lthompson

We are planning a trip to Alaska in mid-June of 2007 and will be driving from the east coast. We will either drive to Fairbanks and "work down", driving home from Prince Rupert or begin in Prince Rupert and drive home from Fairbanks.

Do any of you have experience using the Ferry to tour the Inside Passage? We most likely will either embark or disembark at Prince Rupert,stopping at towns and villages along the way.

Any suggestions as to which towns to visit, how long to stay? I have been doing a lot of research but there is no substitute for the opinions of those who have been there before.

My tentative plan is to allow about 10 - 12 days to reach Prince Rupert and then allow at least a week for the Inside Passage and then another 10 days or more to do a self-drive land tour to Fairbanks, Denali, Talkeetna, Anchorage, Seward, and Homer.

I know that we will need to take excursions to the Kenai Fjords, Wrangell-St. Elias and others. We have at least 4 weeks and possibly more.

I appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Pat2003

I cannot give you my opinion about driving from the mainland to Alaska as I have no desire to put so many miles on my car and spend more money for gas than I would pay for airline tickets and accommodations . However, I cant tell you that 10 days is not enough time to visit Fairbanks, Denali, Talkeetna, Anchorage, Seward, Homer, Wrangell-St Elias. Unless you want to do marathon and drive through with only overnight stops and almost each morning continue to your next destination. First you will need at least two weeks to make a loop , then if you really, really want to visit Wrangell-St. Elias National Park add two-three more nights. I would recommend that you not drive your car to get from Chitina to Kennicott to visit Wrangell-St. Elias. Rent a car (only limited agencies allow to take a rental car on this road), take a shuttle or fly. It is about 60 miles and sometime it takes more than 5 hours. On this road be prepared to have more than one flat tires. If you visit Wrangell-St. Elias include Valdez in your itinerary and take the ferry Valdez_Whittier.

Alaska is a magnificent and very big state so you need to take your time to appreciate its beauty, people, wildlife, scenery, culture and history. I urge you to rethink your itinerary and limit a number of places you want to visit or dedicate at least two weeks to make this a rewarding trip. You still have time to do your research, text search on this board, get Milepost, study maps and distances, learn about places you want to visit and make your own list of those places that YOU want to see not because we recommend them. I would start text search here under Alaska and every place you want to visit. You will find many great posters sharing here their personal experiences.

Pat2003

Lynda, I just noticed your last name and I think you need to include Thompson Pass in your itinerary. It is a very scenic spot and located about 26 miles from/to Valdez. The Worthington Glacier, a few miles from Thompson Pass, is worthy at least a stop for a very close view of the glacier.

dfrostnh

Find out when the ferry starts taking reservations. We went from Bellingham to Skagway but didn't spend anymore than the alloted time towns along the way. I would expect mid-June to be very busy on the ferry. I checked with a reservation agency that said they pre-book trips then reserve with the ferry system on the first day they start taking reservations for 2007. Our trip was in late July and we had to work with what was available since we had a vehicle and wanted a cabin. Many people choose to sleep on deck.
Our last visit was mid-June, a wonderful time when wildflowers are blooming, salmon runs starting and the longest day of the year. You might aim to spend 4th of July in a town that has a big parade. We spent 3 weeks and still didn't get to Denali. But that 3 weeks started with a quilt show in Kenai, weekend event in Palmer, a weekend in Seldovia and the Forest Fair in Girdwood and 4th of July parade in Kenai. During the week we did things that weren't tied to a specific date, like a Kenai Fjords trip when the weather and sea were perfect. 10 days is not much time to cover the towns you'd like to visit. I also think you might regret doing a cross country drive when the time could have been spent in Alaska. My husband and son drove with extra time for Glacier National Park and Seattle but my husband wouldn't do it a second time. (We flew back.) Hope you have a wonderful trip.

Gardyloo

IMO your plan to take the car on and off the ferry on an inside passage itinerary needs review. Most of the towns the ferry calls at are very small and don't really offer any place to drive to, while the price of loading and unloading your vehicle on the ferry will be expensive and a logistical nightmare. Note too that in some places the ferry arrives and departs in the middle of the night.

