Land tour choices

[bbjaspan]

Preview We are planning an Alaskan cruisetour for next June, probably on Celebrity, and need to make some decisions FAST to make sure we can get our preferred cabin type. Our difficulty is in deciding which land itinerary to choose. Questions:

 

1) Denali – We definitely want a Tundra Wilderness Tour. Does it make a difference if we have the one that leaves early in the morning versus the one that leaves in the afternoon?

 

2) Train or coach – Some tours travel mostly by coach with a bit of train, others have more train. Would appreciate comments on the importance of one over the other.

 

We have to choose between a tour that does the early Tundra tour but is almost all coach, or a tour that does the late Tundra tour and includes the train from Fairbanks to Denali to Talkeetna to Anchorage.

 

Thanks for your help!

[Yukon]

The morning TWTs are better because when Denali clouds over (which it does most days), it does it by noon. The quality of animal viewing doesn't seem to vary by the time of day (I say that after perhaps 18-20 trips into the park).

 

I think the train from Fairbanks to Denali is pretty boring. From Denali to Anchorage is much better, but the really good section of the Alaska Railroad is Anchorage to Seward. Motorcoach travel between Fairbanks and Anchorage offers much more variety.

 

Murray

[NancyIL]

I can't answer your train vs. coach question. However, have you considered going on your own and not doing a cruisetour with Celebrity? We're doing our own land tour after our northbound cruise next June. We'll rent a car in Anchorage and drive to various places for 9 days.

[bbjaspan]

The morning TWTs are better because when Denali clouds over (which it does most days), it does it by noon. The quality of animal viewing doesn't seem to vary by the time of day (I say that after perhaps 18-20 trips into the park).

 

I think the train from Fairbanks to Denali is pretty boring. From Denali to Anchorage is much better, but the really good section of the Alaska Railroad is Anchorage to Seward. Motorcoach travel between Fairbanks and Anchorage offers much more variety.

 

Murray

Thanks so much for the train insight. One of the tours we are considering does Fairbanks to Anchorage, the other does Seward to Alyeska. We thought the first would be better because it has so much more train, but after your message it looks like the second would be the better choice, and would give us the the am TWT as well.

Thanks

[bbjaspan]

I can't answer your train vs. coach question. However, have you considered going on your own and not doing a cruisetour with Celebrity? We're doing our own land tour after our northbound cruise next June. We'll rent a car in Anchorage and drive to various places for 9 days.

Actually, we are really on the fence. Like you, we're also planning a northbound cruise in June, and will then have 7 days before we fly out of Anchorage. Signing up for a land tour would sure save a lot of work, but we're considering that maybe doing it on our own would be better, although we'll have so many more decisions and reservations to make. The tough thing is we have to make a decision right NOW between the tour and "on our own."

 

How will you get from the ship in Seward to Anchorage to rent your car? Can you not rent a car in Seward? Are you planning any time in Kenai Fjords? If so, would that be before or after you rent the car in Anchorage?

[NancyIL]

Actually, we are really on the fence. Like you, we're also planning a northbound cruise in June, and will then have 7 days before we fly out of Anchorage. Signing up for a land tour would sure save a lot of work, but we're considering that maybe doing it on our own would be better, although we'll have so many more decisions and reservations to make. The tough thing is we have to make a decision right NOW between the tour and "on our own."

 

How will you get from the ship in Seward to Anchorage to rent your car? Can you not rent a car in Seward? Are you planning any time in Kenai Fjords? If so, would that be before or after you rent the car in Anchorage?

 

 

I would think that right now all you have to do is book the cruise portion. You can add the land tour later, can't you?

 

Our cruise ends in Whittier, so we'll do a Prince William Sound cruise and then take the train or bus to Anchorage that night, where we'll pick-up our rental car the next day. We're driving the "loop" and then ending in Seward right before flying home.

 

Since you will arrive in Seward, you could stay there for the day or overnight, and then take the evening train to Anchorage. You can rent from Hertz in Seward, but it is MUCH more expensive than an Anchorage pick-up/drop-off.

