Boston, MA - Juneau, AK

[in_sane]

My boyfriend and I are planning to go on a road trip this summer from Mass to Alaska...
I was wondering if anyone else had been on a road trip to Alaska..and if you have any suggestions for sights that we should look forward to.

Thanks a bunch.

[Bogart]

Hey, I started a thread about driving the Alaska Highway just the other day. Maybe our topics could be merged? When are you planning to go?

{Editor's Note: We usually do not merge posts from different members, even if the subject is similar, unless there are compelling reasons}

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

There is a one thing which makes a roadtrip to Juneau a bit of a challenge: It essentially is inexcessable by land.

Access to the city comes either by plane or on the Alaska Ferry.

Are you planning on driving the Alaska Highway all the way to Alaska and then hop on the ferry, or are you going to pick up the "Marine Highway" in Washington or British Columbia and then take that north to Juneau?

Also, how much time are you giving yourself to make this trip?

[in_sane]

We're taking the ferry. And we have about two months.

[wacko2]

I went on a road trip to Alaska last summer, so I may be able to help you out a bit. I posted in Bogart's thread about some things to see, so you may want to check that out.

Edit to add: We had thought of going from Anchorage to Prince Rupert by the Alaska Marine Highway, perhaps with a stop at Sitka or Juneau. But with four people, a truck and camper, the cost was too much. We ended up taking a short jaunt from Haines to Skagway instead. If you are traveling lighter though, taking the ferry to Juneau is certainly an option. But still it must be noted that vehicles usually cost a fair bit to transport. You can book in advance some months ahead, but this won't reduce your cost by much if at all. You will also need to choose from other available options at extra cost, e.g. whether you want a cabin to sleep in. (No, you don't automatically get a cabin just by booking passage. Yes, it is possible to save money by sleeping in a deck chair or something.) In the summer, you will probably need to check in at the terminal in advance. The check-in time varies by port, it can be from 1 to 3 hours in advance. Also I would note that ferry service is somewhat dependent on weather.