Best time to visit Alaska

I'm planning a trip to Alaska as part of a much bigger trip but I am struggling to decide when to visit. I have two options and would welcome your opinion.

Here's a rough outline of my plans:

1st/2nd May - fly from London to Tampa to visit friends
6th/7th May - leave Florida and head up, via Congaree NP, to Myrtle Beach
10th May - Nascar (Darlington NC, USA)
11th May - head over to Mooresville NC and visit Nascar raceshops
12th - 24th May - head up north visiting Shenandoah NP, Washington DC (skip NYC) and Boston. Stop at Rockport MA to visit friends then on, through Acadia NP, across the border through Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto before returning to the US and heading to Indianapolis
25th May - Indy 500 (Indianapolis IN, USA)

From here I have four weeks until my next definate 'date' - the start of my previously planned trip on 22nd June.

Initially I thought that I would do something like this:

26th May - 21st June - drive across country in the general direction of LA, taking in as many national parks as possible, then head up to San Francisco area
22nd June - Toyota/Save Mart 350 Nascar race at Sears Point
23rd June - 12th July - Slight rejig of the Yellowstone loop trip which would now hit Redwood National Park before turning north
13th July - 14th August (give or take) - another route through the north west and south west Canada. Drop car in Seattle
15th August - make way to Alaska via Alaska Marine Highway (how long does this take???)
On arrival - Trek America/Suntrek organised tour then pick up car for a few days then
Mid September - fly to Hawaii.

I am now reading that, contrary to earlier advice, August is not going to be a great month to visit as it's likely to be constantly raining (in as much as Alaska's weather is predictable!) and I am wondering if I should somehow try to shuffle things so, after Indy, I fly to Alaska before heading south through Canada and the Western US before flying out of LA or San Fran to Hawaii.

What are your thoughts? I guess it comes down to how unpredictable the Alaska weather is... will going in late May/early June offer me a greater chance of good weather? Is it worth the extra effort of rejigging everything which currently seems to work?

I would appreciate your thoughts on that, as well as any other points you see as a problem or if you have any suggestions for improvements.

Does anyone have any experience with the Alaska Maritime Highway? I've checked out the timetables but can't make head nor tail of it to be honest. Is it a huge huge trip to go all the way to Alaska on it? Is it hugely expensive as a foot passenger? Would I be totally bored by the second day? Would I be better off to fly to Alaska then spend more time there, maybe including a few ferry journeys to specific destinations in Alaska itself?

I would also appreciate any feedback ref any companies who could do me the best deal on a rental car. Will pick up in Tampa upon arrival and drop in Seattle four months later. Must be able to cross the border into Canada.

well one answer is the alaskan weather is unpredictiable. it's in the 40's today in anchorage.

May/June almost always has better weather than August which tends to be wet and cloudy. May and June have a ton of sun and usually less rain. you don't say where you plan to visit. if you are in the panhandle/southeast (juneau, sitka, ketchikan,etc) alaska area than the weather question is much easier. it will be rainy no matter what time of year. so if your plan is the southeast then bring your raincoat and plan to be wet. if you are going to other areas of the state then may/june is the best.

I think it takes 5 days from seattle to get to juneau on the ferry, allthough it's been a while since i looked at the schedule. will you be bored? well it should a beautiful trip, but it is a ferry. there won't be entertainment, the weather is likely to be crappy for at least part of the trip and that is a while. i would fly here and move around as you wanted. that seems like a better usage of valuable vacation days. also i think they are having some sort of problem getting the summer ferry scheudle complete this year so it might not be out yet.

greg
anchorage, ak

Ack! Tough call.

I have family living in Alaska (Sitka). It seems like there weather is as variable there as it is on Washington's coast and only a few degrees cooler in the summer months. Much colder in the winter. Anyway, here in the PNW, we sometimes have terrific springs and early summers. But that is usually the rainier time. Spring showers and all that. July-September (sometimes even October) are usually our driest, sunniest, warmest months. My Sitka relatives tell me it's about the same up there. Of course, Alaska is a BIG state. Their experience and comments might not be applicable to where you want to travel. There are weather sites that have temperature and precipitation averages for most any area in the US, if not the world. You might try The Weather Channel for a start.

(PS - I just saw Greg beat me to it. Since he lives there, he's probably a better judge of this.)

