Any thoughts on Itinerary? Ways to make Land portion more smooth?

[Amy5000]

Hi all. I’ve planned our family’s trip to Alaska including a DIY land tour. I had planned to do a cruise tour but when I wanted to add a night in Seward I was annoyed at the pricing so I decided to do a "DIY" land tour. I was able to save quite a bit on the cost for our party of 7 people (my parents in their 70s and 80s, me, husband and brother in our 40s and my children 8 and 9). Anyway I'm posting my itinerary to see if there was any place you would recommended tweaking it -- And to see if anyone had any advice about how to make the land tour run smoothly. (I'm a little stressed about moving all the luggage). If you have any additional suggestions for excursions for kids (especially gold panning as we are big "Gold Rush" fans) I'd love to hear it.

 

Just so you know, this cruise takes into account certain preferences expressed by my 86 y.o. father. This cruise is something he’s always wanted to do. He wanted to go to Denali and take the glass “Dome” cars. He wanted a chance to spend some time sled dogs and just enjoy the scenery. I personally would have driven to Denali or taken Adventure class, but I really wanted to keep his wishes in mind.

 

I'll also mention that I have three copies of the Alaska Toursaver Coupon Book, so we will be using for some things (Major Marine, Lodging in Denali and Fairbanks; rail from Denali to Fairbanks).

 

(Parents and bother are doing a Vancouver/Victoria pre-tour with HAL)

Day 1 – Embark Vancouver (Statendam)

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Ketichan (7am to 3pm) – We’ll do Salmon Fishing w/ Northern Lights from 7 to 12 and then check out Ketichan.

Day 4 - Juneau (10am to 10:30pm) - Whale Watching w/ Harv and Marv. Then visit and hike Medenhall glacier. Check out Juneau. I assume my parents will only check out the visitor center and then return to Juneau.

Day 5 - (July 4) Skagway (7am to 9pm) My parents and brother will do some version of White Pass Rail Road, maybe going with Chillkoot Trails. Hubby, kids and I will check out 4th of July parade, do some hiking and will either (1) head out to Liarsville or (2) do “Ocean Raft” or (3) possibly Chillkoot hike and Float.

Day 6 - Glacier Bay

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Disembark Seward - Major Marine Tour 10 to 5:30 - Stay at Holiday Inn Express

Day 9 - Spend day in Seward - visit Alaska Sea Life Center. Maybe hike Exit Glacier or do Ididaride. Get 6pm train to Anchorage. Stay overnight at Comfort Inn.

Day 10 - Catch 8:15 train to Denali. Take shuttle or taxi to McKinley Chalet. We will probably head to the visitor’s center on first day and have my senior parents get national park senior passes. Perhaps some of us younger folk will do a white water trip? Maybe Dad will do "flightseeing"?

Day 11 - Tundra Wilderness Tour

Day 12 - Morning in Denali - Catch 4pm train ("Adventure class") to Fairbanks - Take shuttle to Pike's Waterfront Lodge

Day 13 - Get rental Car - See Mary Shields (Tails of Trail at 10am); Gold Dredge No. 8 at 1:45 pm.

Day 14 - Catch 6 am flight out of Fairbanks.

 

Thanks in advance. Amy

[Kamloops50]

Hi all. I’ve planned our family’s trip to Alaska including a DIY land tour. I had planned to do a cruise tour but when I wanted to add a night in Seward I was annoyed at the pricing so I decided to do a "DIY" land tour. I was able to save quite a bit on the cost for our party of 7 people (my parents in their 70s and 80s, me, husband and brother in our 40s and my children 8 and 9). Anyway I'm posting my itinerary to see if there was any place you would recommended tweaking it -- And to see if anyone had any advice about how to make the land tour run smoothly. (I'm a little stressed about moving all the luggage). If you have any additional suggestions for excursions for kids (especially gold panning as we are big "Gold Rush" fans) I'd love to hear it.

 

Just so you know, this cruise takes into account certain preferences expressed by my 86 y.o. father. This cruise is something he’s always wanted to do. He wanted to go to Denali and take the glass “Dome” cars. He wanted a chance to spend some time sled dogs and just enjoy the scenery. I personally would have driven to Denali or taken Adventure class, but I really wanted to keep his wishes in mind.

 

I'll also mention that I have three copies of the Alaska Toursaver Coupon Book, so we will be using for some things (Major Marine, Lodging in Denali and Fairbanks; rail from Denali to Fairbanks).

