Best Of Skagway Train Tour

[masterdrago]

Before I ask on the RCI thread, I'll post here. Joy is wanting a good train ride and it looks as if while in Skagway we can reserve a "Best of Skagway" through RCI excursions. Looking closely at the details make me think it is mostly fluff (bus ride, salmon bake, Red Onion Saloon visit, & watch costumed characters perform) and a 1 hour train ride to see the countryside. Has anyone done this excursion that can shed a bit more detail? Unfortunately, the 8 hr 120 mile bus and train Bennett Scenic Journey that we had hoped to take is not running tours on Memorial Day next year. Or for that matter on any Monday.

[AKStafford]

What about just booking something directly with the White Pass & Yukon: https://wpyr.com/

[wolfie11]

There are a couple of private tours that you could look at for the 8 hour bus ride up to Carcross and Emerald Lake.  The short train ride to the summit is pretty spectacular though, and I enjoyed the “fluff” when I did this tour.  The “longer” train ride isn’t that much further than the summit.  Lake Bennett is the best one, but as you say, doesn’t run on Mondays.

[Coral]

I like the train ride but the Red Onion Saloon visit would drive me crazy.

 

Look at Chilkoot tours. I would look at a combination train/van ride:

 

https://chilkootcharters.com/reservations/

 

That is "less fluff" for me. IMO - the best train ride in Alaska is between Anchorage and Seward. Completely different but more scenic and less historic IMO.

[masterdrago]

6 hours ago, AKStafford said:

What about just booking something directly with the White Pass & Yukon: https://wpyr.com/

That's the page that I ended up trying to book on 27 May. As it turns out there are only the shorter tours on Mondays no matter which tour company arranges it. It may be that by running more shorter tours they can accommodate the ~7,000 folks that will be in Skagway on the two RCI ships (Radiance & Ovation) May 27th.

 

And to answer the note from Coral, we are looking at catching the 6:45 train out of Anchorage to Seward after we drop the rent car. Also we are looking at the Amtrak ride from Vancouver to Seattle. It's just all about getting the timing right.

[BarbinMich]

There isn't really much to see/do in Skagway as it's a very small town.  We've done both the White Pass train (twice) and a private van tour on the parallel highway.  Had brilliant blue sky on the latter, gray skies/mist on the former.  Hard to predict!

[Heidi13]

On 10/26/2018 at 8:33 PM, masterdrago said:

Before I ask on the RCI thread, I'll post here. Joy is wanting a good train ride and it looks as if while in Skagway we can reserve a "Best of Skagway" through RCI excursions. Looking closely at the details make me think it is mostly fluff (bus ride, salmon bake, Red Onion Saloon visit, & watch costumed characters perform) and a 1 hour train ride to see the countryside. Has anyone done this excursion that can shed a bit more detail? Unfortunately, the 8 hr 120 mile bus and train Bennett Scenic Journey that we had hoped to take is not running tours on Memorial Day next year. Or for that matter on any Monday.

Having been to Skagway way too many times, probably >25, my guess is mostly fluff with a substantial mark up.

 

You can walk from the ship to the train station to purchase tickets for exactly the same train the passengers use that booked from the ship. You have options of returning by bus or train. Back in town it is a short walk to the saloon.

[PhillyTravelBug]

I have plenty of time to decide, but debating whether or not to rent a car and do the drive or do the train excursion. I’m sure the train ride is very scenic, but also like the idea of driving and stopping at our own pace.

[AidenL]

I see our ship docks at 7.00am , and the first White Pass and Yukon train leaves at 9.00am. Would we have time to make it for the 9.00am departure , or is that a bit tight if we are not on the ships tour? The ship departs at 6.00pm. 

 

Next free slots are at 1.00pm, all in between seems fully booked. 

Edited December 15, 2018 by AidenL

[Coral]

5 hours ago, AidenL said:

I see our ship docks at 7.00am , and the first White Pass and Yukon train leaves at 9.00am. Would we have time to make it for the 9.00am departure , or is that a bit tight if we are not on the ships tour? The ship departs at 6.00pm. 

 

Next free slots are at 1.00pm, all in between seems fully booked. 

Yes.

[AlanF65]

5 hours ago, AidenL said:

I see our ship docks at 7.00am , and the first White Pass and Yukon train leaves at 9.00am. Would we have time to make it for the 9.00am departure , or is that a bit tight if we are not on the ships tour? The ship departs at 6.00pm. 

 

Next free slots are at 1.00pm, all in between seems fully booked. 

You walk about 5 minutes farther if you don't book through the cruise line. There is a shuttle for $2. I booked through the cruise line last year and they put me on a different train than most of my cruise. Town is a short walk or shuttle. You can catch the shuttle in town to the dock  about every block.