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North to Alaska
I'm hoping to head for Alaska from Vancouver in early June, but am finding
difficulty in researching how to get to Alaska from Vancouver. There's plenty on the net about travel within Alaska - but not much on reaching it. Anyone with any suggestions please. (I'm in Australia and our local travel agents don't really have much beyond the 'luxury cruise up the inside passage') Thanks |
#2
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In article ,
Lynn Harden wrote: I'm hoping to head for Alaska from Vancouver in early June, but am finding difficulty in researching how to get to Alaska from Vancouver. There's plenty on the net about travel within Alaska - but not much on reaching it. Anyone with any suggestions please. (I'm in Australia and our local travel agents don't really have much beyond the 'luxury cruise up the inside passage') Well, there's the non-luxury cruise up the Inside Passage. :-) AKA the Alaska Marine Highway System (http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/). It doesn't leave from Vancouver, but if you can get to Bellingham, Washington, or Prince Rupert, B.C., you can pick one up there. I took the ferry from Juneau to Prince Rupert once and enjoyed it very much. My room was spacious, and there was a ranger on board giving talks about the areas we passed through. The food wasn't exciting, but it was okay for a couple of days. If you really want to do it inexpensively, you can camp on deck instead of reserving a room. (At least, that was allowed when I was on the ferry several years ago; check to make sure it still is if this option interests you.) Have a fun trip! Patty |
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If you aren't inclined to rent a car and drive, my advice would be go
to Seattle (Quick Shuttle offers several daily departures from Vancouver to Sea-Tac Airport) and fly to Anchorage from there. Alaska Airlines offers round-trip fares from Seattle to anchorage from $230 (US), and you might do better through one of the discount web travel sites. Once you are in Anchorage, there are several options to get around, which it looks like you have already explored. Bruce On Mon, 7 Mar 2005 15:37:33 +1100, "Lynn Harden" wrote: I'm hoping to head for Alaska from Vancouver in early June, but am finding difficulty in researching how to get to Alaska from Vancouver. There's plenty on the net about travel within Alaska - but not much on reaching it. Anyone with any suggestions please. (I'm in Australia and our local travel agents don't really have much beyond the 'luxury cruise up the inside passage') Thanks |
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On Mon, 7 Mar 2005 15:37:33 +1100 in rec.travel.usa-canada, "Lynn
Harden" wrote: I'm hoping to head for Alaska from Vancouver in early June, but am finding difficulty in researching how to get to Alaska from Vancouver. There's plenty on the net about travel within Alaska - but not much on reaching it. Anyone with any suggestions please. (I'm in Australia and our local travel agents don't really have much beyond the 'luxury cruise up the inside passage') get a copy of "the milepost" http://www.themilepost.com your choices a enter US south of vancouver, take northbound alaska ferry at bellingham, washington. http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/ or cross to vancouver island, north by highway to nanaimo to catch BC ferry to prince rupert, BC or overland to prince rupert via prince george, BC then alaska highway north from prince george via whitehorse to fairbanks or overland to prince rupert & northbound alaska ferry from prince rupert so it partly depends on what parts of alaska you want to see. the lonely planet guide was written by a former alaskan journalist, so is quite comprehensive. try posting to alt.culture.alaska for local viewpoints. |
#5
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"Lynn Harden" wrote in message ... I'm hoping to head for Alaska from Vancouver in early June, but am finding difficulty in researching how to get to Alaska from Vancouver. There's plenty on the net about travel within Alaska - but not much on reaching it. Anyone with any suggestions please. (I'm in Australia and our local travel agents don't really have much beyond the 'luxury cruise up the inside passage') Thanks The first thing to do is get a copy of the milepost. http://www.themilepost.com/ Your options are threefold 1) Fly 2) Drive 3) Use the Alaska Marine Highway system from Bellingham or Prince Rupert I'm driving up and coming back from Skagway on the ferry Keith |
