Clarification about the White Pass & Yukon Route in Skagway

[Jolimont]

Email I recieved in response to my questions about the train ride in Skagway:

 

"Greetings from Skagway!

As you may know, each cruise ship that docks in Skagway charters a train

for its own passengers for the entire day. The cruise ship's chartered

train will go on to the dock to meet your ship pier-side, and is

scheduled in accordance with the cruise ship's arrival and departure

times. For these reasons, we highly recommend that you book directly

through your cruise line. (Most cruise lines offer pre-booking for

shore excursions; please contact them for more information).

 

 

Booking independently through our office means you will pass the

chartered train to come in to town, collect your tickets and board a

separate train. (The distance to town is usually about ½ mile,

depending on where your ship is docked). The quality of the Summit

Excursion Tour is identical whether you book with us or with your ship.

The surcharge for booking with your cruise line is about $5 per adult

ticket (depending on which cruise line you are traveling with). This

extra fee is for the convenience of boarding the train next to your

ship, as well as seats reserved in advance for you by your cruise line.

 

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you in Skagway!"

 

Diamond Princess HERE WE COME! Alaska has never been so cool! 5/22/04

May 31, 2003 Carnival Triumph to Western Caribbean.

 

[jamminlion]

If I were you, I'd still book through the cruiseline. That $5 is worth the assurance that the ship will not sail without you. There isn't much to Skagway, and not alot of transportation options to your next port. Save yourself the headache and book through the line.

 

DH and I did this tour in 2002 and absolutely loved it. A poster we bought in the gift shop has become the centerpiece to our living room.

 

If you go, don't miss this trip and enjoy! Take lots of film...better to have too much than not enough!

 

7/02 NCL Wind - Alaska (honeymoon)

7/03 NCL Star -Hawaii (1st anniversary)

10/04 RCI Legend - Panama Canal (just because it's there)

[Budget Queen]

There isn't much to Skagway

 

I have to disagree. There is plenty in Skagway to see and explore- you just have to know where to look. Lots of hidden gems,

[teach3]

Share a list of hidden gems, please.

 

All the first timers wold love to hear about them.

 

Thanks so much. All your info Budget Queen as been helpful.

[Host Caroline]

Skagway:

http://www.skagway.org

I'll start the list - this is IN Skagway with out a car, not counting all the things in surrounding area:

 

1. Take a walking tour with the Park Rangers -- they are free and informative.

2. Pick up a map if it's a nice day and hike up to lower Dewey Lake.. the trail begins right in town and you get great view of town, Lynn Canal etc. Very safe well marked trail.

3. Rent bikes (or walk) out to the Gold Rush cemetery

4. Have a drink or snack at the Red Onion, a very neat saloon with afternoon entertainment.. a nice break..

5. Admire the huge cabbage that used to be growing on one of the corners of Broadway (the main street) and "something" ...

6. Visit the train depot even if you aren't taking the White Pass... some neat stuff in there.

7.

 

Host Caroline

<font SIZE="1">Join CC's "Alaska Live in 2005 Adventure"..you'll have a "whale" of a good time!</font>

 

<font SIZE="1">Days Till Royal Hounds Cruise on Mariner of the Seas...!</font>

<font SIZE="1">Days Till Miracle Partae Pirates Cruise from Tampa</font>

 

<font SIZE="1">One can never have too many days at sea...</font>

[Budget Queen]

Definately head to the Park service visitor center- free walking tours- all different depending on the ranger, movie, museum, ranger talks. http://www.nps.gov/klgo/index.htm

 

The trailhead for Lower Dewey Lake is between 3rd and 4th across the tracks. Get out and walk the city.

[teach3]

Hi again,

 

Thanks to both of you for that info.

 

Also, I have read about making sure you sit on the left side of the train when you get on for the whitepass. My question is do you enter from the front of the train car and go to your left facing the seats, OR do you get on the train car from the back and go to your left???? Silly question but it could make a big difference, ther can be 2 lefts and a big mistake as far as better viewing opportunities.

 

 

Thanks so much.

[tadjr]

SIT on the left side facing front no matter which way you enter. You can get on at several places on the train I think so it doesnt matter which way you go to get on, but SITTING should be on the left side facing front.

 

Ryndam Pacific Coastal May 3

 

Dawn Princess Alaska May 17

 

[Coral]

If you are facing torwards the direction of the town of Skagway - you should be sitting on the left side of the train.

[teach3]

Thank you to the both of you, but it sounds like conflicting answers or I'm not understanding. I got the first one that sounded good - be on the left when you are facing the front of the train. But the second advice sounded like the opposite, I will be getting on at the cruise ship dock in skagway, when you say facing the town you make it sound like you are somewhere else coming back into skagway???? Sorry for my confusion.

[Budget Queen]

When you get on the train in SKAGWAY- sit on the left facing the engine.

[Thoth]

There is plenty to enjoy about Skagway, even if it is a small town. Broadway Street has been restored to look the way it did 100 years ago. Hopefully one day they will refurbish the Soapy Smith building. Of all of Skagway's historical stories, his is one of the more colorful.

