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Skagway: Train vs. Rental Car (with photos)

marysb

By marysb,
in Alaska

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jodymc

jodymc

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WE took Beyond Skagway Tours all the way up to Emerald Lake. It was fantastic. It is a family owned company and all tours are private. Since we had 11 people we were in the large van. Brian was our guide and he was great. Once we went by and realized there was a bear on the side of the road. Brian turned around so we could see it. We made many stops for photo ops and to see the views. Charge by the hour however we booked 6 hrs. and at some point Brian said he lost track of time...we ended up being on for almost 7 hrs. but charge was still the same as we booked.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Cornishpastyman1

Cornishpastyman1

Posted
Posted (edited)
Excellent thread! We are going to do the car rental. I would have loved doing the train but I really want to see Emerald Lake and I also like being able to stop if I see something I want to photograph.

This is my attempt at showing the train part. All the best, Tony

[YOUTUBE]3WSaRzt5N0Q[/YOUTUBE]

Edited by Cornishpastyman1
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fleckle

fleckle

Posted
Posted
Excellent thread! We are going to do the car rental. I would have loved doing the train but I really want to see Emerald Lake and I also like being able to stop if I see something I want to photograph.
Do you have another member of your party going with you who can drive the car?

 

If so, you can easily do both.

You take the train one-way from Skagway up to Carcross while the other person drives the car up to the Carcross train station and picks you up there.

Then you all continue together in the car up to Emerald Lake and back.

 

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SparkleBee

SparkleBee

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just a word of caution... if you are planning to drive you might not want to pick Radiance of the Seas. our all aboard time was 4:00 and it was stressful getting back in time. I wish I had picked an itinerary that gave us more time because we missed out on several things. btw, the cinnamon bun at the bakery shown above was the best we ever had!

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sherryf

sherryf

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Excellent thread! We are going to do the car rental. I would have loved doing the train but I really want to see Emerald Lake and I also like being able to stop if I see something I want to photograph.

 

Most of the train/bus combo tours include Emerald Lake, so you can do both. Driving is nice too - I've done it both ways and there are pros and cons of both.

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threetowner14

threetowner14

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Last year in May we did the White Horse and Yukon excursion, there was still deep snow by the road and coming back on the train,so its interesting seeing what it looked like in the summer months,though I think the snow made it easier to understand the hardships the prospectors went through.

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Giantfan13

Giantfan13

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Mary

 

Wonderful pixs. You are lucky you have magnificent weather on your trips. Many people aren't as fortunate, especially the ones who book the train and all they can see are clouds and fog. We did the car to Emerald Lake. We started out in a mist and clouds but once we got past where the train ends, it cleared up and we had great weather from then on.

 

I got a kick out of your pix in front of the Yukon sign. Could have substituted us (and probably many others) in your place for the same pix.

 

Cheers

 

Len

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cruisee<3

cruisee<3

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I just cxl my car rental and booked with dyea dave .. hopefully I can be as lucky as you with your weather! Your pictures are beautiful!

 

Just thinking about driving such a long way and border crossing trouble makes the tour seem like an easier option. :)

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Cornishpastyman1

Cornishpastyman1

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Tony, thanks for sharing your videos. I was undecided as to which excursion to book in Skagway. Now I know...the train!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks, you'll have fun on that one (or equivalent), as doing a rail and road combo gives variety and the opportunity to go into the Yukon, as well as time for a look at Skagway town at the end of the day.

Edited by Cornishpastyman1
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sweetsleep

sweetsleep

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Thank you OP for your wonderful photos and narratives.

When you did the rail trip, what month was that? We are sailing on the Coral Princess June 3,2015 and it would be helpful to us to know if we will see any lovely wildflowers,snow,etc that early in the season.

Did you use a wide angle lens on a lot of your photos? I recently bought my first Canon DSLR and need to get a wide angle lens for several upcoming trips-both the Alaska trip and a South Africa land trip. Any suggestions?

Your photos are spectacular.

We are considering doing Chilkoot tours in Skagway-this is our first Alaska trip.

Would you recommend the rail portion first or minivan first or vice versa if we opt for the Rail/Bus/Dogsled tour?

Thanks in advance

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  • 4 weeks later...
jmele999

jmele999

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It's 112 miles, so 2.5 hours each way plus whatever stops you make. Figure 8 hours minimum total, and much more is much better.

 

Thanks. Having a hard time deciding between the train and driving. i like to drive because I have to go farther into Canada, but I think that others might want to take the train.

 

Any other suggestions?

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