[fti]

I did a SB cruise this summer and did a pre-cruise independent tour on my own beforehand. Certainly it is more work than doing a cruisetour, but really not that much more. But I think everyone who has done an independent tour really liked it more than those who did cruisetours. You have more flexibility and you don't feel like you spend most of your time being shuttled from one place to another.

 

Spending an hour or two just reading the past couple of months of posts will give you so much info and so many options, you will want to spend two extra weeks in AK!

 

Here are some thoughts:

 

If arriving into Seward, my guess is that you arrive in the morning. You should spend at least one night here. I missed Seward this year but am going back there next year. Two highlights are the day cruise from Seward (the 6+ hour ones are best from what I have read on this board) and Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park. You can probably do the day cruise the day you arrive on your ship and visit Kenai Fjords NP the following morning before a train to Anchorage. The Sealife Center in Seward is also supposed to be really good. Maybe do that rather than Exit Glacier. The day cruise you will get here is different from your cruise ship in that you will get to see more wildlife up close on these smaller boats. There are several choices here - reading prior posts will help but one company only has a handful of passengers (maybe 15-25 I think?). The others have maybe 100. www.sewardak.org will lead you to the tour operators but the posts on this board will give you some feedback on them.

 

Personally I would recommend that you visit Denali and spend at least two nights here. I really love it. If you have a rental car, it will be easy to get around. And you can stop for several hours or even an overnight in Talkeetna. It is a cute town, very "Alaskan" though a bit touristy.

 

At Denali NP I would suggest taking the shuttle bus rather than the TWT. The reason? You go deeper into the park and it costs about 1/3 of what the tour costs. The shuttle bus can get you either to Fish Creek (mile 63) or Wonder Lake (mile 85). Personally I would recommend booking a shuttle to Wonder Lake. If the Mountain is "out" you will be glad you did. The views from the Wonder Lake area are incredible and it is the closest point on the park road to the Mountain (26 miles I think but it seems MUCH closer). You can even get off the bus that you came on, spend an hour or two walking around, taking pictures, etc. and catch a different bus back to the entrance. If you book to Wonder Lake and the Mountain is not out or you don't want the extra 3 hours round trip or so that it takes, you can get off at Fish Creek and catch a different bus back to the entrance. But you can't book to Fish Creek then travel to Wonder Lake. The cost difference between the two shuttles is only about $9 (at least that was the difference this year).

 

I too agree that you should take an early shuttle bus into the park (or an early tour bus). As Yukon said, the Mountain often covers in clouds by noon. I spent 3 nights at Wonder Lake this year and one day the Mountain became visible at 7pm and stayed visible until 1pm the following day. Taking a later shuttle you would have missed it altogether. Budget Queen, whose advice everyone on this board greatly respects, says she is always on the first shuttle into the park. The only problem with Wonder Lake in June and July are mosquitoes. But you can easily solve that by bringing 100% DEET with you and if you want a mosquito net that you can buy for $2 or less at Wal Mart.

 

It is easy to book a car rental as well as a place to stay in Anchorage and near Denali when you are planning this far in advance. Find options that don't have cancellation penalties until shortly before arrival. That way you can book something to know you have a place to stay and a car to get around in, then keep shopping rates throughout the year when you have time.

 

I am sure as you look around and have questions, if you post them on this board people will answer your questions and help you in your planning. You also might want to look over a thread titled Alaska Cheet Sheet. Though Cheat is spelled wrong, it gives a lot of good information. Almost too much information but if you sift through it, you can find the gems hidden in it.

[cruising dfl]

Actually, we are really on the fence. Like you, we're also planning a northbound cruise in June, and will then have 7 days before we fly out of Anchorage. Signing up for a land tour would sure save a lot of work, but we're considering that maybe doing it on our own would be better, although we'll have so many more decisions and reservations to make. The tough thing is we have to make a decision right NOW between the tour and "on our own."

 

How will you get from the ship in Seward to Anchorage to rent your car? Can you not rent a car in Seward? Are you planning any time in Kenai Fjords? If so, would that be before or after you rent the car in Anchorage?