 

(Parents and bother are doing a Vancouver/Victoria pre-tour with HAL)

Day 1 – Embark Vancouver (Statendam)

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Ketichan (7am to 3pm) – We’ll do Salmon Fishing w/ Northern Lights from 7 to 12 and then check out Ketichan.

Day 4 - Juneau (10am to 10:30pm) - Whale Watching w/ Harv and Marv. Then visit and hike Medenhall glacier. Check out Juneau. I assume my parents will only check out the visitor center and then return to Juneau.

Day 5 - (July 4) Skagway (7am to 9pm) My parents and brother will do some version of White Pass Rail Road, maybe going with Chillkoot Trails. Hubby, kids and I will check out 4th of July parade, do some hiking and will either (1) head out to Liarsville or (2) do “Ocean Raft” or (3) possibly Chillkoot hike and Float.

Day 6 - Glacier Bay

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Disembark Seward - Major Marine Tour 10 to 5:30 - Stay at Holiday Inn Express

Day 9 - Spend day in Seward - visit Alaska Sea Life Center. Maybe hike Exit Glacier or do Ididaride. Get 6pm train to Anchorage. Stay overnight at Comfort Inn.

Day 10 - Catch 8:15 train to Denali. Take shuttle or taxi to McKinley Chalet. We will probably head to the visitor’s center on first day and have my senior parents get national park senior passes. Perhaps some of us younger folk will do a white water trip? Maybe Dad will do "flightseeing"?

Day 11 - Tundra Wilderness Tour

Day 12 - Morning in Denali - Catch 4pm train ("Adventure class") to Fairbanks - Take shuttle to Pike's Waterfront Lodge

Day 13 - Get rental Car - See Mary Shields (Tails of Trail at 10am); Gold Dredge No. 8 at 1:45 pm.

Day 14 - Catch 6 am flight out of Fairbanks.

 

Thanks in advance. Amy

 

I would suggest the land tour first and then the cruise.

[mapleleaves]

sounds like a really fun family trip! Nice job putting it together. I have a couple of thoughts ...

- Don't know where you're staying in Vanc, but I'd suggest walking around Stanley Park before boarding the ship. Walk the seawall, visit the totems, see the Lyons Gate Bridge that you'll sail beneath. Don't be in a rush to board the ship.

- Ketchikan. Pick up the free maps and do the walking tour of the town. It's a nice little town and the history is quite interesting.

- in Seward take an evening strol along the waterfront trail that leads to downtown. Look for otters playing offshore, bald eagles, and watch the fishing boats come and go.

- at Denali take a shuttle to Eielson Visitor Center at Mile 66 instead of the TWT at Mile 53. The shuttle goes further into the park (thru prime bear viewing area) plus it takes you to an actual destination. The bus stops at the Center for 30-40 minutes; great views of the mtn if it's out, there are exhibits, an established trail, running water/flush toilets. Both trips are about 8 hrs RT, but the shuttle is 1/3 the cost ( kids free), plus there's a bus leaving every 15-30 minutes so you have lots of choices in timing. Don't forget to pick up sandwiches and bottle of water. Refill at the EVC.

Have a great trip!

 

p.s. look into the JrRanger Program at Denali http://www.nps.gov/dena/forkids/beajuniorranger.htm

 

Also, I think the McKinly Chalet runs a shuttle to/from the RR station as well as the Park.

[Budget Queen]

You've made a good plan according to your interests. But Liarsville will need a tour to participate, as they no longer have walk up guests. (unless they change again).

 

With your father's interest in Denali- I would never consider the TWT. Eielson is well worth the stop with an informative museum- excellent rangers, and running water. Way more comfort. You can get off a bus at anytime, look around, or get a returning bus that will take you back out.

 

At 1/3 the price with free kids, there are few reasons to consider a tour bus. You are already OK taking your lodge shuttle bus, so an extra round trip- really isn't an issue. You would have to bring in all your own food and drink. You should as well on the tour.

 

I am NOT looking for any answers. This is general information only. Over many years, I frequently see a lot of assumptions people have about Denali that simply are not accurate. Just a general comment.

[vbmom87]

Your parents are very fortunate that you have taken on this responsibility of planning the trip. I know how time-consuming and overwhelming it can be to plan a trip like this, especially when you are planning for not only yourselves, but also for others.

