5 reasons Rocky Mountaineer pairs perfectly with a cruise to Alaska

With three incredible rail routes to choose from, a Rocky Mountaineer luxury train journey is the perfect way to see Western Canada, from Vancouver on the Pacific Coast to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies. But if you’re looking for a longer holiday or one exploring further afield while still taking care of all those little details, pairing your train journey with a cruise to Alaska could be the answer. Here are five great reasons to consider a cruise and rail getaway:

Rocky Mountaineer travels in British Columbia and Alberta, offering travellers a diverse range of landscapes as they travel between Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies: temperate rainforest, rivers crashing through canyons and charming mountain towns in the shadow of immense snowy peaks. But an Alaska cruise will add glacial fjords, fishing villages and maybe a whale or two to that list of sights.

On Rocky Mountaineer, you’ll see parts of Western Canada that you can't reach any other way - mostly untouched by humans. Likewise, there are Alaskan bays, calving glaciers and remote inlets that can exclusively be reached by ship. Departing from Vancouver, you’ll cruise the Inside Passage route - a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Read next: Why everyone should experience Rocky Mountaineer

If you’re the type of traveller that prefers to take care of all the details before you leave home, combining a Rocky Mountaineer train journey with an Alaska cruise streamlines your vacation planning. Everything from accommodation, activities, sightseeing and even meals can be planned, leaving you with nothing more pressing to do on your vacation than to “ooh” and “ahh” - whether over the scenery or the chef’s dessert creation.

With 40% of Rocky Mountaineer guests combining their train journey with an Alaska cruise, you’ll find conservations flow and new friends are easily made. In fact, 60% of train guests have taken a cruise in the past five years - proof that rail and sail is a winning combination!

Vancouver is the western departure or arrival point for Rocky Mountaineer as well as the home port for many Alaska cruises, which makes combining the two experiences seamless. Rocky Mountaineer offers frequent scheduled departures from April to October, with dates very similar to the cruise season. Coordinating your rail and ship departure, along with time for sightseeing in Vancouver, couldn’t be easier.