Skagway -WhitePass rail or Emerald Lake??

[Colin B]

Apologies if this is resurrecting a dead thread but I need an update

 

We are doing a cruise with Princess next year which docks at Skagway at 6AM and leaves again at 5pm.

 

Tentative plan is to have breakfast on board then hit the road, returning, hopefully, around 3 - 3.30pm which should give us enough time to explore the town, return the car and get on board.

 

Will this be time enough to do the drive to Emerald Lake in a hire car without having to drive rally style, bearing in mind that I am not used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road and it will be unfamiliar driving conditions?

[Budget Queen]

Apologies if this is resurrecting a dead thread but I need an update

 

We are doing a cruise with Princess next year which docks at Skagway at 6AM and leaves again at 5pm.

 

Tentative plan is to have breakfast on board then hit the road, returning, hopefully, around 3 - 3.30pm which should give us enough time to explore the town, return the car and get on board.

 

Will this be time enough to do the drive to Emerald Lake in a hire car without having to drive rally style, bearing in mind that I am not used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road and it will be unfamiliar driving conditions?

 

I would suggest you be in the Avis line before 8am. You have enough time for the drive, leisure time frame is 5 hours. It is 150 miles round trip. I highly recommend you have a copy of Murrary's Guide.

[Colin B]

Thank you Budget Queen.

 

Just looking around online it seems hiring a car in the USA is a lot dearer that we are used to in Australia - USD$130 or thereabouts for a Toyota Corolla for a day seems pretty steep. (I can get a similar car locally for around half that.) It also occurs to me that with the ship unloading a couple of thousand people into a small town actually getting the car could be a slow process.

 

The other thought, now, is that if we hire a car then have to pay to enter a few other attractions and buy meals along the way the cost may end up being similar to an all-inclusive excursion. At least on an escorted tour we know the ship will wait if we are delayed and we don't have to worry about navigating, dealing with unfamiliar road rules etc.

 

Has anyone been there and done that recently?

[Budget Queen]

Thank you Budget Queen.

 

Just looking around online it seems hiring a car in the USA is a lot dearer that we are used to in Australia - USD$130 or thereabouts for a Toyota Corolla for a day seems pretty steep. (I can get a similar car locally for around half that.) It also occurs to me that with the ship unloading a couple of thousand people into a small town actually getting the car could be a slow process.

 

The other thought, now, is that if we hire a car then have to pay to enter a few other attractions and buy meals along the way the cost may end up being similar to an all-inclusive excursion. At least on an escorted tour we know the ship will wait if we are delayed and we don't have to worry about navigating, dealing with unfamiliar road rules etc.

 

Has anyone been there and done that recently?

 

Any, "tour" that takes you to Emerald Lake is going to be more than a car rental, for 2 people. Not sure what "admissions" you are talking about? You can easily skip Caribou Crossing, for the small savings, but there aren't any other "admissions" I would recommend. As for the included food- this is usually at Caribou Crossing, only so so. You can get a very tasty lunch at the Chilkoot Bakery, for reasonable costs. I great enjoy a soup and sourdough stick, less than $10.

 

If the "ship will wait" is going to give the edge in your booking, then I suggest you take a look at the prices. Also the least desirable due to large buses, limited viewing on the opposite side, and fixed stops. You also NEVER hear of any independent vendors causing people to miss ships, over many years.

 

As for the rental car pick up- I already suggest people be in line prior to the 8 am opening.

[Colin B]

Thank you again Budget Queen.

 

Pardon me if some of my questions seem a bit silly - we are both new to this and have never been to the U.S. or Canada before. We are not "tight" but want to get bang for our buck and the organised tours do seem expensive, hence we are looking at the hire car option.

 

If there are no costly admissions to pay in addition to the car hire and fuel/food costs it looks like a good option, particularly as I am no fan of crowded buses or trains.

 

Main attraction for us is to see the kind of mountain scenery we do not have here in Australia so being able to stop at will and look around is a real bonus.

 

Sounds as if we should be fine so long as we keep an eye on the time.

[Budget Queen]

I would suggest you may want to consider, investing in Murray's guide and take a read of the details that you would be passing by. available online, I would think it would offer you a loaded opportunity to see mountains.

 

Also take a look and determine- if any interest in Caribou Crossing. The admissions should be posted.

[Colin B]

Murray's Guide sounds like the goods and I have ordered one today.

 

Thank you for the advice Budget Queen.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Colin B

[PeterW00]

Just rent it Colin... and remember to stay on the right side of the road

[Colin B]

Well, I ordered my Murray's Guide a few days ago and the reply with download link arrived today so no complaints about the service. At only USD$5 it is an absolute steal.

 

The guide itself is exactly what I needed - a mile by mile description of the route we intend to take with helpful suggestions for photo opportunities, side trips and avoiding being eaten by bears.

 

There is also useful information about the town itself, particularly the speed limits - getting a ticket is not a great way to start a trip.

 

I highly recommend this guide to anyone heading for Skagway.

[ProfessorandtheGeek]

We will be in Skagway next May on the Radiance. We have decided to rent a jeep for the day, to explore Skagway on our own.

 

We have rented our jeep from Alaska Green Jeep Tours http://www.alaskagreenjeeps.com.

 

They have been very easy to work with and very friendly. They were recommended by other cruisers.

[aronde]

Well, I ordered my Murray's Guide a few days ago and the reply with download link arrived today so no complaints about the service. At only USD$5 it is an absolute steal.

 

The guide itself is exactly what I needed - a mile by mile description of the route we intend to take with helpful suggestions for photo opportunities, side trips and avoiding being eaten by bears.

 

There is also useful information about the town itself, particularly the speed limits - getting a ticket is not a great way to start a trip.

 

I highly recommend this guide to anyone heading for Skagway.

 

 

Hey Colin as an Aussie who just did this drive in May I say go for it! The Murray's guide was brilliant and gave us wonderful information about what we were seeing along the way. I grabbed the car just after 8am and drove back to the ship to pick up the rest of the family and we hit the road about 9 (kids slept in!). We got back about 5 but we had an 8pm all aboard time so we dawdled along and had a long lunch! I had no trouble driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. Some stretches of highway were undergoing repair and were basically loose gravel which made me happy we paid the $25 for insurance as we got showered with stones when people flew past! This drive was one of the highlights of our trip.