 

We sailed on the Summit NB from 8/26 - 9/2. We rented a car w/ Hertz (they do one-way rentals) in Seward, left the next day to drive up to Denali, 2 days in Denali, 1 in Anchorage, then flew home. The rental was more expensive than if we'd picked up in Anchorage, but we thought it was worth it. What a great trip!

 

If we had to do it all again (I hope we will, but there are so many other places on our list), I would rent the car the day after arriving in Seward. We stayed at the Edgewater which wasn't walking distance to the port, but would have been maybe $5 cab ride. It was w/in walking distance, though, to the Sea Life Center, which I absolutely LOVED. It's a small but very well done facility, and if you like animals, you will love it. We also went to Exit Glacier, which you could manage in the same day, and there is a service that will take you out there by van for $9. So you really don't need a car that day. I would highly recommend leaving yourselves time to see Seward, Exit and/or Portage glaciers and all that the Kenai peninsula has to offer. We really wished we'd had time for a boat tour leaving from Seward. When we booked the cruise, we thought it would be boating overkill, but I think we missed out there.

 

The drive up to Denali is beautiful; I'm sure the train/bus options are good too. If we had a week to spend, I'd absolutely rent an RV the next time. We sat w/ RV'ers on the Denali Shuttle and it sounded like there were many advantages, with very little price differential b/w what we spent on car and hotel and they on RV. But with car or RV, it was fun to stop for lunch in Talkeetna, chat with locals in the Mat-Su valley, etc.

 

And from what I hear about the cruisetours, you spend most of your time getting from place to place and just having your time filled by things to do, on the run. Two couples on our Denali shuttle off the Summit said they enjoyed it, but others we talked to felt rushed.

[fti]

Depending on how many of you there are, you could consider a car rental with Hertz but only for one day to get you from Seward to Anchorage. That will cost about $240 including the drop off fee and all mandatory charges. Then you pick up a second car in Anchorage that you also return to Anchorage for the week you will be traveling to Denali and elsewhere. This option only works cost-wise if you have 4 people in your party to share the huge rental in Seward.

 

Otherwise the train from Seward to Anchorage is great and very scenic from what I read.

 

Note that if you pick up a rental car in Anchorage at the airport, it will cost about 25-40% more than picking up at a downtown or off-airport location. Anchorage has a huge airport surcharge for car rentals. If you arrive by train, you can easily pick up a car downtown. Then you can drop it off at the airport for (usually) no drop off fee. A couple of companies like Enterprise charge a fee to drop it off at the airport, but most the bigger companies like Avis, Hertz, etc. don't charge extra if you pick up in the city and drop it at the airport.

[bbjaspan]

NancyIL,

 

I would think that right now all you have to do is book the cruise portion. You can add the land tour later, can't you?

 

Our agent tells us that cabins and tours are filling up fast and we must make a decision by tomorrow to be sure. Don't know yet if we can have the cabin without a tour -- some lines hold back some cabins for tour folks only. Don't know if Celebrity does this or not.

 

Our cruise ends in Whittier, so we'll do a Prince William Sound cruise and then take the train or bus to Anchorage that night, where we'll pick-up our rental car the next day. We're driving the "loop" and then ending in Seward right before flying home.

 

How do we figure out the logistics, like getting from ship to Seward hotel and around Seward, getting from Seward hotel to train (to Anchorage), from Anchorage train stop to car rental place... Is it all "take a taxi"? Or walk, with luggage?

 

What is the "loop." We're thinking that if we spend time in the Seward and Denali areas, then return to Anchorage that will fill the 7 days (includes debark day and depart for home on 9:30pm flight day) we have.

 

We are lucky to have secured free frequent flyer tickets on Delta. We'd have to check to see if we could extend our time in AK, but can't count on it.

[bbjaspan]

fti,

Thank you so much for the good insights that really hit the spot! I'm thinking we will do this if we can keep our cabin without the land tour. Spending time in Seward and Denali areas should fill all our time and we will probably then not get to Fairbanks (as we would on the tour). Is anything is Fairbanks a must see?

[bbjaspan]

Cruising dfl,

Thank you, thank you. Since we are only 2, we will certainly rent in Anchorage. Does the train arrive downtown or near airport? How should we get from train to car rental place with luggage?

