Sancraig

We will have one full day in Seward in early July 2024 and then travel to Anchorage to spend the night to fly home the following evening. We had planned to take the Coastal Classic train but are thinking of renting a car instead so we will have transportation to Exit Glacier in Kanai Fjords National Park and also to get around on our day in Anchorage. Questions:

Is driving the route to Anchorage just as good or will we regret not taking the train?
Is it difficult to find parking in Seward? We will be there on a busy day.
Do we need a car in Anchorage? It looks like the city and attractions are pretty spread out.
Any other advice I'm not thinking about???

Thanks in advance for any help.

dfrostnh

My experience was long ago and I did not take the train on any trips between anchorage and Seward/Kenai. I think it is a very beautiful drive. you will want to stop various places even if just for photo ops. We enjoyed going to the too of Alyeska for.views and snow in summer. Also visitors center at Portage to see videos and listen to recordings of people who experienced the great earthquake. We also had to drive thru the one way tunnel to Whittier. Read the Milepost to decide where you would like to visit.
I enjoyed a tourist tram ride around Anchorage and the outdoor market. We did not overnight in Anchorage since we were staying elsewhere. Hope the Moose's Tooth is still as good as it was on the Seward Hwy or near the beginning. Enjoy a flight of local beers and some good pizza. I also visited Title Wave bookstore where I bought books about Alaska I wouldn't have found in my local book store at home. So I think you would like having a car to get around Anchorage.

tom_mn

I just did this drive round trip from Anchorage. The issue in September was road construction, like a dozen sites and at least 3 with one-way traffic and flagman with up to a 20 minute wait each. So it was frustrating, especially trying to get a certain boat sailing from Seward to Kenai NP (I made it). It's all paved highway and can normally be driven at high speed. I assume they keep the road construction to the months outside peak visitor season? Parking in Seward: there are at least 3 public lots available at $10/day. It's a tiny place, not sure what you would do there for a full day?

The train and the highway AFAIK take the same path, so the scenery is the same. Since I took the 6 hour cruise to Kenai from Seward, then 3 hours driving each way, I'd had a full day and did not make stops along the highway. There are many pretty spots to stop. Are you taking one of the Kenai cruises, or will you have already had enough of glaciers and mountains seen from the water? If the weather is clear I recommend it, but expensive at $200. According to the boat narrator we had the only 2023 sailing without any rain (Sept 24). When the sun shines it's magical.

I think Anchorage is rather a dull place so don't rush. There are good brew pubs and gift shops. I didn't go in the museum. Homelessness is a real problem, lock your car if staying in a midtown location. I wondered at check in why I was getting the run down of which parts of the hotel parking lot are visible from CC cameras, found out when I saw the encampment right across the street. [Was surprised and pleased to see almost no homeless in Chicago during a 3 day downtown visit last month, mentioning in passing.]

Adding that Denali is visible from Anchorage rather easily, despite 2 locals telling me it wasn't (?) I saw places online to see the Alaska Range (with Denali) from the city so went up onto one of the downtown parking structures (I use the term "parking ramp" in the Midwest but his is apparently not a national term) and there she was, many days in a row, hanging like Rainier does over Seattle, 130 miles away but visible (along with 3 adjacent peaks). I have heard however that this is rare sight in summer. If you go out to Point Woronzof Overlook to look for Denali and see the skyline over water with mountains behind, you may see moose on the side of the road, I did.

Another addition, something that I didn't see mentioned in tourist lit: This part of the world is in the wrong time zone (like western Michigan or Alberta) and so during daylight time is effectively on double-daylight time. You might not notice this in the summer but near the equinox it is very clear when the sun rises at 8 am and sets at 8 pm that something is amiss. Autumn visitors get 1 hour of unexpected daylight for hiking in the evening.

Gardyloo

Have you already booked the car? There's only one national car rental firm (Hertz) in Seward and they typically are fully booked well in advance of cruise season starting. It's also worth noting that the cost of a one-way rental from Seward to Anchorage is likely going to be eye-watering.

