White Pass Rail?

[staceycs]

We are interested in doing the White Pass Rail. Through the ship we are offered 3 times 8ish, 12ish and 4:30. Is there a better time to ride the train? If it is at 8 a.m. do we have to worry about fog or rain more than in the afternoon?

[Ashland]

No reason to book this with the ship...consider...Chilkoot a private tour company..we opted for their 8:00am bus up and train down..worked out great and then had the afternoon to spend in Skagway.

[huskyguy]

The weather is just the luck of the draw, so times don't really matter. A more important question, IMO, is which train tour do you want to do - the short Summit return, the longer train-only or train/bus combo to Fraser, BC, or the much longer train/bus combo to Carcross and Emerald Lake? For me, the longer the better, but you may have different priorities. Chilkoot Charters is certainly the biggest of the independents doing the train/bus combinations.

[pokerpro5]

I have been reading about the train, and while the scenery seems beautiful, I have seen many claim that renting a car and driving toward Emerlad Lake is a superior experience.

 

Anyone have opinions on this?

[Dizzneefan]

No reason to book this with the ship...consider...Chilkoot a private tour company..we opted for their 8:00am bus up and train down..worked out great and then had the afternoon to spend in Skagway.

 

 

Did you book through Chilkoot Charters or Chilkhoot Tours? Also which package did you select? I looked at the packages for Chilkoot Charters and they mention "travel to Emerald Lake" but did not mention stopping and I want to see it and take some pictures. I was looking at the Yukon and Rail Excursion with the Dogsled ride, the 7.5 hour tour.

[sherryf]

I have been reading about the train, and while the scenery seems beautiful, I have seen many claim that renting a car and driving toward Emerlad Lake is a superior experience.

 

Anyone have opinions on this?

 

It is a different experience, but I would not say superior.

 

I love the train, especially the Lake Bennett trip. I enjoy the history of it, and being able to sit back and enjoy the scenery, move around the car and onto the platform for views, etc. I really want to do the Bennett tour again someday!

 

The advantage of a car is being able to go at your own pace and stop where you like. It's also much cheaper. We are renting a minivan this summer because I'm traveling with 4 teens/young adults. As much as I love the train, I cannot afford to take them all. I can rent a minivan for the day for the same price as ONE person on the Lake Bennett train tour.

 

Did you book through Chilkoot Charters or Chilkhoot Tours? Also which package did you select? I looked at the packages for Chilkoot Charters and they mention "travel to Emerald Lake" but did not mention stopping and I want to see it and take some pictures. I was looking at the Yukon and Rail Excursion with the Dogsled ride, the 7.5 hour tour.

 

All tours stop at Emerald Lake. They don't just drive past without letting you take photos. :rolleyes:

 

Also, for clarification, there are no SLED rides on these tours. They are dog CART rides, on dirt.

[Putterdude]

The WPYR is one of my favourite excursions. We walk over to the train and book there, that way if the mountains are shrouded in fog or low cloud we don't go. The mountains can become shrouded at any time of the day.

[pokerpro5]

It is a different experience, but I would not say superior.

 

I love the train, especially the Lake Bennett trip. I enjoy the history of it, and being able to sit back and enjoy the scenery, move around the car and onto the platform for views, etc. I really want to do the Bennett tour again someday!

 

The advantage of a car is being able to go at your own pace and stop where you like. It's also much cheaper. We are renting a minivan this summer because I'm traveling with 4 teens/young adults. As much as I love the train, I cannot afford to take them all. I can rent a minivan for the day for the same price as ONE person on the Lake Bennett train tour.

 

Okay, more accurate question:

 

Will I see more from the train, or can I take essentially the same trip by car?

 

I have a 3-year-old with me, and while he is very well behaved in the car, I think he will do better on a car ride where we can stop frequently than a 3 hour, 40 minute train ride.

[staceycs]

Thanks for the input. We ended up booking the 3 1/2 hour 8:20 a.m. train up and back because some of our friends had already booked it. We booked through NCL, I would not normally have booked through NCL, but our friends had already done that so to make things easier I did.

 

We will have plenty of time left in the day so I am trying to figure out what else we are going to do.

[huskyguy]

Okay, more accurate question:

 

Will I see more from the train, or can I take essentially the same trip by car?

 

I have a 3-year-old with me, and while he is very well behaved in the car, I think he will do better on a car ride where we can stop frequently than a 3 hour, 40 minute train ride.

 

You answered your own question, but I'll answer the middle part. You do see "more" if the details of history is "more" to you - the WP&YR is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, the highway is just a mountain road. The view is quite different from the railway and highway - even through the White Pass, you take a completely different route (a different pass).

[Ashland]

Okay, more accurate question:

 

Will I see more from the train, or can I take essentially the same trip by car?

 

I have a 3-year-old with me, and while he is very well behaved in the car, I think he will do better on a car ride where we can stop frequently than a 3 hour, 40 minute train ride.

If you've opted to rent a car then you will also need a carseat.

[geoffinjersey]

Can anyone recommend what side of the bus up and train back to sit? Im betting both sides are beautiful but one side would win out. Thanks

[huskyguy]

Can anyone recommend what side of the bus up and train back to sit? Im betting both sides are beautiful but one side would win out. Thanks

 

One side is mostly a cliff - not so beautiful. You want right side up on the bus (opposite side from the driver), right side down on the train. Or, for others, left side up on the train and left side down on the bus.

[sherryf]

I have a 3-year-old with me, and while he is very well behaved in the car, I think he will do better on a car ride where we can stop frequently than a 3 hour, 40 minute train ride.

 

With a 3 year old, the car may be a better choice. In fact, he might enjoy the ride up, then feed him lunch and ice cream and he just might sleep all the way back to town. ;)