I have never heard anybody say the Alaska Marine Highway is boring. Everybody I know that has done it has raved about it. I just don't think boredom is something you need to worry about. Between the beautiful scenery and the chance to meet some quirky people, LOL, it might end up being a highlight of your trip. When my daughter used the ferry to go to Sitka, I ended up calling and talking to a representative because their website was kind of wanky and I had a hard time figuring things out myself.

I believe the one-way fee on the ferry was about $300 at the time, but this was about 4 years ago. You can pay more for a cabin to sleep in but many people just throw their sleeping bag on the floor. That's what my daughter did and she had a ball. She made a lot of friends while traveling up there. People had guitars and other instruments and she joined in with singing. She played cards and other games that people had brought with them. It sounds like a hoot. I'd like to do it myself.

Some folks bring tents and pitch them out on the deck of the ferry to sleep outside and get some privacy from all the people sleeping inside. But I've heard that wind can be a factor. You might need to secure your tent but I'm not sure how. It's not like there's dirt to drive stakes into. Maybe duct tape?

The ferries also usually have interpreters who give talks on the various things you're traveling past. You can also get off the ferry for a day or more at various stopping points along the way. But you'll want to confirm how this works with a representative. I'm not sure if there's additional fees for that.

Thanks for the tips, guys and gals ;) Excellent service, as always!

I'm kinda figuring this'll be a once in a lifetime deal and, to me, I'm expecting Alaska to be one of the highlights. So, whilst I know it's gonna be insanely expensive, I'm prepared to spend what I need to spend (up to a point!)

I really want to see as many of the national parks and natural beauty as I can, although I appreciate some will be out of reach due to the nature of the place.

I've been looking online and - ignoring the price - these two packages look very very interesting:

8 day ferry trip from Bellingham to Skagway with cabin, excursions and shore-based lodging

21 day Trek America tour - Alaska & Yukon Explorer


If the dates all worked out, do you think that'd be a good basis of a trip? I could do the Trek America tour from 20th August - 9th September which would fit in very nicely with my 'before and after' plans. It'd even give me a few days to rent a car in Anchorage and go check out any places that I may have missed before flying to Hawaii.

It all comes down to that weather thing. I am from England so well used to the rain. And it makes the rest of the trip flow so much better doing things this way... what do you think, Greg? After I'm done in Anchorage I will be hopping on that plane to Hawaii so I will have plenty of time to dry out there :p Do you think it's something to grin and bear or will it make the trip so much better to do Alaska earlier in the season?

How about making my way from Skagway to the start of the tour in Anchorage? Any suggestions for that?

What do we know about Bellingham? Are the major car rental companies represented there? I will be renting in Tampa and will need to drop the car here. Presuming I had to drop at Seattle Airport, what would the transport links be like to Bellingham? As well as dropping the car, I will be packing up and mailing back to the UK any souvenirs that I have picked up along the way so I may take a day or so in the Bellingham (to include a visit to North Cascades NP) - what are the facilities like there?

Thanks again for all your help and suggestions. And apologies if I'm going over ground covered but, frankly, I've got so much going on in my head right now trying to pull everything together... and my head is hurting! lol

When my wife and I visited Alaska a few years ago, we hit upon this outfit which besides giving us a great Alaska holiday, totally changed the way we now go about setting up all our trips. I strongly recommend that you read through what they have to offer, paying particular attention to the fact that on their tours, the 'tour group' consists of you. Also, feel free to mix and match from everything they have to offer. We did. The part I liked best was that they set up all the accommodations and modes of transportation so that, for example, we were picked up at Fairbanks airport on our arrival and driven to our 'B&B' (which consisted of a complete cabin in the woods with a view of Denali) and the first rental car was waiting for us in the driveway. When it came time to switch over to the train, we simply left the car at the train station and another was waiting for our use during our stopover in Talkeetna, and yet another when we finally finished our train trek in Anchorage. We were also able on a couple of occasions to change our plans on the fly with a simple phone call. As I say, these people did very well by us and I recommend them whole-heartedly.

AZBuck

Thanks for the link - I have seen you mention them on previous threads on the site that I have read, so you must have been impressed! :) To be honest I was actually thinking that I might get more out of Alaska in a group. Which is unusual for me! But I will definately contact the company you suggest now that you have reminded me of them just to see what they can offer me.