The train parallels the road for PART of the distance, mainly along Turnagain Arm after leaving Anchorage, then again approaching Seward. However, the road and railway diverge around Portage, with the train following a very scenic route through a series of canyons and past (at a distance) Spencer Glacier, before rejoining the road around Moose Pass. You can't see this from the car, but of course the train doesn't stop for sightseeing or picture taking.

If it was me with your arrival day and most of the next day available, I'd take the train from Seward to Anchorage, then get a car and drive back down the Seward Highway, maybe spending the night in Girdwood. The next day, if you're still keen on glaciers scenery, drive through the Whittier tunnel and take a "26 glacier" cruise (around four hours) from Whittier, OR, visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center at Portage, then return to Anchorage in time for your evening flight. If you're feeling especially ambitious, you could also continue on the Seward Highway past Portage to the old gold mining village of Hope, the only town on the south shore of Turnagain Arm. It's a fun and fascinating place.

Yes, you'll be retracing some of the distance along Turnagain Arm that the train also travels, but between Girdwood, Portage, Whittier, or stops at Beluga Point or Potter Marsh... there are more than enough stops to justify the repetition.

Map - https://maps.app.goo.gl/Qmr5w1EJEB4kv5k4A

I'd also suggest an alternative one-day itinerary to the north from Anchorage. This route would include the very scenic drive up to Independence Mine and Hatcher Pass - spectacular and historic - maybe with a stop on the way back at the Native Alaska village of Eklutna, with its remarkable cemetery and "spirit houses" over the graves. Google and see what you think. Map - https://maps.app.goo.gl/tYkqWCSHTdFHuVkp8

Sancraig

Thanks so much for all of this helpful information. You all have given us lots to consider.

dfrostnh

I second the idea to visit Independence Mine. Very good preservation of mining village. It's a drive to get there so you can think about how isolated it must have been.

tom_mn

An update on the current Anchorage homeless situation. I did run across a guy in a parking structure elevator who commented that clothing was taken out of his car overnight at the Home 2 Suites and the car door left open. He said he didn’t lock his car.

https://apnews.com/article/anchorage...2e34d571dfdcd1

Without having much knowledge of the city, with a car and wanting free parking I’d recommend staying near the airport at the Holiday Inn Express or Comfort Suites and not midtown where the problem is worse. It’s fairly quick to get around wherever you stay.

mlgb

The train is fine, as is driving. There is also the ACT shuttle which includes some options that are coordinated with cruise ship arrivals. It leaves from the port with selected stops on some routes. https://alaskacruisetransfer.com/seward-tours/ Your choice may also depend on how much luggage you have to shift back to Anchorage. FAQ https://alaskacruisetransfer.com/faqs/

For Exit Glacier there are many shuttle companies that run from Seward as well as taxis, see the following list of shuttles to Exit Glacier on the NPS website https://www.nps.gov/kefj/planyourvis...xi-service.htm

There is no reason to go to Whittier to do a glacier cruise, you can do that from Seward if you haven't already had your fill of cruising and glaciers by the time you arrive in Seward ..I like Major Marine.

In Seward do visit the Sealife Center, we wished we had allowed more time there. Another recommendation is the Seward Brewing Company for food. We stayed at a great B&B, Northern Nights. From your post it wasn't clear if you were spending a night in Seward or had intended to head up to Anchorage that arrival day? If you have a choice, I would recommend spending arrival night in Seward and then the next morning go to Anchorage by one of the available options. If you need a place to store luggage for that day, the airport has storage or you could also rent a car and use the trunk if you don't have too much. Anchorage has taxis,Uber and Lyft. You don't need a car there unless you want one. It does have a homeless situation. The Anchorage Museum is worth a visit and has a comfy seating area with coffees, etc. available. If the weather is good you might enjoy a walk along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.However Anchorage really isn't a place where I long to spend more time!!

I had a full day in Anchorage after my most recent cruise so took the ACT shuttle to the airport and picked up a car for the day (booked well in advance). There are some hotels near the airport, the the birding groups use the Coast Inn at Lake Hood. My friend stays in Anchorage several times a year (for work so she isn't paying). She likes Captain Cook (and advised to never stay at the Puffin Inn, LOL).

Expect traffic to be annoying during peak cruise season.