Need candid advice on Alaska adventure???
 

I have posted without any successyet on Fodor's cruise section but thought I would pick the brains of you Alaska fans in the know!! Please help!

My husband and I are in our early sixties. He is more active than I am due to bad knee and lack of motivation I guess. We LOVE to travel and he has been wanting to go to Alaska. While I am not thrilled about it we are planning to go this spring.
When we travel we don't like tours per se and "do our own thing"--renting a car and making our own itinerary etc. We have done this in Italy, France, Ireland and many locations in the US. We do like to cruise so we will definitely do that. First question--which cruise to Alaska would you recommend and why?
Secondly I know there is a land tour many people take via train I guess. Would you recommend this and why? Does this land tour make more sense that renting a car and "doing our own thing"? Remember we will not be doing much hiking etc.
Any other tips and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Helen



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You will be FINE renting a car and "doing your own thing" in Alaska! The people are extremely friendly, and the whole state is just gorgeous! Get the book called the "Milepost" and use it to help plan your route.

Answers to your questions depend to some degree on where your cruise will terminate. If it is anywhere but Seward, you will need either to tour just the SE area or make other transportation arrangements to get to southcentral Alaska.

As ChristieP said, you should do just fine making up your own tour. Spring comes late in Alaska and many cruises, transportation options, and attractions do not begin operating before mid-May.

You did not say how much time you would have so i'm going to make some suggestions bases on an arrival mid-may or later and at least a week to ten days for ground touring. If you arrive in Seward, I'd take the Alaska Railroad from there to Anchorage. It is the mosts scenic of the train routes and doesn't take so long you'll get bored if you are not into trains. In Anchorage, I'd get a rental car and head back to the Kenai Peninsula. Depending on your personal preferences, you could split your time between Seward and Homer or you could do a driving vacation.

If you have more time, after a week or longer on the Kenai, I'd head north from Anchorage. There are a variety of attractions to see including Talkeetna, Denali NP and a variety of others. Search this board for Alaska and you'll find more information than you'll be able to use.

I, too, am not a hiker but I go to Alaska every couple of years and love every minute of every trip. You have never seen photos or videos that begin to do justice to the awesome landscapes you'll see everywhere, but especially on the Kenai.

Definately consider a rental car, it will offer you the best use of time and all the freedom. I do give a big edge to Seward sailings, with HAL that includes College Fjord my top recommendation. What fits in nicely here is the must do Kenai Fjords tour and then the Alaska RR Seward/Anchorage.

A common mistake that Alaska travelers make is not allowing enough time, go for as long as you can afford. Distances are vast, at least a week is really necessary if you want to include Seward and Denali park, which will allow time for sights along the way. An excellent money saver is www.toursaver.com I never use it for lodging since B&B's are always cheaper, but you can't beat it for attractions.

Denali Park take the shuttle to at least Fish Creek, your best bargain for scenery and wildlife in all of Alaska. :) Have a good pair of binoculars, necessary for each person, I think 10x50 wide angle are just about perfect for land and marine sightings.

As mentioned, get to your library and get a copy of THE MILEPOST after 3-06 purchase the new edition. This is a necessary reference and will give you a good idea of distances. As a sample route, spend an overnight in Seward, 2 nights split in Anchorage, 1 Talkeetna, 2 Denali Park, add if of interest 2 Homer, 2 Fairbanks, 1-2 Valdez.

We have only cruised on the State Ferry and although it was wonderful, I liked the land part of our trips better. It's nice to do your own driving and stop wherever and whenever you wish. If the weather is a little fickle, you can change your plans around. While staying on the KP we planned our weekends but let mid-week open for last minute, like taking the Kenai Fjords boat trip when the weather was perfect. My husband and I also have different energy levels. Since I go into high gear, there are times when I go "exploring" on my own leaving him to take a rest. On one trip I went back to Anchorage to explore on my own. It's a big city and not to hard to navigate. There is PLENTY to do that does not require a lot of hiking. For our last trip I picked dates to coincide with local events I wanted to attend like the Forest Fair in Girdwood.
Happy planning.

I know the cruise land packages work fine for some folks (especially the ones that some cynical Alaskans refer to as ``blue-haired goat gapers'' :) ) but I always think far too many people settle for those trips than need to.

And their trips suffer for it.

For the sake of convenience, but with the heavy price of expense and inflexibility, cruise land tours hit a few highlights and highlight the cliches.

