Think back to the last time you took a train ride. No, the SkyTrain doesn't count. Unlike European cities connected by rail links that encourage quick weekend getaways, Vancouver offers few opportunities to ride the iron tracks. You can zip down to Seattle on Amtrak, of course, or take Via Rail's gorgeous but pricey overnight journey to Jasper. And as of May 1, there's another option that recalls the days of the Royal Hudson.

Rocky Mountaineer Vacations has started a new train service from Vancouver to Whistler. The Whistler Mountaineer runs every day both northbound and southbound along the stunning Sea to Sky route. No more surreptitious glances at the sparkling Pacific Ocean while driving the curvy highway: the train trip is all about relaxing and taking in the view around every bend.

The ride lasts three hours each way. The 227-metre passenger train has nine cars and two classes: regular “Coast Classic” and “Glacier” glass-domed cars with better views and upgraded service. Travellers in both have access to an open-air heritage observation car that was built in 1914. Coast Classic has picture windows and unassigned seating (sprint for the ocean-side view!) and includes a “light meal” at your seat each way. Besides that glassed-in panorama, the Glacier Dome has fancier dining, with a hot breakfast served outbound from Vancouver and high tea with finger sandwiches and petits fours offered on china during the return journey.

You can book one-way or round-trip, and either stay the night in Whistler or return the same day. If you choose a day trip, the trains are timed to give you about 90 minutes in Whistler after you've made it from the station to the village. That's hardly long enough to do anything except have lunch, but the train journey, not the destination, is the point.

The Mountaineer departs North Vancouver at 8:30 a.m. and arrives in Whistler at 11:30 a.m. It leaves Whistler at 2:30 p.m. and pulls in to North Vancouver at 5:30 p.m. Transportation from downtown Vancouver to the North Vancouver rail depot and from the Whistler rail station into Whistler Village is included in the fare.

The journey doesn't come cheap: prices seem geared to cruise-ship visitors, starting at $99 one-way per person for the regular class and $169 one-way for the dome car. A regular-class round trip costs $179 per person””that's a lot for locals to pay for a day's entertainment, without even budgeting for an overpriced burger in Whistler! Cheaper packages are available if you opt for a much less romantic return by Gray Line bus. At $164 for a regular-class train package, you only save $15 but gain some time to explore the village, as the motor coach leaves Whistler at 4 p.m. Packages that include a hotel stay are also available.

If you think you ever might want to do this trip, now is the time. The company is promoting great rates for B.C. residents only. A regular-class return journey (that's both ways) is on sale for $99 per person. To travel one-way in regular class but return in the domed car, you pay a total of $134 plus GST. You must book before June 30, but can travel anytime before October 16. However, you need to select a specific date, and seats are limited: the random summer-weekend dates I punched into the on-line reservations system all returned “unavailable”.

For more information, see www.whistlermountaineer.com/ or reserve by phone at 604-606-8460.