Which Trains Have The Best Possible Food Service?

[Devil's Advocate]

Let's talk about the best food you've ever had (or wanted to have) on a train. I'm not exactly a huge fan of Amtrak food but I am curious to expand my mobile dining horizons to include tourist trains and foreign luxury lines. I was recently asked if I wanted to join someone for dinner on the Hill Country Flyer. It sounded nice until I did a little research and discovered it's apparently nothing more than a boxed meal for this particular trip. In other countries I've visited the trains were either run like buses on rails or they traveled so fast that there was little need or desire for substantial food service. But I'm confident that someone here knows of a train or two that would impress even the pickiest gourmand among us.

 

[jim hudson]

I haven't done it yet (it's on the bucket list) but VIA's LD trains,the Canadian and the Ocean :wub: have a pretty impressive menu in heritage diners that are part of a long conisist of heritage coaches, dome cars, sleepers and lounge/dome cars! Serice is reported by all riders to be fantastic with outstanding food and drink, it's pricey but worth it all agree!

Hope to find out this winter!

 

[the_traveler]

I haven't done it, but the Cape Cod Railroad (Tourist Line) has a cooked-on-board gourmet dinner train!

(It's been featured on Food Channel and/or Travel Channel as one of the best!

) Also the Essex Valley Railroad (Tourist Line in CT) has (or at least had) a dinner train with cooked-on-board meals - and pulled by a steam locomotive!

 

[AlanB]

I haven't done it yet (it's on the bucket list) but VIA's LD trains,the Canadian and the Ocean :wub: have a pretty impressive menu in heritage diners that are part of a long conisist of heritage coaches, dome cars, sleepers and lounge/dome cars! Serice is reported by all riders to be fantastic with outstanding food and drink, it's pricey but worth it all agree!

Hope to find out this winter!

I just got an email from VIA today that says that they're having a 50% off sale right now. Book between now and Nov 30 to get the sale price, travel between October 14 and December 14, 2010 (inclusive) and between January 5 and

February 28, 2011 (inclusive).

Details here.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I just got an email from VIA today that says that they're having a 50% off sale right now. Book between now and Nov 30 to get the sale price, travel between October 14 and December 14, 2010 (inclusive) and between January 5 and February 28, 2011 (inclusive).

This sounds like my kind of discount. However, I don't know much about VIA. What would you recommend for a first timer?

 

[AlanB]

I just got an email from VIA today that says that they're having a 50% off sale right now. Book between now and Nov 30 to get the sale price, travel between October 14 and December 14, 2010 (inclusive) and between January 5 and February 28, 2011 (inclusive).

This sounds like my kind of discount. However, I don't know much about VIA. What would you recommend for a first timer?

With the understanding that I've only done the Canadian so far, I'd still say that should be your first choice. However, if you find that the prices are still a bit higher than you'd rather pay, heading to Halifax would be a great second choice. But the Canadian is where VIA puts it's money, at least on the LD's, and it is their premier train and this is a great deal IMHO!