Current fare for the "blue or White" bus to Mendenahll Glacier

[TXRed]

Thanks to everyone for their reply. We will purchase one way tickets for sure. Appreciate everyone's input!! :D

[annecolorgreen]

what did you decide to do and how did it go?

[world_traveler_et]

what did you decide to do and how did it go?

 

Hi Annecolorgreen,

It seems that they no longer sell one way trips from the base of the tram. Both vendor (blue & white) were only selling round trip tickets. I was told they only do one way tickets from the Mendenhall Glacier for those who were dropped off after doing another tour. If you are doing a one way return from the glacier than you pay the driver cash on the return trip.

 

We chose the blue bus. Our decision to pick the blue bus was based on the fact that the white bus just left and the blue bus vendor just arrived at the base of the tram area. So, it was a no brainier to buy the tickets from the blue bus company.

 

The ticket price was $20 round trip per person plus sales tax. I think we paid $42.00 for two people with sales tax. The driver did give us a little tour on the way to the glacier.

 

We did not have to fight any crowds. Most people were doing other tours first and than going to the Mendanhall Glacier later in the day.

 

Going early was a big plus since there were fewer people at the glacier. We had time to walk to the Nugget Falls, to Photo point and visit the visitors center. We also had plenty of time for taking photographs.

 

Don't forget to pick up your map from the booth as you enter the park area. If you need to use the restrooms they are located about twenty five feet to the left of the booth where you picked up the map.

 

We left the glacier around 12:30 PM and only had to wait ten minutes for the bus to arrive. As we were leaving the glacier the crowds were arriving.

 

This was an easy trip to do on your own.

 

Have fun planning your trip!

[Biffer1997]

Thanks for info..gathering info for next June.

[annecolorgreen]

Hi Annecolorgreen,

It seems that they no longer sell one way trips from the base of the tram. The ticket price was $20 round trip per person plus sales tax. I think we paid $42.00 for two people with sales tax. The driver did give us a little tour on the way to the glacier.

 

I may need more coffee, but from reading this, it seems that I couldn't do one way to the glacier for $10 then catch a cab back??

[dfish]

I may need more coffee, but from reading this, it seems that I couldn't do one way to the glacier for $10 then catch a cab back??

 

My question exactly!

[world_traveler_et]

I may need more coffee, but from reading this, it seems that I couldn't do one way to the glacier for $10 then catch a cab back??

 

 

Annecolorgreen & dfish,

Sorry my post wasn't clear to both of you. From the port of Juneau I was told by both companies operating the "blue bus" and the "white" bus that you could not purchase a one way ticket to the Mendanhall Glacier. They would only sell round trip tickets. I was told it was against the law to sell a one way ticket from the Port of Juneau to the Mendanhall Glacier.

 

We purchased round trip tickets for $21 ($20 + $1 tax=$21 per person).

 

If you are at the Mendanhall Glacier you can board either the blue or white bus and pay the driver $10.50 per person to go one way to the Port of Juneau.

 

I was told that a taxi to the Glacier is around $45. There is no taxi stand at the Mendanhall Glacier. If you want to take a taxi back you will have to call for a ride.

 

Again, sorry for any confusion.

Edited August 10, 2015 by world_traveler_et

[annecolorgreen]

No problem and thanks! I'm renting a car for $57! More cost effective for sure. Appreciate the info.

[tee_harbor]

Annecolorgreen & dfish,

Sorry my post wasn't clear to both of you. From the port of Juneau I was told by both companies operating the "blue bus" and the "white" bus that you could not purchase a one way ticket to the Mendanhall Glacier. They would only sell round trip tickets. I was told it was against the law to sell a one way ticket from the Port of Juneau to the Mendanhall Glacier.

 

LOL! Wonder what 'law' this is? More likely, collusion between the two companies to get $20 out of tourists instead of $10. But it's all good.

[dfish]

Annecolorgreen & dfish,

Sorry my post wasn't clear to both of you. From the port of Juneau I was told by both companies operating the "blue bus" and the "white" bus that you could not purchase a one way ticket to the Mendanhall Glacier. They would only sell round trip tickets. I was told it was against the law to sell a one way ticket from the Port of Juneau to the Mendanhall Glacier.