[NancyIL]

NancyIL,

How do we figure out the logistics, like getting from ship to Seward hotel and around Seward, getting from Seward hotel to train (to Anchorage), from Anchorage train stop to car rental place... Is it all "take a taxi"? Or walk, with luggage?

 

I haven't been to Seward before, so I'm not sure of the logistics. My understanding is that taxis are very reasonable, and depending on where you stay - it's a very walkable town. Or as fti said, you could rent from Hertz in Seward just for getting around town while you are there, and then take the train to Anchorage. I know that people who take the 11:30 a.m. Kenai Fjords cruise followed by the evening train to Anchorage somehow (taxi?) drop off their luggage at the train station, go on the cruise, and then the company operating the cruise takes the people to the train depot. The train arrives in downtown Anchorage about 10:15 p.m., so I would recommend taking a taxi to your Anchorage hotel. Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, and U_Save all have downtown car rental locations.

 

What is the "loop." We're thinking that if we spend time in the Seward and Denali areas, then return to Anchorage that will fill the 7 days (includes debark day and depart for home on 9:30pm flight day) we have.

 

You certainly can fill 7 days between Seward and Denali. However, as of right now - my plan is to go to Anchorage for 1 night after our PWS cruise, drive east on the Glenn Highway to the Copper Center area for 2 nights (with daytrip down to Valdez), drive north on the Richardson via Fairbanks to Healy for 2 nights (to visit Denali), back to Anchorage on the Parks Highway for 1 night (that completes the loop), down to Seward for 2 nights, then back to Anchorage for 1 night before our morning flight home. That will take us 9 days. Most people don't recommend that type of "marathon" driving trip - but it's what I want to do.

 

We are lucky to have secured free frequent flyer tickets on Delta. We'd have to check to see if we could extend our time in AK, but can't count on it.

 

We're using FF miles on American, and I can change travel dates (but not routing) without paying a change fee. I believe Delta charges $50/ticket to make any date changes.

[fti]

Our agent tells us that cabins and tours are filling up fast and we must make a decision by tomorrow to be sure. Don't know yet if we can have the cabin without a tour -- some lines hold back some cabins for tour folks only. Don't know if Celebrity does this or not.

 

I am pretty sure you can book the cruise now to secure that, then if you decide to do the landtour, you can sign up for that later.

 

How do we figure out the logistics, like getting from ship to Seward hotel and around Seward, getting from Seward hotel to train (to Anchorage), from Anchorage train stop to car rental place... Is it all "take a taxi"? Or walk, with luggage?

 

If you are taking the train or bus from Whittier to Anchorage and renting a car there to drive to Denali, why not keep the car and drive to Seward as well? Car rental rates for 5, 6, or 7 days are usually the same. And it will probably end up cheaper than taking a round trip train from Anchorage to Seward. Another option that would require a bit of searching on this board for the taxi service, but would eliminate some backtracking is to go directly from Whittier to Seward. Some company offers this service. Then take a train from Seward to Anchorage and rent the car there just for Denali. Saves time in that you don't backtrack on the Kenai Peninsula but the transportation costs will probably be more with this option. But with your limited time, it might be the best plan.

 

Thank you, thank you. Since we are only 2, we will certainly rent in Anchorage. Does the train arrive downtown or near airport? How should we get from train to car rental place with luggage?

 

The train arrives near downtown. You can take a taxi from the train depot to the car rental location. Be sure to book the car at the downtown office for two reasons - it is closer if you are arriving by train and it is much cheaper.

 

I am also on a Delta frequent flyer ticket for next year but only doing land tour - Denali, Seward and Katmai NP.

[NancyIL]

If you are taking the train or bus from Whittier to Anchorage and renting a car there to drive to Denali, why not keep the car and drive to Seward as well? Car rental rates for 5, 6, or 7 days are usually the same. And it will probably end up cheaper than taking a round trip train from Anchorage to Seward.

The OP would be on a northbound Celebrity cruise that ends in Seward, so no worries about getting from Whittier to Seward.

 

The train arrives near downtown. You can take a taxi from the train depot to the car rental location. Be sure to book the car at the downtown office for two reasons - it is closer if you are arriving by train and it is much cheaper.

