Economical transport? ( Anchorage to Seward)

Anyone know of economical transportation from Anchorage hotel to Seward cruise pier? What about Anchorage airport to Alyeska/Girdwood and then Alyeska/Girdwood to Seward? Everything I see seems outrageously priced. Looking for friends. We are booked on cruise tour thru cruise line but they are just meeting us at ship so I need to help get them to ship! 😀

Personally I hire a car. I have found it quite comparable and affords the flexibility to stop at Alyeska and any other places on the way down.

I know there is a coach/bus and also the train.

It is about 125 miles from Anchorage to Seward and that takes about 2.5 hours to drive each way, that's why the costs are high. The cheapest way is probably one of the Anchorage to Seward buses. We are opting for the train, cheaper class is just over $100 each.

Anyone know of economical transportation from Anchorage hotel to Seward cruise pier? What about Anchorage airport to Alyeska/Girdwood and then Alyeska/Girdwood to Seward? Everything I see seems outrageously priced. Looking for friends. We are booked on cruise tour thru cruise line but they are just meeting us at ship so I need to help get them to ship! 😀

Yes...try.... http://www.alaskacruisetransfer.com

We used this service and would highly recommend them.

Anyone know of economical transportation from Anchorage hotel to Seward cruise pier? What about Anchorage airport to Alyeska/Girdwood and then Alyeska/Girdwood to Seward? Everything I see seems outrageously priced. Looking for friends. We are booked on cruise tour thru cruise line but they are just meeting us at ship so I need to help get them to ship! 😀

The transfer service mentioned by Ashland has been well reviewed on this forum.

Other options between Anc and Seward include the Park Connection Bus, Seward Buslines, and the Alaska Railroad. Web sites for those vendors are in this link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2347988&highlight=resources&page=3

A one way car rental would be great but does not fall in the economical category.

Alyeska is about a 45 minute drive from Anchorage. Other than the train I don't know of any transportation to Girdwood. Call Alyeska Resort and see what they suggest.

Anyone know of economical transportation from Anchorage hotel to Seward cruise pier? What about Anchorage airport to Alyeska/Girdwood and then Alyeska/Girdwood to Seward? Everything I see seems outrageously priced. Looking for friends. We are booked on cruise tour thru cruise line but they are just meeting us at ship so I need to help get them to ship! 😀

You should not pick the most economical but the best. The best is to rent a car.

DON

A one way car rental would be great but does not fall in the economical category.

I disagree with this. Depending on how many people you have travelling, it can easily be more economical to hire a car. When I booked a one way car hire for 24 hours picking up at Anchorage airport and dropping in Seward, I got a rate of c.$101 including a 10% discount and with gas it came to c$145. The train is c.$100 per person. The coach/bus is c.$50 for a direct non stop route.

All I am saying is that actually, car hire can be economical depending on the circumstances and should not be immediately dismissed.

The transfer service mentioned by Ashland has been well reviewed on this forum.

 

Other options between Anc and Seward include the Park Connection Bus, Seward Buslines, and the Alaska Railroad. Web sites for those vendors are in this link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2347988&highlight=resources&page=3

 

A one way car rental would be great but does not fall in the economical category.

 

 

Alyeska is about a 45 minute drive from Anchorage. Other than the train I don't know of any transportation to Girdwood. Call Alyeska Resort and see what they suggest.

Awesome info! Thanks!

You should not pick the most economical but the best. The best is to rent a car.

 

DON

That might be best for you but for some people "most economical" is the best!

I disagree with this. Depending on how many people you have travelling, it can easily be more economical to hire a car. When I booked a one way car hire for 24 hours picking up at Anchorage airport and dropping in Seward, I got a rate of c.$101 including a 10% discount and with gas it came to c$145. The train is c.$100 per person. The coach/bus is c.$50 for a direct non stop route.

 

All I am saying is that actually, car hire can be economical depending on the circumstances and should not be immediately dismissed.

I priced a one-way rental and the cheapest I found was almost $500 when I priced it several months ago. Now nothing is showing as available for our dates.