My alternative suggestion would be to take the ferry from Prince Rupert to Juneau, and unload the car there. Juneau is big enough that you can use the car (to a degree) and if you want to leave it for excursions to other destinations "up the line" like Skagway or Glacier Bay, you can do so.

Then book it and yourselves onto a "cross-Gulf" ferry, the one that runs from Juneau to Whittier. This will "cut the corner" and save considerable time and nuisance and wear and tear on the vehicle and yourselves. Then you can explore the Kenai, Anchorage, head up to Denali and Fairbanks, and hit the Alcan southbound, avoiding having to retrace your steps.

My strongest suggestion, though, would be to use the approach taken by a lot by annual commuters with cars to and from Alaska. Drive one way and fly or sail the other, while the car rides alone on a boat. Totem Ocean Express (or "TOTE") - http://www.totemocean.com - will ship vehicles from Tacoma (close to Seattle) to Anchorage for $1400 or so (northbound) but only $750 or so southbound. Might sound like a lot, but have a look at ferry prices.

You could drive up, visit, then ship the car south while you fly to Juneau and catch the ferry, or - and I know this might sound out of the box - make it to Seward or Whittier and take a one-way cruise back to Vancouver, where you catch the train to Tacoma and fetch your vehicle. On the cruise ship you'll see more of the inside passage (as well as glaciers etc.) than you would from the ferry, and you'll probably save money, too, considering the price of driving, accommodation, food etc. that you'd spend in the car. Plus you'll sleep in a bed instead of a campground, camper, or schlunk motel. The TOTE boat takes 3 days; the cruise takes a week, so your car would be waiting for you in Tacoma.

The drive to and from Alaska up the Alcan is (IMO) not the knockout many people think it is. In June you'll still be subject to potholes and other "breakup" artifacts, and if there aren't potholes there will be construction delays. Everything happens in a big hurry in the summer in the north country. On the other hand, driving around Alaska is splendid.

This way you'd have the best of both - and your drive back to VA from the Pacific NW could even allow routing via the Rockies etc. that you mentioned in your other thread.

Just some thoughts...

lthompson

Many thanks for your comments and suggestions. I have printed them off so that I can digest them. You have given me a lot to think about.

Two reasons we don't want to fly: we love to see parts of the US that we have never seen and we are very uneasy about flying now.

One of the reasons I was considering the ferry up the Inside Passage was that I actually thought we would see more than on a large cruise ship, so thank you, Gardyloo, for setting me straight.

Loved your idea about visiting Thompson Pass. I have ordered The Milepost and plan to do much more research but as I said before and is obvious from your posts: there is no substitute for advice from those who have been there.

Thanks again. I will appreciate any more of your thoughts.

Lynda

Neopolitan

Well, we drove to Alaska on a long (5 month trip) from Florida, spent a full month IN Alaska, and took the ferry system back. We stayed overnight in Haines (one night), Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan (two nights each). We did arrive at Ketchikan at something like 2 AM, but had our motel right at the dock all set. Otherwise I have no idea what is meant by the "nightmare" of getting on and off the ferry with the car -- it was very organized and we had all our trips prebooked along with cabins. We chose to take it all the way to Bellingham, rather than to Prince Rupert.
We thought it was a wonderful way not only to see the inner passage (there is a naturalist on board who gives narrations and the ships have wonderful scenic lounges), but at the same time we were able to spend some time in the cities we chose along the way -- not just put in for a few hours or the day from a cruise ship. If we were going back, we'd do the Marine Highway (ferry) system in a heartbeat.

We booked our ferries and cabins the first week they went on sale -- for July I believe that was in January.

I'm curious Gardyloo when you took the ferry what were the problems? Or are you just guessing and didn't really take the ferry at all? We met a lot of people who have done it many times.

