This is a daily-run train that goes from North Vancouver (with pickup at downtown hotels) to…read moreWhistler on a very scenic route.
There are two service levels -- $109 (special) for coach and $250 for "dome car" service.
First, the service is very good. Organized pickups and luggage handling, friendly staff on board, interesting tour-guide material without it being too in-your-face. The real star here, though, isn't the train but the spectacular views along the way.
But their marketing materials is a little bit more, er, enthusiastic than reality. For one thing, the "Glacier Dome Car" sounds great but, in fact, is not in a dome car at all. To be accurate, it should be called a "Glacier Tall Windows Car."
And while you do get fed hot food in the Dome Car (as opposed to cold food), there's really not that much difference between it and the regular coach class. Same sized seating and legroom from what I could tell, access to the same heritage car, reclining seats, assigned seating, and so on. Save the $250; go with the cheaper $109 "Classic Coach" version instead.
The train company promised "fully reclining seats" on the Dome car and, as I knew I would need to rest, this is partially why I opted to go with the train rather than the bus. In fact, the seats do NOT fully recline. While they recline more than coach seats in an airplane, if you're expecting to be able to lie down (that *is* what fully reclining means), you'll be disappointed.
Ticketing went well. Through a snafu, they had my directions reversed but it was taken care of quickly. The tickets are not refundable in any way, though you can move unused tickets to a later date in the year. For a change fee, natch.
And finally, the train arrived 30 minutes later than scheduled which seemed to be the norm. There didn't seem to be any unusual delays -- after all, there aren't traffic jams on the rail tracks -- just seemed to be a bit of lasse faire. Didn't affect me, but might be a concern for people with a tight air connection who expect to arrive when scheduled.
Overall, despite feeling a bit misled by some of the promises (dome car, a big differences by paying more than double, and "fully" reclining seats), the trip was smooth and enjoyable. Bring your camera!!