White Pass Railway & Emerald Lake in the same day?

[Tar Heel]

We will be in Skagway from 5:30 AM - 8:15 PM

 

We're booked on the White Pass Railway at 8:00 AM (returning about 11:30 AM). Is it too ambitious to make a trip to Emerald Lake after we return from the White Pass Railway?:rolleyes:

 

This IS a vacation so I don't want us to be rushed, rushed, rushed but also want to see as much as possilbe.

 

All thougts are appreciated

[Markanddonna]

Hi,

 

Why don't you book the combo tour to the Yukon? You take the train and then hop aboard a van for a more intimate visit to see all the features of the Yukon. You could easily get to Emerald Lake after your 3 hour RT traintrip though. The highway doesn't have that much traffic and you don't get lost. Not much highway/road out there. Some of the highway is being repaired so if you rent, consider getting their protection against dings. Our driver went slow on those areas.

 

I recommend Chilkoot. Email them for the best trip for your needs. The train is very cool, but 1 1/2 hours was enough. Some people complain about the fumes. I didn't notice any. We were assigned cars. Maybe those close to the front had problems. We were probably the 6th car out of 20.

 

Donna

Donna

[Budget Queen]

The train is 3+++, the 150 round trip Emerald Lake drive needs at least 4 hours. Not any time to see Skagway, only you can decide if worthwhile for you.

[Cruise Lover Kathy]

We were on Sun Princess 2002 and took their combo tour. The bus took us thru the Chilkoot Mts and into the Yukon. We stopped for lunch, then a photo stop at Emerald Lake (so it is not a stop to go back to after taking the train) before boarding the White Horse train back to Skagway. It was a long trip but absolutely beautiful. I'm not a professional photographer, but I framed some of the shots.

 

We got back to Skagway with enough time to have a beer at the Red Onion and walk most of the town ahnd do a little shopping. We skipped a lot of store that aren't Alaskan--Diamond International--so that made things a little easier.

 

Whatever you decide you will love every minute.:)

Any other questins? I could talk about Alaska all day. We keep cruising but eventually I want to go back!

[Tar Heel]

Many thanks for your input

[tinkerme1]

Quick question: Does your ship have a White Pass Railway trip in the late afternoon? We took the White Pass Railway Midnight Sun train at 4:15 PM and drove with our rental car to Emerald Lake in the morning. It was a very lovely drive and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We then made it back to Skagway with hours to spare, so we stopped in at the Red Onion Saloon, had lunch, did some shopping and then headed back to the pier to pick up the excursion for the train. All this was very easy to do.

 

Personally, I wouldn't take the train first and then drive there. If you run into trouble for any reason, it makes sense to leave yourself plenty of time for the return to Skagway. I would rather miss the train then miss the ship!:D

[mumom95]

Quick question: Does your ship have a White Pass Railway trip in the late afternoon? We took the White Pass Railway Midnight Sun train at 4:15 PM and drove with our rental car to Emerald Lake in the morning. It was a very lovely drive and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We then made it back to Skagway with hours to spare, so we stopped in at the Red Onion Saloon, had lunch, did some shopping and then headed back to the pier to pick up the excursion for the train. All this was very easy to do.

 

Personally, I wouldn't take the train first and then drive there. If you run into trouble for any reason, it makes sense to leave yourself plenty of time for the return to Skagway. I would rather miss the train then miss the ship!:D

 

This is exactly what we are doing in two weeks, picking up the rental car first thing in the morning and going to Emerald Lake, then we are booked on the cruise lines 4:15 train trip. I'm hoping it all works out for us.

[tinkerme1]

Mumom95: You should have a great trip with plenty of time to spare. Whatever you do, don't speed through thinking you won't have enough time. Just stop in a couple of places and then do your major stops on the way back if time permits. We stopped in Carcross for t-shirts, ice cream and a potty break. The General Store and Museum are very nice there.

 

We returned our rental car at 1:30 PM and had loads of time to see the small town of Skagway and eat lunch at the Red Onion. Have a great time and don't miss the signs for "Welcome to Alaska" on your return and "Welcome to the Yukon" on your way to Emerald Lake!

[Mrs007]

The train is 3+++, the 150 round trip Emerald Lake drive needs at least 4 hours. Not any time to see Skagway, only you can decide if worthwhile for you.

 

Budget Queen, have you experience with Frontier Excursions??? I see they have a tour that looks like it goes up by motor coach and back by rail with a stop at the suspension bridge. It only goes 60 miles roundtrip. Is the suspension bridge worth missing going further into the Yukon??

[Mrs007]

Looks like my question got lost in the shuffel, so I'll ask it again.

 

Does anyone have experience with Frontier Excursions and their Yukon Suspension Bridge tour that motors up and then takes the train down after you walk across the suspension bridge??? Was just wondering if you need to take a tour that goes all the way to Emerald Lake.

 

Linda

[Stacym]

The bridge is in B.C. not the Yukon! The Street venders in Skagway sell it cheaper? This is a tourist trap from the word go! I've never rode Frontier,

HEARD from a source that they blew the border this year and a group of people was held at the border? Ask Murray he lives in that neck of the woods and can give you info! He's great!

 

Stacym

[Yukon]

Frontier has been one of the best operators in Skagway for a good number of years. The story about blowing the border just isn't reasonable - nobody could be that dumb. The Yukon Suspension Bridge, though, is a real poor destination - 10 minutes there and you're finished (and you're still 30 miles from the Yukon) - and it's grossly overpriced at $18.50 admission.

 

Murray

(currently in Anchorage - Seward tomorrow)

[NancyIL]

Looks like my question got lost in the shuffel, so I'll ask it again.

 

Does anyone have experience with Frontier Excursions and their Yukon Suspension Bridge tour that motors up and then takes the train down after you walk across the suspension bridge??? Was just wondering if you need to take a tour that goes all the way to Emerald Lake.

 

Linda

 

From the looks of the tour description, there is no train ride: http://www.frontierexcursions.com/tour/yukon_fraser/yukon_fraser.html

 

If you want a rail/bus combo - look at Chilkoot Charters: http://www.skagwaysbesttour.com/

[CabinForFour]

Definitely look at Chilkoot Charters' rail/combo tour. We went in May, and it was one of the highlights of our tour. Our guide was Kerry, and he was great. Feel free to check out the photos of our tour at http://theleslies.shutterfly.com (scroll down the page and look for the photos from Skagway). It'll give you a good idea of everything you'll see.