White Pass train tours- so many???

[styme123]

I'm looking into what excursions to book for Skagway. I started researching the train rides. It's a little confusing when trying to compare all the different trips from the different tours prices when they go to different spots/distances and have extras added on. The cruise ship has 3-4 different ones. I looked into Chikoot Charters and they have a bunch of different ones too. They range from about $130-$270. I was leaning toward private since they go on a smaller van than a big bus which they said can't always stop at all the stops the van can go and un/loading the 50+ people from the cruises can take a while.

My concerns/questions:

Some of the tours are 7-8 hours long, is that too long of a tour? Will it get boring after a while?

Is it better to take a shorter one and leave more time to see other things in Skagway. We will be there 13hours. Not so worried about time shopping at the tourist stores but more of seeing Alaska.

Will I get a similar experince on the shorter rides as the longer ones. Is it more of just the same?

Emerald Lake looked really pretty is it worth the time/$ going on the tours that have that as a destination?

Anyone else use Chikoot Tours? would you recommend them?

Pros and cons of Train up/bus back or the opposite?

Is it very foggy at the 7:30am times?

[eandj]

Your questions have been brought up on these threads often. If you do a forum search you will find the threads.

I think your decision will depend on your personal interests too. I know some people just aren't into long days with long drives scenery and watching for wildlife. Only you can decide if you'll get bored.;)

There are recent threads if you scan thru this page relating to some of your questions. Too if you go to tripadvisor and look at reviews of the companies you are looking at, you'll get some details. I know for one, I avoid ship excursions as often as we can. I HATE motorcoach sized tours and like smaller groups.

[styme123]

Your questions have been brought up on these threads often. If you do a forum search you will find the threads.

I think your decision will depend on your personal interests too. I know some people just aren't into long days with long drives scenery and watching for wildlife. Only you can decide if you'll get bored.;)

There are recent threads if you scan thru this page relating to some of your questions. Too if you go to tripadvisor and look at reviews of the companies you are looking at, you'll get some details. I know for one, I avoid ship excursions as often as we can. I HATE motorcoach sized tours and like smaller groups.

 

I'm a big researcher (obsessor;)) on anything I'm trying/buying for the first time. I've been reading through a lot of the other threads but sometimes someone new posts a response and gives an other aspect that wasn't mentioned or I thought about before :) I have been on Trip Advisor but I am sometimes skeptical if their reviews are from "real" people or "friends" of the company. Case in point, a fishing charter I was looking at had about 50 reviews, all were excellent! No negatives, a lot of experience etc... I read on another thread that it was just one guy with a new boat starting a new guide business. :( So sometimes it helps to ask around a bit. Then I collect all my responses and opinions and make my own choice and decision. It's not always right but at least I'm informed:D

[Lastdance]

I totally agree with the poster above and I also post on TripAdvisor too, so at least I know that I am a legal poster. That being said, along with my research and some worldly experience, I am opting for a shorter train ride with a van up and the train back for 3.5 hours. I enjoy more semi private tours that don't take the entire day anymore, unless it is an experience that I just have to do. Also, i personally find that for my DH and I, we actually enjoy the day more when we vary it with other experiences. For us, being gone from the ship for 8 hours each day is not a vacation and you really don't "take it all in" if it is crammed together.

Whatever you decide, just remember the weather in Alaska is unpredictable at best and absolutely gorgeous if you are lucky!

Edited May 4, 2016 by Lastdance

[styme123]

Also, i personally find that for my DH and I, we actually enjoy the day more when we vary it with other experiences. For us, being gone from the ship for 8 hours each day is not a vacation and you really don't "take it all in" if it is crammed together.

Whatever you decide, just remember the weather in Alaska is unpredictable at best and absolutely gorgeous if you are lucky!

 

That's what I was thinking about too. You get to see a lot on the 8hr train trip, but that's a big chunk of the day to commit to one excursion.

