Looking to tour the Yukon questions

[abaci]

We have a cruise stop in Skagway and trying to figure out the best way to do tour of the to the Yukon. We are a group of 9 (6 adults & kids ages 4, 3 & 1). We could rent cars from Avis (looks to basically be the only game in town), but would need to rent two 5 passenger cars (7 passenger is the largest they have). Each car would be $158.92 after tax.

The other option is to do it through tour company which I'm assuming is large coach bus. Any recommendations for companies? I've found Skagway-tours.com & frontierexcursions.com which are both look to be the same tour and basically the same price ($99/ adult, $79/kid & infant is free). Looking for any recommendations that I may be missing. Thanks

[SuperCrewBear]

Renting two cars would be the most economical choice. It would be pretty hard to get lost so don't worry about that. If you would rather take a tour with everyone I would check into Dyea Dave Tours in Skagway. It's a locally owned company with a very good reputation. I took a tour to Emerald Lake two years ago and am doing another one this coming May. Dave picked us up at the dock about 7:45 AM. We were in a small shuttle that's similar to what you might ride at the airport from the parking lot. (See below) What was cool, rather than being on a giant 80 passenger bus, is the ability for us to make quick stops for pictures if we wanted. We stopped for lunch at Carcross and had time to walk around the town for a little bit after eating. When we were back to Fraser, BC we rode the train back to Skagway from there - Dave met us at the train and returned us to the boat or anywhere else in town we wanted dropped off. The train tickets are a separate transaction - Dave stopped at the White Pass office for us to pick up the tickets we had bought ourselves. The train ride isn't part of Dave's tour - if you don't do that he will drive you all the way back to Skagway. There were two ladies in our group who did that. It's only about a 5-10 minute walk from anywhere in town to the docks. Do a Google search for his web page.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

[cruiseguy1016]

I recommend renting the cars. I twill be much cheaper than paying a tour company. When you are driving your own car you can stop where you want, when you want and for how long you want. We rented from Avis last year and did the drive. There are several areas to pull over and take pictures of the scenery. If you get a copy of Murray's Guide or The Mile Post, you'll have something to tell you where you are and what lies ahead.

[JT1962]

Chilkoot Tours is another option if you decide renting a car is out. We used them on a Bus / Train Combo trip to Emerald Lake with a stops at Carcross and Caribou Crossing for lunch and a dog cart ride. The bus we were on was similar in size to those used by Dyea Dave. We enjoyed the trip very much and this gives you a chance to ride the train also.

 

 

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[JZenkow]

I would rent the cars. With a 4,3 & 1 yr old. there is a good probability that at least one will get fussy, which would make for an unpleasant excursion for others on the Bus or train.

[SuperCrewBear]

I would rent the cars. With a 4,3 & 1 yr old. there is a good probability that at least one will get fussy, which would make for an unpleasant excursion for others on the Bus or train.

 

I agree! If you rent two cars you might want to take along a pair of two-way radios so both car loads can keep tabs of each other - if one wants to stop, for example. Very helpful.

[Dancing Shoes]

I would do the car. That is what we are doing (no kids) in our group. I like the freedom to stop when I want to. Don't forget that you will need car seats and booster seats, so factor in that cost. It will still be less. There is a place that you can stop at and the kids can see the husky puppies.

[abaci]

Thank you. I looked at Dyea Daves which had not popped up in my research. The train is out as we are doing the train from Seward to Anchorage after the cruise. Also my brother (with the 4 & 1 year old) is being a little more price sensitive then was anticipating. But it's working out. I want to rent the car and am leaning toward that route. I just have to verify that my brother is OK with renting a care and taking it into Canada. I will sort that out by this weekend. Also the two way radio is a good idea and I had been trying to figure out how we would communicate and thought of that earlier today. I'm assuming they still make those and can remember when everyone had a pair before cell phones.

 

Thanks for the input