White Pass Rail Road

[riverdees05]

On their website:

 

Cruise Ship Passengers

 

For passengers arriving via cruise ship, our tours are available from your ship's Shore Excursion Department. By booking through the cruise line, you will be able to take advantage of the dockside service and board the train on the pier alongside your ship. Contact your cruise line's Shore Excursion Department for more details.

 

Is this the way to go or should we look to book direct with the Railroad?

[mskaufman]

Doesn't much matter. Booking through the railroad will save you a couple of bucks. Booking through the cruiseline will save you the 3 - 4 block walk to the train depot. Other than that, its the same trip.

[klmorg]

Doesn't much matter. Booking through the railroad will save you a couple of bucks. Booking through the cruiseline will save you the 3 - 4 block walk to the train depot. Other than that, its the same trip.

 

Some independents, i.e. Chilkoot Charters, pick you up at the dock as well.

[Putterdude]

We have done it both ways, if I was taking a morning train I might be more inclined to book thru the ship if it is in the afternoon then for sure I would go to the train station and purchase our tickets. One of the other advantages of going to the train station is that if the weather is just plain lousy there is no obligation to purchase a ticket and take the trip.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Definitely check out Chilkoot Charters. Here's the link.

[dabear]

For US citizens, do you need to bring your passport if you go to Frazer BC by bus & then return by train to Skagway?

[Putterdude]

Yes, everyone needs a passport, Nexus card, EDL or other approved document to re-enter the US, the exception is the rail trip to the summit only.

[Toyz711]

if you are just going to do the round-trip ride, especially the morning one, i would just book through the cruise line. you walk off the ship and the train is right there.

if i was going to do a full tour, i would book independently and let them pick me up.

my in laws were going to book through the train, last minute, but when they thought about pushing a wheelchair through town, then saw the train right there, they changed their minds and book with the cruiseline. too bad they didn't tell us and we could have sat together.:(

[riverdees05]

Are all the tours train one way and bus the other or bus both ways?

[mskaufman]

You can also go both ways by train. It goes to the Canadian border and the back to Skagway.

[tracyktn]

I liked doing the train one way and the bus back. This way you get great views on train (going over bridges and through tunnels) then on the drive back they can stop for photo ops. You get two different perspectives. It was truly a beautiful trip.

[TallinnGirl]

I liked doing the train one way and the bus back. This way you get great views on train (going over bridges and through tunnels) then on the drive back they can stop for photo ops. You get two different perspectives. It was truly a beautiful trip.

 

I am about to book with Chilkoot but still cannot decide if we should do train first and bus back or vice versa? Anyone have suggestions on this?

 

I would like to do train first as the cruise ship itinerary does vice versa but a little worried about cloud cover in the early morning

[bonvoyagie]

you will see the same sights on either trip. The view of Skagway from the summit is nice (on a clear day) so it might be nice to be on the bus for that. I think that I would opt for the train first, bus return all in the afternoon - just in case there is cloud cover in the morning. In 02 we did the train in the PM and it was nice. In 03 we did it in the morning and it was overcast and you could not see back down to Skagway.

[pchen0]

Definitely check out Chilkoot Charters. Here's the link.

 

I am going in May and am thinking about booking the Yukon/White Pass Rail/Bus combo tour. Chilkoot Charters does not have prices on their website. Anyone know their prices? On Royal Caribbean's shore excursion is $182. Not sure if they offer significant savings or maybe easier just to purchase on the cruise?

 

Thanks!

[riverdees05]

You can email Chilkoot Charters and they will send you their prices. Does anyone have experience with Chilkoot Charters? They range in price from $48-239, depending if it is all bus tour, how far you go, etc.

[InternetAgeTraveler]

I am about to book with Chilkoot but still cannot decide if we should do train first and bus back or vice versa? Anyone have suggestions on this?

 

I would like to do train first as the cruise ship itinerary does vice versa but a little worried about cloud cover in the early morning

 

When we did Chilkoot, we elected to do the train up. I've posted on this a few times in the past but to me the advantage was that as you ride the train, the view improved constantly as you went and on the train you got more chance to see it. And you get more train feeling that the miners would have had since its pulling you up (versus braking as you come down). But I am sure both ways are nice. The other advantage I saw to the bus back as we didn't seem rushed and they gave us plenty of time to stop. On our second trip, we did a rental car and the drive ourselves and this was really great.