Presuming for a moment that I stuck with the suggested dates and tours mentioned above, do you have any suggestions or tips for where I could improve the trip? Any thoughts on the weather in August/September?

When it comes to the national parks of Alaska, I'd be doing pretty well with those two tours in that I'd get to see Kenai Fjords, Denali, Wrangell-St Elias and Glacier Bay national parks. How practical is it to visit Katmai, Lake Clark and Gates of the Arctic?

Thanks all!

This is particularly true of Alaska. People tend to forget how huge it is. It's more than twice the size of Texas! So, by all means: Denali and Kenai, Fairbanks and Talkeetna, Turnagain Arm and Seward. Spend as much time as you can visiting a few of the many options available and less time running from place to place. I'll have a look at your options and get back to you.

AZBuck

You certainly pose a very valid point. And I am very happy to listen to it as previous experience has proved rushing around seeing everything yet seeing nothing isn't necessarily the greatest idea! I hope that one day I can afford to return and I will hopefully get a chance to see those other places at that time.

the hugeness of alaska cannot be underestimated. a corny old alsaka joke is that texans should be careful or alaska will cut itself in half and make texas only the third largest state. but that is somewhat mitagated by the limited road system and expense of in state flights. of course the pound is strong so that helps you.

Denali, Kenai Fjords are musts and the easist to see. While Wrangell-St.Elias is amazing, it does not lend itself well to a short visit. Not that it isn't a great place to visit but most of the park is inaccessable by car. the main road in is not, by alaska standards, scenic. Katmai and lake clark would require additional flights out of anchorage. doable but expensive. each would likely by several hundred dollars to get to. gates of the arctic is far, far away and also mostly inacessable except by foot. some alaska places only really reveal themselves well to multiday backpacking, canoeing, etc. not that you shouldn't visit, just accept that you will only see a bare sliver of a place. glacier bay is great.

end of august/ september can be very nice. it cools off so the bugs are often gone and the weather is usually clears up in sept. while i generally recomend either early or late season the weather is so unpredictable that fretting about it doesn't get you anywhere.

no matter what time you come to Ak be prepared to grin and bear it. bring your good gear and have a great time. but don't forget a book for the crappy days. i agree with azbuck that it is best to go a little slower and take a bit more time is each place. rushing can be a drag and giant natural places take time to see and feel.

oh sitka is always rainy.

Greg,
That is fantastic - I really appreciate your help and your suggestions. I can't wait to get up there but first I have to battle the system to get a visa. It's not the end of the world if I don't - I'll just have to can the first month of the trip - but I really really want to! Now, with the help of you all, I can at least feel like I'm gonna be able to make the most of whatever time I do get in the country :)

Please guys, if anything else comes to mind please post it up, I am most definately all ears!

Now, if only there was a RoadTrip Australia website... :)

i forgot to ask what type of activties do you like/want to do? how willing are you to wander on your own? those will affect some of the recomendations.

the best part of travel to ak. is that it is almost possible to go really wrong. if you see the big famous places it will be a great trip. for all the competing advice it comes down to there are many, many great places to see and this is a beautiful place. it has to be for us to put up with the dumb weather.

greg

As promised, I took a look at the Tour you linked to in your "Wow - top tips" post, and I really think that's too much to try to do in three weeks. It's got 12 stops spread over Alaska, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Yes, you'll see a lot, but I don't think you'll experience any of it in anything like the way the locals, who really love their land, do. We basically did 5 locations between Fairbanks and Seward in just over two weeks. So about three days per stop, and never more than a few hours on the road on our driving days. While I didn't feel terribly rushed, I was aware that there was so much more to see and do than we were going to get to. Some of the best bits of our trip were totally unexpected and occurred when we had time to relax, walk the streets and woods, and talk to Alaskans. Really, and I become more convinced of this with each trip I take, trying to fit too much in is counter-productive.

AZBuck

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Originally Posted by AZBuck

I become more convinced of this with each trip I take, trying to fit too much in is counter-productive.

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I agree -- I took about six days recently to travel a net of 150 miles in the Monument Valley area and still wished I had time to spend another week or two... Alaska is EVEN a bigger place....

Mark

Looks like there could be a potential problem with my plans. Seems the US aren't likely to look favourably on my application for a visa which means I'll have to come in on a 90 day visa waiver and then leave North America entirely. I can then come back after an unspecified period of time and apply for another 90 day waiver. It all sounds like a serious pain!