[styme123]

I totally agree with the poster above and I also post on TripAdvisor too, so at least I know that I am a legal poster. That being said, along with my research and some worldly experience, I am opting for a shorter train ride with a van up and the train back for 3.5 hours. I enjoy more semi private tours that don't take the entire day anymore, unless it is an experience that I just have to do. Also, i personally find that for my DH and I, we actually enjoy the day more when we vary it with other experiences. For us, being gone from the ship for 8 hours each day is not a vacation and you really don't "take it all in" if it is crammed together.

Whatever you decide, just remember the weather in Alaska is unpredictable at best and absolutely gorgeous if you are lucky!

 

That's what I was thinking about too. You get to see a lot on the 8hr train trip, but that's a big chunk of the day to commit to one excursion.

[mlbcruiser]

styme, as a veteran user of tripadvisor and cruise critic myself, I know many times you can spot a fake review. A couple of things you can do: check out how many posts the poster has made, and on what subjects. Check their profiles (click on their screen names). Have they ever asked questions about themselves and were some of them about other things? Have they listed where they are from and do they live in or near the area they are writing about? (Though not all legit posters list that.) Of course, reviewers/posters can always lie, but the more you read forums and boards, the more you can sort of tell who is doing a fake review and who isn't. Just because someone writes a glowing review doesn't mean they are in cahoots with the tour provider, hotel mgt. or whatever. There are almost always reviews with at least a few minor complaints about a good co., even if the overall review is good. If a poster is always giving a good review about the same co. - over and over- and isn't reviewing anything else and never asks questions themselves, that is a dead giveaway. Read LOTS of reivews on the co. If the people posting them vary w/regard to their location and other details about their experience, it's a good sign. Also, with regard to the AK tours, I called the co. we are using for excursions in all 3 cases w/questions and found them to be very friendly and they are even going the extra mile in solving an issue for us. Most of the time on these boards the people recommending something are telling the truth. When they are "plants" or the providers themselves, other readers often spot and report those who seem to have ways of tooting their own horns to the site monitors, who will remove their posts. They may offer a legit service and are just trying to get their service "out there", but it's not allowed just the same. Some companies, mgrs., or service providers actually ASK clients to post a good review about them if they have provided a good product in order to get more business. Even this, while maybe not ethically the greatest thing, with the competition out there, I can sort of understand why. I don't think you'll go wrong with most of the companies that are providing White Pass Tours. As long as they get you to the train/bus as promised. They don't own the train or the bus. They just sell tickets for the rides.

 

Good luck in booking your White Pass tour and hope you enjoy the trip. We will be doing the short version of the train/bus tour ourselves soon. I will try to remember to post a review when we get back. Hope the above helps a bit!

[bonvoyagie]

Okay I agree that there are many different tours that include the WP&Y RR.

As far as the train itself - the one set of rails run between Skagway and Carcross. There are three basic trains - ones that run between Skagway and Carcross (train one way bus return). The trip takes about 8 hrs and includes a stop at the town of Bennett - it also tours along Lake Bennett - the hy does not go there.

 

The next train runs between Skagway and Fraiser - again one way with bus to either Carcross or back to Skagway. The Carcross trip with return to Skagway takes about 7 hrs and includes a stop at Caribou Crossing for lunch and dog sled rides (opt extra$$). On some days this train is run as a round trip and has a steam engine for power - great if you are a train fan.

 

The last train type is the one that runs RT between Skagway and the Summit. it takes about 3hrs

 

Now these different trains are used as part of larger tours offered by the cruise lines - other stops could include Liarsville, 40 Below (gold dredge, cold room, brewery etc), the glass garden, and/or the suspension bridge.

 

Some of the other sights along the road include the Entering Alaska Sign (also the Yukon Territory sign if you go that direction) International Falls, and a unique highway bridge.

 

On the hy to Carcross there are several lakes, and above Carcross is Emerald Lake along with the Carcross Desert.

 

I have found that http://www.cruiseportinsider.com is a good place to figure out the various cruise line tours and what they all include.

 

Skagway is one of my favorite ports and most ships spend 12+hours there so you can do lots of exploring.

[Nic6318]

That's what I was thinking about too. You get to see a lot on the 8hr train trip, but that's a big chunk of the day to commit to one excursion.

