Experience a seamless way to enjoy Canada’s West when Rocky Mountaineer premieres its new escorted rail tours in 2009

Rocky Mountaineer Vacations is set to unveil one of five spectacular Escorted Rail Tours on April 15, 2009, which take travellers  into the heart of the Canadian Rockies. A perfect program for guests who enjoy meeting and travelling with other holidaymakers from around the globe, the Escorted Rail Tours also provide the services of a professional Tour Escort, who will guide guests through their Canadian Rockies’ vacation from start to finish.

Escorted Rail Tour guests have exclusive access to two coaches onboard the internationally acclaimed, all-daylight Rocky Mountaineer train where the unparalleled views of Canada’s West await.  Travellers can sit back and relax in their designated bi-level dome coach or access a private lounge, which features entertaining and educational presentations such as regional wine tastings, natural history, regional storytelling and photography lessons.

To further enhance the Escorted Rail Tour experience, guests who book any package that includes two nights in Banff are eligible for a complimentary Summit Helicopter Tour. Every Escorted Rail Tour package includes an Exclusive Attractions Pass, with free admission to a Vancouver Trolley City Attractions Loop Tour, Vancouver Lookout, Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria, Banff Gondola and Banff Upper Hot Springs, Jasper Tramway (including transportation to and from the gondola) and Calgary Tower in Calgary, Alberta.

PROGRAM CHOICES:

One of Rocky Mountaineer Vacations’ five new Escorted Rail Tours offered during the 2009 season is the Escorted Rockies Escape, which is a seven-night/eight-day package. It combines showcasing the splendid Canadian Rockies scenery by day and premier accommodations by night.  This package also includes a guided lakeside stroll at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a motorcoach tour of the scenic Icefields Parkway and a visit to Yoho National Park in Banff. On this fully escorted vacation, travellers visit Vancouver, British Columbia, Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff, Alberta. Beginning May 2, 2009, from Vancouver, prices for the Escorted Rockies Escape package begin at AUD $6,021.00, based on double occupancy. The last departure for the season is October 3, 2009.

Another new package is the Escorted Best of Banff, where travellers experience six-nights/seven-days in the heart of the Canadian Rockies at the mountain resort town of Banff. Guests marvel at the vast forests, winding river canyons and surrounding peaks of the Canadian Rockies as they journey aboard Rocky Mountaineer’s Kicking Horse route before they arrive in Banff for a three night stay. They also stay at an array of superior properties throughout their vacation including a ranch visit and a thrilling Summit Helicopter Tour for a spectacular view of Banff and the surrounding Rockies from the air. Departing April 25, 2009, from Vancouver, prices begin at AUD $2,794.00 per person, based on double occupancy. The last departure for the season is October 10, 2009.

ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE:

Along with offering a greater variety of holiday choices with flexibility for package customisation in all four vacation categories: Best Sellers, Rail and Drive Vacations, Rail and Cruise Vacations and the new Escorted Rail Tours, Rocky Mountaineer Vacations is also presenting as an exclusive offer to Rocky Mountaineer Escorted Tour guests, an add-on seven-night Alaska Cruise on Holland America’s luxurious ms Zuiderdam in a Deluxe Verandah Ocean View Stateroom, priced at AUD $1,746.00 per person, based on double occupancy.

Many of RMV’s unique vacation packages offer one or more of its spectacular rail routes including the Whistler Mountaineer train, which provides a vital connection between the 2010 Olympic Games destinations of Vancouver and Whistler, BC as well as the Rocky Mountaineer Fraser Discovery Route, which takes travellers through Western Canada’s gold rush region.All three routes for the Rocky Mountaineer train equally showcase the diverse beauty of Canada’s West and the Canadian Rockies.

Rocky Mountaineer Vacations offers unique Canadian vacation packages and four spectacular rail routes through British Columbia and Alberta. Best known for the world-acclaimed Rocky Mountaineer train, a two-day, all daylight rail journey through Canada’s West and the Canadian Rockies, the company also offers trips onboard the Whistler Mountaineer train, a daily three-hour experience between North Vancouver and Whistler, B.C. Since its inception in 1990, the company has grown to be the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America and welcomed its one millionth guest in 2008. In 2007, RMV was honoured with the World Travel Award as “World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train” for the third consecutive year and named by National Geographic as one of the “500 World’s Greatest Trips.”