A little confused about Whitepass RR.

[ACobra289]

While we are in Skagway, I want to do a RR excursion. It appears there are several different companies that offer such excursions. Is there just the one rail system that these different companies share? Are any of the companies considered the "official" company of the rail line? (Such as WP&YR?)

 

I am leaning towards doing Chilkoot's 7.5 hour Yukon Bus and Rail trip, but am open to other suggestions.

 

Thanks,

Bill M.

[Langley Cruisers]

Honestly, that`s a very long time to be on an excursion. Holy cow! We took the White Pass excursion which was about 3 hours total, and we booked and pre-paid through RCI. It was just long enough, and afterward we were able to spend time in town shopping and just enjoying the day.

[AlanAllyn]

There is only one rail road that all tour companies use. Many offer one way on the railroad and the other way in a van or bus.

 

We are going by van with Dyea Dave all the way to Emerald lake, saving the cost of the railroad for excursions in other ports.

[luvlake]

We took the 7.5 hour Chilkoot excursion this last summer and loved it.:) You take the train ride, travel into the Yukon, are furnished lunch and travel to Emerald Lake. We had a very nice driver who was great about stopping for photos.

 

We actually were very glad we took the excursion because when we arrived back at Skagway it was 85 degrees and beyond crowded in town.:eek:

 

This was our second time to cruise Alaska and decided this time we would try and do excursions that involved wildlife and scenery. We were not disappointed!:)

 

Happy Cruising!

[alpal1993]

We did the railroad tour through Celebrity and our car was just for Celebrity passangers many empty seats so you could get up and move around,the pickup and drop off point is closer to ship as well

[scottbee]

While we are in Skagway, I want to do a RR excursion. It appears there are several different companies that offer such excursions. Is there just the one rail system that these different companies share? Are any of the companies considered the "official" company of the rail line? (Such as WP&YR?)

 

I am leaning towards doing Chilkoot's 7.5 hour Yukon Bus and Rail trip, but am open to other suggestions.

 

Thanks,

Bill M.

 

http://www.wpyr.com/

The White Pass and Yukon Route; it's their train, their track

 

We just booked directly with WPYR, and walked into town and boarded the train. Was about $25/ea cheaper than booking the exact same thing with the cruise line, the difference being with the cruise tour they pick you up at the ship, we had to walk the ½ mile into town.

[jenjens1023]

We took the 7.5 Chilkoot tour. It did not feel long. The rail part of the trip is full of amazing views that will be missed by those who choose to do the entire trip by bus ( sorry, just MHO).

 

Our bus then continued to emerald Lake and included a lunch stop (yummy) on the way back. We saw bears, eagles, mountain goats and a hundred million mosquitos on that part of the trip.

 

My 18 year old DD said it was her favorite excursion.

 

We still had time for some brief shopping in Skagway and even a dip in the hot tub before sailaway.

 

I highly reccomend this trip.

[ellbon]

I looked at that trip and compared it to the ship one i did several years ago.this is a better deal.

 

you will have more than enough time to shop and eat something in town befroe we sail.

[Budget Queen]

Information- There is ONE rail road, three different rail "trips". Many of the above have not taken this yet.

 

There is round trip rail, about 3 1/2 hours, going back and forth White Pass. There are one way Skagway/White Pass/Frasier with return buses/vans. These do NOT get into the Yukon. There are combo trips with one way trains and buses/vans, which go to Emerald Lake, with various inclusions, Caribou Crossing, lunch, sled dog cart rides etc. Finally there is a Lake Bennett train which goes much further by rail with bus/van.

 

Only one road, Klondike Highway. Murrays guide is invaluable if driving- which is another option. The scenery from the rail is superior compared to the highway, AND despite claims that they "parallel" each other, they DO NOT. Only a couple miles are viewable, and the train is loaded with interesting engineering and history.

 

Leaving Skagway by rail, SIT ON THE LEFT, by highway, sit on the RIGHT.

[ACobra289]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to respond. I checked the prices from the cruise line and they seem a bit higher than Chilkoot. I'll probably just stick with Chilkoot as they seem to get good reviews.

 

Thanks again for the help. :)

[Dbld777]

Just visited the WP&YR site and looked at their 2010 schedule and fares. Does anyone know why they state "Limited seating on 8:15 AM and 12:15 PM departures on Wednesdays, May 26 thru Sept. 8th"??? We will be in port on a Wednesday and wonder if we'll have trouble getting a reservation on the White Pass Summit Excursion trip???

[negc]

Just visited the WP&YR site and looked at their 2010 schedule and fares. Does anyone know why they state "Limited seating on 8:15 AM and 12:15 PM departures on Wednesdays, May 26 thru Sept. 8th"??? We will be in port on a Wednesday and wonder if we'll have trouble getting a reservation on the White Pass Summit Excursion trip???

 

Not sure, but if several cruise ships will be in Skagway on Wednesdays, that might account for the shortage of seats since the cruise lines may have reserved seats for their passengers. If taking this excursion is a priority for you, you might consider paying the extra cost of reserving it through your cruiseline. If it isn't that high a priority,you might want to wait and purchase it from the railroad when you arrive in port.:)

[martinsfo]

You are right, there is only on RR in Skagway, and it is not to be misssed. We took a bus up into the Yukon to Carcross, had lunch, and then traveled back to Fraiser where we got on the train. The scenery both coming and going is not to be missed, you will never see anything like it again. We are going back in 2011, and we will do this one again. The Chilicoot trail excursion sounds great as well.

