tonymc Posted October 30, 2023 #1 Share Posted October 30, 2023 Hi, We will be on the 7 day northbound Vancouver-Whittier cruise on 8th June. On arrival on 15th, we have 3 nights in the area before we fly back from Anchorage. We are hoping to visit Seward for a couple of nights and were hoping to be able to get a transfer from Whittier to Seward when we disembark, but it seems that the only options are to either rent a car at Whittier to drop off in Anchorage (but there don't appear to be any companies offering this option - Avis states that the location is closed when we arrive), or to get a transfer up to Anchorage then back down to Seward which would take up most of the day. I've looked for private transfers between Whittier and Seward, but have been quoted around $1,600........😬 I'm fairly sure that we will end up having to travel into Anchorage first to either pick up a car or take a motor coach or the train back down to Seward, but hoping someone may know of a suitable direct transfer option. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Kat Posted October 31, 2023 #2 Share Posted October 31, 2023 12 hours ago, tonymc said: Hi, We will be on the 7 day northbound Vancouver-Whittier cruise on 8th June. On arrival on 15th, we have 3 nights in the area before we fly back from Anchorage. We are hoping to visit Seward for a couple of nights and were hoping to be able to get a transfer from Whittier to Seward when we disembark, but it seems that the only options are to either rent a car at Whittier to drop off in Anchorage (but there don't appear to be any companies offering this option - Avis states that the location is closed when we arrive), or to get a transfer up to Anchorage then back down to Seward which would take up most of the day. I've looked for private transfers between Whittier and Seward, but have been quoted around $1,600........😬 I'm fairly sure that we will end up having to travel into Anchorage first to either pick up a car or take a motor coach or the train back down to Seward, but hoping someone may know of a suitable direct transfer option. Many thanks. Hello @tonymc To help you out, your new topic/thread on an incorrect forum has been moved to the Ports of Call - Alaska forum where it will be more on topic. The majority of your fellow Cruise Critic members that have been there or live there frequent this forum and provide feedback here. Browse through the thread titles on this forum looking for threads of interest. You will probably find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that may be of interest to you. I suggest you use the Follow feature on any new topics/threads you start or any other topics/threads where you are interested in the new replies. That way you will not have to go looking to see if there are new posts because they will come looking for you as notifications. If you need information on how to do it, please click here: How to: Follow Topics & Forums (Subscribed Threads/Forums Info) Hope this will be helpful! Happy sails, Host Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonymc Posted October 31, 2023 Author #3 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Thanks Kat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnSD Posted October 31, 2023 #4 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Following, I’m looking for the same options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisequeen4ever Posted October 31, 2023 #5 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Well, I have to say, as someone who lives in Anchorage and who has sailed in and out of Whittier, I think you are correct with the available options. I wish I had better news for you. The Avis in Whittier is always extremely expensive and sells out early, but if you want to go straight to Seward, that would be your option, so book early. This would not save you any time, but it could be viewed as a fun idea. You could take the Princess transfer to Anchorage. Spend the day and night in Anchorage exploring. Then the next morning, take the train to Seward for the day, or even for one night, and take the train back to Anchorage. The train to Seward goes through a valley that is inaccessible by cars and it’s beautiful. The train ride does take longer than driving there, but it’s so relaxing and beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKStafford Posted October 31, 2023 #6 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Contact the following to see what might be possible: https://www.pjstaxi.net/ https://www.bearvalleyroadrunner.com/ https://www.redeyeridesllc.