Norfolk, VA: My wife and I will be in Vancouver March 17-24, 2007 any sight seeing train suggestions?

Fred W. Frailey: Yes, the Rocky Mountaineer organization has a day trip from North Vancouver to the Whistler resort and back. Details are here.
Unless you're on Vancouver Island and have a day to spare, there's really nothing else.

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Bluffton, SC: What would recommend as the best Copper Canyon Tour? What do you think of Trains Unlimited Tours? Thanks, Bill

Fred W. Frailey: Bill, can't help you. I suspect any tour operator through Mexico's Copper Canyon will be satisfactory. One savvy travel agency on Canadian and Mexico rail tours is Accent On Travel, accentontravelusa.com -- 800-347-0645. Ask Ted or Sylvia what they think of Trains Unlimited. Whatever they say, I agree.

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Roanoke, VA: What trains have smoking cars?

Fred W. Frailey: To my knowledge, only Amtrak's Auto Train (which carries people and their cars overnight from Lorton VA near Washington DC to Sanford FL near Orlando) has a smoking compartment in its lounge cars. What typically occurs with other long distance trains is that they stop every hour or two and there's usually enough time to step off and light up.

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Nashville, TN: Do you have a recommended trip for my parents (77 and 80 years old) who are both in relatively good health. They are not accustomed to much travel, and my father becomes nervous if confused about details, etc. Mother would like to make the trans-Canada trip, but she is concerned about his not enjoying it because of stress. Would the trip still be enjoyable if they didn't get off and make side trips, but just stayed on the train?

Fred W. Frailey: It takes four days to get from Toronto to Vancouver on VIA Rail Canada's Canadian. I do not recommend that your parents attempt this trip -- it's a long time! Why not fly to Calgary and ride the Rocky Mountaineer from there to Vancouver over a two-day period, overnighting in a hotel in Kamloops BC. I cannot praise this service too much. Just be sure they have first-class tickets on this train, or they will be cheating themselves of a super experience.

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