In May and June 2023, we travelled from east to west across Canada. From Halifax in Nova Scotia to Montreal in Quebec, to Toronto in Ontario, to Vancouver and Whistler in British Columbia. Along the way some night trains and commuter trains, the Niagara Falls and – imagine this – a bus journey. A true Trans-Canada Train Trek.

To do something new and to keep hotel expenses slightly down, we did an overnight trip from Vancouver to Whistler. It’s renowned as one of the top destinations for outdoor recreational activities, particularly skiing and snowboarding. I had also heard of Whistler because of Whistler Pride and Ski Festival. 

Skylynx

To get there we took a a bus. YVR Skylynx links Vancouver Airport to Vancouver and Whistler. This company offers a toilet on the bus. The journey to and from the resort were pleasant and there’s nothing to report, really. On board WiFi did not work. The sticker warns you: “WiFi free”, not “Free WiFi”. Not the same. Sorry for that lame joke.

But the bus drivers were in a good and fun mood. 

Presentation

Whistler is situated in the Coast Mountains, about 120 kilometers or 75 miles north of Vancouver. It gained international recognition when it co-hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics along with Vancouver. The resort town is surrounded by beautiful mountain peaks, lush forests, and pristine lakes, making it a popular year-round destination.

During the winter season, Whistler is a premier ski resort, attracting thousands of visitors from around the world. It offers two world-class ski mountains: Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. These mountains provide a vast terrain with a variety of slopes suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced skiers and snowboarders.

In addition to skiing and snowboarding, Whistler offers a wide range of winter activities such as snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice skating, and even dog sledding. The village at the base of the mountains is filled with shops, restaurants, and accommodations,.

During the summer months, Whistler transforms into a hub for outdoor adventures. The mountains become popular for hiking, mountain biking, and zip-lining. The area is also known for its excellent golf courses, fishing spots, and scenic hiking trails.

The village itself offers a range of amenities and attractions, including spas, art galleries, boutique shops, and a thriving dining scene. Whistler hosts numerous events and festivals throughout the year, attracting both locals and tourists.

Whistler Village

Whistler Village is purpose-built as a resort and it looks like a theme park. Officially it’s a resort municipality, one of many types of municipalities Canada has. Look at the list on Wikipedia. It’s quirky. 

Whistler’s neighbourhoods and street names are very on the nose with Village Centre, Village North, Upper Village, Village Stroll, Village Square, Village Common, Mountain Square, Town Plaza etc. 

A lot of effort is being put it making it fun and cosy and it works. Yes, it has Disney vibes, but it works. 

The shops are obviously oriented at outdoors activities. There are quite a few bars, restaurants and cafés and hotels. 

Rainbow Park

We wanted to take the Whistler Village Gondola and / or the Excalibur Gondola up the mountain, but they were closed to the public for maintenance. Well, we say so, mountain bikers could use them to a point. Mountain biking was a thing. Later more on that. 

So, to stretch our legs we hiked walked to Rainbow Park. It looked like an easy hike through the woods, to Rainbow Park on the shore of Alta Lake. Rainbow Park closed two days after we were there and will reopen in June 2024.

The hike  is part of the Valley Trail and is not a hike. It’s a walk. The trail is asphalted. Which is nice but also a bummer. It was a nice walk, over 5 km return. So nothing too challenging. 

Single-use town?

As you will read in Danny‘s review of the Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre hotel next week, getting breakfast was quite an ordeal. 

I had been to the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainview earlier in the morning to go the gym there and I noticed how mountain biking was thé thing to in Whistler then. And it struck me: the whole resort municipality was geared toward mountain biking. Shops selling the necessary gear and bike racks everywhere. Also outside hotels. 

It was so omnipresent we felt almost not fitting in. 

So?

I can see the attraction of Whistler as a resort and as weekend or week getaway. It’s actually designed to entertain you for a week. In a way, it’s like a cruise ship. The amenities are planned out and designed to keep you busy. 

We were unlucky to be there during the gondola maintenance week and we’re not mountainbikers. 

2023 Trans-Canada Train Trek

1. REVIEW | Brussels Airlines Brussels to Munich in Economy.
2. REVIEW | Lufthansa Premium Economy Munich to Montreal.
3. REVIEW | Air Canada Economy Montreal to Halifax.
4. Flying Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa and Air Canada Brussels – Munich – Montreal – Halifax in minimal economy.
5. HALIFAX | Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.
6. REVIEW | The Westin Nova Scotian Halifax.
7. NOVA SCOTIA | Sampling Halifax.
8. REVIEW | VIA Rail Canada night train 15 ‘The Ocean’ from Halifax to Montreal.
9. QUEBEC | Meandering Montreal.
10. REVIEW | InterContinental Montreal.
11. FORMULA 1 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal track walk.
12. MONTREAL | Dining solo at Monarque felt like being part of a tv show.
13. MONTREAL | Exporail – Canadian Railway Museum in Saint-Constant.
14. REVIEW | VIA Rail train Montreal to Toronto in business class.
15. ONTARIO | Touring Toronto.
16. REVIEW | Little Canada museum in Toronto.
17. TORONTO | CN Tower.
18. REVIEW | Residence Inn by Marriott Toronto Downtown / Entertainment District.
19. CANADA | Train excursion to Niagara Falls.
20. THE CANADIAN | Day 1: boarding in Toronto and crossing Ontario.
21. THE CANADIAN | Days 2 & 3: Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
22. THE CANADIAN | From Jasper via the Rocky Mountains to Kamloops and Vancouver.
23. Life on board VIA Rail’s The Canadian: eating, sleeping, showering and keeping busy.
24. Is the four-day The Canadian night train journey something for you?.
25. REVIEW | VIA Rail’s The Canadian four-day night train from Toronto to Vancouver.
26. Discovering Vancouver.
27. REVIEW | Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront Vancouver.