We're planning a November vacation to the Copper Canyon to ride the Chihuahua-Pacific (Chepe) train through the Canyons. Has anybody ever done this? Many years ago, some friends highly recommended it. I understand the ticket is good for 7 days, and you get on and off, and spend days at the small Mexican villages. We were going to do this on our own. Is it better to do a tour?
Here is a couple of Trip Report topics to review Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures) - Copper Canyon, Mexico My latest Mexican railfan trip, incl Copper Canyon
We went in April of this year. The second trip report that Darren listed is mine. Feel free to ask specific questions either here or by PM. I understand the ticket is good for 7 days, and you get on and off, and spend days at the small Mexican villages. I don't think that option is still valid. I think you need to buy tickets for each segment of your trip. We were going to do this on our own. Is it better to do a tour? We did it on our own and it was fine. We did do a lot of research (on the net) beforehand, both regarding the train and the area in general. Here's the link to the Chepe website, in case you don't already have it. http://www.chepe.com.mx/ing_html/index.html Regards Ed
Thanks SO MUCH for the links. I read through Ed's, and it sure makes me anxious for this vacation. I will read the other when I get some more time. Great photos and great descriptions. My wife likes to hike, so we'll be hiking into the valleys quite often. We're taking a bus from Tucson to Los Mochis. I'm wondering if we should bother going all the way to Chihuahua on the train. We probably will though. I like seeing these old Mexican towns. Do we need to book all of our train trip segment tickets ahead of time? From your description, it sounds as if primero class may not be worth the extra cost.
Let me preface this post (but it applies to all those that follow) by saying that my recommendations reflect my likes and preferences, and your mileage may vary. But I'll be happy to try to help you plan a fun trip. While I didn't go to Los Mochis, most of what I've been told is that it's not all that interesting in itself. Plus, the first couple of hours on the train from los Mochis until El Fuerte (actually, an hour past El Fuerte) is pretty flat and dull. Lots of people skip the Los Mochis - El Fuerte part by taking the bus from Los Mochis to El Fuerte and staying in a hotel in El Fuerte. Plus you can sleep in later and don't have to get up at dark-thirty. The train leaves Los Mochis a couple of hours earlier than El Fuerte. The part between Creel and Chihuahua is more interesting than Los Mochis - El Fuerte. Chihuahua itself is a fair sized city, capital of the state, and we enjoyed it. Generally speaking, no. When is your scheduled trip? Second class you pretty well buy your tickets on the train. First class you can buy on the train, but I suspect that a lot of people make reservations ahead of time. If it's not a holiday week you probably won't have problems. Depends on what you like. There is a diner and a bar car on the first class train, if either of those things is important to you. The diner is okay, but don't expect table cloths and silverware. Food is okay but overpriced. Coaches are almost identical between the two trains and both are air conditioned. Depending on what segment you're traveling, first class will give you a bit more daylight in the afternoon. This is probably important only in the stretch between Temoris and Divisadero. Need to check the schedule to see what time the train is scheduled in. Next time we'll probably just use second class. Heck, I didn't use my seat anyway as I spent virtually the whole trip with my head stuck out the upper half of the vestibule door. By the way, how much time are you allowing for the trip? That will make a difference in recommendations on stops and hiking. Regards Ed
I responded yesterday, but I notice that my message isn't here. It mentioned something about Server Problems. I spent most of yesterday morning reading Stourbridge Lion's thread. What great pictures, discussions, and videos! Thanks for sharing that. The closest we have come to any train ride like this is probably a trip my wife and I took from Lima, Peru to Hauncayo, Peru. We've also ridden the trains in Italy, Australia, and of course, the US. In Italy, they actually loaded the train right on the ferry, to cross into Sicily. Amazing! Maybe this trip will qualify us to be RAILFANs like you two! Although, I must admit that I know nothing about the different cars or locomotives. But, we sure like riding them. We find it a much better way to socialize with people, and experience the culture of the area. We have about 2-1/2 weeks for our entire trip, and we'll be leaving the 2nd week of November. We're visiting my son and daughter (both away at College) enroute, in Santa Fe, NM and Tempe, AZ respectively. We'll be sharing Thanksgiving dinner in Tempe, AZ on the return trip. We'll probably only be in Mexico for 7-8 days. We hope to spend most of that time at various sites along the train route. This said, we'll probably take your advice on going to El Fuerte instead of Los Mochis.
Uh, with a travel resume like that I'd say you already qualify as a railfan!!! Without my handy "Diseasel Spotter's Guide" or roster info I can't distinguish them myself. Reservations shouldn't be a problem at that time. Should be plenty of time. Allows you to split the train trip in 3 or 4 segments, and have time to hike around and see some of the area. Regards Ed
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the input. Sorry I'm so late in responding. I'm subscribed to this thread, but never got this reply. Anyhow, we're really looking forward to the trip - train, hiking, family interaction, Mexican culture, etc. I'm going to have to brush up on my Espanol.