I need to check precisely what this means and then make a decision based on that. The advice that I received was that I would have to return to London and then fly back again.

What I thought I may do is to split the US section into two 'loops' - first fly in to Tampa, pick up a car then head out on the route as previously mentioned up until I reach Indy. After that I would head south back to Tampa. Then I'd take an internal flight to the west coast and do the rest of the trip with the exception of South Western Canada and Alaska. I'd then fly out of the country within the 90 days.

I still need to look into the details but I'd sooner not do two trips across the Atlantic if I don't have to. If I could maybe head to South America for a week or so instead that'd be mega. I'd then fly to Vancouver and head up to Alaska from there. Finally I'd head to Hawaii before heading off to Singapore. Does anyone have any experience with obtaining a Tourist Visa for the US? There is a helpline that I can call but it costs in the region of $3 a minute so I'd sooner have a rough idea before I call :)

Ref Alaska, I really do like the look of that Trek America tour and, whilst I fully appreciate what you are saying about squishing a lot in to a short space of time, I would be looking to do some 'on my own' style travelling whilst I'm up there. So, whilst it depends on a whole lot still, I will likely go for that tour.

Right... we have a plan! I've completely rejigged the previous plans and have ended up doing considerably less time in the US than I had been planning but, well, the goverment set the rules. So the other countries can have my dollar!

Here's what I will be doing:

9th May - 8th June Two part tour through Canada
9th June - 14th July 4,500 miles through Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming & Montana
15th July - 22nd July Cruise the Inside Passage & visit Glacier Bay NP
23rd July - 29th July * Explore Alaska *
30th July - 19th August Footloose Alaska-Yukon Explorer Trek
20th August Fly Anchorage - Hawaii

As you'll see I have opted to do both the tours previously mentioned but I will also have an entire week beforehand to explore under my own steam.

Buck, I wrote the company you mentioned but I think they misunderstood. They wrote back a rather charming and thoroughly helpful message offering lots of help and advice and telling me how I could organise everything myself quite easily! I think I'll write back and see what they can organise for those spare seven days and what price they can offer.

I'm really excited about Alaska now, it has to be said!!

I have booked the flights this afternoon and there are more changes. It's all down in black and white now though so here is where I'm at:

7th July Fly Seattle - Anchorage
8th July Have a look round Anchorage
9th - 29th July Footloose Alaska-Yukon Explorer Trek
30th July - 8th August * Explore Alaska *
9th August Fly Anchorage - Seattle - Las Vegas

I have caned the idea of taking the cruise from Bellingham sadly. It was going to be to expensive, take too long and the dates didn't fit with some other changes that I was forced to make. It's a shame but then I will probably be spending quite some time on boats and ferries whilst exploring Alaska anyway so maybe it's for the best?

If you are still considering taking the ferry from Bellingham, WA to Juneau, Alaska it usually leaves Friday and you get to Juneau by Monday. If your destination is Juneau then make sure you bring a raincoat. Locals do not use umbrellas (because of the wind) so you'll be less considered a tourist if you are not carrying one. Also, make sure that you wear bug spray because summer time means mosquito time. Do not feed the bears :)
The Mendenhall Glacier is a nice place to visit in Juneau as well as Mt. Roberts where you can hike all the way up the mountain and see most of Juneau. There are several trips from Juneau to Glacier Bay and I heard that is a trip worth taking as well.
Anchorage and Fairbanks have better weather, less rain. I haven't really spent a lot of time in the summer there.
If you are taking the ferry make sure that you book in advance because it gets booked pretty fast. There are cabins available in the ferry but it can get spendy. There isn't much of entertainment in there, just a movie room that plays not so recent movies. Most of your entertainment will be from the view outside (you get to use most of the deck) and you can see porpoises, whales and such (on a good day) so make sure you always have your camera with you. Also bring a good book.
I live in Juneau Alaska just in case I didn't mention that before :)
Good Luck!

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Originally Posted by Jaidjen

Locals do not use umbrellas (because of the wind) so you'll be less considered a tourist if you are not carrying one.

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A handy local intel tip! Thanks for the other ideas -- it is always great to obtain local tip information.

