Haines vs. Skagway

[mitchden]

Serenade of the Seas will be in Haines, Alaska on July 14 from 7:00am to 4:00pm. There aren't any excursions that interest me. The White Pass Rail from Skagway excursion is sold out. That excursion includes the ferry ride from Haines to Skagway. I'm considering taking the ferry and trying to get a walk-up ticket for the train. How far is the Rail station from the ferry drop-off? If I can't get on the train, is there anything to see or do near where the ferry drops me off in Skagway? How much is the ferry? At a minimum, it would give me something to do for a few hours

[edinburgher]

Not an answer to your question but a suggestion nonetheless.

We had nothing  either booked or planned for our time in Haines, but we came ashore on one of these fabulous blue sky/sunshine/no wind days, perfect conditions for a flightseeing trip.  There were several operators  a short walk from the dock and we went into the first one and booked on the next available flight leaving around 90 minutes later. (the plane had just left on the first flightseeing trip of the day).  We had left she ship just minutes after clearance and had a choice of most of the slots that day, but others had had the same idea, and when we returned for our own flight 90 minutes later, it was to find that there were no more slots left for that day ,all having been snapped up by fellow pax.. 

 

What I am trying to say is that you could perhaps check what sort of excursions local companies in Haines might be offering in case there is something to interest you.  Pre-booking a flightseeing trip ahead of time means you would be at the mercy of the weather. By not booking ahead, if conditions were ideal, you would need to leave the ship as soon as you could and go directly to one of the tour companies offices before all the slots are taken. 

 

But flightseeing trips may not be the only excursions on offer locally so definitely worth checking local websites.

Edited June 18, 2022 by edinburgher

[Travel some more]

Hainesskagwayfastferry.com

Go to this site and pull up the schedule for your day. It is very possible to walk up and buy a train ticket when you get to Skagway. Just be mindful of the timing. Sometimes the train is a little late getting back with them having no control over it. Just leave yourself plenty of time to make sure you have a cushion.

 

[JT1962]

Another option if you decide not to take the ferry to Skagway is to rent a car in Haines. We did this is 2017 and enjoyed it. We went to the Kroschel Wildlife Center, Chilkat and Chilkoot Lake State Parks, drove part of the Haines Hwy and had a great lunch at Thirty-three Mile Roadhouse. 

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, JT1962 said:

Another option if you decide not to take the ferry to Skagway is to rent a car in Haines. We did this is 2017 and enjoyed it. We went to the Kroschel Wildlife Center, Chilkat and Chilkoot Lake State Parks, drove part of the Haines Hwy and had a great lunch at Thirty-three Mile Roadhouse. 

 

Your suggestion about the Haines Highway is a great one.  I have driven it and there is some really great scenery along the way.  You do have a border crossing into and then out of Canada and I don't know what the current rules on that are.

 

DON

[JT1962]

7 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Your suggestion about the Haines Highway is a great one.  I have driven it and there is some really great scenery along the way.  You do have a border crossing into and then out of Canada and I don't know what the current rules on that are.

 

DON

We did not go all the way to the border and still saw a lot. I believe it is around 40 miles to the border. The Chilkat and Chilkoot Lake State Parks are near Haines. 

[Monica887]

For car rentals, where would you get it and about how much money? We left our day in Haines open too and like this idea...

[JT1962]

3 hours ago, Monica887 said:

For car rentals, where would you get it and about how much money? We left our day in Haines open too and like this idea...

We used Captain’s Choice Motel / Car Rental in 2017.  They picked us up and dropped us off at the pier, but it was within walking distance, if you don’t have mobility issues.  It was an older Subuaru, but was dependable and served our purpose.
 

I don’t remember the exact cost, but I know it was cheaper to book the car and pay Kroschel Wildlife Center the entrance fee than it was to book two excursions to Kroschel through the ship. Plus we had the car the rest of the day to do what we wanted. The prices may have increased since then, like car rentals in most places.

[Monica887]

2 hours ago, JT1962 said:

We used Captain’s Choice Motel / Car Rental in 2017.  They picked us up and dropped us off at the pier, but it was within walking distance, if you don’t have mobility issues.  It was an older Subuaru, but was dependable and served our purpose.
 

I don’t remember the exact cost, but I know it was cheaper to book the car and pay Kroschel Wildlife Center the entrance fee than it was to book two excursions to Kroschel through the ship. Plus we had the car the rest of the day to do what we wanted. The prices may have increased since then, like car rentals in most places.

Wow, thanks! Looks like the excursion for a family of 4 would be over 1,000 but the actual entrance fee would be closer to $200 total! I think we only have half a day there, so I'm not sure how the timing would work, but if it does this is a great alternative.