Need help Skagway rail/bus/gof carting

[judyf]

Okay, I have done lots of research and made a few contacts but I'm still a little confused and need some help from locals and or those that have done it.

 

What we want to do is take he train ride all the way to Carcross, I don't want to miss that last 40 miles. :D

 

Do Dog Carting with Michelle.

 

Have a bus/van drive us back down to our ship.

 

We are on the NCL Pearl our time in Skagway is 7am to 9pm.

 

I called Chilkoot tours and they will do the train to Fraser, dog carting and drive back

 

or

 

the train to Carcross and the drive back but then no dog carting.

 

Can this be done in our time frame?

 

I've read the schedule for the train and I might add it's a little confusing.

 

I see the tour listed to the Yukon but no dog carting.

 

How can I arrange this? Any suggestions.

 

If I was to schedule on my own it's hard to tell by the train schedule what I would book. I'm thinking the one way for $170 to Carcross leaving at 7:45 and arriving in Carcross at 2pm. That would give us on the safe side about 6 hours to do the dog carting and drive back, can this be done?

 

Also is there ever any problem with the road coming back to the ship, accident, road closure? I read a lot of people renting a car and what about the van/bus coming back? Is this ever an issue to worry about?

 

Any help is MUCH appreciated.

Thanks

[judyf]

ooops, that shown have been dog carting,

 

 

I guess I asked a hard one and this might not be able to be done.:(

[NancyIL]

I understand what you're asking. You could take the train one-way to Carcross, but the problem is getting back to Skagway. Are you traveling with friends or family members who aren't interested in taking the train, but who would like to rent a car to drive to Carcross and meet you there? Another option is to contact Dyea Dave and see if he could meet you in Carcross for the stop at the dog carts and drive back to Skagway. Otherwise I think you'll have to choose between the two Yukon rail/bus excursions offered by Chilkoot Charters.

[NancyIL]

To answer the last part of your question - the drive from Carcross to Skagway is only 66 miles. The train travels much more slowly than a car, and the train to Carcross also involves an hour and 45 minute lunch stop in Bennett (the train's web site says it is 2 hours: http://www.wpyr.com/yukonadventure.html). You definitely won't need 6 hours to do the dog carting and drive back to Skagway.

[judyf]

Thank you Nancy,

 

We're traveling with another couple and they want to do the same thing as us. Dave was one of my contacts and he e-mailed me back that there's a few challenges :D

 

I haven't talked to him on the phone yet. Hope to do that today.

 

I wanted to get a feel from folks here what their thoughts were if it could be done.

 

Reading the website, I wasn't sure if every train made that layover or just the one they list as the tour to Carcross, thanks for clearing that up.

 

What's everyone's feelings on the longer train ride is it worth it???? I'm thinking it is.

 

Thanks

[NancyIL]

Thank you Nancy,

 

We're traveling with another couple and they want to do the same thing as us. Dave was one of my contacts and he e-mailed me back that there's a few challenges :D

 

I haven't talked to him on the phone yet. Hope to do that today.

 

I wanted to get a feel from folks here what their thoughts were if it could be done.

 

Reading the website, I wasn't sure if every train made that layover or just the one they list as the tour to Carcross, thanks for clearing that up.

 

What's everyone's feelings on the longer train ride is it worth it???? I'm thinking it is.

 

Thanks

I hope Dave can overcome the challenges!

 

There is only one train that goes all the way to Carcross. Other trains do roundtrips to the White Pass Summit, or one-ways between Skagway and Fraser, BC.

 

I booked the longer train excursion in 2007, but found out when we arrived in Skagway that some tracks had washed out and the train to Carcross wasn't running. Instead we did the slightly shorter rail/bus excursion that goes to Fraser by train, then continues to Carcross and back to Skagway by mini-bus. It was a great tour, but I still want to do the longer rail/bus excursion, so I booked it for May. I hope to have better luck this time!

[judyf]

I hope Dave can overcome the challenges!

 

There is only one train that goes all the way to Carcross. Other trains do roundtrips to the White Pass Summit, or one-ways between Skagway and Fraser, BC.

 

I booked the longer train excursion in 2007, but found out when we arrived in Skagway that some tracks had washed out and the train to Carcross wasn't running. Instead we did the slightly shorter rail/bus excursion that goes to Fraser by train, then continues to Carcross and back to Skagway by mini-bus. It was a great tour, but I still want to do the longer rail/bus excursion, so I booked it for May. I hope to have better luck this time!

 

This is nice to read that you enjoyed the rail enough to book the longer one. I really want to do the long rail ride but I want to do the Dog Carting too. If I must pick one or the other, I will book the shorter rail to Fraser with the Dog Carting. But I don't want to do that :(:rolleyes:

 

I'm hoping thst Dyea Dave will comes through and will be able to do this for us. :D:D:D