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Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

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QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ROYAL GORGE ROUTE RAILROAD

All aboard!

For everyone’s safety, guests must adhere to the following rules at all times while aboard the train:

  • Shoes must be worn at all times
  • No purses or tote bags larger than 10.75”W x 7.5”H x 4”D
  • No backpacks larger than 8.75”W x 10.2” H x 5.9”D  (The size of a backpack purse)
  • No weapons or ammunition of any kind (includes pepper spray, firearms and knives of any size)
  • No outside food and beverage with the exception of one bottle of water per person. Items purchased from the Caboose or Depot are permitted.
  • No camera tripods
  • No strollers
  • No car seats

Does the Royal Gorge Route Railroad operate daily?

Yes! We’re running with up to four departures daily through the Royal Gorge. Check out our breakfast train, lunch train, afternoon train and dinner train — and upcoming special events. Our 403 Grill is open and our bar is stocked!

For future reservations, check out our Ride page and/or Dine page, and book your ride. For same-day tickets, give us a call to confirm availability at 719.276.4000.

Is the Royal Gorge Route Railroad a beautiful ride?

The Royal Gorge Route Railroad offers spectacular views. Throughout your journey you’ll ride through what many consider Colorado’s grandest canyon. With 1,000-foot sheer rock walls on each side, you’ll experience a beauty that only mother nature can create. Right along side the route runs the tumbling, rushing, winding Arkansas River – some of the most challenging rapids in the world. Here, wildlife is also abundant – if you step outside onto the open air car anytime during your trip, you may catch a glimpse of elk, big horn sheep, eagle or blue heron.

While the Royal Gorge Region experiences some of the most spectacular, sunny weather in Colorado – snow and rain along the Royal Gorge Route Railroad journey is also a gorgeous site to behold. So no matter what time of the year you ride, the views are truly stunning.

Aboard the train, we serve fantastic food and wine, made from scratch just for you. Our bars are fully stocked and we offer lots of delicious and healthy options across our menus, including vegetarian and gluten-free.

It’s a relaxing ride through a slice of Colorado heaven – and we invite you to experience it!

What's included in the cost of my ticket?

When you book a First Class Lunch, a three-course dining experience that begins with a glass of champagne is included in the price of your ticket. When you book a First Class Dinner, a three-course dining experience that begins with a glass of champagne is included in the price of your ticket. This applies to both Vista Dome and our Elegant Dining car. However, beverages, gratuities, and other fees are additional.

When you book Vista Dome, Deluxe or Coach where the 403 Grill menu is offered, the price of your ticket covers the cost of your journey only. All dining, beverages, gratuities, and other fees are additional.

Can I buy a ticket on the same day I want to ride?

Tickets do sell out quickly, but we do have seats available sometimes. For same day booking please call the reservations department at 719-276-4000 or visit us directly at the Santa Fe Depot ticketing office at least 1.5 hours before scheduled departure.

How do you handle seating? Is there an option for a private table?

Our tables accommodate four people each. In the tradition of railroad fine dining, parties of 2 will most likely be seated across from another couple. Most of our guests enjoy meeting fellow rail fans. When seated with another couple, you and your guest will be seated on the same side. Larger groups will be seated in adjacent rows.

Can I purchase food, wine, cocktails and other beverages onboard?

  • We hope you do! We have dining options available in any class of service, and we serve delicious, locally sourced meals that are cooked on the train. We believe in healthy food options that will help you skip the fast food on your trip to the Royal Gorge.
  • We offer full menu options to accommodate any dietary restrictions our passengers might have.
  • Our onboard bar is fully stocked with terrific wines, Colorado microbrews, any cocktail you can dream up and a full slate of soft drinks.

Are you able to accommodate special dietary requests?

We offer full menu options to accommodate any dietary restrictions our passengers might have. Every effort will be made to accommodate any special dietary or physical needs. For serious allergies, please call our reservations line at 719-276-4000 in advance of your ride to ensure our team is aware of your needs. However, because we serve known allergens, please be advised that we cannot guarantee the absence of cross-contamination.

Are there age restrictions in any of the classes of service?

Children of all ages are welcome to ride in Coach, Deluxe and Vista Dome. However, all First Class Lunch and Dinner guests must be well behaved and 8 or older. Likewise, cab riders must be at least 16 years old, wear closed-toe shoes, and accompanied by an adult.  