 

Hi there

 

You seem to be expressing that you don't want to commit to an eight hour tour. It is a long day. It's not like you can leave if it not to your liking.

 

You still have the option that has been well discussed of renting a car. That is what we will be doing. Granted the views are somewhat different, but your time is your own. You can do as little or as much as you choose. From what I have read we should be able to go to Emerald Lake and back with time to stop for pictures in about 5-6 hrs., but if we are not enjoying ourselves we can turn around any time. The price is certainly competitive.

 

hope this helps

have a great cruise

[styme123]

Hi there

 

You seem to be expressing that you don't want to commit to an eight hour tour. It is a long day. It's not like you can leave if it not to your liking.

 

You still have the option that has been well discussed of renting a car. That is what we will be doing. Granted the views are somewhat different, but your time is your own. You can do as little or as much as you choose. From what I have read we should be able to go to Emerald Lake and back with time to stop for pictures in about 5-6 hrs., but if we are not enjoying ourselves we can turn around any time. The price is certainly competitive.

 

hope this helps

have a great cruise

good point about if you don't like it you have the option of turning around.

[Alaskanb]

For us Skagway and the White Pass RR are to do with the Klondike Gold Rush. Highly recommend that you read about it before making a decision about a tour.

I read these books to put it all into context

http://www.amazon.com/Klondike-Fever-Life-Death-Great/dp/0786713178/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=51x3b%2BZhwgL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL320_SR216%2C320_&refRID=1A4YYET8HT4Q5XQGSVAB

http://www.amazon.com/Floor-Heaven-True-Frontier-Yukon/dp/0307461734/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=51s3a8QJw6L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL320_SR208%2C320_&refRID=1A4YYET8HT4Q5XQGSVAB

This year we will be on the Bennet Lake Tour with Chilkoot Charters that takes you to the end of the Chilkoot Trail where the Gold Rushers built their boats to get to the Klondike.

[styme123]

For us Skagway and the White Pass RR are to do with the Klondike Gold Rush. Highly recommend that you read about it before making a decision about a tour.

I read these books to put it all into context

http://www.amazon.com/Klondike-Fever-Life-Death-Great/dp/0786713178/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=51x3b%2BZhwgL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL320_SR216%2C320_&refRID=1A4YYET8HT4Q5XQGSVAB

http://www.amazon.com/Floor-Heaven-True-Frontier-Yukon/dp/0307461734/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=51s3a8QJw6L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL320_SR208%2C320_&refRID=1A4YYET8HT4Q5XQGSVAB

This year we will be on the Bennet Lake Tour with Chilkoot Charters that takes you to the end of the Chilkoot Trail where the Gold Rushers built their boats to get to the Klondike.

 

Have you used Chilkoot before, if so what did you think of them.

[Alaskanb]

Have you used Chilkoot before, if so what did you think of them.

Yes --we did their Yukon trip in 2012 and it was excellent. So much about an excursion depends on your expectations and likes so what may have been excellent for me maybe blah to you.

Chilkoot was well organized, we had a very informed driver/guide, and kept ahead of the large tour buses. He stopped to observe wildlife that either he or us spotted.

[Eaglecw]

I’ve never been with Chilkoot before but we have been to Skagway a lot. We’ve taken the bus, train, rented a car, gone with Dyea Dave tours, he does a great tour, we’ve taken the fast ferry over to Haines a few times. I think the best trip was renting a car and driving up Carcross and Emerald Lake. The trick is to get ahead of the tour buses. What we do is burn daylight going up to get ahead of the buses and then take our time coming back. If you rent a car be sure to get Murrays Guide.

[bonvoyagie]

I used Chilkoot in 12 for the Bennett trip. They were great. This is a family owned business - run by two sisters and aided by their retired parents.

Dad drives one of the tour buses, Mom runs the dispatch center. I had the dad as our driver. He grew up and worked in Skagway all his life and knows alot about the area.

 

Since the train is most of this trip, we were in the hands of a very knowledgable guide - a history professor who studied the gold rush in detail and comes out to play tour guide in the summer. He led us on a tour of Bennett.