As far as I am concerned, the White Pass railroad is a must see and worth every dime I payed. Since we were blessed with clear weather, I used quit a bit of film that day on the trainride.

[denamo]

WOW! Host Caroline! This is great information! Thanks for ideas. Cannot wait for our upcoming RCCL Alaskan cruise and visit to Skagway.

 

denamo

 

 

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Host Caroline:

Skagway:

http://www.skagway.org

I'll start the list - this is IN Skagway with out a car, not counting all the things in surrounding area:

 

1. Take a walking tour with the Park Rangers -- they are free and informative.

2. Pick up a map if it's a nice day and hike up to lower Dewey Lake.. the trail begins right in town and you get great view of town, Lynn Canal etc. Very safe well marked trail.

3. Rent bikes (or walk) out to the Gold Rush cemetery

4. Have a drink or snack at the Red Onion, a very neat saloon with afternoon entertainment.. a nice break..

5. Admire the huge cabbage that used to be growing on one of the corners of Broadway (the main street) and "something" ...

6. Visit the train depot even if you aren't taking the White Pass... some neat stuff in there.

7.

 

Host Caroline

<font SIZE="1">_Join CC's "Alaska Live in 2005 Adventure"..you'll have a "whale" of a good time!_</font>

 

http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2004;09;19;17;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500

<font SIZE="1">_Days Till Royal Hounds Cruise on Mariner of the Seas...!_</font>

http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2005;02;13;16;0;00&timezone=GMT-0600

<font SIZE="1">_Days Till Miracle Partae Pirates Cruise from Tampa_</font>

 

<font SIZE="1">_One can _never_ have too many days at sea..._</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Alaskan Bound!

 

Rhapsody July 2003

Rhapsody June 2002

 

[birders]

PLease confirm: So does "sit on the left" apply to train from Skagway TO the summit? Therefore, if taking an excursion that is a bus up and the White Pass RR back to Skagway, one should sit on the RIGHT?

[Yukon]

birders - that is correct. You want to sit on the left side of the train heading up the hill, on the right coming back down.

 

Murray

[happy2]

I have heard everyone rave about the White Pass Railway trip. I know my husband and I would enjoy it. What about my 16 and 19 year old sons? Will a 3 hour train ride be boring for them? Would they enjoy it more if we did the Princess bus/train trip so that they can get off or is that trip too long? Should we just rent a car and drive to Emerald Lake?

Thanks!

[Budget Queen]

At 16 and 19, they could do something else?? Glacier helicopter landings?

[kennicott]

Before you take off on the cruise try and read a book on the Klondike gold rush. Particularly one that tells a lot about Skagway and Dyea. That era is just loaded with interesting anecdotes that you will relive when you visit the area and ride the White Pass R.R. If you do read this history beforehand, be sure and catch the display in the R.R. Museum/station of one of Mike Heney’s “Give me enough dynamite and snoose and I’ll build a railroad to hell†original corduroy suits.

[JohnQ]

As far as sitting on which side, can't you get up and walk around and sit down where ever there is a seat? And as for pictures, do you really get good shots of varied landscapes? Or are you mostly in the trees and get lots of green shots?

[Yukon]

JohnQ - in theory you can get up and walk around and sit down where ever there is a seat, but there are virtualy never any window seats left on the left side. About half of the Summit excursion is in the trees (but lots of great vistas open up due to the steep slope), less than 1/3 of the train/bus combo is below treeline.

 

Muray

[Vanisle]

Yukon,

We would really love to rent a car and do our own thing (your mile by mile guide is amazing)

but we are Canadians so is there a way to hire a driverand rent a car or which tour do you think will show us the most , including Carcross and emerald Lake? Im very disapointed to not be able to drive. We are with HAL or I would book Princesses rail/coach tour.

All the other combo ones only go to the mine I think.

Thanks, Brenda

[Budget Queen]

Brenda- perhaps post an "ad" on the HAL board (as well as other travel boards) and look for US travelers to share a car rental with?? Plenty of friendly travelers around.

[melissasneu]

vanisle,

I am also travelling on HAL and was disappointed they did not offer a rail/bus combo similar to Princess's tour. So, I called princess at 907-983-2895 and asked if we could take their excursion. They are offering the trip on the day we will be in port and so they said for $169/adult we could book and they would pick us up!!!

 

Melissa

HAL Veendam 5/30 & 6/6 2004

NCL Star 2003

Grand Princess 2002

[santamaria]

We will be on Princess Sun, and I've asked this on another post, but so far no responses. If we take the rail/bus combo, does anyone know about what time we would leave Skagway. We get in at 5:00 a.m. per their schedule, but no times are posted for the tour. I don't want to use up all the time I would have for anything in town. Thanks. (I hope this makes sense - I'm trying to decide about train only roundtrip.)

[Yukon]

The railway's official bus carrier will take you on a rail/bus combo for half the price of Princess, and your driver/guide is a local professional driver, not a kid from Outside somewhere - http://www.pioneer-rv-park.com/tours/bus.html

 

Murray