Trains to Alaska

[scott0651]

Has anyone heard about a train you can put your Rv on that goes to Alaska? Someone said there was an ad in Trailerlife but I can't find anything. I'm trying to figure the easiest way to travel to Alaska next summer.

[dickandlois]

Scott, this is link to the Alaskan railroad system.

http://www.alaskadenalitravel.com/Travel-Planning/Alaska-Transportation/Alaska-Railroad/?utm_source=google-adwords&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ADT-search&gclid=CKShwb3XqLwCFYpaMgod3BsAaA

Rail Map link,

http://www.alaska.org/advice/alaska-railroad-map

One needs to take the Alaskan Marine Highway to Seward to get to the rail head.

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/

http://www.cityofseward.us/

Hope this helps Rich.

[wolfe10]

No, there are no trains to Alaska. There is a train within Alaska (Seward to Fairbanks if I recall correctly).

There IS the Alaska Marine Highway (a system of drive on Ferry Boats) from the lower 48 to Alaska.

[huffypuff]

I checked ferry from Washington to Homer, AK and it was 8K one way. I drove it last summer and not a very pleasant drive as the worst roads are in the Yukon. If I had to do it again, I would fly into Anchorage and rent an RV.

[scott0651]

Thanks, Guess I'll drive again. I checked on flying and renting an RV but for 2 months it's about $10,000 dollars. Plus mileage if you drive too far.

[huffypuff]

Check with http://www.greatalaskanholidays.com/spring.htm at Anchorage, Alaska for a package deal. Can't be too bad for so many people using it while I was at their RV shop getting slide repaired.

[zorro2kita]

Have you considered a caravan tour of Alaska ? We took a 60 day caravan tour last summer of Western Canada and Alaska - 5700 miles - best thing we ever done - no regrets, rv parks and tours are paid for, staff provided many meals and we now have 42 friends that we did not have prior to the tour starting - PM me for me info if you need it = time and money well spent !!

[RTinVa]

Would love hear more first hand experience of Alaska caravan tour services. Should my wife and I do this for our first Alaska trip? We will begin our trip from our home in Virginia.

Thanks in advance!

[rga48]

We did the tour last year with Fantasy Tours and would not recommend it. See my post "Selecting an Alaskan Caravan". Because the roads are so poor because of frost heaves, it is very hard on equipment. Also, the fuel cost driving there and back as we did to Florida were greater than $8,000. Fuel in Canada and Alaska is very high and getting higher this year. If I were to do it over again, I would take a cruise. We could have taken 5 cruises for the $26,000 in fuel and repairs that we spent last summer and we would not have beat up our coach or added all of that mileage. It also would be safer to take a cruise. Most of the caravans do not have any form of communications outside of the major cities and lack personnel trained for medical emergencies. What you see and do for the most part with these caravans is like going to Disney World. It is all make believe. The only big thing you would miss is the the terrible roads, broken wind shields, and hundreds of paint chips on your coach and toad. If you think you must camp, rent and beat up the rental and not your equipment.

Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed Alaska but would not do it with a caravan number one because we did not see any added value. If fact it was added expenses for activities that we would not have done. We also would not do it again because of the abuse our coach and toad experienced from the poor roads; both experienced significant paint chipping from the rocks and stones thrown by opposing traffic.