Princess Train from Whittier to Talkeetna to Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge

[sherrybee]

I've read to take just a carry on as luggage will be delivered later that night buy wondering about a few things:

 

1. Can you have a back pack as well as a duffel bag on the train with the larger suitcase being set out the night before and transferred elsewhere? My husbands back pack is full of camera equipment and he will need a duffel bag for his toiletries and night clothes/day before clothes.

 

2. Is one side of the train better than the other for views/sightings of animals?

3. Can you bring your own snacks and water bottle on the train?

4. Suggestion on where to eat that is low key? We don't require gourmet food & posh surroundings but don't want a grab & go cafeteria.

5. What do people do at night?

Thanks in advance.

[don't-use-real-name]

11 minutes ago, sherrybee said:

I've read to take just a carry on as luggage will be delivered later that night buy wondering about a few things:

 

1. Can you have a back pack as well as a duffel bag on the train with the larger suitcase being set out the night before and transferred elsewhere? My husbands back pack is full of camera equipment and he will need a duffel bag for his toiletries and night clothes/day before clothes.

Should be similar to riding Alaska RR cars - note the Princess dome cars do not of course have

an overhead bin/rack to store hand carry luggage - it goes under the seat or in the space that

your feet will rest. Seating is 2x2 no center seats anywhere on the trains - keep the size down

and you will survive - since there are the two of you - you will have 2 under seats to work with.

11 minutes ago, sherrybee said:

 

2. Is one side of the train better than the other for views/sightings of animals?

No real discernable difference here - when wild life are seen the trains slow to

allow most everyone an opportunity to get a fix locate the critter and take photos.

On the opposite side - stand-up and peer over the folks on that side and take 

your photos - the big windows make this real easy.

3. Can you bring your own snacks and water bottle on the train?

No reason why not - please don't make a mess that someone has to clean up.

4. Suggestion on where to eat that is low key? We don't require gourmet food & posh surroundings but don't want a grab & go cafeteria.

CC readers - there are a variety of pubs pizza and common food fare - - -

5. What do people do at night?

Card/Board games - karoke entertainment - sit by a fire and reminisce (bs) -

I suppose there is cable and satellite TV if a darn mountain doesn't get in the way.

Take a leisure walk in the crisp night air - perchance to see the Northern Lights -

marvel at how the sun sets at midnight - and for the real adventurous type on the

wild side see how many mosquito bites you can get in a few minutes (make an

Alaskan blood transfusion) write those perfunctory post cards - having a good

time charlie here - heck I don't know what people do in private - lets keep it that way !

Serious humor here - LOL !

Thanks in advance.

 

[sherrybee]

18 minutes ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Should be similar to riding Alaska RR cars - note the Princess dome cars do not of course have

an overhead bin/rack to store hand carry luggage - it goes under the seat or in the space that

your feet will rest. Seating is 2x2 no center seats anywhere on the trains - keep the size down

and you will survive - since there are the two of you - you will have 2 under seats to work with.

 

This is awesome! Thank you very much.

[ARRTrain]

MEX uses the ARR Cruise Train cars.  Single level glass wrapped cars - assigned seating.

[GTJ]

The train at issue here, known as the McKinley Express, is not, strictly speaking, a "Princess train." Rather, this is an Alaska Railroad train that has been chartered by Princess. The train uses what is known as the Grandview train set, consisting of cars formerly used by the Florida Fun Train. These are all single level cars, modified to provide panoramic dome coaches for passengers. The same train set is used to ferry other cruise line passengers from Seward to Anchorage airport.

 

The problem with panoramic dome coaches is the lack of overhead baggage storage (the luggage racks would block the view!). So if you bring baggage you will likely have to store it on the floor of the coach, at or under your seat. You're probably the best judge as to whether the backpack and duffel bag are of a size that you can keep them at your feet.

 

Animals routinely cross the railroad tracks, and so any sightings are likely to be equally probable from both side of the train cars.

 

There is a café car offering sandwiches, snacks, and beverages. Many times it is frowned upon to consume one's own snacks and beverages in the service car if the railroad, itself, is selling such items. But to consume one's own snacks and beverages at your own coach seat is routinely accepted.

