Welcome to Travel Intently, hosted by Gail and David. We're here to share current and upcoming travel adventures, seeking out special places across the globe and looking to connect with local cultures wherever we go. Our specialty is long distance walking and we have thousands of kilometres under our belts traipsing across Spain, France, Britain, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, Peru and Japan. And we love trains!
Through our videos, we hope to inspire you to try low-carbon, close to the earth travel alternatives. We'll show you what to expect for each adventure and follow-up with practical tips-packing, equipment, planning-so you can do it yourself.
The Via Francigena continues! Thanks for this excellent review, packed with facts, photos and food. Wishing you well as you embark on the final stage of this magnificent recreation of an ancient pilgrimage 🚶
That was a very interesting walk, passing places seldom, if ever, discussed in Winnipeg tourist information. The plane tour and the great turnout at Western Canada Museum of Aviation was good to see. Thanks / merci.
Thanks so much for your service. We know that the town will rebound, to the credit of fire fighters such as you who saved much of the town in the face of an overwhelming natural disaster.
This was very helpful. Thank you! Can you go up and down the steps to the upper bunk while the door is closed, or does it have to be open while climbing up and down?
Thanks! Yes, you can go up and down with the door closed. It’s good to have slip on footwear set up on the floor since it’s difficult to bend down with the door closed. The steps are easy to navigate but try to sleep in the upper bunk with your feet facing the steps. I’ve noticed that the upper bunk linens tends to be set up so your head faces the steps but it’s very difficult to turn yourself around up there in order to get down the steps.
I love you guys. I really appreciate educated and well spoken tourists who consider Morocco to be a country of a 1001 mysteries. You guys have spent a lot of money but got the most out of it in the best possible way, I hope you enjoyed every minute. Please consider Morocco to be your second home and don’t hesitate to visit again.
Play it ... for old times' sake. Beautiful sights, sounds and food. The photographic juxtaposition of Art Deco Architecture and palm trees was a real treat 🌴
Interesting walks, punctuated by surrounding sounds. At times, I missed the informative, well-articulated narrations of David and Gail. Your perambulations in alleys were especially enjoyable.
Thank you for posting this. For someone looking into a future trip, your experience is something of a goal. I was initially drawn to the videos covering the high-end hotels and luxury bookings, but reality settled in. The average visitor on a budget seemed to have negative experiences with those targeting foreign visitors. You were able to smartly avoid all of that in your planning. Glad you had such a wonderful trip. I hope I have as much luck.
Thanks! Aside from our last night in Morocco we stayed in medinas. It was nice to be clear n the heart of the city and in traditional lodgings, which were always quite remarkable and unique.
The Flex-Dining menu SUCKS (I can get better food via Uber-Eats or Door-Dash) on the overnight trains East of the Mississippi and the Snack-Car Attendants will not mix your adult-beverages. All the ingredients will be tossed into a cardboard box and shoved in your face for $20...
Hello!! This video popped up in my recommendations and I'm so glad it did. I am in Winnipeg too. I am planning some solo trips next year on Via Rail. I will plan in advance so that I can book the single roomette. It's a case of I want a trip, and the roomette, less concerned about when and where I go. I didn't know about the no Wi-Fi. Somehow I missed that in all my research so thank you! I will bring extension cords and extra power banks for my devices. I will download books and some movies and tv shows and I should be set. I do have a question the extras (shampoo etc.). Are those only in a cabin for 2 or will I get that in the single roomette? I won't be doing the berths. I want the extra security of a door.
Thanks for watching. I’ve done the single bedroom though it’s been a while. I believe there is an electric outlet in it so a power bank is likely not necessary. It’s the berths that have no outlet. Be aware that the bedroom doors only lock from the inside. They can’t be locked when you leave. You should get shampoos and soap included. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Have a great trip!
Hi, thanks for this video. My husband and I would be going to Tangier this coming Saturday and hsve plans to visit Chefchaouen during one of the days we are there. May I know what ‘clock cafe’ you were referring to in your video? You mentioned it twice sad kinda caught my attention :-)
Thanks! Clock Cafe should pop up if you search in Google Maps. Or your hotel hosts should be able to point you in the right direction. It’s fairly well known. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Have a great trip!
I’m going on the southbound coast starlight from Portland to Oxnard on August 25th/26th in a sleeping car for the first time in a really long long time!
Beautiful colours and textures. Many interesting appearances of four-footed friends! Delicious food served in marvellous surroundings. Loved the live music at end 🎶
I love a low and slow cross country train trip in my private roomette. My last trip was the Empire Builder Chicago to Seattle. The dining room food was excellent
Beautiful photos of Tangier. This is, dare I say, a very tasty video; makes me want to say, Bon appetit! Thanks for sharing the information about writers who spent time in Tangier ✒️ 📚
Glad you enjoyed it. Tangier often gets a bad rap. People come over on a day trip from Spain but it takes a couple of days to get to know the place…and enjoy its wonderful restaurants.