 

We purchased round trip tickets for $21 ($20 + $1 tax=$21 per person).

 

If you are at the Mendanhall Glacier you can board either the blue or white bus and pay the driver $10.50 per person to go one way to the Port of Juneau.

 

I was told that a taxi to the Glacier is around $45. There is no taxi stand at the Mendanhall Glacier. If you want to take a taxi back you will have to call for a ride.

 

Again, sorry for any confusion.

 

Thank you for your response. I guess we'll have to rethink our plans a bit. We were planning to take the bus out to Mendenhall, but might want to stay longer than they run. It all depends on when the last bus is that day.

 

Debbie

[mbbarron]

Are kids the same price as adults?

[PinkDiamondGirl]

Just tool it one way from the glacier last week. Paid $10 per person, adults

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[urbanhawk]

Back in '07 when I was in Juneau, it was a pretty drizzly day, and I didn't have an excursion booked to the glacier-I decided to ride the city bus, and ride the bus as a local! The fare was cheap (and interesting)-I thought the bus came within about a mile of the visitor's center, before it turned around and returned to Juneau. Maybe it was more than a mile-that was 8 years ago-my memory sometimes gets "distorted"! I'll do more research. If this is the case, it would be a thrifty (frugal/cheap!) ;)way of traveling! Happy cruising! :cool:

[xlxo]

The fare was cheap (and interesting)-I thought the bus came within about a mile of the visitor's center, before it turned around and returned to Juneau. Maybe it was more than a mile-that was 8 years ago-my memory sometimes gets "distorted"!

It's a 30 min hike of 1.5 miles.... ONE WAY.

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/58.3977795,-134.5604999/Mendenhall+Glacier+Visitor+Center,+6000+Glacier+Spur+Rd,+Juneau,+AK+99801/@58.4099186,-134.5602602,14z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x5400e187cf6c1f41:0x12ef6d1f6e7346cc!2m2!1d-134.5476073!2d58.4171158!3e2

[world_traveler_et]

Back in '07 when I was in Juneau, it was a pretty drizzly day, and I didn't have an excursion booked to the glacier-I decided to ride the city bus, and ride the bus as a local! The fare was cheap (and interesting)-I thought the bus came within about a mile of the visitor's center, before it turned around and returned to Juneau. Maybe it was more than a mile-that was 8 years ago-my memory sometimes gets "distorted"! I'll do more research. If this is the case, it would be a thrifty (frugal/cheap!) ;)way of traveling! Happy cruising! :cool:

 

I would rather spend my time at the glacier than walking 1.5 miles from the city bus stop to the entrance of the glacier.

 

I find the price for the "white bus (Juneau tours) and the "blue" bus (Mendenhall Glacier Transport) to the glacier to be a value to me.

 

The drop of point for these buses (non city bus) is near the Sign for the Mendenhall Glacier.

 

The city bus might be fine for some but not me in this case.

 

Thanks for mentioning this option as it might be an alternative to others.

 

I would have considered renting a car if I had three or more people in our group.

Edited August 17, 2015 by world_traveler_et

[Newbcruiser1]

I just got back from Alaska and wanted to chime in!

 

You most certainly CAN buy a one-way ticket to Mendenhall Glacier from the pier (near the tram station). They tried to tell us we wouldn't be able to buy a return ticket from Mendenhall but I knew the driver would take cash so I told him "we'll figure it out".

 

We bought 2 1-way tickets from the Blue Bus vendor at the base of the tram (the booth on the far right when facing the row of them). It was $21 total ($10.50 each including tax). The bus arrived and left shortly after and our ride was informative and uneventful.

 

On the return, we simply saw a white bus sitting there and made a run for it! No line ups even though the masses of people had just arrived at Mendenhall (seemed to be all of those Grey Line tour buses that had just arrived). We paid the driver $20 cash (no tax this way) - (2x$10) and we were on! No trouble at all!

