GTJ

Why does the train not seem to be practical? The train provides more space, is safer than travel by car, and is less expensive.

I generally take the view that any company can have something go wrong. What separates the better companies is what they do when something wrong happens. Although Princess Cruises did not operate the bus service, Princess Cruises was the broker, one of its duties being the fitness of the service. While there was no direct injury--everyone was delivered to the vessel prior its sailing--the carrier did cause some anxiety and both the carrier and the broker should have have provided at least some token of redress as a goodwill gesture (perhaps some complimentary beverage or food item for which there is ordinarily an extra charge). Done right, these gestures can go a long way in negating an unpleasant experience. Many of the people riding the train along this route--the "Cascades" corridor--on December 18, 2017, were not pleased when the train traveled too fast and derailed, resulting in three passengers killed and 65 other passengers injured. As noted above, no matter what means of transportation is used, it is possible that something can go wrong. http://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/engineer-in-fatal-cascades-derailment-reaches-settlement-with-amtrak

The difference, as I see it, is that, for the most part, in practice, some cities have a fanaticism for mindless adherence to rules, while New York generally relies on what is sensible.

I should have caught the fact that Unitours was giving the default pricing as for two people! In my defense I will say that default prices ought to be for one person. Their shuttle to the falls is 29.90 CAD for one person, and their half-day tour is 74.70 CAD for one person.

I missed that part! So since my assumption is not correct, then there would be no inherent right to enter Canada. In this situation I would expect the Canadian immigration officials at the port would have the ability to perform ordinary immigration functions, including the admission of persons with visas . . . doing so is one of the fundamental functions of immigration officials stationed at international port (though given that the Canadian government has lost many normal sensibilities in recent years, perhaps not!).

As I was reading this explanation, I realized that this is one of the things that distinguish cities with a true transit-using history and reliance on public transportation. Here in New York City, strictly-enforced rules like these are not necessary. The rule adopted here is: No person may carry on or bring to any facility or conveyance any wheeled cart greater than thirty inches in either length or width, including but not limited to shopping or grocery store carts or baskets, but excluding any stroller which is, at the time it is on or in the facility or conveyance, being utilized for children; or any item that: (1) is so long as to extend outside the window or door of a subway car, bus or other conveyance; (2) constitutes a hazard to the operation of the Authority, interferes with passenger traffic, or impedes service; or (3) constitutes a danger or hazard to other persons. Nothing contained in this section shall apply to the use of wheelchairs, crutches, canes or other physical assistance devices. This rule is more sensible than the rule in Vancouver. With the exception of the shopping cart provision (which seemingly was added because of some specific incident), the rule is based on common sense. People and their possessions are in the aisle all the time. The aisles are plenty wide. So long as passage is not completely blocked, there's nothing wrong with having one's baggage in the aisle. It is the normal thing to do in a city where everyone uses the public transportation system all the time. The goal is to get people onto public transportation, not to chase them off. No police officer will eject or summons a person for having their baggage in the aisle. With stories like this, Vancouver comes across poorly.

Assuming that you reside in Vancouver because you have Canadian citizenship (or other right to residency in Canada), then the law would not pose an impediment to your disembarkation at Victoria, either with respect to immigration or cabotage. Nor is there any provision in the NCL ticket contract prohibiting a passenger from doing so. (Some others have suggested that a cruise line would "not permit" a person to disembark, but does anyone really believe that--prior to the vessel leaving Victoria--NCL personnel would search Victoria to find you, compel you through a threat of physical force to reboard the vessel, so that NCL might transport away from your home country to a foreign country, against your will?)

Amtrak trains use the King Street station in Seattle and the Pacific Central station in Vancouver. The King Street station is at 303 South Jackson Street, corner of Fourth Avenue South. From Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, use the light rail service from the airport, the station being accessible from the northeastern corner of the airport parking garage, to the International District/Chinatown station. The trip is about 33 minutes. The Pacific Central station is at 1150 Station Street, corner of National Avenue. SkyTrain service is available at the Main Street-Science World station, across the street, to the port and other locations throughout Vancouver. Light rail service in Seattle costs 3.00 USD Amtrak service between Seattle and Vancouver costs from 34.00 USD to 82.00 USD SkyTrain in Vancouver costs 3.10 CAD

