Jasper to Vancouver in Via Rail Economy

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Like the train to Jasper, the schedule is designed so that the most spectacular part is traveled in the day. So this time we left in the afternoon. And I was gratefully assigned a seat to myself, as were most other single travelers in the car. There was also an incredible amount of leg room between the seats. But no amount of leg room can make for a comfortable night’s sleep. The night was spent at uncomfortable angles, trying to squeeze into the small space created by two seats, and mentally inventorying all the places that would hurt the next morning. I focused on reminding myself that I would soon be home and in my own bed.

Traveling in economy was quieter than I imagined. I and most other travelers occupied ourselves with taking pictures from our seats and watching movies on our laptops (thanks to the 2 power plugs for each pair of seats). And though there was only 1 ‘sky view’ cabin for 3 cars of economy passengers, there were seats available when I went up.

And while the journey up, in the sleeper class, was filled with older more international travelers. Economy had fewer seniors, more families and a mix of Canadians and international travelers.

As the train drew up to the Vancouver station, the passengers who had been on the train since Toronto and apparently bonded over the 4 nights gravitated together for farewells and to see where each was off to next. They all appeared to have taken advantage of the 75% off sale and agreed that the four rough nights were worth the sites through the Rockies. And they all joked about staying away from the ‘dangerous’ Main & Hastings area. Here, I had to chime in. I would warn Alaska Cruise, Rocky Mountaineer, Fairmount staying tourists to stay clear of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. But it really isn’t as bad as its reputation.

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