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTJ Posted October 31, 2023 #7 Share Posted October 31, 2023 22 hours ago, tonymc said: We will be on the 7 day northbound Vancouver-Whittier cruise on 8th June. On arrival on 15th, we have 3 nights in the area before we fly back from Anchorage. We are hoping to visit Seward for a couple of nights and were hoping to be able to get a transfer from Whittier to Seward when we disembark * * * I'm fairly sure that we will end up having to travel into Anchorage first to either pick up a car or take a motor coach or the train back down to Seward, but hoping someone may know of a suitable direct transfer option Fundamentally, the problem you're facing is that transportation is structured radially, all oriented towards Anchorage, rather than operating directly between outlying areas. To get from Whittier to Seward, you need to use transportation that operates from Whittier to Anchorage, then transfer to transportation that operates from Anchorage to Seward. Both the Whittier and the Seward routes converge at Portage, and travel the same path the rest of the way into Anchorage, so it is possible, at least in theory, to travel from Whittier on Anchorage-bound transportation, alight at Portage, and transfer onto Seward-bound transportation that is coming from Anchorage. The practical problem is that the schedules are not designed for these transfers (and not all transportation is scheduled to stop at Portage). Thus, you could end up having to wait for connecting transportation at Portage, at what is, in essence, the middle of no place for an extended period of time (at most the nearby Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center could provide a diversion during the waiting time). Not at all convenient. You could get transportation from Whittier to Anchorage, and connecting transportation from Anchorage to Seward, but it would occupy nearly the entire day. The Park Connection bus service departs Whittier at 9:45 a.m., passes through Portage at 10:10 a.m., and arrives in downtown Anchorage (Dena'ina Civic Center) at 11:30 a.m., at a cost of $75. The connecting Park Connection bus departs downtown Anchorage (Dena'ina Civic Center) at 3:00 p.m., passes through Portage at 4:30 p.m., and arrives in Seward at 6:00 p.m., also at a cost of $75. While not a direct transfer, at least you can do the journey entirely with a single company that can minimize the inconvenience of the transfer (over eight hours for a trip that requires only two hours if traveled directly). There is some consolation in that you would have 3-1/2 hours in Anchorage to see that city and get a pleasant lunch during the connection time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonymc Posted October 31, 2023 Author #8 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Many thanks everyone for your replies and advice. I did suspect that the most cost effective way would be to travel via Anchorage. What we may do is take one of the transfers that take in the wildlife centre and the aerial tramway on the way to Anchorage then pick up a car and have an evening drive to Seward (hoping it will be light until late!!). A couple of nights in Seward before returning to Anchorage for a night prior to our flight home. Again, many thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKStafford Posted October 31, 2023 #9 Share Posted October 31, 2023 21 minutes ago, tonymc said: hoping it will be light until late! Sunset on June 8th will be about 11:30pm, with twilight lasting all night. https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/anchorage?month=6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTJ Posted October 31, 2023 #10 Share Posted October 31, 2023 1 hour ago, tonymc said: What we may do is take one of the transfers that take in the wildlife centre and the aerial tramway on the way to Anchorage Look to Alaska Cruise Transportation for the greatest number of options that combine Whittier-to-Anchorage bus transportation with sightseeing enroute. http://www.alaskacruisetransfer.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonymc Posted November 1, 2023 Author #11 Share Posted November 1, 2023 Many thanks both of you for the information - will be booking the transfer shortly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KruisinKath Posted November 2, 2023 #12 Share Posted November 2, 2023 I thought there was a bus that went between the two towns but perhaps what I read was old-or could be what AKStafford provided-will ck my bookmarks. I have seen many recommendations for PJ’s Taxi that you could try (I see just now also provided by AKStafford!). