All aboard a historic train to the Grand Canyon
Take advantage of the fewer crowds of winter season and get on a train — a vintage one, even — for a short and sweet tour of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Deal-wise, it’s a superb time to hop aboard.
Deal: Half of the Grand Canyon Railway’s “50/50″ deal involves discounted accommodations ($109 per night, pre-tax) at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, Arizona, 65 miles away from the park’s South Rim. In addition, you get round-trip, coach-class travel on its train trip to and from the park for 50% off the normal price.
High-season rates at the hotel generally run $169 per night, and train tickets are usually $65 per adult. Thus, with this package and in this low season, you’ll save significantly, paying as little as $174 per couple for a night’s stay and a train trip.
This adventure is more about the journey (aboard a historic train) than the destination. With the 50/50 package, you spend just three hours in Grand Canyon National Park, but four and a half hours on the 130-mile round-trip train journey to and from Williams and the park.
When: Available for stays now through March 14, 2009.
Note: If you want more than a quick bite of the Grand Canyon but don’t want to miss out on the locomotive, see Grand Canyon Railway’s website for other packages that involve overnights within the park. Other packages offered include one or two meals and/or narrated South Rim motor-coach tours.
Contact: Grand Canyon Railway, (800) 843-8724
[For the Record: The blog post originally mentioned that the locomotives were steam-powered. We have since learned that the Grand Canyon Railway's steam program was recently canceled. The trains currently run on diesel, according to the website.]
- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times
[Photo credit: Grand Canyon Railway]
8 Comments on “All aboard a historic train to the Grand Canyon”
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January 20th, 2009 at 12:37 am
It sounds great on paper, but be warned, this thing is a giant tourist trap. Their hotel sucks. The food sucks. The service sucks. And the “performers” on the train are very aggressive about tips.
Do it if you really love trains or something, but as a train enthusiast I don’t think this is a really good deal.
January 20th, 2009 at 12:38 am
It was announced in September 2008 that all steam locos were “permanently” retired; see http://www.altamontpress.com/discussion/read.php?1,17297,17379#msg-17379. Also note that at the main Grand Canyon Railway website at http://www.thetrain.com/, there is no mention of steam except for historical pictures. All current trains are shown with Alco PA diesels. — Unless GCRy has changed their minds recently.
January 20th, 2009 at 5:02 am
This ad is misleading–there are NO steam locomotives in service on the Grand Canyon RR–they got rid of them several months ago due to their high costs of operation. All of their trains are diesel-powered now. This ad should be pulled, and a correction printed to avoid accusations of false advertising.
January 20th, 2009 at 7:22 am
The steamers weren’t stopped due to cost, they were stopped because the new company that bought the railroad is a front for a crazy environmental group (per a company news letter) who said that steamers polluted too much.
January 20th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Thanks for the feedback, and thank you, George and Alex, for the update regarding how the trains are powered. We have noted the change in the post.
Susan Derby
January 20th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Without steam, don’t bother going.
January 20th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
TB above is quite correct at least as to the stated reason for stopping all steam power. The new owner of the railroad, Xanterra, concessionaire for many of our Nation Parks, stated officially that the reason for discontinuing steam was entirely because they believed it was contrary to their exceptionally green image. Critics have suggested that the extra cost was nevertheless a strong consideration.
Worse, the railroad seems unwilling to sell the locomotives to other railroads who would appreciate and use them.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Oh, it was too damaging to the environment to run a couple trains a day to the Grand Canyon? Cry me a river.
It was money, plain and simple.