 

On the trip back we also kept ahead of the larger tour buses and also found a bear in the road.

[NancyIL]

For us Skagway and the White Pass RR are to do with the Klondike Gold Rush. Highly recommend that you read about it before making a decision about a tour.

I read these books to put it all into context

http://www.amazon.com/Klondike-Fever-Life-Death-Great/dp/0786713178/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=51x3b%2BZhwgL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL320_SR216%2C320_&refRID=1A4YYET8HT4Q5XQGSVAB

http://www.amazon.com/Floor-Heaven-True-Frontier-Yukon/dp/0307461734/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=51s3a8QJw6L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL320_SR208%2C320_&refRID=1A4YYET8HT4Q5XQGSVAB

This year we will be on the Bennet Lake Tour with Chilkoot Charters that takes you to the end of the Chilkoot Trail where the Gold Rushers built their boats to get to the Klondike.

 

On my two previous visits to Skagway, I booked the Bennett rail/bus tour with Chilkoot Charters. BOTH times the tracks washed out before we arrived, and the train ran only to Fraser! Both times we changed to the 7-hour rail/bus tour to Carcross - which was excellent.

 

I'll be in Skagway on b2b cruises in May 2017. However, I'll be there on a Sunday and Monday, and the train to Bennett doesn't run either day. I considered the steam train to Fraser on the Monday, but decided on other options.

[kennicott]

Speaking of bogus and phony reviews, it always amazes me when you find one after another decent to outstanding rating on an eatery then all of a sudden one vitriolic review appears that lists the place as abhorrent and the food loathsome with no redeeming features of the establishment recognized at all.

 

Here is an interesting article that appeared in the New York Times regarding the review charade. Along with another good analysis. "So the team developed an algorithm to distinguish fake from real, which worked about 90 percent of the time. The fakes tended to be a narrative talking about their experience at the hotel using a lot of superlatives, but they were not very good on description. Naturally: They had never been there. Instead, they talked about why they were in Chicago. They also used words like “I” and “me” more frequently, as if to underline their own credibility." http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/20/technology/finding-fake-reviews-online.html

 

"We know that reviews tend to be written by people who have had either an exceptionally good or bad experience. This results in a lot of 1- and 5-star reviews. The median customer — someone who had an “OK” experience and who has nothing particularly positive or negative to say — tends to be underrepresented; some fire in the belly is an effective inducement for someone to spend time posting a review. The problem is that users frequently write these 1- and 5-star reviews for reasons that are entirely irrelevant to future customers' potential experiences. Negative reviews, in particular, penalize some kinds of establishments disproportionately to others."

 

http://www.tripexpert.com/articles/limits-of-user-reviews

[paddingtonbear]

We are doing a chilkoot tour in July- friends are doing the dog sled we are on the same tour but not doing the dog sled but still get to see the puppies. You get a better lunch (included) on this tour. We get to see the south end of Bennett lake I think!

 

The lake Bennett one sounds great but not worth the extra $$ if the weather is poor. You eat your lunch (included) on your lap in the train in this one.

 

Most say train up (leaves early) and leisurely bus back for better wildlife viewing time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kennicott]

Now that I've blasted reviews, here is my review of the White Pass. I say take the railroad both ways but as you can see I'm a fan of Iron Mike Heney, "The Irish Prince" and every time we get to Skagway I take a ride on his railroad.

 

The White Pass railroad tour is a must. During the Klondike stampede there were two primary routes over the coastal summits, each of which eventually led over the mountains and onto the Yukon River, which the stampeders used to make their way on down river to the diggings near Dawson City. The shortest and most famous of these routes was out of nearby Dyea (adjacent to Skagway but about 8 gravel road miles to the northwest) called the Chilkoot Pass Trail, the other was the White Pass or Skagway Trail. The White Pass was longer than the one out of Dyea but summited at a lower elevation. The railroad was built pretty much along the White Pass Trail. Today there is a paved main highway access into Skagway but it does not follow the railroad route. The railroad originally ran between Skagway and Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory, today it doesn't go all the way to Whitehorse.