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"Keith W" wrote in message ... "Lynn Harden" wrote in message ... I'm hoping to head for Alaska from Vancouver in early June, but am finding difficulty in researching how to get to Alaska from Vancouver. There's plenty on the net about travel within Alaska - but not much on reaching it. Anyone with any suggestions please. (I'm in Australia and our local travel agents don't really have much beyond the 'luxury cruise up the inside passage') Thanks The first thing to do is get a copy of the milepost. http://www.themilepost.com/ Your options are threefold 1) Fly 2) Drive 3) Use the Alaska Marine Highway system from Bellingham or Prince Rupert I'm driving up and coming back from Skagway on the ferry Keith ___________________ Best advice so far is to get a copy of the "Milepost". It is the ultimate guide to Alaska. Remember that it gives distances in miles. You have been given a myriad of ways to get to Alaska. My choices of the lot would be based on time and money. The cheapest way is to leave from Bellingham WA with a no frills ticket. The most expensive but easiest/quickest is to fly to Anchorage. Bear in mind that it is a long way from Skagway, where the Bellingham ferry and most of the Cruise Ships land, to Anchorage or any other Alaskan city. The distances between places in the Yukon and Eastern Alaska are vast. Motels/Cafes are few and far between. Not as vast as Australia's outback mind you but with much different scenery. Driving from Vancouver to Anchorage would take you 4 -5 days with driving all day every day. Driving to Prince Rupert, to catch the ferry to Skagway, is over 1500 Km. This Vancouver to Rupert journey can be done by a bus to Prince George then the train or bus to Rupert. On the other hand having or renting a car while in Alaska is not to be overlooked as public transport is scarce once you leave the Fairbanks/Anchorage strip. You have choices to make Mate. It is a great place that deserves its Motto "The Last Frontier". Don. |
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#8
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My side wrote:
"Keith W" wrote: "Lynn Harden" wrote: Alaska from Vancouver . . . reaching it. The first thing to do is get a copy of the milepost. http://www.themilepost.com/ Best advice so far is to get a copy of the "Milepost". Arguably the best publication of its kind! Driving from Vancouver to Anchorage would take you 4 -5 days with driving all day every day. The only thing I've ever put on any vehicle of mine to indicate where it had been was a bumper sticker that said "We Drove The Alaska Highway", at that time (1970) considered one of the world's last great adventures. 'Twas a thousand miles of dirt and gravel and fourteen blowouts of which we were quite proud. I understand there's more pavement now but driving on hard clay is one of the loveliest of driving experiences. The towns were about three hundred miles apart being a leisurely twelve-hour drive. There were occasional grocery stores, roadside ponds with tables and pools, and beautiful scenery wherever one looked. Driving to Prince Rupert We got off the ferry from Valdez there. The early-morning drive along the Skeena River was one of the most beautiful of my life. It is a great place We didn't think so. We thought Alaska, along with Mississippi and Alabama, to be a Southern State. We didn't like the people at all but they sure have a beautiful place to live. that deserves its Motto "The Last Frontier". Dennis P. Harris said: pets have to stay in the vehicles We had two dogs. We jammed a car door open and placed their food and water under the car. They had about thirty-foot restraints that allowed them a bit of exercise, a way to relive themselves, and the comfort of the car. __________________________________________________ ___________ A San Franciscan who's visited 49 of 50 US states http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/ ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net |
#9
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Thanks everyone for your advice. Have decided will fly to Anchorage and
come back inland - taking the ferry from Skagway when I reach it to Bellingham and then either fly or train or bus back to Vancouver. Regards "Lynn Harden" wrote in message ... I'm hoping to head for Alaska from Vancouver in early June, but am finding difficulty in researching how to get to Alaska from Vancouver. There's plenty on the net about travel within Alaska - but not much on reaching it. Anyone with any suggestions please. (I'm in Australia and our local travel agents don't really have much beyond the 'luxury cruise up the inside passage') Thanks |
#10
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"Icono Clast" wrote in message news:1110282819.9d52b5ed1b96a3346d1d99a9255e8f31@t eranews... My side wrote: "Keith W" wrote: "Lynn Harden" wrote: Alaska from Vancouver . . . reaching it. Good choice. Taking that tack, consider this short side trip enroute to Skagway. Take the Kenai Peninsula Highway from Anchorage to Whittier and catch the AMHS Ferry from Whittier to Valdez. About 3-4 hours. Make a space reservation for your vehicle as many weeks ahead as you can see fit. Vehicle space is in high demand! The ferry leaves once a day about noon and is a pleasant break from miles of Highway. There is plenty more miles from Valdez to Skagway, believe me. Enroute to Valdez the ferry goes into a Glacier fed Bay and cruises slowly through the icebergs that have calved off the Glacier. Valdez is a small but interesting town with a good museum. Across the bay you can see the tankers loading oil from the Southern end of the Alaska Pipeline that begins at the Arctic Ocean in Prudhoe Bay. They take the oil to refineries near Bellingham WA. Hey! Maybe you can hitch a ride???? Have great trip! Don. |
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