Do you offer military discounts or any other types of discounts?

All military discounts are managed through local military bases. Please contact your base to see if anything is currently available. For civilians, we don’t offer discounts often, but if we do, we make it known via E-mails to our newsletter subscribers. If you’re interested in receiving news and promotions, please sign up on the bottom left of our home page at royalgorgeroute.com. Thank you!

Is your train accessible to guests with wheelchairs, walkers, strollers or other similar items?

The train only can accommodate a limited number of wheelchair patrons per each train departure. The Vista Dome is not accessible to wheelchairs. Guests must be able to climb 14 steps themselves in order to sit in the Dome Cars.

Please call Reservations if you have a wheelchair (24″maximum at base), walker, or difficulties climbing stairs.

For questions about the accessibility of the train and its different classes, please call prior to booking a reservation on our website. All seating is assigned/reserved and cannot be guaranteed. Please call a representative at 719-276-4000 to book your tickets for the entire party with a wheelchair or movement impaired passenger.

However, for safety reasons, we are unable to accommodate strollers or car seats.

What is your refund policy?

The Royal Gorge Route has a no refund policy.

The Royal Gorge Route Railroad is a popular destination attraction and payment is required to make a reservation.

  • Cancelling
    Cancellations prior to 48 hours of the departure will incur a $20.00 per ticket fee. Within 48 hours of departure, tickets may only be rescheduled according to the guidelines below. No refunds will be issued if cancelled within 48 hours of departure or no show.
  • Special Event Tickets may NOT be refunded but can be rescheduled with fee upon availability. – Special Events include Mother’s Day Brunch, Valentines Day, Wine Dinner, Murder Mystery, Santa Express, Holiday Train, and New Years Eve Dinner.
  • Rescheduling – Changes to the departure date may be made no later than 48 hours prior to the departure with no additional charge. Changes within 48 hours of departure will result in a reschedule fee per ticket according to the guidelines below. Rescheduled reservations may not be extended beyond one year from the original date of travel. If the rescheduled date is affected by a rate increase, guests will be charged the difference in rate. In the event that the guest does not pick up tickets on the day of the departure and has not called in advance to reschedule, tickets will be forfeited.
Class of Service Reschedule fee within 48 hours of departure
Coach, Deluxe, and Vista Dome: $5.00/ticket
First, Lunch and Dinner Class: $45.00/ticket

Can I bring my own food and beverage on the train?

The Royal Gorge Route Railroad is a licensed restaurant, so no outside food or beverage are allowed on the train. And why would you want to? We are a restaurant on wheels and offer a wide variety of delicious options in every class of service.

Do children under the age of 2 ride free?

On all journeys excluding Santa Express Train and Holiday Train, children under the age of 2 are welcome to ride as a “Lap Child” if they sit in your lap. If they require a seat, they will need their own ticket, which must be purchased. Children under the age of 1 are welcome to ride as a “Lap Child” aboard the Santa Express Train and Holiday Train.

When checking in at the Santa Fe Depot, please inform your ticketing agent if you will have a Lap Child during your journey.

 

How long is the train ride?

Morning and afternoon daily departures are 1 hour and 50 minutes, round trip. Evening departures at 6:30 are approximately 2.5 to 3 hours, round trip.

Why would I want to ride the Dinner Train if it's dark?

When you ride the Royal Gorge Route Railroad for dinner, part of your trip will be dark. How much of the trip depends on the time of year.  A significant portion of your trip may take place during “Magic Hour,” the hour just before sunset when the Royal Gorge colors are simply brilliant. And while the beauty of the scenery gradually fades after sunset, darkness has a way of making the train even more romantic and intimate.

In December – February, it will be dark for the entire journey, but we light up the Royal Gorge and the amazing canyon with our laser and high intensity lighting. Most of our guests love this time of year!

If you plan to ride the Royal Gorge Route Railroad to see and experience as much of the Royal Gorge as possible, join us for any of our daylight departures or spring/summer/fall dinner trains.

Can I bring an animal on board the train?

Per state law, animals are not allowed on board the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, with the exception of service animals. If you have a service animal, please see the next question.

Can I bring my service animal on board the Royal Gorge Route Railroad?

Yes, The Royal Gorge Route Railroad accommodates service animals.