 

So long story short - they'll tell you you HAVE to buy round trip to suck you in to staying with their respective companies both ways but just be persistent that you only need a one-way ticket! And you can indeed purchase the other way from the driver directly at Mendenhall! :)

Edited August 17, 2015 by Newbcruiser1

[xlxo]

To clarify... if you did purchase round trip tickets.... do they promise you a guaranteed seat on the last buses of the day? Or is it still scramble seating where they will take anyone like a public bus?

 

Where do you board the return shuttles? Outside the visitor centre loading area? Or one of the two other lots on the way to the visitor centre?

 

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Mendenhall+Glacier+Visitor+Center/@58.4161282,-134.5476556,301m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x5400e187cf6c1f41:0x12ef6d1f6e7346cc!6m1!1e1

 

Is the pickup somewhere behind this queue of tour buses?

http://jun-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/12570886.jpg

Edited August 18, 2015 by xlxo

[Langley Cruisers]

We paid the driver $20 cash (no tax this way) - (2x$10) and we were on! No trouble at all!

 

Yeah, I wonder if he pocketed this money? Just a thought that crossed my mind.

[Budget Queen]

To clarify... if you did purchase round trip tickets.... do they promise you a guaranteed seat on the last buses of the day? Or is it still scramble seating where they will take anyone like a public bus?

 

Where do you board the return shuttles? Outside the visitor centre loading area? Or one of the two other lots on the way to the visitor centre?

 

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Mendenhall+Glacier+Visitor+Center/@58.4161282,-134.5476556,301m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x5400e187cf6c1f41:0x12ef6d1f6e7346cc!6m1!1e1

 

Is the pickup somewhere behind this queue of tour buses?

http://jun-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/12570886.jpg

 

 

ALL the large shuttle buses- (school buses on the loop transits from the tram dock) pick up and use the parking lot next to Steep Creek Trail. They also have standing room on shuttle buses, no matter the pick up time, depends on the lines and amount of people.

[Newbcruiser1]

Yeah, I wonder if he pocketed this money? Just a thought that crossed my mind.

 

 

He most likely did pocket the money - I thought about that at the time as well. Regardless though, it got us on the next available bus (which happened to be white rather than blue which we took on the way there) back so I don't really care what he did with it! [emoji6]

[Newbcruiser1]

ALL the large shuttle buses- (school buses on the loop transits from the tram dock) pick up and use the parking lot next to Steep Creek Trail. They also have standing room on shuttle buses, no matter the pick up time, depends on the lines and amount of people.

 

 

The shuttle buses used the Steep Creek lot when we took them as well!

 

Regarding the standing room, I vividly recall a sign that said "no standees permitted at any time" in both the blue and white buses that we took. Not sure if that is enforced or not as our buses were nowhere near full.

[Budget Queen]

The shuttle buses used the Steep Creek lot when we took them as well!

 

Regarding the standing room, I vividly recall a sign that said "no standees permitted at any time" in both the blue and white buses that we took. Not sure if that is enforced or not as our buses were nowhere near full.

 

I again, saw standees this year on the shuttle buses. Lines longer than what was allowed on the buses.

[Langley Cruisers]

Regarding the standing room, I vividly recall a sign that said "no standees permitted at any time" in both the blue and white buses that we took. Not sure if that is enforced or not as our buses were nowhere near full.

 

In May our return bus was full to the brim - every seat taken, and plenty of standees.

[sherryf]

The shuttle buses used the Steep Creek lot when we took them as well!

 

Regarding the standing room, I vividly recall a sign that said "no standees permitted at any time" in both the blue and white buses that we took. Not sure if that is enforced or not as our buses were nowhere near full.

 

Our family took the blue bus in 2011. On the way to the glacier, I was able to get one seat, and my 12 year old daughter sat on my lap. The boys (husband and 2 teens) stood. On the way back, we ALL stood. I don't recall seeing any signs about not standing, and they certainly kept letting people onto the bus until they could cram on no more. In retrospect, we should have just rented a car.