 

You have a good plan from what I can tell. My only concern would be that it is quite ambitious and I wonder if your parents can handle the pace? You know them of course, and I don't. Our dads did not live that long, but our mothers' did and I know they could not have handled this busy of an itinerary. If your parents can, more power to them!! They have been blessed!!!

 

 

Do you think your dad would be willing to take the dome car from Seward to Anchorage and then rent a car to Denali, or is it really important to him to take the train the Denali?

[Amy5000]

Mapleleaves: That you so much, especially for your suggestions regarding Vancouver. I've never been there before and we are arriving a day early so I was hoping to spend some time there and see the City. I will definitely check out the Jr Ranger program. My younger one would love it! (My older one would be annoyed that I asked him to "think" during the summer!)

 

Mapleleaves and Budget Queen. I'm going to seriously consider doing the bus tour instead of the TWT. I'll talk with my family about it before I make the change.

 

Budget Queen: Just curious what you meant by "Over many years, I frequently see a lot of assumptions people have about Denali that simply are not accurate." I'd love to know some of those assumptions.

 

I have a pretty open mind and I've mentioned to my Dad that he may find Denali to be over-rated...and that he needed to keep his mind open b/c he didn't know what the highlight of his trip would be. He's talked to many friends about Alaska...and when they share their personal highlight he gets the "gleam" in his eye imagining what it will be like.

 

I would suggest the land tour first and then the cruise.

 

hmmm...I'm aware of the reasons to do the Land Tour first and they really do seem to make sense, but as I already have air tickets and reserved cabins that are right next to each other I'm not considering making a major change like that this point.

 

:-) Amy

[Amy5000]

Your parents are very fortunate that you have taken on this responsibility of planning the trip. I know how time-consuming and overwhelming it can be to plan a trip like this, especially when you are planning for not only yourselves, but also for others.

 

You have a good plan from what I can tell. My only concern would be that it is quite ambitious and I wonder if your parents can handle the pace? You know them of course, and I don't. Our dads did not live that long, but our mothers' did and I know they could not have handled this busy of an itinerary. If your parents can, more power to them!! They have been blessed!!!

 

 

Do you think your dad would be willing to take the dome car from Seward to Anchorage and then rent a car to Denali, or is it really important to him to take the train the Denali?

 

vbmom: Thank you so much for this insight! Can I ask what part of the itinerary looks too taxing? I assumed that if my parents got tired they would just "rest" up. For the most part I don't expect them to go hiking with us or do river rafting, etc. I just bought a used "travel scoot" so my mother would have a scooter. My dad is somewhat good shape for an 86 y.o. (well, he'll be 87 when we go next summer).

 

I mentioned renting a car in Anchorage b/c then we would get the most gorgeous part of the "DOME" service from Seward to Anchorage but both him and my mom seemed to feel it would be more work to rent a car and train travel is preferable. I'm guessing they think train travel is more enjoyable. (You can get up, walk around, spread out, relax....) Truthfully, I wanted to rent a car b/c I didn't think my 8 and 10 y.o. would enjoy train travel as much as Grandma and Grandpa.

 

Thanks in advance. Amy

[Northern Aurora]

As someone who lives in Fairbanks I am happy that you found Mary Shields. She is such a nice and interesting person. For those who don't recognize her name, she was the first woman to complete the Iditarod.

 

The restaurant associated with Pike's Waterfront Lodge is Pike's Landing. But you are also very close to Chena's Grill (at the River's Edge Resort). Chena's is about a five minute drive away. Having a car also allows you to easily dine at the Pumphouse, which is about a ten to fifteen minute drive away from Pike's.

[mapleleaves]

I love Vancouver and can easily spend a day at Stanley Park. You might consider bike rentals. http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx

Here's a huge list of things to do in Vanc. Look at reply #5:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1238430

 

Exit Glacier also has a Jr Ranger Program. And I think Major Marine's Kenai Cruise does too since there's a ranger on board.

http://www.nps.gov/kefj/planyourvisit/ranger-programs.htm

 

Be sure to have binoculars for the kids for this trip. Maybe have them each wear a small day pack to carry their jackets, binoculars, snacks, etc.

The drivers at Denali make a point of telling passengers that they are the "spotters" for wildlife. Kids, especially siblings, take the task quite seriously and want to be the first to spot something. Noses to the window :) for the 4 hrs out to Eielson, then they sleep most of the return trip.

I thought your itinerary was well planned .. not rushed and down time between activities. Something that might be helpful for your dad is a walking stick/chair combo.... if he gets tired, he's always got a chair !