While the train rides are comfortable, you only have rare instances (mostly between Portage and Seward) where the scenery is that much better than the roadside.

If the ability to proceed at your own pace and visit the amazing surprising areas along the way is important to you, then forget the land tours.

If you've done this in Italy, it'll be a piece of cake in AK.

You have all been so helpful--giving me the words and advice I knew in my heart would be the best way to go for us. You have also activated my travel thirst for Alaska! It will be an adventure for sure. And I know I can't now take the train as I have kept (or God has-not really!?) my dark brown hair color!!?? Any more tips? I guess B&B's are the way to go when on the road in Alaska?? How is the food? Thanks everyone. Helen

Food covers the spectrum, in some ways it's like AK: plenty to extremes. The good stuff is very good, but the bad is ... well, not very good at all.

The good news is that once you get your route fixed, there are plenty of recommendations on this board (even if we don't always agree.)

oops. make that ..
plenty of extremes

All the one-way cruises begin or end in Vancouver and Seward or Whittier; Seattle departures aren't allowed to go one way due to federal "cabotage" law. The first consideration is which way you want to cruise (unless you want to cruise both ways ;) ) If you cruise northbound, you will arrive in Alaska having seen the Inside Passage and various glaciers and coastal towns, and if by "spring" you mean before June 15, you will probably have seen some precipitation. Make that a lot of precipitation. Or not.

Timing is important in southcentral and central Alaska - in late May and early June you may find some areas still pretty inaccessible or marginally so - the interior of Denali Park, for instance. Sad to report, June and July will be peak bug season; you have been warned.

If you cruise southbound, then timimg becomes even more important, as your ground touring will be even earlier. Not that it's impossible to travel easily in May or early June - hundreds of thousands of people (mainly Alaskans) do it every year. But here and there things may still be in a startup mode, tourism-wise.

IMO the biggest mistake first time visitors make is not getting their wheels off the ground. Alaska is all about flying, and while the attractions of the road system - Denali, Seward, Homer, etc. - are fine, if you're coming this far you ought to spend the extra effort (and yes, the extra bucks) to see something of the bush. Take a flightseeing tour on a floatplane from Lake Hood in Anchorage, or take one of Alaska Airlines' packages to Nome or Kotzebue or Barrow - but get up in the sky and see some tiny percentage of Alaska that is invisible from the road or railroad. Go to Kotzebue or Barrow and see the Midnight Sun and the Arctic Ocean. It's a part of America that's like no other, and it's money well spent.

Hello.

I would like to put in a vote for renting a car and driving to Alaska.

The road is LONG, and the days are LONGER.

There is incredible beauty to be seen along the way, at do-it-yourself speed.

Once you get to Alaska you could drive to water ports to view the scenery there.

I do suspect you'll end up optioning for the cruise part, and yes, there will be some stunning views along that way too. There is just something to be said for coming and going as you choose, and not adhering to the schedule put upon you by a boat.

At times during the long driving trip you will indeed wonder why you opted for the Alaska Highway, but you'll be alone together with your spouse and it could be quite memorable that way.

From Seattle it is 800 miles or more just to the START of the Alaska Highway, and then 1600 more miles to Anchorage.

Some of the moutains and lakes along the way are awesome, and life in the far north is interesting too.

I just wanted to represent the driving option. (But when you are looking for a radio station, a hundred miles from Whitehorse, and there is only one, and they are wasting it with a simulcast of the Friday night BINGO game, and you find yourself listening intently to "O-sixty three... B-nine...", don't say I didn't give you full disclosure.

I lived in Alaska for a little over a decade. I don't know much about tours but can speak to the areas from a little north of Fairbanks down to the Seward area. The Alaska rail experience is great. You may want to visit http://www.alaskarailroad.com/ if you haven't already checked it out. If you want to stick with the Anchorage to Fairbanks corridor (with Denali in the middle), the railroad will be very convenient. I'm not familiar enough with the railroad to know how convenient it is to other areas. I have taken the Fairbanks to Denali trip by train, and the scenery was spectacular, the train was clean, and there were some interesting people traveling on the train. This was about ten years ago, and at that time (maybe still) the train would stop for "hitchhikers." People could catch the train and get off wherever they wanted along the rail. Denali is everything you can imagine--unbelievable wildlife and scenery.