Gardyloo

Neo - of course I've taken the ferry - up and down the coast, summer and winter, feeders, out the chain... even the BC boat that's been sitting on the bottom these last few days.

Not a logistical "nightmare," okay. Overstatement. Pain in the tuckus maybe, especially if you end up on a southbound boat that gets into Sitka at 2 in the morning or Ketchikan at 1. Your tolerance may well vary. I have great respect for the AMH workers too, including their IBU stewards most of the time.

Don't get me wrong - I think the AMH is an important asset to the people of Alaska. I don't think it's any great bargain for tourists, however, especially when they bring their mini-Winnies on board. Just my opinion.

repete

Gardy's points are spot on.

It's often a great experience, but not all that great of a bargain, especially with vehicles -- especially consider the relative bargains for available to patient cruise-boat shoppers.

Just go in knowing that tides and timetables are more important than tourists on the ferry schedules. Too many people expect it to be a state-run cruise IMHO. If your expectations are realistic, you can have a great time.

Mama

lthompson, is this going to be your first trip to Alaska?

Pat2003

I would recommend these itinerary to cover all places you listed in the interior of Alaska.
Fairbanks 2 nights
Denali 2 nights
Talkeetna 1 night
Anchorage 2 nights (after so many miles I suggest taking your car to a mechanic)
Girdwood 1 night
Homer 3 nights
Seward 2 nights
Valdez (ferry from Whittier)2 nights
Sheep Mountain for Matanuska Glacier (if you won't do Wrangell-St. Elias)1 night
If adding Wrangell-St. Elias National Park I suggest skipping Matanuska Glacier but adding 2-3 nights for this park.

If you are planning on driving back home from Fairbanks just reverse the above itinerary.
On this trip start each section with a full tank of gas and do not wait until it gets too low. Just some ideas to think about your great trip

lthompson

Yes, Mama, this will be our first and only trip to Alaska. We are reconsidering our intention to drive the whole way, but I think if we can't drive, my husband will only want to go as far as Utah (so that we can) Last year, we spent three weeks driving to GNP, YNP, GTNP, the Black Hills and Badlands and we still are talking about what a wonderful trip. I do realize, however, that the distance to Alaska is much greater. Not to mention how far you must drive once you get there.

Neopolitan, I appreciate your telling me of your experience with the ferry. Sounds as if everything worked wonderfully. I am not opposed to taking an actual cruise up the inside passage, but thought that we wouldn't really see much in terms of glaciers, wildlife--not to mention the little communities along the way. Thought that since the ferry is smaller, it would get us closer to the above mentioned.

Thanks, Pat2003, for your suggested itinerary. If we fly, we can stay in the state for at least 4 weeks, if we drive, we probably can stay at least 3--unless we run out of money!

If we decide not to take the car off the ship, do you think we would have enough time to get the area by visiting each small town in about an hour--some more?

Is Wrangell-St. Elias some where we really want to go? I thought I detected some doubt. Is it worth the price of the flight?

Also, how about the flight to the Arctic Circle and/or Barrow. I thought it would be an awesome thing for my 13 year-old(by the time we travel) to say that he had been at the Arctic Circle and to the northern most part of the world.

Again, thanks to all for your help. I will we working on this for months!

Lynda

Neopolitan

I'll readily admit I didn't do the Marine Highway system as a bargain. I did if for the experience and the only logistical way I could figure out to spend several days in each of several ports (and I was committed to having my own car on this trip). I expected the worst frankly, having done a few overnight ferries in Europe. But I was pleasantly -- no -- overhwhelmingly surprised at how wonderful the entire experience was. And considering how far it got my car (saving a bundle on gas if we had driven that long alternative route), saving us from the expense of a rental car and flights, and at the same time providing us with a very pleasant "cruise", I didn't find the prices bad at all.

Incidentally I did note that our options for decent arrival and departure times seemed much better southbound that they would have been northbound. That's why as I said we only had that one very late arrival in Ketchikan. And we also picked times that allowed more daytime travel so we could see, not the possible overnight ones (except the long haul into Bellingham), which also meant we didn't need a cabin for some segments of the trip.

lthompson

If we do take the ferry, are there towns that one "must absolutely" see and some that would be definitely not worthy of stopping?

