A Perfect Day Trip on the Rails | GRAND CANYON RAILWAY | Pullman and Coach Class Experiences

[@tessariffle9483]

Hi I’m the attendant that was running the Pullman car on this day! This was so cool to see what you see as a passenger and to see the workplace I fell in love with again! So cool! The train is the optimal option of getting the best experience out of your trip to the Grand Canyon. Especially for out of state/country folks!

[@CactusAtlas]

Why hi there! So glad you found us! That day actually was one of our favorite experiences we've had since starting our little adventure here on KZbin and 100% agree with you about the train being the best experience especially if paired with a stay at the canyon. Still hoping to check that one off our list one day in addition to experiencing the other class cars but we think we'll still be partial to that Pullman. Something about the history of that car... 🤩 Thanks for stopping by and commenting. 😄

[@clydeprather941]

I lived in South Rim Grand Canyon National Park for 5 years, working at Bright Algel Restaurant. During mid- summer, you can take the steam locomotive!! ( Bring your own sack lunch)!!

[@CactusAtlas]

The train ride is still one of favorite canyon visits to this day. Living there though! What was THAT like?? 😯

[@richardbeee]

Choo-choo. 😊 I travel a lot by train. Six times from Kingman to Chicago. Love it.

[@CactusAtlas]

So cool! Always wanted to do a longer distance train trip. Longest I did was from London to Paris which is only a couple hours.

[@IronHorsefan1869]

Great Video! that steam locomotive is actually a Northern Pacific Locomotive that was recently moved back to my home state of Washington, and the diesels pulling the train you were on are former Amtrak F40 locomotives, I'm also a desert and train enthusiast

[@CactusAtlas]

Yup. Once a month (plus Earth day and the railway's anniversary) they take the steam engines out.

[@clydeprather941]

JEROME!!

[@joywyse6996]

Thanks Glenn and Amy. This is a beautiful train ride and fun too. I've been to the GC but not since 2009. I want to return. Never seen it in the wintertime and want to do that.

[@CactusAtlas]

The train is completely fun and highly recommended. We, too, still need to see the Grand Canyon in winter with some snow.

[@Zackman217]

I think it was 2006 or 2007 that I went to the Grand Canyon for the first time. It's an amazing trip, especially the train ride. There's a lot of entertainment to keep you in the mood as you journey up to the south rim of the canyon, the train robbery is the one that really gets you excited, it's like you're now part of an old western movie or TV show. If I go back to Arizona just to visit the Grand Canyon again I would definitely do that.

[@CactusAtlas]

Exactly! Couldn't have stated it better. Those reasons are why I'm itching to go back again too (and maybe try to sit on the side the robbers ride up on). 😋

[@RishiDevanoor]

thank you for the pullman vs coach car details,. appreciate the specifics here.

[@CactusAtlas]

No problem! We were curious about the differences ourselves so set out to see. Hoping one day to cover the other classes as well. One day! 😄

[@GiovannyTornell-yn9gv]

I Love Grand Cayman Arizona and the other Canyon

[@timbreedlove1385]

Fantastic video thanks so much will be there soon for my first experience of the grand canyon.

[@CactusAtlas]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy your time there! 😄

[@melissamiles788]

Thank you for the information you provided. We booked a package with the grand canyon railway hotel. 2 nights in Williams with a stay in the park in the middle. We booked the first train car you rode in. Looking forward to our visit even more after watching your video. Thank you!

[@CactusAtlas]

Glad our video was helpful! Sounds like a wonderful trip! 😊

[@anabriones2175]

Love it! Your video was informative!

[@CactusAtlas]

Thank you so much! We love hearing that! 😄

[@UPES2018]

I was just over there, they run steam once a month on a Saturday.

[@whiterationalism4253]

This was fantastic. Better than Rick Steves...you really did a great job. Thanks for sharing this..now I want to go.

[@CactusAtlas]

Oh gosh! Thanks so much for the compliment! We're glad you enjoyed our video! 😄

[@maddrake3559]

Wow! What a very informative video. I just booked my annual trip with grandkids for the three night experience. I didn't even know what to expect. I'm a native Tucsonan, and shockingly, I've never been to the Grand Canyon. I'm so excited now to do this. Great video!

[@CactusAtlas]

Oh wow! You're all in for a treat then! Sounds like it's going to be a memorable trip and we wish you a fantastic journey. 😄 Thanks so much for watching and the kind comment.

[@74beeper97]

Great review! I just booked a 2 night stay at the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel for next month. Looking forward to the train ride. My 3 year old boy is a train FANATIC and this will be his first real train ride. Really excited! Thanks for all the information. It was a big help!

