly for us, this wonderfu vacation. You did a great job for us.