Train Ride from Denali to Anchorage

[pajazz28]

DW and I are doing a cruise tour with NCL in June. We are leaving Denali on the train at 5pm on one of the days. I have been reading that the train ride is 8 hours which means we wont be in Anchorage until 1am and have to wake up early the next days. Can anyone that has done a cruise tour and taken this train so late comment on what to expect. 

 

[Kathscof]

WOW, are you sure you are on a train? I looked at my friend's parents' itinerary with Princess and they had a train for part of their tour and a bus for part of it.  The bus takes less time for sure.  

[wolfie11]

The train leaves Denali for Anchorage at 12:30.  They must have the wrong information.

[Kathscof]

6 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

The train leaves Denali for Anchorage at 12:30.  They must have the wrong information.

if they are using a cruise train, don't they have their own timetables? I know that the tours for my ship have trains that leave at unpublished hours.....but I don't know how they work in Denali

 

(I am on that 12:30 in 2 weeks from today hahaha)

[pajazz28]

10 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

The train leaves Denali for Anchorage at 12:30.  They must have the wrong information.

DAY 4: SUNDAY - DENALI/ANCHORAGE
This morning is open for optional activities in Denali before heading out
to learn about the Alaska state sport of dog mushing with an included
stop at a local Iditarod sled dog kennel. You’ll be amazed to learn about
this fascinating sport, the musher, the dogs, and even get to hold a
future champion puppy in your arms. After this authentic visit, we won’t
be surprised if you are ready to run “The Last Great Race” yourself.
Travel by motorcoach to the town of Talkeetna and then, you’ll take your
second segment along the rails of the Alaska Railroad from Talkeetna to
Anchorage in a deluxe dome railcar. As the gorgeous scenery of Alaska
rolls past, be watchful for wildlife, as well as glimpses of Mt. Denali, or,
as the Alaskans call it, “The Great One”. Full bar and meal service are
available for purchase during your rail journey.
8:30 am Iditarod Sled Dog Kennel Visit (Time subject to change)
1:00 pm Lunch and on-own in Talkeetna
5:00 pm Deluxe Dome Rail - Talkeetna to Anchorage

[Kathscof]

1 minute ago, pajazz28 said:

DAY 4: SUNDAY - DENALI/ANCHORAGE
This morning is open for optional activities in Denali before heading out
to learn about the Alaska state sport of dog mushing with an included
stop at a local Iditarod sled dog kennel. You’ll be amazed to learn about
this fascinating sport, the musher, the dogs, and even get to hold a
future champion puppy in your arms. After this authentic visit, we won’t
be surprised if you are ready to run “The Last Great Race” yourself.
Travel by motorcoach to the town of Talkeetna and then, you’ll take your
second segment along the rails of the Alaska Railroad from Talkeetna to
Anchorage in a deluxe dome railcar. As the gorgeous scenery of Alaska
rolls past, be watchful for wildlife, as well as glimpses of Mt. Denali, or,
as the Alaskans call it, “The Great One”. Full bar and meal service are
available for purchase during your rail journey.
8:30 am Iditarod Sled Dog Kennel Visit (Time subject to change)
1:00 pm Lunch and on-own in Talkeetna
5:00 pm Deluxe Dome Rail - Talkeetna to Anchorage

That is from Talkeetna, you have a bus ride from Denali to get there.....the Talkeetna train through the Alaska Railroad leaves at 5:20 and is only 3ish hours, so that sounds right....

[AKStafford]

1 hour ago, pajazz28 said:

8:30 am Iditarod Sled Dog Kennel Visit (Time subject to change)
1:00 pm Lunch and on-own in Talkeetna
5:00 pm Deluxe Dome Rail - Talkeetna to Anchorage

Talkeetna is not Denali.

[Northern Aurora]

4 hours ago, pajazz28 said:

DW and I are doing a cruise tour with NCL in June. We are leaving Denali on the train at 5pm on one of the days. I have been reading that the train ride is 8 hours which means we wont be in Anchorage until 1am and have to wake up early the next days. Can anyone that has done a cruise tour and taken this train so late comment on what to expect. 

 

 

 

The eight hour time length is for the train trip between Anchorage and Fairbanks, which is not what our OP will be taking.

[Kathscof]

3 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

 

The eight hour time length is for the train trip between Anchorage and Fairbanks, which is not what our OP will be taking.

Fairbanks to Anchorage is around 12 🙂

 

The Denali-Anchorage route is 12ish departure, 8ish arrival....

 

But he is talking about the Talkeetna-Anchorage route which is around 3 hours, because he will be taking a bus to Talkeetna from Denali in the morning (hence the large time gap between the dog activity and the lunch on their own in Talkeetna)

[GTJ]

7 hours ago, pajazz28 said:

We are leaving Denali on the train at 5pm on one of the days. I have been reading that the train ride is 8 hours which means we wont be in Anchorage until 1am and have to wake up early the next days.

 

5 hours ago, pajazz28 said:

8:30 am Iditarod Sled Dog Kennel Visit (Time subject to change)
1:00 pm Lunch and on-own in Talkeetna
5:00 pm Deluxe Dome Rail - Talkeetna to Anchorage

No, you are not scheduled to travel by railroad from Denali. Rather, your train departs from Talkeetna. There are several trains that stop at the Talkeena station, and also at the McKinley station located immediately outside of Talkeetna. The train at 5:00 p.m. is the "Denali Star," operated by the Alaska Railroad. It is scheduled to arrive in Anchorage at 8:00 p.m. There are two types of "deluxe dome" cars carried on this train. There is an Alaska Railroad "Ultra Dome" car, as well as a Premier Alaska Tours "Ultra Dome" car (which is marketed as the "Wilderness Express"). The two cars are similar, but not identical, with a meal included in the Alaska Railroad car and a meal available for purchase in the Premier Alaska Tours car. Note that this same train will have departed Denali at 12:30 p.m., but for some reason the tour operator is transporting its clients from Denali to Talkeetna by bus instead of by train (perhaps in order to fit in the visit to a dog kennel).

[Northern Aurora]

3 hours ago, Kathscof said:

Fairbanks to Anchorage is around 12 🙂

 

.....

 

We haven't done the ARR between Fairbanks and Anchorage since the early 1980s, and @Kathscof is correct.  That lumbering train does take about 12 hours for the complete route.  I was clearly having an "over 65 moment."