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026RSREQ/ref=asc_df_B0026RSREQ2422935?smid=A1514RGNPVO6N0&tag=sdcbing627-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B0026RSREQ

I don't think your dad will have any disappointments on this trip. I took my dad to Glacier Bay for a long weekend ... for many reasons it was a very memorable trip. Enjoy!

[Budget Queen]

Mapleleaves: That you so much, especially for your suggestions regarding Vancouver. I've never been there before and we are arriving a day early so I was hoping to spend some time there and see the City. I will definitely check out the Jr Ranger program. My younger one would love it! (My older one would be annoyed that I asked him to "think" during the summer!)

 

Mapleleaves and Budget Queen. I'm going to seriously consider doing the bus tour instead of the TWT. I'll talk with my family about it before I make the change.

 

Budget Queen: Just curious what you meant by "Over many years, I frequently see a lot of assumptions people have about Denali that simply are not accurate." I'd love to know some of those assumptions.

 

I have a pretty open mind and I've mentioned to my Dad that he may find Denali to be over-rated...and that he needed to keep his mind open b/c he didn't know what the highlight of his trip would be. He's talked to many friends about Alaska...and when they share their personal highlight he gets the "gleam" in his eye imagining what it will be like.

 

 

 

hmmm...I'm aware of the reasons to do the Land Tour first and they really do seem to make sense, but as I already have air tickets and reserved cabins that are right next to each other I'm not considering making a major change like that this point.

 

:-) Amy

 

Denali- tour AND shuttle buses, distance into park- TIME. basic points. :)

 

Frankly- Denali Park is a highlight- endless spectacular scenery, wildlife- be certain to have binoculars. The excitement of searching and "seeing" is addicting. :) Your father should be blown away.

 

I do not agree with the "land first" recommendations. It just about always comes from cruisetour people. The favorable comments, claiming the cruise is more relaxing, had poor planning- if they thought the land portion too hectic. That was their choice, having nothing to do with the order. It "should" equal.

[Budget Queen]

vbmom: Thank you so much for this insight! Can I ask what part of the itinerary looks too taxing? I assumed that if my parents got tired they would just "rest" up. For the most part I don't expect them to go hiking with us or do river rafting, etc. I just bought a used "travel scoot" so my mother would have a scooter. My dad is somewhat good shape for an 86 y.o. (well, he'll be 87 when we go next summer).

 

I mentioned renting a car in Anchorage b/c then we would get the most gorgeous part of the "DOME" service from Seward to Anchorage but both him and my mom seemed to feel it would be more work to rent a car and train travel is preferable. I'm guessing they think train travel is more enjoyable. (You can get up, walk around, spread out, relax....) Truthfully, I wanted to rent a car b/c I didn't think my 8 and 10 y.o. would enjoy train travel as much as Grandma and Grandpa.

 

Thanks in advance. Amy

 

The Denali /Anchorage rail road, just about parallels the Parks Highway. Problem is, no way to stop and your touring options at Denali will require a lot of dependency on hourly, limited shuttle buses. Car rentals are definately superior here. Stopping along the way- solves the "spread out, relax, get up and walk" issues. Plenty of pull offs. Additionally you have many more meal options.

 

The Seward/Anchorage Alaska RR is clearly the most scenic portion of the entire run.

[Northern Aurora]

Hi all. I’ve planned our family’s trip to Alaska including a DIY land tour. I had planned to do a cruise tour but when I wanted to add a night in Seward I was annoyed at the pricing so I decided to do a "DIY" land tour. I was able to save quite a bit on the cost for our party of 7 people (my parents in their 70s and 80s, me, husband and brother in our 40s and my children 8 and 9). Amy

 

Amy: I am curious (although it is none of my business) -- do you know how much you have saved by planning this land portion yourself versus a cruise tour? In the past several people have posted how many dollars they saved by spending some time on a DIY land tour, and the savings have been impressive.

[vbmom87]

:eek:

vbmom: Thank you so much for this insight! Can I ask what part of the itinerary looks too taxing? I assumed that if my parents got tired they would just "rest" up. For the most part I don't expect them to go hiking with us or do river rafting, etc. I just bought a used "travel scoot" so my mother would have a scooter. My dad is somewhat good shape for an 86 y.o. (well, he'll be 87 when we go next summer).