Réseau de transport de la Capitale www.rtcquebec.ca Métrobus route 800 goes directly to the upper end of the falls; it is the last stop on the bus route. While route 800 does serve the Québec city centre, it is a walk from the port area and from the tourist areas. The closest stop to the port is near the Gare du Palais, on boulevard Jean-Lesage at rue de la Gare-du-Palais. The main stop in the city centre for route 800 is near the Terminus d'Youville, on boulevard Honoré-Mercier at rue Saint-Jean. The bus operates frequently and it is about half an hour to the falls. The cash fare is 3.75 CAD each way. Admission to the falls is 7.57 CAD. Unitours www.toursvieuxquebec.com Unitours operates a tourist shuttle to the falls four times daily from the tourist area of Québec, 10 rue Pierre-Olivier-Chauveau. No additional sights are included with this shuttle transportation. The round-trip fare is 59.75 CAD, which includes admission to the falls. Unitours also operates a half-day tour that includes the falls (45 minutes) plus stops at (1) Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré (45 minutes), (2) Musée du cuivre, Albert Gilles (20 minutes), and (3) Chocolaterie de l'île (20 minutes). This tour is at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and is 4-1/2 to 5 hours in duration. The fare is 149.45 CAD.

Would riding the local transit bus to the falls be sufficient, or are you looking for something more?

There is also bus service that operates directly to the Abbotsford airport. There are three companies that provide this transportation. Perhaps their schedules might work? 1. Pacific Western, which operates as Ebus. www.myebus.ca Depart Vancouver Pacific Central station 6:30 a.m. daily, 8:00 a.m. daily, 2:15 p.m. daily, and 3:00 p.m. daily, arriving Abbottsford airport 7:50 a.m., 9:20 a.m., 3:40 p.m., 4:25 p.m., respectively. Fare: 46.82 CAD 2. Rider Express. www.riderexpress.ca Depart Vancouver Pacific Central station 8:15 a.m. daily, 3:00 p.m. Mon Thu only, arriving Abbottsford airport 9:35 a.m., 4:25 p.m., respectively. Fare: 42.85 CAD 3. Mountain Man Mike's Bus Service. www.mountainmanmikes.ca Depart Vancouver Pacific Central station 6:30 a.m. Thu Sun only, arriving Abbottsford airport 8:00 a.m. Fare: 33.00 CAD

If you give that type of negative advice, then you should explain the basis for giving it.

A good reason to purchase tickets ahead of time is that they're less expensive. An advance purchase ticket might be 42.00 CAD, while a last-minute ticket could be as much as 146.00 CAD (or even 217.00 CAD if only business class remains). Ask yourself if the possibility of having to spend an additional 104.00 CAD for a last-minute ticket is necessary to avoid the risk of losing 42.00 CAD for a ticket for a train you might miss. Another is the possibility of a particular train being "sold out," that being most likely (but still unlikely) on Fridays and Sundays, and at holiday time. But if you're not adamant about traveling on one particular train at a specific time, then under ordinary circumstances you should be able to obtain transportation even if that particular train were to be sold out. The Gare du Palais in Québec has both train and bus departures, and so under a worst case scenario Orléans Express could provide you with good quality transportation to Montréal (in fact, I have long found Orléans Express to be the best provider of regular bus service in all of Canada). Bus fare is 40.00 CAD for advance purchase, or 65.74 CAD for last-minute. These buses depart from Québec at 6h30, 7h30, 9h30, 10h30, 11h30, 12h30, 13h30, 15h30, 16h30, 17h30, 18h30, 19h30, about 3 hours travel time. Via Rail Canada trains depart from Québec at 5h25 (weekdays only), 8h10, 12h36, 15h00, 17h45, about 3 hours 15 minutes travel time.

Vancouver is the western business capital of Canada, and has much competition, whereas Anchorage is much smaller, remote, and less competitive. So you will find more services competing for your business in Vancouver than in Anchorage. But because Anchorage is smaller, the airport there is also smaller and easier to navigate. There is SkyTrain (subway-like) service between YVR and the city centre, so it is a fairly easy transfer. You might find better flights to and from Seattle-Tacoma airport, and if so know that there is a direct coach service between that airport and Vancouver's city centre, operated by Quick Coach Lines. In Anchorage, the port is several hours south of the city, so you would need to make transportation arrangements, either by motorcoach or railroad. As to the railroad, there is a regular morning train from downtown Anchorage, and there is an afternoon train that is chartered by NCL from the Anchorage airport . . . both trains destined to the port city of Seward.

That's a lawyerly answer, not committing to a firm answer because there's always the possibility of something remote happening. We're a city of lawyers, and it is an answer I might have given.