 

I cannot opine well as the lodge facilities itself. Suffice it to say that Princess creates a closed environment, where Princess controls all the commerce and you will be isolated from any restaurants other than what Princess offers. The Mt McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge is 50 miles by highway from Talkeetna, and the roadway to the lodge intersects the George Parks Highway is a remote rural location with no other nearby facilities. In short, you will be stuck there. Choices are 20,320 Alaskan Grill (less formal) and North Fork Restaurant (more formal). Nothing else. I would not anticipate having much to do in the evening . . . maybe a Photosymphony showing, a lecture, or drinking at the bar. (In contrast to the isolation of the Mt McKinley lodge, the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, located immediately outside the national park, is not isolated and in an area where there are several competing commercial establishments within easy walking distance.)

[Tippyton]

Upgrading to the observation deck cars is worth every dime.  Not sure what Princess offers now but we did a DIY on the ARR and did the Gold upgrade - 180 degree dome glass top, outside deck on the car, cocktails, meals included.  Cars are higher up so the visibility is much better as well.

[GTJ]

17 hours ago, Tippyton said:

Upgrading to the observation deck cars is worth every dime.

No such cars (generically known as "Ultra Dome" cars) on this train. Alaska Railroad operates such cars only on its Coastal Classic and Denali Star trains. Princess offers such cars (and only such cars) on the trains it equips, but this is not a Princess-equipped train but rather an Alaska Railroad train chartered by Princess. This train is conventional single-level cars only and there is no "upgrading" available.

[don't-use-real-name]

Browse Alaska Railroad website for pictures videos of their equipment:

 

Alaska Railroad | Alaskan Tours & Vacations | Train Packages

 

Browse Princess for pictures of Alaska tours:

 

[ARRTrain]

MEX uses these cars.

 

http://www.alaskarails.org/fp/passenger/fft/arr/arr.html

[GTJ]

11 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Browse Alaska Railroad website for pictures videos of their equipment:

The problem with the Alaska Railroad website is that they do not systematically show the equipment for all the train that they operate. Unless one digs deep into their website, you won't find mention of the Grandview train equipment on their website. (The cruise lines tend not to care too much about accuracy: they're more about selling images and inspiration!) Best for accuracy are the Alaska Railroad webpages maintained by John Combs (as linked by ARRTrain), which include information on all the ARR cars as well as the private cars hauled by ARR. John's webpages are a work of love.

Edited April 28, 2022 by GTJ

[sherrybee]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Tippyton]

On 4/27/2022 at 2:41 PM, GTJ said:

No such cars (generically known as "Ultra Dome" cars) on this train. Alaska Railroad operates such cars only on its Coastal Classic and Denali Star trains. Princess offers such cars (and only such cars) on the trains it equips, but this is not a Princess-equipped train but rather an Alaska Railroad train chartered by Princess. This train is conventional single-level cars only and there is no "upgrading" available.

That's a bummer.  Gold Star is the way to go.

[Tippyton]

When we did a DIY we booked the train through Alaska Tour and Travel.  https://www.alaskatravel.com/

 

 

[GTJ]

1 hour ago, Tippyton said:

When we did a DIY we booked the train through Alaska Tour and Travel.

It is not really "the" train: there are many trains in Alaska. Some trains in Alaska can be booked through Alaska Tour & Travel--which is a reliable, competent, and thorough agency--but other trains cannot. The particular train of which inquiry was made here, that is, the McKinley Express, cannot be booked through this agency, other than in conjunction with a Princess Alaska Cruisetours. While the McKinley Express is owned and operated by Alaska Railroad, it is chartered by Princess, and it is Princess that controls ticketing. And not all Alaska Railroad trains have the same type of cars. No distinct classes of service on this train . . . everyone travels in single-level panoramic dome coaches. For other trains that do have choice of class, some people do prefer the First Class (or "Gold Service"), while others might prefer ordinary coach and sightsee with the Vista Dome car being available, or standing in the vestibule leaning out the dutch door (my preference).