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTJ Posted November 2, 2023 #13 Share Posted November 2, 2023 (edited) 6 hours ago, KruisinKath said: I thought there was a bus that went between the two towns In general, transportation within Alaska is not good, and over the years the trend has been a worsening of the transportation. In years past there had been a bus service connecting Seward with Homer, but there has never been regular route bus service connecting Seward with Whittier. The only regular route bus services operate to and from Anchorage and intermediate points. Unless one desires to transfer in Anchorage, or an intermediate point, the only transportation between Whittier and Seward at present is by hired vehicle (e.g., taxi, TNC, charter bus). * * * * * The Alaska Railroad does operate a passenger train, the Glacier Discovery, that boards passengers in Whittier and goes as far south as Grandview, which is about 41-1/2 miles outside of Seward. The train has to turn-back at this point, so that it can return to Whittier prior to embarkation time for departing vessels. In other words, there's not enough time for this train from Whittier to make it all the way to Seward. However, the consist for the railroad's Coastal Classic train lays over during the day in Seward, and at least in theory that consist could be run by the railroad, from Seward to Grandview and back, making connections with the Glacier Discovery, and allowing for fairly easy passenger transportation between Whittier and Seward. (Such a service would effectively constitute a second daily passenger service between Anchorage and Seward.) Schedules might be as follows (the new train service, using the Coastal Classic equipment, shown in bold): Train Coastal Glacier New Name Classic Discovery Train Anchorage depart 6:45 a.m. 9:45 a.m. ---- Girdwooed arrive 8:00 a.m. 10:55 a.m. ---- Girdwood depart 8:05 a.m. 11:00 a.m. ---- Portage arrive 8:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. ---- Portage depart ---- 11:35 a.m. ---- Whittier arrive ---- 12:05 p.m. ---- Whittier depart ---- 12:45 p.m. ---- Portage arrive ---- 1:15 p.m. ---- Portage depart 8:30 a.m. 1:25 p.m. ---- Spencer arrive 8:45 a.m. 1:45 p.m. ---- Spencer depart 8:45 a.m. 1:55 p.m. ---- Grandview arrive 9:15 a.m. 3:20 p.m. ---- Grandview depart 9:15 a.m. ---- 3:35 p.m. Seward arrive 11:05 a.m. ---- 5:20 p.m. Train New Glacier Coastal Name Train Discovery Classic Seward depart 1:30 p.m. ---- 6:00 p.m. Grandview arrive 3:15 p.m. ---- 7:45 p.m. Grandview depart ---- 3:30 p.m. 7:45 p.m. Spencer arrive ---- 4:30 p.m. 8:15 p.m. Spencer depart ---- 4:40 p.m. 8:15 p.m. Portage arrive ---- 5:15 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Portage depart ---- 5:25 p.m. ---- Whittier arrive ---- 6:05 p.m. ---- Whittier depart ---- 6:45 p.m. ---- Portage arrive ---- 7:15 p.m. ---- Portage depart ---- 7:20 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Girdwood arrive ---- 7:40 p.m. 8:50 p.m. Girdwood depart ---- 7:45 p.m. 8:55 p.m. Anchorage arrive ---- 9:00 p.m. 10:15 p.m. The railroad would have a few challenges if it were to do something like this. Would it have enough time in Seward to utilize just a single coach car for the new train, or would it have to haul the entire consist to Grandview and back (there would only be 40 minutes in Seward, from 5:20 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., to get the full Coastal Classic consist ready for the trip back to Anchorage)? Without a wye or loop at Grandview, there would need to be a locomotive at each end (as is done with the Hurricane Turn train), or use a cab car, as is done with the Coastal Classic and its Chugach Explorer DMU car 751 (perhaps the railroad could get a used cab car from a commuter railroad or Amtrak). If only the Alaska Railroad still had an RDC car in its fleet! There might also be an issue with the maximum number of hours of service for the operating crew. There would have to be some quick shuffling of equipment at Grandview for unloading and loading of passengers, being rushed in part because the southbound chartered cruise trains come through Grandview at approximately 3:40 p.m. But if the railroad could get past these challenges, then this added train--or some other service plan--could be instituted so that there would be transportation that would provide needed transportation between Whittier and Seward. Edited November 2, 2023 by GTJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Auntiejo Posted January 23 #14 Share Posted January 23 On 10/31/2023 at 11:04 AM, AKStafford said: Contact the following to see what might be possible: https://www.pjstaxi.net/ https://www.bearvalleyroadrunner.com/ https://www.redeyeridesllc.com/ I, too, have been having a headache trying to figure out how to get to Seward from Whittier without going thru Anchorage. I contacted Bear Valley Road Runner and the price is $140 PP so I'm booking it. It's not cheap, but better than paying for a rental car and worth every penny if it keeps me from having to spend the entire day getting to Seward via Anchorage. Thank you @AKStafford for the links above! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloAlaska Posted January 23 #15 Share Posted January 23 I’m not going between these two but am in need of a transfer on a non ship day late in the afternoon near the end of season. Best I’ve found so far is AKtripping. I’m travelling solo so definitely don’t want to pay over $1000 like some companies charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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