Mark

Thanks, Jaidjen, for the info. I really appreciate that - good stuff!

I said earlier that I'd booked the flights but I actually meant that I'd booked the main flights -- the internal flights to/from Alaska were not part of that package.

I've been looking into this sector of the trip (Rainbow Mountain Adventures didn't come back to me when I gave them my requirements and asked them to put a package together) and, well, the idea of flying isn't right up there. That ferry idea keeps coming on back!

What I am considering doing now is

7th July Fly Seattle - Anchorage
8th July Have a look round Anchorage
9th - 29th July Footloose Alaska-Yukon Explorer Trek
30th July Fly Anchorage - Juneau/Skagway/???
31st July - 4th August Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay NP
4th August (pm) - 8th August (am) Juneau - Bellingham on the Alaska Maritime Highway
9th August Fly Bellingham - Las Vegas

I would love to hear your thoughts on the whole Anchorage - Bellingham section. I am struggling to come to grips with the best combination of where to fly to from Anchorage and which ferries and tours to take in order to make the most of the time I have. Some local help would be awesome!

Well, as I mentioned I haven't really been much in Anchorage during the summer time because hotels and car rentals are very expensive. I travel to Anchorage more during winter because it is cheaper and most of the tourist places are closed. Not sure how you feel about zoos but the Alaska Zoo is open and it has polar bears and grizzlies and brown bears and other Alaska animals like the moose and reindeer. Maggie, the elephant, moved to California last year and she was quite the celebrity of the zoo especially since she actually has an elephant treadmill!

This website helped me a lot whenever I plan a trip to Anchorage: www.anchorage.net.

Now about getting from Anchorage to Juneau, the best way is by plane. I mean you can get there using the ferry but that means driving from Anchorage to Haines and then taking the ferry from there. It takes about 8 hrs from Haines to Juneau via ferry. Or if you are lucky and the fast ferry is available, you can get to Juneau via Haines in about 4 hours.

By airplane, it takes 3-4 hours to get to Juneau. However, try as much as possible to get a non-stop flight because there are times when Alaska Airlines (the only airlines that fly to Juneau) make several stops in the smaller villages which can add hours to your flight time.

If you are renting a car, make sure you reserve it in advance because there's only a handful of rental car companies in Juneau and we get a lot of tourist during the days that you mentioned. The big cruise ship companies dock in Juneau and we get 10,000-30,000 visitors a day during the peak times. The normal population of Juneau without the tourists from the cruise ships is 30,000.

There is a good cruise ship company that caters more to individuals who like to experience nature and outdoors. It is called Cruise West and they do a really good tour of Glacier Bay NP. I think they even have a package that bundles Glacier Bay and Denali NP.

Here is the link to their website and that tour:
http://www.cruisewest.com/destinatio...acier_bay.aspx

If you decide to just stay in Juneau, there is the Mendenhall Glacier. I think it cost $10 roundtrip to go there (or free if you have your own car). You can hike to the waterfalls near the actual glacier but I think that is the closest you can go to the glacier unless you are in a kayak. Then there is the Mt. Roberts tramway where you can ride the tram ($25) up and hike from the tram stop all the way to the top of the mountain or if you really like hiking you can hike all the way from the bottom of the mountain to the tram stop near the top and you can ride the tram down for $5 or if you buy something from the gift shop or the restaurant that costs more than $5 then the ride down is free! Every year I buy a tram pass so that I can ride up and then hike down. It takes an hour to go down but I haven't tried going up (maybe this year :) ) There is a zip lining tour available near the ski resort (Eaglecrest) in Douglas Island which is just right across from Juneau.


If you are taking the ferry from Juneau to Bellingham make sure that you make the reservation way in advance because the dates you mentioned are considered peak days and the car deck and cabins usually get full pretty fast. A lot of college kids actually go back to the Continental US (or to us Alaskans we call it "Down South") around end of July to August for college (or to move).

If you are taking a car to the ferry make sure that you are there atleast 1.5-2 hrs before the departure time to make sure that you don't get stuck in the back of the ferry and have to wait for everyone else in front of you to get in their car and leave before you can actually exit the ferry.

Also keep an eye out for whales that like to show up frequently in the ferry terminal area. We saw 3 whales there last summer and they were hanging out for about an hour in the same area...it was pretty cool to see.