Spring may be a little dicey. Snow will be on the ground well into May in some areas. And when the snow melts, there's a phenomenon known as breakup when everything is very muddy or even under water. In Fairbanks, we had to wear waders to get from the house to our car, which we had to park on top of the nearest hill. I honestly had several friends who could kayak up their streets in town to get to their houses. My advice is the later in the spring you can go, the better. One advantage to the spring is that the aurora is most active in the spring and fall.

If you wind up deciding to rent a car, buy a book called Milepost. This book is updated annually, and will describe not only attractions and services on every road in Alaska, but also road conditions and other things handy to know. Have a great trip.

WOW!!! All this information is so fascinating!! We have these tickets our son won at a State Cop's Golf Tournament here in Ct. He gave them to us for Christmas (good kid huh?) They are good for Continental US, Canada and the Caribbean with American. We were thinking about flying in and out of Vancouver. Walk us thru this. If we take a one way cruise with HAL to Seward--how do we get back and proceed from there? I know I sound like I am fumbling here so any and all help would be appreciated! Thanks in advance! Helen

Great kid!

Gardyloo is, as usual, right on. If your budget allows, look off the road system -- and renting a car gives you more options.

If you can't do one of the big Alaska Airlines trips, a few other options are a driving to Homer and spending a night in either Halibut Cove or Seldovia. Lovely. Or there's a nice trip via car is the Anchorage-Palmer-Valdez-then ferry-Whitter trip. Incredible countryside with glaciers and sealife. It's one of the best cheap relatively) excursions in AK. You could also throw in a sidetrip to Cordova, with or without the car.

Never really regarded the railroad as convenient. It doesn't run that often, when it lets you off you need to find more transportation -- which isn't a strong suit -- and if you're going to take that gorgeous picture of the cow and calf moose you have to be very, very quick. The rail does a decent job of taking you from one major tourist spot to another -- but it's the unexpected stuff in the middle that often makes the trip. Unless you're a big train fan, it's hard to recommend IMHO.

As far as getting back there are a few options: 1 -- (and best option) se if you can do and open-jaw, flying into Vancouver and out of Anchorage. 2 -- late in the season, you can sometimes find one-way RV rentals with reduced rates, 3 -- if the ticket is good for continental (and not contiguous) U.S., then you could just fly to Anchorage RT and skip the cruise.

If your tickets are not good for an open jaw, I would use them for round trip Anchorage and forget about the cruise. If an open jaw is possible, you would use the "multi city" option for booking Vancouver and Anchorage.

I also strongly agree on some flying. I usually do 3 flights per trip. I have gotten where I especially like the cargo runs as they get you to places really remote, and if you are lucky you'll fly with some residents who will give you a great insight into their way of life.

I will call my contact number on our "free tickets"!? and get back on that. Thank you all for all the helpful tips. It is overwhelming to me--never having been to Alaska-as you might imagine. We will definately "do our own thing" and not the programmed tour. Keep the tips coming. One last question regarding car rentals. Showing my naivete on Alaska--are all the well known rental companies up there? Or rather which company has been offering the best car rental deals? My husband tells me he will be up for whatever I plan etc. Thanks everyone. Helen

If you take a land tour, you will have the option each day of doing something special: salmon fishing, visiting a sled dog kennel, flightseeing, etc. You can select the level of activity you want. One day my husband went rafting while I went to the kennel. If you go on your own, make sure that you do some of these special events, rather than just drive. The value of the land tour is that it's so easy to do these things--they provide the transportation and make sure that the quality of the events stays high. I agree with the poster above--take the train trip.

Hey there..Although i havent been graced with the opportunity to visit alaska just yet (summer time!!) i was recently in vancouver/surroundings and got some info...Besides lush/expensive cruises, i found out that you can take fairly cheap ferries all the way up to Prince Rupert, which is a couple hours away from ketchikan...inside alaska, you can take ferries pretty much to and from any city for not to expensive...Id reccommend the ferry route to those wishing to see lots, pay less but whose willing to grind it out a bit..Cant vouch for it, but from what ive research and seen, seems like a good route to take....Ill be takin it myself sometime soon...Check out bcferries.com and aferry.us for more info...Hope this helps

Actually the ferry can run into more money than a cruise. They are transportation based first, arriving and departing 24 hours/day. You have to overnight in ports at least one night to see anything as the stops at most are only a couple hours, The cabins on the ferrys are very scarce and costly, no meals included. If you like "public" sleeping out on deck, can sleep in a recliner. Cruise ships are focused on itineray and pack a lot into 7 days, you can't see the same amount with the ferry in 7 days.