 

By traveling on the train you get a much better perspective of what the stampeders were up against than if you take the highway, which is on the opposite, north, side of the Skagway River Valley. Every time I get to Skagway I take that railroad roundtrip, mostly for the nostalgia of it all. One time we drove down to Skagway just to ride the railroad and another time we were on a cruise ship which ported in Skagway, I certainly did the railroad then as well.

 

Irish Mike Heney, was the principal builder behind construction of the White Pass/Yukon Railroad. “Give me enough snoose and dynamite and I’ll build a railroad to hell.” Very popular man with his workers, the railroad laborers. Mike Heney is one of my heroes, after completing the White Pass-Yukon narrow gauge railroad he turned his attention further north to where huge copper discoveries had been found in June at the turn of the century. The richest copper ore ever found on earth. A 200 mile standard gauge railroad was necessary (The Copper River and Northwestern Railway, closed down in 1938) over a route much longer than the White Pass and more difficult in spots, (which is hard to believe once you have taken the train at Skagway up to the White Pass.) That railroad ran between Cordova (My home town) on the coast and the Kennicott Glacier where the discoveries were.

 

Couple of recommendations before you travel to Skagway: You will make a big mistake if you don't take your camera, this is world class mountain scenery. There is a small paper back book out, "Big Mike Heney" by Elizabeth A. Tower, read it before you go.

[capriccio]

You will make a big mistake if you don't take your camera, this is world class mountain scenery.

 

The views from the train range from breathtaking (going up the mountain) to other-wordly (crossing the tundra into Fraser).

Edited May 9, 2016 by capriccio

[4cooks]

I have been looking at all the posts regarding the White Pass Train/Bus trip and am trying to decide whether to do the trip through Chilkoot Charters or just booking through the cruise line. The price seems almost exactly the same. Can someone tell me why one would be better than the other. Thanks.

[Alaskanb]

@4cooks. We prefer small group tours so rarely go on cruise line tours.

[wolfie11]

We are doing a chilkoot tour in July- friends are doing the dog sled we are on the same tour but not doing the dog sled but still get to see the puppies. You get a better lunch (included) on this tour. We get to see the south end of Bennett lake I think!

 

The lake Bennett one sounds great but not worth the extra $$ if the weather is poor. You eat your lunch (included) on your lap in the train in this one.

 

Most say train up (leaves early) and leisurely bus back for better wildlife viewing time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

The Lake Bennett trip is my favorite and I do it whenever possible when in Skagway. I've never eaten my lunch on my lap. The train stops at Bennett and you are given a very nice lunch inside the old train station and then about 45 minutes to explore the old town. This is the end of the Chilkoot Trail and the train picks up hikers here. They are always fun to talk to. The scenery is beautiful and Carcross is steeped in history. The weather is usually good (you enter a different biome when you cross the pass - from coastal rainforest to interior boreal forest where it's drier). I think it's an advantage to be on a longer tour. Keeps you out of the mob scene that is Skagway...

[bonvoyagie]

The Lake Bennett trip is my favorite and I do it whenever possible when in Skagway. I've never eaten my lunch on my lap. The train stops at Bennett and you are given a very nice lunch inside the old train station and then about 45 minutes to explore the old town. This is the end of the Chilkoot Trail and the train picks up hikers here. They are always fun to talk to. The scenery is beautiful and Carcross is steeped in history. The weather is usually good (you enter a different biome when you cross the pass - from coastal rainforest to interior boreal forest where it's drier). I think it's an advantage to be on a longer tour. Keeps you out of the mob scene that is Skagway...

 

Up until this year, you would have been right, however the Bennett station is being remodeled and the lunch is now indeed a box lunch that you eat on the train. I am not sure when they serve it - between Fraser and Bennett or between Bennett and Carcross. They still stop at Bennett, show the movie, let you tour but the miner's lunch is now history.

 

They are now doing two trips on most days so you can bus up to Carcross and train back or train up and bus back.

[debcip]

Hi Kennicott, know this is a bit off topic but since you have taken this ride many times: Do you have an opinion as to whether it is better to take this ride in the morning (about 8:30) or afternoon (12:30)?