[@CactusAtlas]

Glad to hear and happy to help! Your son is going to LOVE the ride. It's honestly such fun! 😄

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Love it. Great footage of your train ride and very informative. Absolutely loved you old time black and white introduction. 👍🏼

[@CactusAtlas]

Why thanks! That was one of our favorite adventures of 2019. Looking forward to going back and doing it again! Thanks for watching!

[@LONDONCITYWALK]

Very nice video keep it up watching from London stay connected new friend here

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks so much!

[@k-grannysophia3994]

Grand Canyon by train ? sounds more exciting. I was there in 1992. Whewww.... nearly 30 years ago.. I was rather young like you..... time flies .

[@CactusAtlas]

Grand Canyon by train is definitely a completely different experience. We loved it! 👍

[@ColoradoMartini]

That intro is fabulous. My mom use to love that train. Have you ever done the one in Durango. It is expensive, but so worth it. Spend the money and get first class. You will be glad you did. I do historical travel video myself. Glad we found you.

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks so much! No, the Grand Canyon Railway is the only train trip we've taken and Colorado is a state we haven't managed to get to just yet. One day!

[@BNSF36542]

@@CactusAtlas Thanks for showing part of the cafe car. I saw the Lay's Chips, but I couldn't tell if there were any candy bars onboard for purchase.

[@CactusAtlas]

No problem! It's been a while since we went and I can't really remember every item they had. For some reason I don't remember candy sticking out. Mostly just snacks and beverages.

[@BNSF36542]

@@CactusAtlas Well I'm going to try to do something that would make the cafe car even better even some of the concessions in the first class, dome class, or even the luxury parlor. But that's not going to be until 2022.

[@CactusAtlas]

I hear you. We'd love to experience those class cars too but it might be a while before we feel comfortable. One day! 😄

[@kathleenernst7935]

Loved your video and especially the suggestion - to change to the a/c car on the return from the Grand Canyon. We are making plans to visit the area in either mid-August or mid-September 2021. Thanks again. Safe Travels!

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks! Yes, if you are planning to visit around that time of the year and the train is an activity on your list, definitely recommend an air conditioned car during peak temps. While the Pullman is fun, it was just too warm back there.

[@AdCosmo]

Amazing video. I searched for "pullman" to find out about it, and you cover almost everything about the trip.

[@CactusAtlas]

Nice! Glad our video was helpful! 😄

[@ridered7262]

Nice video, Wife and I did this a couple years ago. Definitely a nice fun ride and something different to do. Thanks for the video! We did it in the winter so alot cooler temp and not nearly as many people.

[@CactusAtlas]

It truly is a different way to do things and an experience we'd love to do again. Might have to try winter! Thanks for the comment and watching! 😃

[@ridered7262]

@@CactusAtlas Thank you, Nice to run up the hill and get out of the valley for the day.

[@Sukyayu1116]

thanks for this video! It helps a lot on the trip planning!

[@CactusAtlas]

You're so welcome! Glad you found it helpful. 😄

[@bechabeemusic915]

Wow, I wish I can come there one day 😍👏👍🙂❤️

[@CactusAtlas]

I hope so too! It's a fantastic place!

[@kathleenernst7935]

All booked for the GCRR for late September - can't wait. Able to snag a date - one which I had not planned on - but rearranged our itinerary and all is good right now. Question? We are heading over to Williams from Flagstaff early in the a.m. the day of. There is a parking area to leave our vehicle for the day? Thanks again. Happy Trails! PS - my Dad worked for AT & SF (NYC offices) and going to were my SF hat!

[@CactusAtlas]

Awesome! You're going to have a fantastic time. They really do an excellent job in keeping guests entertained we think. As for parking... oh yes! Plenty of parking is available right next to the depot & hotel in Williams. When we went we had time to grab breakfast in Williams and still find plentiful parking in the lot.

[@TonniMojumdar]

Nice upload Big like

[@CactusAtlas]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@TravelSzN]

wow that looks so beautiful, thanks for sharing your amazing footage! new friend here!

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks so much! Glad that you enjoyed the video. It was definitely one of our favorites. 😊

[@PopleBackyardFarm]

I love trains it's been awhile since I got to ride one

[@CactusAtlas]

Yeah, that trip was my first time. Was so much fun. Look forward to doing that again sometime.

[@brettweary8491]

We Miss-the Beard from Your Far West Cemetery Trip

[@CactusAtlas]

😄 Glenn's beard comes and goes throughout our videos.

[@MAnuscript421]

Going to the Grand Canyon has always been on my bucket list. Taking a train ride there adds a new level of awesomeness to the trip and makes it more unique. How long is the train ride from Williams to the Grand Canyon?

[@CactusAtlas]

It really enhances the experience we think. Just over two hours.

[@citycam1565]

superb trip

[@CactusAtlas]

Yes it was! Thanks for watching!

