By Boat & Ferry in Inside Passage

From the south, the Alaska Marine Highway operates stateroom-equipped vehicle and passenger ferries from Bellingham, Washington, and from Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The Alaska Marine Highway allows you to construct an itinerary that is all your own; it's quite popular with budget-conscious, adventurous visitors. The vessels call at Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, Haines, and Skagway, and they connect with smaller vessels serving Bush communities; in all, 11 Southeast towns are served by state ferries. B.C. Ferries operates similar passenger and vehicle ferries between Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and Prince Rupert. From here, travelers can connect with the Alaska Marine Highway System. A separate ferry, operated by the Inter-Island Ferry Authority, runs between Ketchikan and Hollis (on Prince of Wales Island) and from Coffman Cove (also on Prince of Wales Island) to Wrangell and Petersburg.

In the summer, staterooms on the ferries are sold out before sailing time; reserve months in advance. If you are planning to take a car on the ferry, early reservations for vehicle space are also highly recommended. This is particularly true for recreational vehicles.

Information

Alaska Marine Highway (6858 Glacier Hwy., Juneau, 99801. 907/465-3941 or 800/642-0066. 907/277-4829. www.ferryalaska.com). B.C. Ferries (1112 Fort St., Victoria, BC, V8V 4V2, Canada. 250/386-3431 or 888/223-3779. www.bcferries.com). Inter-Island Ferry Authority (Box 495, Craig, 99921. 907/826-4848 or 866/308-4848. 907/826-4849. www.interislandferry.com).

Viking Travel (907/772-3818 or 800/327-2571. www.alaskaferry.com) is a reservations service that can help you with your Alaska Marine Highway trip.