I have never heard this type of question asked, and seeming to be so unusual I was not certain I understood . . . I thought it might have had something to do with personal security. The clarification is helpful. This is a long-settled area, and the roads are generally well-traveled. There are mountains, but not as rough as the Canadian Rockies in the west. Perhaps you could find a back road that is unpaved, but more generally this is not a third-world country with poor roads.

What does "dicey" mean?

It depends on the individual: different strokes for different folks. My wife and I have always used, and much prefer, the trains from Bayonne to New York. (A total of four trains from Bayonne to our home in Flushing, Queens.) We have never been exhausted on the day of our arrival into Bayonne. The trains are much more comfortable for us compared to the automobiles used by taxis and TNC services: there's much more room to move around, instead of being crammed into the back seat, restrained by a seat belt (in addition, my wife is likely to get car sick in an automobile, especially with all the abrupt starts and stops, but she never gets ill with the smooth ride of being on a train). The trip is completely stress-free for us, especially knowing that travel by train is many times safer than travel by automobile. With baggage on wheels, elevators omnipresent, and plenty of room on the trains for baggage, we have no issue on the trains; more difficult is lifting baggage into the trunk of an automobile, and trying to make everything fit. And importantly for many people--ourselves included--the train is much more affordable than hiring a taxi or TNC service.

The cost of the ride, from the point of taxi entry to the point at which the driver eventually engages the meter, is free. Any issue, call police.

Boston in an expensive hotel city, and you may also need to expand the areas in which you're looking. Hotels are generally priced based on proximity to important commercial centers, so you may want to look further out, beyond the Boston city limits, but still near the T. My suggestion is to use Google Maps, turning on the Transit layer, and then search for hotels. You'll then be able to look at hotels near T stations and stops with approximate rates displayed. Just be careful to look for hotels near stations and stops, and not just near T tracks. Also be careful to focus on rapid transit and streetcar routes, both of which have frequent service, rather than commuter rail routes, which have less frequent service. It will still be a challenge, but at least this strategy provides some focus for looking. For example, using this strategy I see that the Holiday Inn Boston Bunker Hill Area, in Somerville approximately 1/2 mile from the East Somerville T station, is generally available for as low as $147 per night (I make no assessment as to the quality of the hotel). Certainly not as convenient as being in central Boston but more affordable.

It depends on age and interests. Suitable activities for a grandson who is 30 years old are likely different than a grandson who is 4 years old. A more complete description of your grandson would be helpful.

You were at a severe disadvantage, needing to assert yourselves when you were not physically fit to do so. Whenever traveling by taxi, and not paying by prepaid ticket, one should always be alert for taxis are a hotbed for scams in most cities. As noted elsewhere, the proper response would have been, first, to refuse to pay anything else but that which is authorized by the taxi regulation (in this case, 38.00 CAD by credit card), and second, in the event of any resistance by the taxi driver, to call for police assistance. In all but the most corrupt cities, where the police themselves are on the take, the police will almost always protect the passengers, not the taxi driver, especially when it is apparent that the taxi passengers are visiting and not local persons seeking a free taxi ride. But if one is too tired and places hotel check-in as most important, or if one is running late to board a bus, train, airplane, or cruise vessel, and therefore unable to wait for police assistance, then one is at a severe disadvantage. A good taxi system, one that more transportation terminals should adopt, is to make available (or to mandate) prepaid tickets, sold either from a booth or machine. I remember this being the situation when we were in Puebla, México, arriving in the evening by bus from Oaxaca. In the arrivals gate area is a manned ticket booth, we purchased a ticket to our hotel the city center from a booth in the gate area for arrivals, went to the taxi area--itself located among the arrivals gates--the dispatcher directed us to a taxi, baggage was loaded, and we provided the ticket to the taxi driver (who would then later redeem the tickets that he or she collected from the bus terminal authority). No further money being expected to change hands. Perfect: easy and no scams. I also note that public transportation is almost entirely without scams. Rarely is there any opportunity for anyone to scam because, in most cases, the money paid goes directly into a locked vault where no one can share. Yes, there are a few instances where drivers will take cash fares in hand, but very infrequently. It is a very secure means of transportation.