[oldengine]

Some links:

 

http://wpyr.com/schedule.html

 

http://www.railsnorth.com/wpyr-2009-washout_special.html

 

http://www.railsnorth.com/steamex.html

 

And the photos!

[Budget Queen]

For further information- cruise purchased White Pass RR, picks up right on the dock, independent booked, board at the depot. Weds. are a heavy cruise ship day, so may be part of the reason for the "limited" availablity. But the RR adds cars and trains.

[MercedMike]

 

Only one road, Klondike Highway. Murrays guide is invaluable if driving- which is another option. The scenery from the rail is superior compared to the highway, AND despite claims that they "parallel" each other, they DO NOT.

 

We have done both the train ride and the drive yourself trip using Murray's guide. They are both excellent experiences.

 

Personally, I prefer the driving trip. Now if you are a railroad buff then you will find the train fascinating. But if you are interested in the scenery, IMAO the driving is much superior. Although there are a few indeed spectacular views from the train, the actual fact is that about 90% of the time what you are seeing is rock wall on one side and the ever present spruce and willow forest on the other. The views from the road are much more open. I don't quite understand the statement that they do not parallel each other, as they go directly up the opposite sides of the canyon and you can see the road from the train and the train from the road. Indeed, after reaching the Yukon they diverge and the train goes to Lake Bennett while the road does not. But over the Pass they are essentially exactly the same route.

 

Of course another big advantage to the driving is that you can stop at your leisure for walkabouts and pictures. The drive is maybe an hour and a half straight through, but we usually take three or four hours to make it because of frequent stops. (Murrays Guide also gives the location of the only potty stop along the road!)

 

To us the highlight of the trip by car is Caribou Crossing, which would be available on some of the bus and van trips also. Although some people find this to be a "tourist trap," my feeling is that "Heck, I AM a tourist!" I think the wildlife museum with over a hundred stuffed specimens of Arctic wildlife is great, my wife loved the ATV trip, and the sled dog summer camp is an absolute MUST!

 

You can see our report on the WPRR at http://www.bully4.us/ct2.html

and a page on the drive option at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/skagway.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[DougH]

Honestly, that`s a very long time to be on an excursion. Holy cow! We took the White Pass excursion which was about 3 hours total, and we booked and pre-paid through RCI. It was just long enough, and afterward we were able to spend time in town shopping and just enjoying the day.

 

Try the Copper Canyon rail trip in Mexico by HAL, it's 18 hours! We left the ship about 5 am and returned at almost midnight. What was neat was the Captainn and staff were lined up on the pier to welcome back all of the tour busses, they even had a specail buffet set up to feed us.

[Budget Queen]

I don't quite understand the statement that they do not parallel each other, as they go directly up the opposite sides of the canyon and you can see the road from the train and the train from the road. Indeed, after reaching the Yukon they diverge and the train goes to Lake Bennett while the road does not. But over the Pass they are essentially exactly the same route.

 

 

 

QUOTE]

 

Updated, for clarification- of parallel same VIEWS are not seen from both. The views are different. Sorry for the miswriting.

[pspercy]

How far in advance are reservations advisable ?

 

I'd think this is very weather dependent, not much point if visibility is bad.

[CruisingGoddess]

For further information- cruise purchased White Pass RR, picks up right on the dock, independent booked, board at the depot. Weds. are a heavy cruise ship day, so may be part of the reason for the "limited" availablity. But the RR adds cars and trains.

 

Sorry if I missed this earlier but what's the best way to get to the depot if we book independently. Is it a long walk?

 

Thanks in advance!

[mochuck]

Chilkoot will pick you up from the ship.

 

The 7.5 hr trip is not all on the train. You only go to Fraser BC on the train. That is only about 90 mins and then its on to a mini bus and into the Yukon. It includes lunch and and stops at various places - Emerald Lake, Caribou Crossing. We also did the dog sled ride (an extra $30) which was great.

 

As for the ever present spruce and rocks - we don't have that in Australia, so we really enjoyed itplus the sheer drop in some places was pretty spectacular.

[fleckle]

Sorry if I missed this earlier but what's the best way to get to the depot if we book independently. Is it a long walk?

Only about a 10 to 20 minute walk, depending on where your ship docks and how many times you stop to take photos along the way.:)

 

The cruise ships also provide shuttle buses into town for those who have trouble walking or prefer not to walk. The train depot is right at the entrance to the town.

 

We had no problem waiting until we got there to purchase train tickets at the depot, but it may be a good idea to call ahead to try getting some idea of how busy they expect to be the day you will be there, particularly if you go during peak season. We were told that they just add more cars as needed, but don't know for a fact if that is always the case or if they ever run out of cars.

[Budget Queen]

 

The cruise ships also provide shuttle buses into town for those who have trouble walking or prefer not to walk. The train depot is right at the entrance to the town.

 

QUOTE]

 

SMART buses are available for a few dollars.

[Budget Queen]

Sorry if I missed this earlier but what's the best way to get to the depot if we book independently. Is it a long walk?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Allow 15 minutes, all level. here is a map http://skagway.com/citymap.html

[Putterdude]

It used to be that there was more pressure on YP&YRR on Wednesdays due to the number of ships in port on that day. I am wondering if that may prove to be less of a pressure day with fewer ships going to Alaska this year? Has anyone seen a 2010 schedule yet?