1. Jasper-Prince Rupert, Canada

The Jasper-Prince Rupert is probably the least-known train operated by Via, Canada's long-distance rail operator, yet some rate it highest for scenery and character. It travels 725 miles between the former fur-trading post of Jasper and the port named after Prince Rupert, first governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, taking 31 hours and entailing an overnight stop in Prince George. The train features a dome car and offers refreshments, while the line immediately climbs to the continental divide in the Yellowhead Pass and passes Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. The route follows the Fraser River for much of its way to the sea, as well as the Rocky Mountain Trench. Landscapes include great stretches of wilderness, lakes and mountains punctuated by small settlements, farms and sawmills. Wildlife such as bear, moose, elk, deer, wolves, coyotes, eagles, hawks and seals may be seen during the trip, and numerous freight trains weighing up to 14,000 tonnes will be passed in the loops that punctuate the single‑track line. Many people use the train to reach a cruise along the Inside Passage back to Vancouver.

How to book

Via (viarail.ca)

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By Anthony Lambert