alaska train tours

[antmintj]

Booking a southbound Alaskan cruise on RCCL for July 08. Would like info on independent rail tours (not associated with the cruise line) vs thru RCCL around Denali, etc. Heard booking might be less expensive to do on our own with better options/prices.

 

Thanks!

[GMoney]

I did independent rail tours / rides through AKRR and Grayline before my RCCL SB cruise this summer - both were very good, easy to book and competitively priced.

 

I took the AKRR Coastal Classic twice - once on a day trip from ANC to Seward (roundtrip), and then once one way along the same route to board my ship. I booked directly through http://www.akrr.com. Their folks are friendly, knowledgable, and supplemented by high school students in the summer. There were 2 dome cars to provide better viewing; they are older and not quite as good as the cruise lines', but still an excellent option. You are asked to rotate out after 20 minutes of viewing, but there are often empty seats. The food, snacks and drinks were good.

 

I also booked a Denali package through Grayline at a "special rate" at http://www.graylinealaska.com. Grayline is owned by HAL, and I was generally very pleased with Grayline and their level of service. They did a good job of making the entire experience seamless and easy.

 

We rode in the McKinley Explorer dome cars up and back which were just a few years old and very comfortable for a train. All seats face forward for optimal viewing. About 75% of the cars was HAL cruise pax; the rest of use were independents through Grayline - we all got the same level of treatment. The food and drinks were excellent but on the pricey side. There is a tour director on board who provides commentary and handles logistics.

 

Our package included accommodations ar the McKinely Chalet. No complaints about the place, I just wasn't much for Glitter Gulch.

 

I booked the shuttle bus back to Wonder Lack in Denali on my own.

[GMoney]

One thing to add - I love RCI, and they can handle my cruise anytime, but there was no way I was going to do a cruisetour through them. I wanted more control over my land vacation, and I'm not really into guided tours with endless bus rides and marching to someone else's drum.

 

The Grayline tour to Denali was perfect because I was able to slot it right into my independent land tour, enjoy the train (which was something I wanted to try) and turn the reins over to someone else for a few days, while still doing what I wanted to do in Denali (shuttle bus over a tour).

[Budget Queen]

If you are just looking at including Denali Park, you really do not need any "train tour". Just book the train. Select a hotel, that shuttles and then book the Denali Park Shuttle bus on your own. Ideally, with rail travel, you are best with 3 nights at Denali Park. I better like the long ride broken up one way, with a stop over in Talkeetna.

 

Consider a day in Anchorage, plenty to see and do, then take a one way train trip to Seward, an overnight is highly recommended, again plenty of fantastic activities to consider, with my top pick a Kenai Fjords boat tour.

 

Overall, in my opinion, you need more time for overall travel using the train. Especially Denali Park where you can do much more if you drive there in 2 days, vs train travel with 3. The Anchorage/Denali Park leg, isn't all that exciting for me, with endless trees, unless McKinley is viewable, which it seldom is. AND if it is, I want to be on the road where I can stop and enjoy the view. This portion also just about parallels the Parks Highway.

 

By far the most scenic portion of the Alaska RR is Anchorage/Seward.

[antmintj]

GMoney & Budget Queen

thanks for the info - it was helpful - i think we'll book the land on our own