Godchild

I have a missions trip planned for this summer and will fly to Anchorage, AK, with a group but do not want to fly home. I was thinking about taking the train back through Canada. I've had an absolutely horrendous experience with Amtrak and will not give them another dime after standing in sub-zero weather for five hours while their waiting station was locked up tight and then the engine broke down countless times.
Can anyone recommend a company to help me organize the trip. Is it a U.S. company or a Canadian company that would pick me up in Anchorage and drop me off in Chicago?

janisj

You need to re-post on the US and/or Canada boards. But quickly - there are no trains at all from Alaska to the lower 48. You either need to fly or take a cruise ship to Seattle or Vancouver

thursdaysd

You can cross Canada on Via Rail, but you will start in Vancouver, and you will need Amtrak to reach Chicago.

You do not have to take a cruise ship to get to the "lower 48", there are ferries.

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/

marvelousmouse

You might want to check via rail prices first. It's more expensive than Amtrak, and Amtrak isn't exactly cheap. But actually I think you take the ferry to Prince Rupert, and then the train to Jasper, where you transfer to the train to Toronto...where you then transfer to the train to Windsor. You can take Amtrak to Chicago from Windsor, but I believe that the bus trip is much faster.

I researched this last year- I wanted to take empire builder east and then via back west. But the cost is PROHIBITIVE, so unless you have a generous budget and lots of time, just fly!

Godchild

Thank you, All. I appreciate the info. Time isn't an issue. Just looking at options at this point.

thursdaysd

While sleeper class can be pricey (although not as pricey as the Rocky Mountaineer), there are sometimes deals, especially if you book early. I think I got 50% off my Via Rail tickets by booking in Jan and traveling before the end of May. Amtrak tickets get pricier as they sell, just like planes.