The ferry ride has stops in Wrangell, Petersburg and Ketchikan before it gets to Bellingham. You can actually get out and explore but make sure you know when the ferry will leave the terminal and that you have your ticket with you prior to getting out of the ferry. Usually, ferry stops last an hour to two hours.

Usually, the ferry gets to Ketchikan at about 3-5 am so even if you are awake and ready to explore I don't think anything is open.

It is practical to bring snacks with you prior to boarding because snacks are a little bit spendy in the cafeteria. However, the food is good and are usually Alaskan stuff like salmon, halibut, cod etc.

I've taken the ferry from Juneau to Bellingham several times and it was a pretty good experience. The cabins are not so big but it has it's own shower, sink and toilet bowl. There are also communal showers and public restrooms all over the ferry. I suggest camera, binoculars and video cam to be handy in case a whale decides to go against the side of the ferry (happened during my 2nd trip) or the porpoises decide to show themselves a few feet away (1st trip). Occassionally, you can spot a bear by the shore as well. Although, here in Juneau there are plenty of bears and the first time I saw one was in the parking lot of Costco!

The time the ferry arrives in Bellingham varies as well. The most often I experienced was before 10 am and then there is the occassional after 1 pm. So taking your Las Vegas flight the day after is a good thing.

Hope that I am able to help. Sorry I wasn't able to give more info on Anchorage.

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Originally Posted by Jaidjen

Although, here in Juneau there are plenty of bears and the first time I saw one was in the parking lot of Costco!

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Fantastic story and a fantasticly helpful post... thanks so much! It has allowed me to start formulating a little bit of a plan in my head for my post Anchorage trip. There is no better advice than that of a local so I thank you.

The cruise looks awesome but, sadly, is a little out of reach both in terms of time and (particularly) money. I definately plan on finding a cheaper alternative for this however. Glacier Bay looks very interesting indeed.

I'm kinda hoping to see some of the wildlife in its natural surroundings (though hopefully not too closely!) but the zoo sounds like it has potential. Thanks for the tip.

What is in Skagway? Is it worth a visit? I was told that I had to visit but I think they may have been talking about the area in general rather than the town in particular?

What I was thinking, based on the advice offered, is maybe something a little like this:

30th July (am) - Fly: Anchorage - Juneau
31st July - 1st August Juneau
2nd August - Glacier Bay
3rd August (pm) - Fly to Skagway
4th August (pm) - 8th August (am) - Ferry: Skagway - Bellingham
9th August - Fly: Bellingham - Las Vegas

Do you think that would work?

I wasn't particularly planning on renting a car if I could help it. Do you think I would benefit from doing this (and in which towns?) or will I get by just fine with public transport and/or a good pair of hiking boots?

Do you think I will need a cabin on the ferry? It has been suggested that I could just pitch my tent in an area on the deck of the ferry. What are your thoughts on that? I will be on foot and will only have my backpack with m. How many ferries run south each week? Is it possible to get off one ferry for the night and then hop on another the following day?

Thanks again for the help and suggestions!

Your itinerary looks like it could work depending on the activities that you plan to do in Juneau, Glacier Bay and Skagway.

In Juneau, renting a car is not really a must. The public transportation is pretty good and a lot of tourist take the bus from one end of the route to the other and back...at a $1.50 each person this is a good and cheap way to actually see Juneau (takes about 2-3 hours for the whole round trip).
However, it won't take you to directly to the Mendenhall Glacier and the Shrine of St. Therese (which I forgot to mention before) where you can also see a lot of whales (the Shrine). You can, however, take the bus and ask the driver where is the nearest stop to the Mendenhall Glacier and walk from there. It is a good long walk...about 10-15 blocks or so one way. Another alternative are the cabs that offer a tour of Juneau during summers and I think they just charge a flat rate but I am not sure how much. Actually, from the airport you can walk to the bus stop...about a block away. Here is the bus schedule.

I did a little research on alternative ways to get to Glacier Bay NP and I found out that Alaska Airlines actually have a flight to Gustavus (during summers) and from Gustavus it is just a hop, skip and a jump away from Glacier Bay.