 

Your trip does not sound too busy at all for my DH and me. We like to keep active so we can see all there is to see. I just wondered if it was too much for elderly parents. As I said, I look at things from the perspective of what my parents were like at that age, but I really have no idea what your parents can handle. You have something going on every day, which would be taxing for some elderly people. If they can handle it wonderful!!! If they are getting exhausted, you should make some adjustments for them. Perhaps they are used to vacationing on a regular basis and this will be nothing for them. I have no idea. I did write in some of my thoughts in red.

 

Day 8 - Disembark Seward - Major Marine Tour 10 to 5:30 - Stay at Holiday Inn Express (This will be a full day for them. We were exhausted, although we took the nine hour Kenai Fjords tour. It also took us a bit to get our land legs back. :D We had dinner and fell into bed early. Most likely everyone will be getting up early on this day. Being out in the fresh air on the boat tour tends to be a bit tiring too.)

 

Day 9 - Spend day in Seward - visit Alaska Sea Life Center. Maybe hike Exit Glacier or do Ididaride. Get 6pm train to Anchorage. Stay overnight at Comfort Inn. (If, indeed, their day was tiring yesterday, they may want to have some relaxing time today. Perhaps your group could head to Exit Glacier early while they slept in and rested up at the hotel. Some lodgings will let you have a later check-out time if you ask. Then you could come back for them, have lunch and all hit up the Sea Life Center before heading to the train station. If your mother needs a scooter the trail to Exit Glacier would likely be too difficult for her. We loved going on the guided ranger hike.)

Day 10 - Catch 8:15 train to Denali. Take shuttle or taxi to McKinley Chalet. We will probably head to the visitor’s center on first day and have my senior parents get national park senior passes. Perhaps some of us younger folk will do a white water trip? Maybe Dad will do "flightseeing"?

 

(On day 9 the train arrives in Anchorage at about 10:30 p.m. By the time you get to the hotel, check in and get settled for the night it will be late and they will be tired. It is going to be an early start today for everyone in order to get to the train for 8:15 p.m. I suppose you could skip breakfast and eat on the train. On our train trip from Seward to Anchorage, they called diners by car. Our car was the last to be called. We were so glad we had picked up food in Seward and brought it on the train. Otherwise we would not have eaten that evening until after 8:30 p.m. :eek: I don't know what they do on the Anchorage to Denali leg of the train. Perhaps someone with more knowledge can share if they always call for diners by car or if they ever just let people go into the dining room as they want. Since we didn't even try to eat, perhaps there really isn't even enforcement. Just wanted to share how we were told it was run on our train ride.)

 

Day 11 - Tundra Wilderness Tour (Depending on how you think your parents will be holding up at this point, you could book a little later tour so you don't have to get up at the crack of dawn. I think starting this long day on a good rest would be beneficial to your parents. If taking a shuttle, you will want to pick up some food to bring along. )

 

Day 12 - Morning in Denali - Catch 4pm train ("Adventure class") to Fairbanks - Take shuttle to Pike's Waterfront Lodge (This looks like a good day for them to have a leisurely morning if they wanted.)

 

Day 13 - Get rental Car - See Mary Shields (Tails of Trail at 10am); Gold Dredge No. 8 at 1:45 pm. (This looks like a day with potential for them to get a good rest, as they will need it to be ready for that 6:00 a.m. :eek: flight tomorrow.

 

Day 14 - Catch 6 am flight out of Fairbanks.

 

Although many of us on this forum do prefer renting a car for Denali, be aware that a one way rental from Anchorage to Fairbanks would be costly. You might even need two cars so you have enough room for everyone and their luggage. Another posted mentioned that he got a much better deal on his car rental by calling the car rental agency direct. Trying to book online he came up with a much higher price. He was very glad he thought to call.

 

Good luck with tweaking your plans. What wonderful memories you will be making with your family. Memories are priceless in my book!!! I hope you come back and tell us all about your trip.

[Amy5000]

MapleLeaves and Budget Queen: Thanks for the tips. I've been trolling ebay for used binoculars and I've pulled enough sets that everyone can carry their own pair. (DH thought I was crazy!) I'm also planning on getting the kids National Park passports to supplement the Jr. Ranger program.

 

MapleLeaves: Great link to the post on Vancouver. Just a quick question: We are staying downtown not far from Canada Place. Could we do Grouse Mountain either Saturday evening or Sunday morning before departure? Are we biting off more than we chew?

