Whittier disembark and transfer questions

[vcinmd]

Hi. We are on a Princess cruise from Vancouver to Whittier. My understanding is that transportation leaving Whittier is difficult as there is a long tunnel (Whittier Access Tunnel). Also, the cruise arrives at 12:30 am and disembarks approximately 5-6 am in the morning. Princess offers transfersto ANC airport or their hospitality center. We are planning on driving to Denali after the cruise and spending several days before flying back home.

 

Please give me suggestions. Reserve the Princess transfers? Independent transfer? Where to rent a car...wait till we get to Anchorage after the transfer?

[mapleleaves]

I wouldn't say that transportation is 'difficult'; you just have to work with the tunnels hours of operation. Leaving Whittier, the tunnel is only open on the hour. It's quite interesting ... info, video and photos in this link:

 

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/index.shtml

 

There are several options for transportation. AVIS is the only car rental and one-ways are pricey. There's the Park Connection Bus, possibly Seward Buslines, and several independent transfer companies as well as cruiseline transfers.

[Travel_Maven]

Hi. We are on a Princess cruise from Vancouver to Whittier. My understanding is that transportation leaving Whittier is difficult as there is a long tunnel (Whittier Access Tunnel). Also, the cruise arrives at 12:30 am and disembarks approximately 5-6 am in the morning. Princess offers transfersto ANC airport or their hospitality center. We are planning on driving to Denali after the cruise and spending several days before flying back home.

 

Please give me suggestions. Reserve the Princess transfers? Independent transfer? Where to rent a car...wait till we get to Anchorage after the transfer?

 

The Alaska Railroad or The Magic Bus have great transportation from Whittier. The Magic Bus can take you to several places in Anchorage, perhaps even your rental car agency. There are also great Prince William Sound tours out of Whittier with train or bus transportation at the end of your tour...if you're not in a hurry to get to Denali and can spend the night in Anchorage.

[Glaciers]

Part of the problem with Whittier to Anchorage transportation options is that most of them don’t spend much time to stop along the way to take in the scenery. It’s one of the most beautiful drives in the state.

 

There are a couple of private tour/transportation operators where you can customize things. Certainly more expensive than the cruise line transfer although with another couple or two can be worth the price. Salmon Berry Tours or 907 Tours.

More options here: http://www.anchorage.net/maps-transportation

[dcl1710]

This is probably a separate issue but this thread has helped. We are planning on renting a car from Avis in Anchorage and leaving it in Whitter - is this allowed?

[mapleleaves]

This is probably a separate issue but this thread has helped. We are planning on renting a car from Avis in Anchorage and leaving it in Whitter - is this allowed?

 

yes, as I stated above, AVIS is the only vendor in Whittier so it's your only option for a one=way rental. The one=way fee can be pretty steep.

[knbcruisers]

We are doing the same basic itinerary

I have reserved a car through hertz to pick up at the airport in Anchorage. I booked bus transfer direct to aiport last month for $28 which is much less than Princess which is $48 I think per person. Just Google Whittier to Anchorage shuttle, there are several options. We plan to drive Turnagain Arm on our own after we spend 3 nights in Denali, rather than do it through the bus tour.

 

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[Budget Queen]

Although one way Avis costs are mentioned above, it can be well worth it in the savings of TIME, (which for me is more valuable than any money :) )

 

With picking up an Avis car in Whittier, usually the earliest you can get through the tunnel is 9am.

 

The Alaska RR mentioned above is only once per day at 6:45pm which works out great if you want to take advantage of a Prince William Sound boat tour.

[AKStafford]

While the one-way drop off fee is steep, renting from Avis in Whittier and returning the car in Anchorage at the end of your time gives you the chance to explore the Turnagain Arm as you travel from Whittier to Anchorage.

And for me, it would be worth the extra cost.

[min2758]

I have made the trip from Whittier to Anch on a train and a bus many times (as a former summer seasonal employee) and I think you can enjoy the beauty of the Turnagain Arm area more as a passenger than as a driver. While the hwy in and of itself is not dangerous, it is one of the most dangerous highways in the US statistically. Granted a lot of that is high speed driving in the winter causing accidents, but it can be extremely frustrating to be driving along at the speed limit and some yahoo from out of state STOPS in the middle of the road to look at a dall sheep off in the distance. It's also equally frustrating to be stuck in a line of cars behind the ONE RV going 30mph. Personally, I much preferred kicking back and relaxing and letting the bus driver do the work.

 

If timing is a concern, keep in mind the train, then passenger buses, then cars have priority through the tunnel and you could end up waiting longer than you think. They do have scheduled times but just keep that in mind. Once the window is over, they switch sides even if you're still waiting. Discovered that a bus full of employees falls lowest in the priority lane, even behind the regular cars... The one stop I would suggest NOT skipping is the Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage. If you can get a bus that stops there, I would suggest the bus, hands down. There's not much to see in Whittier. Unless of course you want to be that yahoo that stops on the highway to point at a spot on the side of the hill!

[donaldsc]

There is an Avis agency in Whittier. They will probably have only a limited number of cars available and you will have to reserve early.

 

However, the drive from Whittier to Anchorage and beyond is wonderful. I would rent a car in Whittier and keep it until you return it when you fly home. It will be an expensive one-way rental but it gives you freedom and freedom and not being tied down to train schedules or train routes is what you want in Alaska.

 

A car will also let you stay in interesting B&Bs or other places instead of having to stay in a central location in a cookie cutter large hotel. BTW - B&Bs or cabins are frequently cheaper than the large hotels so you will be able to recoup some of your car expenses with lodging savings.

 

DON

Edited January 24, 2015 by donaldsc

[lynncarol]

We did this from the Princess last September. If you take the cruiseline's transfer to Anchorage it does cost more but will drop you off at the convention center which is only a 3 block walk to the Downtown Avis car rental which has MUCH cheaper rates than that at the airport. Downtown Avis was running a special so our 6 day rental was under 300 dollars.

Edited January 24, 2015 by lynncarol

[vcinmd]

Thank you all for the great suggestions!