I'm not sure how many hotels/motels/inns they have in Gustavus but it is a pretty small town. Here is the website of Gustavus Inn and they also do tours of Glacier Bay:

As far as Skagway goes, I was there last October and it is a small but pretty town. We used it as our gateway to get to Canada and then eventually the continental US. It has a historic, old feeling to it. From the Ferry terminal you would see the Yukon railway, the train and then lots of nature. Maybe because we went there in the fall and the season is over, so I was able to go around town (on foot) in about an hour. The Mile Zero B&B is a good place to stay at and the rooms are really nice and clean. And, I don't think you would need to rent a car here because it is a small place and you can really get from point A to point B on foot.

The ferry goes to Bellingham only once a week. Here's how the ferry runs from Bellingham:

1. Bellingham
2. Ketchikan
3. Wrangell
4. Petersburg
5. Juneau
6. Haines
7. Skagway

and then it turns around and does the order in reverse starting with Skagway and then back.

However, I am providing the ferry's summer 2008 schedule because there are several ferries that go from town to town and this might help you in your itinerary:

You don't have to get a cabin in the ferry. I guess it is just more convenient that way. They have lockers provided for your valuables in case you did not get a cabin. However, if you are camping make sure you are there early and set up your spot as soon as possible because there can be a lot of campers (depending on the day) and the space provided for camping is limited. I think it is only on the second and third level of the ferry.

Also, hate to say it, but there are times that the ferry breaks down and so it is always good to have a back up plan or leave enough time in your itinerary for these emergencies. Usually, it gets fixed pretty fast (4 hrs or so) but sometimes they actually have passengers transfer to another ferry, depending on the location. It doesn't happen often but it happens.

Hope this helps!

I attached a photo of the train in Skagway that I was talking about from my last post.

Thanks once again for the information. I'm still totally unsure about the ferry ride down to Bellingham. The more I hear the more I think I should spend more time up in Alaska and then fly drect to Las Vegas. But then I'll miss out on some unique scenery. The alternative, I guess, would be to skip Skagway and just concentrate on Anchorage, Glacier Bay and Juneau. hmmm. What do you guys think?

Hmmm....well, Skagway is pretty but as I said it is pretty small. On the practical side of trip planning I think that skipping Skagway is not a bad idea. Also, to save time, taking a plane instead of the ferry would actually help you spend more time in Alaska (or other areas that you like to visit) but then you would miss the scenery and chance to get a glimpse of the other towns in Alaska (although briefly).

Good Luck in your planning and travel :)

Ya know, Craig, people pay big money to do cruises from Seattle to Alaska. And I've known numerous people who have done the ferry who rave about it. You have a big trip ahead of you with lots of driving and plane trips. They always have tales of interesting people they've met and fun activities, like playing cards or board games, etc. with people they've met, people jamming on guitars and other instruments, etc. I think it all sounds like a hoot. I'm thinking this might be a bit a relaxing and enjoyable respite from the go-go-go you're going to have most of the rest of your trip.

But, then again, more time in Alaska might be good, too.

Tough choice but I don't think you can make a wrong one.

Funny how different places leave different impressions with folk.

Skagway stood out for me because of its potent history - Klondike Gold Rush, Chilkoot Trail, Soapy Smith, The Call of the Wild, White Pass railway for instance.

So much happened in such a short time involving human endeavour – good and bad. The hardships must have been immense.

Incidentally visited Skagway on a day road trip from Whitehorse.

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Originally Posted by Judy

Tough choice but I don't think you can make a wrong one.

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Let's hope not! I'm still unsure what to do so I think I'll leave the decision for now. I know what people are saying about the cabin situation though so I know I don't have for ever to decide.

Thanks for the input guys!

Many people enjoy camping out on deck or inside the common areas and enjoy the trip just fine without having a cabin. I have to admit that I think I'm getting a tad old and cranky for that option myself, but you're a young buck still! Just something to consider. I hear it's a lot of fun.

I've got no issue with camping out on deck (apart from having to buy a tent as I was planning to ditch mine before heading to Alaska because I'm limited on luggage on the Trek America tour) but I'm wondering if all the tent places would be full by the time the boat arrived to load at Juneau?

You have probably seen me rave about my little $35 tent so, if you wanted to do this, it shouldn't cost you too much. However, if you're going to buy it in Alaska, be aware that prices are higher there.

I'm sure some ferry passengers end their trip in Juneau. So I would think that this would free up some deck space for tents. But I can't guarantee you that.