Any info to share on car rentals in Alaska? Which companies do you recommend. Also a question from my husband--What are gas prices looking like up there?
Helen

Car rentals (and airlines) in Alaska are like everywhere else. They all have happy and unhappy customers. While some folks will rave about one, others will say never again.

Most of the major chains are there and, if you'd like, you can also bid on Priceline. It's a pretty dynamic car rental market so it pays to shop around.

Fred Meyer (kind of a low-grade Target)is about $2.16 for regular, according to alaskagasprices.com, but it'll be higher often by 20-40 cents out in less populated areas.

All the major rentals are at the Anchorage airport, plus, Dollar, Thrifty, Payless, Alamo. Shop and compare, especially Alamo frequently comes out with specials. Have gotten the $149 weekly rate last 2 years.

Hi, we went to Alaska last year, just loved it. We are two overweight middle aged women. This is what we did and loved every minute of it. We flew from San Franscico to Anchorage. Spent several days there, hired a car and drove down to Seward, just beautiful, a vist to the SeaLife Centre is a must. We actually purchased something called an Alaskian Pass, organised prior to leaving Australia (we are Aussies). So on the Alaskian Pass we caught the train down to Whittier, took a boat trip around Prince William Sound, ohh, magnificant. To think it was almost ruined in 1989 with the Valdez accident. We then caught the train to Denali National Park, again beatiful, saw grizzles, moose, and lots of other wild life. Continued on to Fairbanks by train, then coach through Beaver Creek, Whitehorse down to Skagway. Then we got on the Alaskian Marine Highway, the ferry to Junue, stopped for a few days, then back on the ferry to Ketchikan, then down to Bellingham. We got a State Room and it was fabulous. We saw the cruise ships in the ports and okay if you into cruising with thousands of people and only spending hours in port, go for it, but if you want to spend time in some of these wonderful towns along the Alaskan Inside Passage, take the ferry. I hope this helps. For us, Alaska was a trip of a lifetime and loved every minute of it. Kris

Okay here I go! I found out my "free" plane tickets our son gave us for Christmas do not take us to Alaska. So I guess Vancouver in and out is our best bet. Am thinking we will take one way cruise to Seward and then what. If we can't rent a car in Seward will take the train to Anchorage to rent there and then do whatever sights we can fit in. Now my question is: What is the best way to get back to Vancouver?? Any suggestions? Helen

Fly. One way tickets in the summer from ANC to Seattle are around $260 if bought early and if you travel on a weekday; or $100 less if you take the red-eye (which really isn't bad if you're connecting to the east coast or midwest.) Alaska Airlines has nonstops to Vancouver during the summer from ANC that are around $10 more per person (if bought early - like now.) If your free tickets allow open-jaws, Home-Vancouver, Seattle-home, that will be the best deal in terms of connections etc.

If we took a one way cruise to Seward we would only need a one way flight back to Vancouver at the end of our visit? I think that will work and it looks like a one way flight like that booked at this time is less than 150 each. So I am making progress guys in this research. Which one way cruise do you guys recommend. I was looking at HAL. Once we hit Seward how would your proceed from there? Helen

One thing to look at in the cruise ship is whether or not they offer "freestyle" dining--where you are not assigned a table at dinner but can go when you want and sit with different people every night. Princess offers a choice, as do several others. We always choose freestyle but some people like the formality of a fixed time.

I doubt very much if HAL does the freestyle dining thing. they are the only line I know of that does the one way trip and it has been recommended here. We have had good, fair and terrible tablemates over the years. I think as long as the table is big enough you can find at least one couple to chat with. If not John and I have been chatting away with each other for over 36 years so it is not something we stress on or focus on. My main question is which of the one way trips would offer us the most in way of sights not to miss and then once in Seward I wwould love to hear your opinions as to what to do next. Thanks all. Helen

Its been a few years, but we took a Holland America cruise from Vancouver to Seward. We found it cheaper to fly back one way from Anchorage and catch the second half of our other round tickets home.

The cruise was wonderful...lots of gorgeous scenery, and plenty of daytime stops in towns along the way. HAL had some great nature talks and quite varied choices of onboard activities. We only did one land tour- a helicopter to Mendenhall glacier out of Juneau. Actually enjoyed just wandering the various other towns on our own.