Since the train arrives in the evening, and none of the downtown rental car locations are open late, I would take a taxi from the train station to the hotel that night and pick-up the rental car in the morning. For what it would cost to park a rental car at a downtown hotel overnight, you could pay for a taxi to the rental car location in the a.m.

[fti]

The OP would be on a northbound Celebrity cruise that ends in Seward, so no worries about getting from Whittier to Seward.

 

Oops. I was reading his italic quotes of your trip as being his trip. Sorry.

[NancyIL]

Oops. I was reading his italic quotes of your trip as being his trip. Sorry.

 

That's ok - but I get the feeling the OP is a "she"! Guess we'll have to wait to see who is right. :)

[bbjaspan]

Got to clear up the confusion --

 

1) I'm a she, definitely. Will be traveling with my husband.

2) My understanding is that our Celebrity cruise ends in Seward, not Whittier.

 

We're definitely thinking, forget the tour, do it on our own. Our next task is quickly deciding how many days to spend on land, because it looks like there are still ff seats on Delta for us to stay a day or two longer. (Delta is holding our current seats until tomorrow, so we can still change wo penalty.

 

Is it worth spending a day/night in Fairbanks? What are best sightseeing options there?

[fti]

Got to clear up the confusion --

 

1) I'm a she, definitely. Will be traveling with my husband.

2) My understanding is that our Celebrity cruise ends in Seward, not Whittier.

 

We're definitely thinking, forget the tour, do it on our own. Our next task is quickly deciding how many days to spend on land, because it looks like there are still ff seats on Delta for us to stay a day or two longer. (Delta is holding our current seats until tomorrow, so we can still change wo penalty.

 

Is it worth spending a day/night in Fairbanks? What are best sightseeing options there?

 

Personally, great choice to do the independent tour. As Budget Queen would say, you often hear of those on cruisetours saying they wish they had done it on their own. You never hear of someone doing it on their own saying they wish they had taken a cruisetour!

 

Yes, Celebrity ends in Seward. That makes a night in Seward very nice, affordable (no transportation costs to get to Seward), and a worthwhile place to spend a day or two. Some places in Seward don't accept reservations for next year yet so my suggestion would be to book something that you can hold now and cancel later on while you continue to pursue other better/cheaper/closer options once other place start accepting reservations for 2007.

 

I have only been to Fairbanks once and unfortunately it literally was only a jumping off point to get to/from Denali. I arrived into Fairbanks late and left early the next day both nights. Hopefully others will chime in or else do an advanced search for threads with Fairbanks in the title. I think there is plenty to do there and near there. The question is how much you want to be traveling. If it were me, I would probably spend more time at Denali and south. There is so much to do there - Seward, Anchorage, Talkeetna is worth a stop of at least several hours (some spend the night), and Denali. If you have the money, rather than Fairbanks, I would suggest doing a flightseeing tour from Talkeetna to Mt. McKinley. You can get 2-for-1 in the toursaver book (assuming they have that coupon next year). Book it for your way to Denali so that if it gets cancelled due to weather, you will have the chance to do it again on the way back to Anchorage.

[cruising dfl]

I agree -- great choice to do your own thing! And definitely add on an extra day or two if you can. We used Delta FF miles to fly open jaw into Vancouver and out of Anchorage. Are you sailing on the Summit as well? If so, we loved the ship.

 

There are so many wonderful resources on this board -- everyone has great suggestions. And you'll find that tripadvisor.com will be good for cross-checking the hotel options as well.

 

I can't recommend strongly enough that you hang out in Seward before taking the train up to Anchorage to pick up your car. I think there was a 6-ish am train (our tablemates all took this on debarkation day) and an evening train. I would at least stay the night in Seward and leave the next am, which would give you plenty of time for the Sea Life Center and either Exit Glacier or a Kenai Cruise, but not both. (I would do all 3, personally, and leave on the next evening train if you can make enough time.)

 

If you choose Exit Glacier, you may be better off staying near the port and taking a cab from your hotel to the Sea Life Center and back, b/c you can take a van to the Exit Glacier from the port area. If you choose Kenai, you can take a cab to a hotel near the center/downtown and then back the next day for your train. (The train/port is not far from downtown, Seward is not a big city, but you may not want to walk it unless you REALLY ate a lot on the cruise.)