That's a very good point, of course. Though it'd not necessarily be the end of the world if there was no space for the tent in any case; I'm sure they're used to people rolling out a mat and sleeping on the floor in their sleeping bag!

The other option that I was weighing up was flying down to one of the ports of call further south and getting the ferry from there. It'd not help with the accomodation situation, of course, but it'd give me more time on land...

I have bitten the bullet and booked the flights for my Alaskan leg of the trip as the prices were starting to creep upwards.

I'll be flying down from Anchorage to Gustavus (via Juneau) on the afternoon of 30th July and then back to Juneau on the evening of 1st August. The next flight is Bellingham - Las Vegas on 9th August so I get a few days in the Juneau/Skagway area before heading down to Bellingham on the ferry.

See... sorted. I think!

Thanks for your input, guys and girls ;)

Last year we flew from Portland Oregon to Anchorage and spent three days there. It was August, and it did rain but we also had some good sunshine. If you're used to our summer weather in the UK you'll find no surprises in the southern Alaskan summer (other then the ever-present snow and ice in many parts!).

We hired a car and took a day trip to Seward. The scenery along Turnagain Arm is fantastic and highly recommended. Worryingly, there are a lot of bullet-hole-ridden road signs! We also took a 2-hour boat trip out of Seward into Resurrection Bay. There was not a cloud in the sky and it was great. On the trip back to Anchorage we paid a visit to Exit Glacier. It was raining by the time we got back to Anchorage, so clear sunny conditions can easily give way to rain.

You'll find many float planes in Anchorage and elsewhere. We didn't use them, but they must be a great way to see areas that are otherwise inaccessible.

We flew into Anchorage in darkness (arriving at about 3am!) but we flew out in daylight, and it was another clear day (I think we got lucky!). As a result I got some great photographs of mountains and glaciers on the way to Seattle. Something you won't get from a boat!

This was a great 'taster' and it got us interested in Alaska. The lack of roads probably means there's more unspoiled scenery in Alaska than anywhere else in the USA. Next time we'll try further southeast - Juneau, Sitka or Ketchikan - and possibly north to Fairbanks.

Thanks, jif001, your post really put me in the mood for this trip! I have just been on to the ferry people and put in a reservation request for the Juneau - Bellingham ferry (with outside cabin) and have made a reservation at the Glacier Bay Lodge along with an eight hour tour of Glacier Bay National Park. Can't wait, it should be sooo cool! hehe

First I get this message:

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Per your reservation request for Juneau to Bellingham August 5th. There are no cabins available on the 5th. Cabins are available on the 12th, 19th, & 26th.

Please email back if you want to book this trip on any of the above available dates to my attention

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Then I write back enquiring about the tent situation and I get the following:

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There is no sailing on the 5th, Juneau to Bellingham. There is a sailing from Juneau to Pr. Rupert BC on August 5th. It departs Juneau at 7PM and arrives Pr. Rupert, BC on August 7th at 4am. There are cabins and vehicle space available on that sailing as well as adequate passenger space. A cabin for that trip would be $144 and each passenger fare is $221.

You can get the BC Ferry on to Vancouver Island from Pr. Rupert. We do not book BC Ferries but you can find them on line.

There are lockers available on all our boats if you need one.

Hope this answers your questions.

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Do they actually have a clue? :s

When I helped my daughter book her ferry tickets, we called because the website and email were too confusing. Is that possible for you to call and talk to customer service? They were very helpful on the phone, if I remember right.

I will if I have to but I prefer to do things by email for two reasons:

1/ It's a long way away and it's very expensive to call
and
2/ I've got a record of our conversation when I get there and find there really isn't a boat on the 5th...

It's very annoying. I'll have to look at it again tomorrow.

But it might be money well-spent for the call and might save you time, aggravation and money in the long run.

I would suggest that if you can't get this sorted via email that you make the call, get things sorted out with a live person, and then email them with the information you get, i.e. travel dates, boarding times, schedule, what you're purchasing (fare, room, locker, whatever), fees and whatever else you think is important. And ask for an email confirming that your information is correct.

That way you still have that written record. Hope this makes sense.

Good suggestions, of course.

Do you know if the walk-on passenger side of things fill up often? If not, and they can't offer me accomodation, I might just rock up on the day and buy a ticket. That way it gives me the flexibility to spend longer in the area if I want to and then fly onwards instead.