Our cruise docked in Seward. We didn't know that there was a car agency (maybe Hertz??) in Seward, so we took the cruise's free bus to Anchorage Airport and got a car there.
We were lucky to have a very informative and talkative driver, so the extra time to Anch wasn't wasted.

We decided to skip Denali after hearing about the crowds, school buses and the slim chance of actually seeing the mountain. Instead, we took our bus driver's advice and stuck to the kenai peninsula.

We spent a night in Seward, then a leisurely day driving to Homer, getting off the main road several times. We loved Homer and spent several days there, then drove back to Anchorage (again stopping a lot on the way, including the Portage train ride)for our midnight flight home.

We had no reservations anywhere (except for the car in Anchorage), but had no problems finding rooms in June.

HAL is the top choice coming into Seward, but I highly doubt HAL has that free bus to Anchorage any longer?? I recommend the train for superior scenery and the ability to at least day visit Seward.

I completely disagree with the above poster on Denali Park. Absolutely NEVER Crowded within the park, and the best bargain around for varied wildlife. There is far more there than McKinley. Fantastic scenery. take a look as some photos for accurate information-
http://community.webshots.com/user/budgetqueen

I also never recommend not having reservations. Alaska is exploding with tourism and I have encountered many people scrambling for lodging interior Alaska so the Kenai may be fine for this option, but going north is not. It also can eat up valuable time in peak season.

Budget Queen I am with you--we don't freelance with lodgings always research and KNOW where we are staying each and every night no matter where we go. So we take the cruise out of Vancouver(there are two that HAL has--which one would you do for firsttimer?--then we get to Seward. I know there are things to do and see there. We will hit port early I am sure so should we see the sights during that day or would you recommend a night there then the train? Sorry to sound so ill traveled but once in Anchorage does the train take us to the airport to rent the car? More questions I ama sure tomorrow. I think as I am planning we will once having done our sightseeing we will take a one way flight from Ancorage back to Vancouver. Thanks.
Helen

IF you are short on time, you can do the Kenai Fjords boat tour the same day as your cruise arrival and make that evening's train. If you have time for everywhere else you want to go, then sure, plenty to keep you busy in Seward.

The regular run of the railroad goes to the downtown depot and not the airport. I suggest, you get to your hotel for the night and pick up your car the next day. For savings, look at lodging that has shuttles for both. I stay at either Ramada, Days Inn etc. I am not fussy on lodging. :)

Hey Reeder,

I'm not an expert on Alaska like the other posters; however, i've been twice & was completely entranced w/ it's unbelievable beauty.

Both times we "did our own thing" on land, which is what i'd highly recommend. The other posters' suggestions are excellent---this is a trip that you would totally love....

Definitely a "must" for people who enjoy travel!

Joy Sakura

Okay guys you are being so helpful here as in planning I am starting to see some plan forming here. HAL has two one way trips to Seward. ONce the Ryndam goes to Ketchikan, Juneau, Haines/Skagway Glacier Bay Natl Park and College Fjord. The other cruise goes to Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Icy Strait Point and Hubbard Glacier. Which do you prefer and why. Keep in mind following the cruise we will take a week on the road--flying back to Vancouver from Anchorage. Helen

I do give an edge to Glacier Bay and College Fjords on one way cruises. Otherwise you essentially just have an open sea day sailing across the gulf, no where near as scenic sailing overall.

But Sitka and Hoonah are worthwhile cities to see and explore. Choose who fits your timeframe best and wallet?? Either way, Alaska isn't a one time trip. Your inside passage travel is totally different than your interior. :)

Even though they are highly recommended and for the first time I was willing to bite for one--balcony cabins are nowhere to be seen in June on the Rhydam. Are the ocean views worth it or should we stick with inside and use our money for other fun things in Alaska? H

You sail close to land quite a bit of the time and there is much to see from your window, unlike sailing in the middle of the ocean. Even if you spend a good deal of time on deck it is nice to be able to be in your cabin and have the window. We enjoyed it while having room service breakfast.

If your more costly cabin doesn't interfer with your tour choices based on funds, yes a window is great.

We too have always gotten inside cabins on various cruises. I figure with exception of room siz, location etc all the rest is equal--same food, same programs, entertainment and facilities. Since I can't get a balcony we will go up on deck to see the sights and SAVE with the inside option. H