[@Slurrpee]

excellent vid!

[@CactusAtlas]

Thank you so much!

[@cacatr4495]

09:58 That's a Bighorn Sheep Ewe (not a "mountain goat".) Bighorn Sheep live in areas of Arizona that are amazing for them to traverse. They're not mountain goats.

[@CactusAtlas]

Ah. Thank you. Hard to get words right when you're in the moment.

[@PanhandleHopper]

Great video. Thanks for taking us along on your trip. Other than towards the end, did you get any views of the canyon during the train ride, or was it all the wide open landscape?

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks for watching and your comment! 😊 No, unfortunately other than the fleeting view of the canyon from the train as it is slowing down to arrive at the Grand Canyon Railway Station, there aren't any views of it during the ride. It really is mostly open landscape and a few areas of regional trees.

[@anneregh3592]

Bighorn Sheep. not a Mountain Goat. Nice Video!

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks so much for the comment! Glad you enjoyed it. 😊 Someone else pointed that error out as well. LOL. Unfortunately we can't edit the video or go back in time to correct what we said. If only we could! 😅

[@md8744]

Hi Sir. I am from California so where we are going to stay in to get that train tour easier, hotels too? Thank you.

[@cherrymaldonado4516]

Hi, I'm from CA as well. We stayed in Williams where the train depot is located.

[@MonacoMike]

Would you recommend sitting on one particular side of the train riding up and then back? Is there a charge for riding the shuttles around inside of the park?

[@CactusAtlas]

No charge for shuttles in the park. As for the best side, for the most part, not much difference in scenery on either side of the train. A couple exceptions might be: on the trip to the canyon, if you are the left, you will briefly see the canyon for a few seconds when you arrive. See 6:57. On the way back, there is a mock train robbery. The robbers appeared on horseback on the left side of the train. Finally, on to trip to the canyon, the San Francisco peaks of Flagstaff are visible to your right, and on the return trip to the left. So if I had it to do all over again, I would choose the left side on the ride back from the canyon, and on the way up, if I had to choose, the left again for that brief glimpse of the canyon you get, but other than that, it doesn’t matter too much.

[@MonacoMike]

@@CactusAtlas Many thanks for the reply. We'll be traveling in a 45' Class A and had also thought about staying in the campground in the park but I think it might be to tight for us to get into. Is there only one train that makes one trip a day? I didn't know whether or not if we stayed in the park if it would be possible to take a train ride into Wilson and back in a day.

[@CactusAtlas]

I believe there is only one train a day. Departs Williams in the morning. The train ride is a little over 2 hours one way. Then, a few hours later, the train leaves the canyon and heads back to Williams about mid afternoon. They do have packages for staying overnight at the canyon. But, I am not sure they have something where you can do it in reverse (canyon to Williams and back again). If they do, you would be departing the canyon in the afternoon, would need to spend the night in Williams, and then return the next morning.

[@MonacoMike]

@@CactusAtlas Tnx. I guess I suspected that. Does the train turn around or go backwards when returning?

[@CactusAtlas]

Funny you ask. My wife and I had a friendly debate about that before the return trip. She thought it would go backwards and I thought it would go forwards. They actually do turn it around somehow and I never conceptualized how they actually do that. Pretty neat though!

[@realestateconsultant]

What happened to the cowboys, bandits and entertainment?

[@CactusAtlas]

The entertainment is woven throughout the experience. Prior to boarding the train in Williams, there is a little comedic shoot out that the passengers get to watch. They then accompany guests up to the Grand Canyon where on the return trip they "hold up" the train. Essentially the train slows down so they can board and "rob" (get tips). As for the bandits... Not really sure if the Sheriff ever caught them 😉 but they did all wish us well when the day was over. It really makes for a fun experience I thought! Much more of an experience than just a train ride.

[@GratefulOverlander]

👍🇺🇸👍🇺🇸

[@gstiles7]

oh you meant the big red caboose, I thought you were talking about the butt shot Amy got while you were walking :)

[@CactusAtlas]

Lol! Actually, that is in fact what she meant. Glad you caught on to that! 😉

[@AADHIRAINTERIORS1908]

💖💖💖hey friend...realy superb video...💖💖💖you always give your best...keep grow...my frd...stay connect my frd...travel with💖💖💖 AIG DESIGNERS family..💖💖💖.

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks so much!

[@thepittsburghpirate]

This was a good video, except that the camera technique was bad. The camera was way too close to his face and distracted me to the point that I almost stopped watching.

[@CactusAtlas]

Thank you so much for your valuable input. However, if you notice, this video is almost 3 years old. We've changed cameras several times, have improved our filming, and have put out plenty more videos since then for you to peruse. 😊