? for Yukon and BQ

[mumom95]

My husband and I will be in Skagway on July 27 (we are sailing Coral Princess). As of right now we are supposed to be in port from 5:30 am - 7:30 pm.

 

We would really like to do the train trip. We are spending a week on the interior of Alaska prior to our cruise, but are renting a car the whole time and not doing the train at all. So in Skagway we would like to do the White Pass. But I have also heard wonderful things about renting a car. Here is my question. If we go on the 8:15 rail roundtrip we would get off around 11:15 or so. Would that still give us enough time to rent a car and travel up to Emerald Lake (we'd have about 7 hours total) and back.

 

What would you recommend?

[Yukon]

Yes, you do have time to do both (you need about 5 hours for the drive to Emerald Lake and back). If you're early risers that still gives you time to have a look around Skagway. Some folks say that riding the train and then renting a car duplicates too much scenery, but I disagree - they are very different experiences, and if you look at photo albums taken of the rail and car trips, you would likely not know you were in the same area. To get more time in Skagway and eliminate the downhill repetition on the train, though, another option could be taking one of the rail/bus combination trips (more companies are offering them each year).

 

Murray

[Lp56]

Which companies offer the rail/bus combination trip .

LP56

[Budget Queen]

I agree with Murray, even though many times you will see postings of claims of the same scenery via the Klondike Highway and the White Pass RR it is usually by those who only did one route. I too find the scenery completely different and superior via the rail. So as already mentioned, you do have time for both. :) Enjoy this day- you have wonderful plans ahead.

[Cruisechick82]

Which companies offer the rail/bus combination trip .

LP56

 

We looked into this as an option and the only company I found that included going all the way to Emerald Lake was Chilkoot. It seems that some of the other similar tours through the cruise lines sometimes go all the way to Emerald Lake, but you have to ask them to.