What a scary fall. Gail was intent on her job of walking for the video. How scary to tuen around and see David on the ground. I'm glad to read you are healing up nicely.❤
Thanks for your concern. It was definitely a shock to see David sprawled on the ground! However he’s recovering well and we will be back on the rails and trails soon enough. Stay tuned!
Do you recommend tipping as you go or wait til the end of the trip? i.e. tip at the end of each meal leaving it on the table? How would you tip the room attendant each night since the bed isn't down when you leave for them to get room ready?
We will generally tip after a meal and leave it on the table unless there happens to be a tip jar in the dining car. For the room/car attendant, we usually tip at the end of a trip although you might want to ask if there is a staff change along the route (there usually is on our Winnipeg to Vancouver run) and make sure the attendant gets the tip before departing.
I've watched a lot of travel videos, in particular train related trips, and yours are certainly in the top tier. Love your photographic and editing style (very professional) and the narration is also great. Looking forward to "riding along" on your next adventure.
My husband and I will be in a bedroom for a round trip on the Texas Eagle in October; sounds like it should be pretty comfortable! I've heard plenty of complaints about the Flex dining on the "Eaglette" and most East Coast Amtrak trains, but hopefully it'll be better than the Cafe Car food we ate on our Kansas City trip last year. The "traditional dining" offered on most Western Amtrak routes (including the Texas Eagle west of San Antonio) is probably the closest to that available in VIA Rail's dining cars -- although the VIA meals sound even tastier!
You will enjoy the bedroom. You are likely correct about the Flex menu. We haven’t had a chance to try it but have heard it is not as good as the traditional menu (great steaks!). Our unbiased Canadian opinion is that the food and dining experience on the Canadian is the best of the lot.
One can get oodles of AGR points for signing up for an AGR credit card (currently offered via FNBO); don't know if those are available to travelers from outside the USA, though. Besides the bonus points, the big advantage of having an AGR credit card is that one's AGR points don't expire as long as the credit card remains active; without an AGR credit card, AGR points expire in 2 years if not used.
I've heard of one gal who used to give lessons on Tunisian crochet (she called it "railway knitting") on the Canadian; don't know if she's still doing that, though.
@@TravelIntently I brought my crochet with me on Amtrak last fall, and plan to do so again this fall on the Texas Eagle. Which project I bring will depend on how much room I have for yarn and hooks, and on whether or not I already have the pattern memorized.
Yes, Gail and I are watching the situation closely. The Jasper stopover on The Canadian has always been a highlight. We will be passing through in January 2025. It will be an interesting, maybe heartbreaking experience.
@@TravelIntently Just saw an update on the Amtrak Unlimited forums about Jasper. It sounds like the Jasper train station may have been spared, and that "significant equipment" was moved from the Jasper train yard out of the path of the wildfire.
Although the Canadian is passing through Jasper without stopping, VIA is saying the Jasper stop will resume in September. There is a warning, however, that the start date for service to Jasper may be postponed. The CBC is reporting that at this time visitors are strongly discouraged from visiting Jasper. For one thing, there are no restaurants or hotels available for tourists. There were checkpoints on the roads leading into Jasper, but these have been removed. But the RCMP will be telling tourists to move on. It is a stressful time for those residents who are returning, especially those who have lost their homes or businesses.
VIA Rail's Preference program sounds a lot like the Amtrak Guest Rewards program. My husband and I were able to use AGR points to book a trip to Kansas City last year, and hope to use AGR points to book an even longer trip next year. (Paid cash for this year's trip, though.)
The points programs are similar. I’ve been travelling on The Canadian for a number of years, one trip each year, slowly building points but never having enough for a trip. But last year Via Rail changed their points system and seem to be pouring them on. I’ve ended up with two free long train rides on The Canadian in the last year!
The Congress Plaza is actually south of the Loop, hence the neighborhood moniker South Loop. Van Buren Street (400 S) is the southern boundary of the Loop, and that's 8 blocks north of Congress. Michigan Ave is out of the Loop as well, east of Wabash.
Great walk after the ballgame. Loved the cinematography, especially featuring Gold Coast architecture. Very interesting to see the old buildings and, I believe, wrought iron fencing. Filmed in 4K, viewing on my cellular phone didn't do justice to these marvellous vignettes of Chicago on a windy night. Thanks!
It was a memorable walk in many ways. Just after passing the Lincoln Hotel I had a major fall resulting in a broken collar bone. But I’m recovering well. And it didn’t stop us from completing the walk and video. A dish of gelato at Mariano Park certainly helped!
Fall down. Go boom. Get up. Go zoom 💪 🚶Very interesting to see so many illuminated buildings. And all the tour boats. There seemed to be a slow-cruising yacht following you 🛥️ Thanks for sharing your nocturnal, riverside walk in Chicago.
I really enjoyed the cicadas in the background. I would say, in this area, once every 17 years these musical insects are "clapping" for Frank Lloyd Wright. Also, the cicadas went well with the sound of Gail's footsteps. I trust you enjoyed your craft beer while listening to Trombone Shorty & The Cicadas 🎶