 

:eek:

 

Your trip does not sound too busy at all for my DH and me. We like to keep active so we can see all there is to see. I just wondered if it was too much for elderly parents. As I said, I look at things from the perspective of what my parents were like at that age, but I really have no idea what your parents can handle. You have something going on every day, which would be taxing for some elderly people. If they can handle it wonderful!!! If they are getting exhausted, you should make some adjustments for them. Perhaps they are used to vacationing on a regular basis and this will be nothing for them. I have no idea. I did write in some of my thoughts in red.

 

LOL. vbmom: All your notes in red really do make it seem way too busy. I guess I'm aware of some of the shortfalls...I like getting in to Anchorage after 10 and then being on a train at 8:15am! I really didn't want to do the 6 am flight home but my not-so elderly husband hates "red-eye" flights and there weren't many options.

 

My dad's in so-so shape for his age. He leaves on Friday to go skiing in Austria for a week. :eek: No, he's not in that good shape but he runs on the stubborn side so there's no telling him. I went skiing with him a few years ago and had to call ski patrol 2x to get him down the mountain. My mother is not in such great shape, but she has a scooter and likes to spend time with her grandchildren and doesn't put herself in situations that she wouldn't be ok with her.

 

Truthfully, the more I think about it, the more I think maybe I should consider trying to convince my parents that we should take a van to Denali and then on to Fairbanks. My mom is visiting tomorrow so I'll price it out and discuss it with her.

 

Amy: I am curious (although it is none of my business) -- do you know how much you have saved by planning this land portion yourself versus a cruise tour? In the past several people have posted how many dollars they saved by spending some time on a DIY land tour, and the savings have been impressive.

 

So I've run the numbers and for the seven of us we will be saving between $3200 on the low side and $3800 on the high side. We probably would have saved around $3000 if we replicated the tour with just switching hotels (not to save $$ - just b/c I preferred different hotels) and using coupon books. But by going DIY I was able to cut things that were unimportant to us (like traveling Dome Service on last leg of Train Travel) and change excursions to something we prefer. (I'd rather go to Mary Shields than the Discovery Riverboat Cruise in Fairbanks). I will probably also save some $$ by staying in hotels that include breakfast (Pike's Waterfront Lodge) rather than HAL's Westmark. Also, we may also switch from the Tundra Wilderness Tour to the Park Shuttle and for the seven of us, that will save us several hundred dollars.

 

The only downside is stressing about schlepping the luggage. My husband and I lean towards DIY travel, my parents lean towards escorted tours but are perfectly happy if I'm the one doing the "escorting." :D

[vbmom87]

My dad's in so-so shape for his age. He leaves on Friday to go skiing in Austria for a week. :eek: No, he's not in that good shape but he runs on the stubborn side so there's no telling him. I went skiing with him a few years ago and had to call ski patrol 2x to get him down the mountain. My mother is not in such great shape, but she has a scooter and likes to spend time with her grandchildren and doesn't put herself in situations that she wouldn't be ok with her.

 

With your dad going skiing for a week in Austria, I no longer think your itinerary is too ambitious for him. ;)

[mytime53]

An option I don't see that might work would be for some to take the train and the rest use a rental car. Then you'd have a car at your disposal at Denali, and the 4 in the car would have more time there.

[Budget Queen]

An option I don't see that might work would be for some to take the train and the rest use a rental car. Then you'd have a car at your disposal at Denali, and the 4 in the car would have more time there.

 

This is a superb idea, with the cost of a regular "car", probably being more available and reasonable for a one way rental. They could turn it in, based on a 24 hour clock and pick up a 1/2 day van rental for Fairbanks, if needed.

 

A significant advantage for Denali, with the ability for a Talkeetna stop with the kids. :) Making a couple transit trips at Denali greatly eases all the shuttle options.

[Amy5000]

An option I don't see that might work would be for some to take the train and the rest use a rental car. Then you'd have a car at your disposal at Denali, and the 4 in the car would have more time there.

 

This is a superb idea, with the cost of a regular "car", probably being more available and reasonable for a one way rental. They could turn it in, based on a 24 hour clock and pick up a 1/2 day van rental for Fairbanks, if needed.

 

A significant advantage for Denali, with the ability for a Talkeetna stop with the kids. :) Making a couple transit trips at Denali greatly eases all the shuttle options.

 

At first I thought "But my parents wouldn't want to be without me." (hmmm...perhaps an over-inflated sense of self-worth). But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. I could send my parents and brother on the train, which they would enjoy, rent a car (or maybe a minivan) in Anchorage and keep it through Fairbanks. We would be able to have transportation in Denali...I really liked the idea. :D