 

Note that Chilkoot also offers the Yukon tour versus the shorter trip to Frasier and back.

 

Weather is always something you can't predict.

 

Pictures from 2010 drive

 

Pictures from 2007 Train and Bus

[TallinnGirl]

Thank you InternetAgeTraveler for the advice and the photos! :)

 

I have booked with Chilkoot, the Yukon Rail and Bus excursion with train first and bus back :)

 

All my Alaska excursions are now booked! :)

[TallinnGirl]

I am going in May and am thinking about booking the Yukon/White Pass Rail/Bus combo tour. Chilkoot Charters does not have prices on their website. Anyone know their prices? On Royal Caribbean's shore excursion is $182. Not sure if they offer significant savings or maybe easier just to purchase on the cruise?

 

Thanks!

 

We booked the Yukon Rail and Bus excursion which was $176 per person. Princess is charging $199.

 

But for us it was not saving a few bucks but a more personal experience. After reading reviews, it was apparent that Chilkoot is very organized and that they have their own train car for the train ride - which should be much less crowded than the train trips arranged by the cruise ship. And since this is one of the most, if not the most popular excursion in Skagway, the majority of the ship's passengers will be doing this tour.

[pchen0]

We booked the Yukon Rail and Bus excursion which was $176 per person. Princess is charging $199.

 

But for us it was not saving a few bucks but a more personal experience. After reading reviews, it was apparent that Chilkoot is very organized and that they have their own train car for the train ride - which should be much less crowded than the train trips arranged by the cruise ship. And since this is one of the most, if not the most popular excursion in Skagway, the majority of the ship's passengers will be doing this tour.

 

Thank you TallinnGirl!

Now the only problem is that Chilkoot's Yukon Rail/Bus tour does not give us sufficient time to arrive back in Port so my choices are taking their shorter rail/bus tour only to Frasier or taking the cruise ship's longer Yukon rail/bus combo.

Any suggestions?

[TallinnGirl]

If your time is limited, probably the best thing to do would be to go through your cruise line.

 

What time do you arrive and depart Skagway?

[pchen0]

If your time is limited, probably the best thing to do would be to go through your cruise line.

 

What time do you arrive and depart Skagway?

 

Skagway 7am - 4pm.

[2little time]

On their website:

 

Cruise Ship Passengers

 

For passengers arriving via cruise ship, our tours are available from your ship's Shore Excursion Department. By booking through the cruise line, you will be able to take advantage of the dockside service and board the train on the pier alongside your ship. Contact your cruise line's Shore Excursion Department for more details.

 

Is this the way to go or should we look to book direct with the Railroad?

If you can walk a mile or so to the depot for the tickets it would save a few dollars. We loved getting off the ship and having the train right there for us.

[JMC715]

PChen - You have to e-mail Chilkoot for their prices. I received their 2012 prices last month as follows:

$123 adult for 3.5 hour summit rail & bus excursion. They seem to have 4 times, with alternating train first then bus back, then vice versa.

 

$176 for 7.5 hour Yukon bus& rail with lunch

 

$208 for 7.5 hour Yukon bus & rail with lunch & dogsled ride.

 

We booked the 3.5 hour train to summit then bus back for our May 25 Infinity sailing. Saved about $25 per person over ship prices.I submitted the reservation on their website and got a confirmation e-mail 2 days later.

 

Hoping its a smaller group on train with this tour operator, and they are supposed to have a smaller tour bus too. And they say they pick you up at the dock to transport to the train depot.

[JMC715]

InternetAgeTraveler - I just took a look at your photos. They are great, thanks so much! I'm so glad to see the beautiful weather you had on your trip during the end of May, that's when we'll be there. I am prepared for cold but sure keeping my fingers crossed for 60 degrees or better!

[riverdees05]

:)We have booked with Chilkoot, the Yukon Rail and Bus excursion with train first and bus back. They were good about answering several emails and with the comments here, we feel good about them and the tour.