Trip Reports by our Clients:
FROM MONTREAL TO VICTORIA
by
Herb Treger
Sylvia:
Many thanks for a good trip. Here are a few observations:
Montreal: Hotel Gourverneur Place Dupuis was centrally located to the historic district and very quiet. My friend Dirk make a good choice for us.
Toronto: Fairmont Royal York was very elegant. I got a quiet room on an inside courtyard. The room was small but comfortable. I was quite pleased, and I remembered to have my Fairmount President's Club number entered into their system. I'd definitely go back there again. Good location.
Via Rail Canada Train #1 from Toronto to Vancouver: The roomette was a perfect recommendation. The food was good, I was able to sleep at night, and the rest of the travelers were congenial. The train is basically broken down into sections so there was one dining car and one dome car for every four or five sleepers so everyone got to know everyone else that used our diner and dome car, which made it nice. People got to talking with each other by the second day but the train was sure filled with the blue-hair set. I was one of the youngest on board.
Connection from Vancouver to Victoria on Pacific Coach Lines: That was seamless. The train pulled in (three hours late but I was on vacation so who cared), the bus station was right there and they gave me a ticket for my coupon, and I was off in about 30 minutes on the bus/ferry to Victoria.
Fairmont Empress: Noisy location right in the middle of downtown Victoria. I don't think there's a quiet room in the place. After four days and three nights on a train, I could have slept in the middle of a freeway so I didn't notice the trucks and buses and motorcycles. Room was nice but the menu in the restaurants was heavy, heavy food with no healthy selections. They did have free Internet, however, at the Business Center, so that made the place worthwhile.
Butchart Gardens: I spent the whole day there yesterday.
Trip Back from Vancouver to Washington: Almost a disaster. Air Canada Jazz uses small planes for the Victoria to Vancouver flight, and those jerks left behind in Victoria a number of bags for people connecting to the States due to weight restrictions. I can tell you there were some very irate people at Baggage Claim in Customs in Vancouver waiting for missing bags that were still sitting in Victoria. That was one of the dumbest stunts I've seen in 40 years of flying. Fortunately, there was another flight Victoria to Vancouver 20 minutes later and my bag was on it. I got to my Vancouver-Dulles flight with few minutes to spare. Once on board, I was upgraded to Economy Plus so got my wits about me and slept most of the way back here. Recommendation: Two hours is not enough time for a connection in Vancouver coming in from Victoria due to Air Canada's nonchalant attitude towards interline travelers. Try three hours the next time.
Next year's trip: I'm going to spend two full days in Vancouver, two full days in Victoria, and do Alaska cruise. I can't wait to go back. As I said, you're the world's greatest travel agent.
Many thanks.
Herb Treger
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