Anyone take young children on the 12 hour train ride from Anchorage to Fairbanks on the Alaska Railroad?
Jan 26th, 2003, 06:03 PM
#1
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Anyone take young children on the 12 hour train ride from Anchorage to Fairbanks on the Alaska Railroad?
We're thinking about taking the train from Anchorage to Fairbanks this summer with our 2 1/2 yr old and 4 yr old. Would prefer to do the trip in one day... takes 12 hours. Any thoughts? Torture trip? Looking for comments from people who have actually made the journey... Thanks
Jan 26th, 2003, 06:15 PM
#2
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I have traveled long trips in Alaska with my parents (in a car though) when I was 4.
There were 5 kids in that car (4-14), and we had a good time. Mom and Dad confirm that we were well behaved and enjoyed everything because they pointed out a lot on the way.
There is an amazing amount of wildlife to be seen in Alaska, from the roadside or train tracks. You can expect to see bears, moose, bald eagles, mountain goats, etc.
We always were looking for the animals and at the glaciers. It kept us busy and we lived there for 3 years!
There were 5 kids in that car (4-14), and we had a good time. Mom and Dad confirm that we were well behaved and enjoyed everything because they pointed out a lot on the way.
There is an amazing amount of wildlife to be seen in Alaska, from the roadside or train tracks. You can expect to see bears, moose, bald eagles, mountain goats, etc.
We always were looking for the animals and at the glaciers. It kept us busy and we lived there for 3 years!
Jan 27th, 2003, 06:40 PM
#5
You might see some critters from the train, but you might not. For my money it's not worth the time - parts are scenic, but for much of the route all you can see are the trees next to the track. If McKinley is out, you have only one or two glimpses of it, but, of course, the mountain is visible only half the time anyway.
Frankly with little kids I'd be afraid they'd be antsy, and there's no escape, unlike a car where you can pull over or stop and go at your leisure.
As Connie said, the train is considerably slower than driving, so with the same 12 hours you could stop at McKinley Park (not go into the interior of the park, but at least hit the visitor center), or at Talkeetna, and still have a couple of hours left over in Fairbanks.
The train ride from Anchorage to Seward IMO is much more scenic and lots shorter.
Frankly with little kids I'd be afraid they'd be antsy, and there's no escape, unlike a car where you can pull over or stop and go at your leisure.
As Connie said, the train is considerably slower than driving, so with the same 12 hours you could stop at McKinley Park (not go into the interior of the park, but at least hit the visitor center), or at Talkeetna, and still have a couple of hours left over in Fairbanks.
The train ride from Anchorage to Seward IMO is much more scenic and lots shorter.
Feb 5th, 2003, 12:57 AM
#6
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I've taken the kids on the train all the way to Fairbanks in one day. The kids loved it. It was kind of long but the food is ok, the scenery is great and they can cruise around the train, including the viewing cars (doubledeckers). It'sgreat..but it does take ALL DAY.