Apparently there is, or was, such a transportation service that was provided, at least for participants in a Chugach Adventures tour, as sold by the Alaska Railroad. See http://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel-planning/day-trips/alaska-wildlife-conservation-center. Whether that transportation between the railroad station and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center was actually provided by Chugach Adventures, by the conservation center itself pursuant to a contract with Chugach Adventures, or simply provided by the conservation center to any persons who might be arriving by railroad (perhaps informally as a courtesy), I do not know. There is also the issue of what to do with baggage. If traveling by train, and alighting at Portage only to re-board the same train later in the day, then one might just leave the baggage on the train. Or baggage might be left unattended at the station itself. The risk of theft in either case is likely not great. Dragging it around to and from the conservation center, especially if walking along the highway, would not be especially convenient.

I am very confused as to your planned travel. What do you mean by "stopping in Portage and then do the round trip back to Whittier"? Are you referring to the fact that the train, itself, stops in Portage, or are you intended for yourself to stop in Portage for some extended period of time? And taking a round-trip "back to Whittier" suggests that you're starting out on the train from Whittier. I struggle to make any sense of your plan. If only for the record, let me give the complete list of passenger stops made by the "Glacier Discovery" train. Maybe this will help with understanding the plan. 0945 AM Depart Anchorage 1055 AM Arrive Girdwood 1100 AM Depart Girdwood 1130 AM Arrive Portage 1135 AM Depart Portage 1205 PM Arrive Whittier 1245 PM Depart Whitter 0115 PM Arrive Portage 0125 PM Depart Portage 0145 PM Arrive Spencer 0155 PM Depart Spencer 0320 PM Arrive Grandview 0330 PM Depart Grandview 0430 PM Arrive Spencer 0440 PM Depart Spencer 0515 PM Arrive Portage 0525 PM Depart Portage 0605 PM Arrive Whittier 0645 PM Depart Whittier 0715 PM Arrive Portage 0720 PM Depart Portage 0740 PM Arrive Girdwood 0745 PM Depart Girdwood 0900 PM Arrive Anchorage There is also a chartered bus service available at no extra charge for those persons seeking to return to Anchorage earlier. Its schedule is as follows. 0520 PM Depart Portage 0545 PM Arrive Alyeska resort 0550 PM Depart Alyeska resort 0600 PM Arrive Girdwood 0600 PM Depart Girdwood 0645 PM Arrive Anchorage The Anchorage station is in downtown Anchorage. The Girdwood station is near the Seward Highway and the Girdwood Station Mall, and a short distance from the Alyeska resort (there a local bus service connecting to and from the resort). The Portage station is alongside the Seward Highway, and is nothing more than a wye in the railroad tracks and a parking lot for persons traveling by railroad. The Portage station is 1-1/2 miles from the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (summer hours, 0900 AM to 0700 PM), the only activity nearby, but be prepared to walk along the highway shoulder. The Whittier station is adjacent to the Princess Cruises and Holland America Line passenger terminal, and a short walk from the ferry terminal and the single building where virtually Whittier residents live. The Spencer station is isolated in the wilderness, and is a place from which one might engage in hiking or other recreational activity. The Grandview station is isolated in the wilderness, and is a place where the train turns back after having afforded its passengers a scenic journey.

Yes. This is what Hornblower, the ferry operator, says about it: "When choosing your time, this is your entry into the Security Facility not the entry time into the Crown of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The wait time can be several hours, particularly during peak season including summer, weekends, and holidays." There are three ferry vessels operating between Battery Park and Liberty Island. The ferry schedule itself is that vessels depart from Battery Park at 9:00 a.m., then every 25 minutes thereafter. It takes about 15 minutes to get to Liberty Island. Vessels return from Liberty Island starting at 9:25 a.m., then every 25 minutes thereafter. The return trip takes longer, 30 minutes, because returning vessels make an intermediate stop at Ellis Island. You're welcome to alight from the ferry at Ellis Island, and visit that island, too, at no extra charge, before returning to Battery Park. It takes about 2 minutes to walk from your hotel to the subway station at West 28th Street and Seventh Avenue, and add one more minute to walk down the stairs, through the turnstiles, and onto the platform. (Be careful: There are separate entrances for uptown and downtown train . . . be certain to enter on the downtown side, which the same side of Seventh Avenue as the Fashion Institute of Technology is location.) At that time of morning during which you will be traveling, the "1" train will be transitioning from every 3 minutes to every 5 minutes. The travel time on the train, from West 28th Street to South Ferry, is 16 minutes. Allow two minutes to exit the South Ferry station; it is then about 6 minutes to walk from the South Ferry station through Battery Park to the ferry security facility. In total, it should take about 32 minutes from the front door of your hotel to the ferry security facility. You may want to plan on departing your hotel at 9:20 a.m., which would give you a few extra minutes prior to a 10:00 a.m. arrival.