I was interested in the bus transfer service, but was staying an extra day in Seward, and found out that they only make the run certain days out of the week (when there are cruise ships in Port). So double check their schedule!

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Last time I was there, the train was by far the easiest and cheapest method, plus the scenery is awesome along the way, and Its the Alaska Railroad, pretty cool

Last time I was there, the train was by far the easiest and cheapest method, plus the scenery is awesome along the way, and Its the Alaska Railroad, pretty cool

Where do you get off of the train in Seward? How far is it to the ship? Walk, taxi, etc? Are there porters available to help with luggage? How easy is it to get from hotel to train station in Anchorage? How early do you need to be there before the train? My two friends are not very "savvy" when it comes to travel so I am trying to figure out the most economical as well as the most "fool-proof" method to plan for their transfers since we won't be with them.

Thanks.

Where do you get off of the train in Seward? How far is it to the ship? Walk, taxi, etc? Are there porters available to help with luggage? How easy is it to get from hotel to train station in Anchorage? How early do you need to be there before the train? My two friends are not very "savvy" when it comes to travel so I am trying to figure out the most economical as well as the most "fool-proof" method to plan for their transfers since we won't be with them.

 

Thanks.

The ship is several blocks from the train but walkable.

You can check your bags to the ship at the Anchorage train depot and they will be delivered to your stateroom.

Taxis are available, some hotels have shuttles.

1 hour before departure

I enjoyed the train, it was relaxing and you can move around.

Click Anchorage in my signature line to see pictures.

Last time I was there, the train was by far the easiest and cheapest method, plus the scenery is awesome along the way, and Its the Alaska Railroad, pretty cool

Not sure what the cruise line contracted train would be but the scheduled train is$168 from Anchorage to Seward. Wouldn’t call that the cheapest since a bus that picks you up at an Anchorage hotel and transports you to Seward is about $45. What rate did you get?

Anyone know of economical transportation from Anchorage hotel to Seward cruise pier?

We’ve used these folks before and found them adequate. $45 from hotel to pier. They also have a sightseeing option for another $10. What is missed by going by bus is going through the Placer Valley which is very scenic although both the highway and the train travel the same route down Turnagain Arm that has been billed as one of the most scenic drives in the state.

http://www.sewardbuslines.net/summer.html

I do agree with Don though, renting a car is the best way to go. There have been beluga whales in Turnagain Arm, dall sheep along the cliffs, Girdwood/Alyeska, Portage Glacier, Wildlife Conservation Center, etc. There is a ton of stuff to stop and see along the way that can be missed by train/bus.

Going through the Alaska Railroad site, price is 105 a person, We don't book anything through the cruise line other then the cruise itself.

Everyone has there own preference whether it be driving or riding a bus, I just preferred the train, Lots of room to move, they handle the luggage and the fact you get to just look out the huge window and enjoy the ride.

Walking distance to ship once in Seward, and a quick taxi ride to the train station while in Anchorage, like shadowmeboy had said.

What ever you choose, have a great time, only 21 more days till we are back in Alaska!

The train!!!! Once in a lifetime opportunity.

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Going through the Alaska Railroad site, price is 105 a person, We don't book anything through the cruise line other then the cruise itself.

Yes, $105! The $168 was round trip. Thank you for clarifying.

We have 7 of us taking the train independent of our cruise line in July and are wondering about getting from the train station in Seward to the cruise port. I know it is only 1.1 miles and don't have a problem waking that short distance under normal circumstances but in this case we will have luggage. What is the taxi situation like in Seward? Our ship has relatively few passengers but there will be another ship, Radiance of the Seas, also embarking on the same day. We tried one private taxi company, PJ's but they are booked. Should we try to book another company (if so, who?) for this short transfer or will we likely be able to get a taxi without much of a wait?

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The walk didn't seem that far when we did it, but I could be wrong. We also walked from our hotel in Vancouver to the pier as well on that trip.

Taxi wise though I don't recall, sorry

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I checked on the internet and that is the distance it showed.

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