While we do not discourage guests with service animals from coming on the train, guests should be aware of the following factors:

  1. The motion of the train, and the unnatural, high-pitched metallic sounds that the Train makes as it goes over joints in the tracks may make some animals very uncomfortable.
  2. The entire Train is only about 8 feet across and a walkway runs through it. This means that service animals will always be within about 3 feet of a frequently used walkway. Animals not accustomed to heavy and frequent foot traffic may be very uncomfortable. Service animals must not sit or lay down in a walkway as this presents a hazard to other guests and the animal.
  3. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad staff have been trained not to touch the service animal, but other customers may not understand the role of a service animal and may want to touch the service animal.
  4. The owner of the service animal must provide all of the care that the service animal requires. Any food or water which the animal requires, and appropriate containers for serving food and water to the animal, should be provided by the owner. Sanitary toilet arrangements must also be made by the owner of the animal, and, in the interest of the health and safety of our guests, the staff of the train will not handle or dispose of animal droppings or urine for the owner.

Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your service animal.

Is there an address I can use for my GPS?

Yes – If using a GPS please use the following address: 401 Water St., Canon City, CO 81212. Additionally, you will need to turn South at the traffic light at 3rd Street. You will find the Santa Fe Depot and plenty of free parking across the railroad tracks.

Is there free parking?

Of course, we offer free parking adjacent to the Santa Fe Depot.

Is there a dress code?

In short – no. We are a Colorado casual kind of place. But, we do have some pretty special journeys that you may want to dress up for. If you are joining us for our  First Class lunch or dinner trains, we suggest business casual attire as it’s classy and fun. For any departure, we strongly suggest closed-toed shoes. If you are riding with the engineer in the cab, there are special clothing and safety requirements that we’ll share with you when you book.

Are there restrooms on the train?

Yes, we have several restrooms on the train. Some are wheelchair accessible while others are not We do have wheelchair accessible bathrooms in the train depot for guest comfort.

Will the train run if it is raining or snowing?

We do run in the rain and snow – in fact riding during such a time can be beautiful. In the event that the train is cancelled by the Royal Gorge Route Railroad due to inclement weather, we offer guests the opportunity to reschedule to a future date (up to a year) at no charge.

Safety

SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY

We Care About You

Can I bring a carseat/stroller/booster seat on the train?

For safety reasons, we do not allow carseats, strollers or booster seats on the train.

Is smoking allowed on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad?

The Royal Gorge Route Railroad is a non-smoking property.

There is no smoking allowed anywhere on our property or on the train.

Is my dog allowed on the train?

The Royal Gorge Route follows restaurant health codes.

Only licensed, certified service animals are allowed on the train. Any other animals, including emotional support animals, are not allowed on the train.

What other items are not allowed on the train?

  • No outside food or beverages are allowed on board with the exception of bottled water.
  • No weapons of any kind may be carried on board.
  • For the 2 hour train ride there is no smoking, E-cigarettes, or vapors allowed.
  • No Baby strollers, booster seats, or car seats.
  • All Bags are subject to search at the gate prior to boarding.

What type of accessibility is there for the physically disabled?

We have a lift device that will raise anyone on to the train who is unable to climb the exterior 5-7 stairs. However, the Vista Dome is not accessible to anyone in a wheel chair.

Policies

QUESTIONS ABOUT TICKETING

Ticket Policies

Do you offer a Military Discount?

Yes, we happily offer Military Discounts. Please obtain your military discount through one of our military partners.

Ft Carson ITR: 719-526-5366 (Must go in person)

Colorado R&R: 719-333-7367

Peterson ITT: 719-556-1760

Do you take credit or debit cards on the train?

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express on the train and in the gift shop at the Santa Fe Depot.

How can I guarantee that I sit in a specific place?

Seating is assigned as reservations are made, so we are not able to guarantee specific seats. Every ticketed guest has unfettered access to the Open Air Car where they can take in the majestic scenery at any time during their journey through the Royal Gorge.

How do I purchase tickets to the Open Air car?

The Open Air car is available to anyone who purchases a ticket in any class of service. It is a standing room only car.

Testimonials

Adventure awaits

Hop aboard the Royal Gorge Route Railroad and experience a one-of-a-kind adventure through the Royal Gorge and Colorado Rockies. Departing daily from the Santa Fe Depot in Canon City.

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