Lynda

Pat2003

Lynda, only you can decide whether you want to visit Wrangell-St. Elias. As with any destination you have to make choices and sometimes to make them is very hard. Alaska is unbelievably beautiful state with many places to visit so chose destinations based on your family interests. Your family interests should be priority and we all here can only make suggestions based on our interests and experiences. Wrangell-St Elias National Park is amazing but there are other places worthy to see as well. We didn't get to Wrangell-St. Elias until our maybe 8th visit to Alaska. If you have 4 weeks go for it, if less forget about it on this trip. You would need to make flights, accommodations, activities reservations in advance so you have to be certain whether your budget would allow such visit. It isn't cheap to visit this park. I suggest you read description on http://www.nps.gov/wrst/index.htm

I think your son would enjoy crossing the Arctic Circle and getting his certificate.

repete

If you really plan to take 10-12 days to get to Prince Rupert, have a definite plan of what you want to see -- make sure it is worth the compromises you'll have to make in AK.

I would drop Fairbanks before dropping Wrangell-St. Elias. I've driven to and from AK from both the West Coast and the Midwest and suggest your first stop after arrival (and ideally, your last stop before departure) be for at least three days.

While it might be cool fo a kid to say they've been to the Arctic Circle, do it on a flight.

If you do take the car on or off, definitely stop in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka. Wrangell (the town) and Petersburg aren't worth a stop. Shipping the car sout and then hitting the ferry is a good idea -- as is the cross-gulf trip. You'll skip a million potholes in mid-June.

Thompson Pass is wonderful -- especially if you pack a picnic for Blueberry Lake.

One final word about the long drive: Get your expectations in line. It's not going to be knock-your-socks off scenery all the way. There will be long streches of taiga.

Another option -- drive to AK, tour, Southcentral and Denali and do Southeast another time via cruise. AK is so big it can easily be broken into two trips. Getting over your concerns about flying would help tremendously. (It's far, far safer than the risks you'll incur by driving BTW.)

Gardyloo

The history of the ferry system is that alternating state administrations have ping ponged between wanting it to be the poor man's love boat vs. the Greyhound bus. It does not make money because it goes all year and there aren't too many Florida plates on the car deck in February. The winter, BTW and IMO, is the best time to ride it.

Lynda, if you choose to take the boat, the only "must see" town (in my opinion - others may well disagree) is Juneau. Lots of local history, spectacular scenery accessible locally, and as I mentioned above, it's possible to leave the car in Juneau and take "spoke" trips - on the ferry, on floatplanes, private boats, etc. - to other places where the car will be a nuisance or impossible - Glacier Bay, Skagway, etc. Second tier stops (to me, not to everyone) would be Sitka and Ketchikan, mainly for the historic values - Russian and native history respectively - and Misty Fjords NP in the case of Ketchikan.

Note that in your period in the summer some of the southeastern towns (especially Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway) are pretty well over-run with tourists due to the cruise industry. It's not uncommon for Skagway (pop. 750 or so) to have 4 or 5 2000+ passenger cruise ships in town on the same day. Do the math.

But as Repete says, there's no way you can see everything - way too big a place. And only a very small portion of Alaska is accessible by road (including "marine highway") at all. I harp on the fact that you absolutely need to get up in the air someplace or other in order to get a real feel for the state and a real feel for how people live. Most visitors can't afford it (or think they can't) which is a real shame. But not getting off the road system into or over the bush means you're only seeing a few layers of the big onion.

Pat2003

I agree with you, Repete, about not driving to Arctic Circle. I still think it could be a cool experience for 13 year old but I would suggest flying-in. The same goes for driving to Kennicott, save your car and sanity. Fly-in.

lthompson

ttt

lthompson

Thanks. dowab. I have ordered the Milepost and will order Discovering Denali and Alaska's Best Places.