Independent Winter Touring
Don’t let the cold and snow stop you from exploring this magical country during winter. Enjoy the flexibility of a self drive holiday that will allow you to experience adventure, action and excitement only available during this time of the year.
If you’re a keen skier or snowboarder a great trip is through the Canadian Rockies stopping for a few days in each area to enjoy the fresh powder and also take in the magnificent mountains.
Begin your journey in Banff where you will be able to explore the ski fields of Sunshine, Lake Louise and Mt Norquay. Be sure to visit one of the many museums and take in the view of the majestic river from Banff Village.
After a few days of exploring Lake Louise and Banff, head north through the Rockies to Jasper, making sure to stop at the Colombia Icefields to view the mighty glacier. In Jasper you will be able to ski Marmot Basin, a good ski field which is uncrowded and laid back. Often it is only the locals you will find here and have a good chance to have fresh powder all to yourself.
Or if you would prefer to let someone else do the driving, hop on a train and see the woods in all their frosty splendour from the warmth and comfort of your rail car. You will be pampered as you glide through the breathtaking snow covered scenery of forests, mountains and lakes. Via Rail will take you across Canada from Vancouver to Toronto allowing you to see the country like never before or enjoy a smaller journey through the Rocky Mountains.
Firesides and Snowflakes
A very relaxing tour that combines spectacular sightseeing with plenty of time to explore and discover the mountain settings of Lake Louise, Jasper and Banff.
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Metropolitan Winter Experience
Canada’s cosmopolitan cities are yours to discover – the finest in nightlife, entertainment, shopping and dining. You’ll journey between each city in style aboard VIA Rail.
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Winter Wonderland
Consistently our best selling winter rail tour. This trip covers both rail and luxury coach travel, plus plenty of time to explore the alpine towns of Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff.
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Travel Blog
We were up bright eyes and bushy tailed (well beady eyes and bushed tails!) at 4.30am this morning for our transfer from Banff to Calgary. All our drivers have been really friendly and chatty but I was quietly relieved when this driver discretely turned off the bus lights 10 minutes after the journey began to let us continue sleeping.
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I woke early to the sound of the snow plows heading up the mountain - what a perfect alarm clock at a ski resort. After a hearty breakfast and purchasing a bright pink crash helmet we headed up the mountain for a full day skiing. We paid for ski lessons in the morning and then used the expertise of the mountain hosts in the afternoon. All these guys (and girls) are awesome and so knowledgeable.
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We skied the whole day today at Silver Star in British Columbia, Canada and we had perfect blue skies, no wind and only one or two people on any run we went on - unmatched skiing conditions. This day has officially gone down as my skiing day highlight. WOW.
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