 

As for Fairbanks, we didn't make it up there, but I'm sure you'll get replies from people who have. And we enjoyed our little stop in Talkeetna, but I wouldn't stay the night there unless it really works out for you time-wise or you want to take a McKinley flight from there.

[bbjaspan]

Thank you all SO MUCH!! You have really made a difference in our plans and I am so much more excited about this trip for it. This board is amazing!

[NancyIL]

Got to clear up the confusion --

 

1) I'm a she, definitely. Will be traveling with my husband.

2) My understanding is that our Celebrity cruise ends in Seward, not Whittier.

 

We're definitely thinking, forget the tour, do it on our own. Our next task is quickly deciding how many days to spend on land, because it looks like there are still ff seats on Delta for us to stay a day or two longer. (Delta is holding our current seats until tomorrow, so we can still change wo penalty.

 

Is it worth spending a day/night in Fairbanks? What are best sightseeing options there?

 

1) I knew it ;)

2) I knew it :D

 

I'm really glad you are going to plan your own land trip! If I could recommend one book that has been invaluable to me, it's Frommer's Alaska by Charles Wohlforth. The 2007 edition is due out at the end of November, so in the meantime you might want to borrow a copy from the library and wait to buy the latest edition. Another book that is great, especially for the cruise, is Alaska By Cruise Ship by Anne Vipond. It has lots of photographs and maps.

 

I had a hotel reserved for several nights in Fairbanks, but when I added a few extra days for the land part and decided to go to Seward in addition to driving the loop - the overnight in Fairbanks became a place to stop for a few hours on the way to Denali.

 

The Holiday Inn Express in Seward is accepting reservations for 2007, but it's expensive. Others here have already booked the Alaska Saltwater Lodge, too.

[bbjaspan]

1) I knew it ;)

2) I knew it :D

 

I'm really glad you are going to plan your own land trip! If I could recommend one book that has been invaluable to me, it's Frommer's Alaska by Charles Wohlforth. The 2007 edition is due out at the end of November, so in the meantime you might want to borrow a copy from the library and wait to buy the latest edition. Another book that is great, especially for the cruise, is Alaska By Cruise Ship by Anne Vipond. It has lots of photographs and maps.

 

I had a hotel reserved for several nights in Fairbanks, but when I added a few extra days for the land part and decided to go to Seward in addition to driving the loop - the overnight in Fairbanks became a place to stop for a few hours on the way to Denali.

 

The Holiday Inn Express in Seward is accepting reservations for 2007, but it's expensive. Others here have already booked the Alaska Saltwater Lodge, too.

 

I've actually got a stack of books here from the library, as well as the AAA Alaska book, but as you can tell I haven't hit them yet. The books are:

1) Yes, Frommer's Alaska 2006

2) Fodor's Alaska 2005

3) lone planet Alaska (April 2006)

4) Alaska Off the Beaten Path (2004)

5) The Rough Guide to Alaska (May 2004)

No, I don't think I will study them all. :-)

 

I assume the Alaska by Cruise Ship will give tips for excursions, cruise and private, in the different ports, which will be very useful.

 

We're just beginning to crack the ice on this big plan. Guess the steps are --

o First, figure out what places we want to see, what things to do

o That will lead us to where to stay and how long

o Adjust our plane reservation, if necessary

o Find hotels, make reservations, even if tentative, as you say... This will include a couple of days in Vancouver as well as post cruise

o Reserve a car

o Research and reserve tours, guides, excursions, etc. for both cruise shore days and post cruise trip, including the shuttle bus at Denali, etc.

o Compile a list of recommended eating places

 

Do we need to / can we reserve the train ride from Seward to Anchorage?

 

Wow! This really is a project!

[NancyIL]

You are well on your way to planning a great trip! One suggestion - car rental rates have already gone up quite a bit since I first reserved a car with Hertz last June for next June, so I recommend guessing when you will travel from Seward to Anchorage and reserving your rental car for the following morning. You'll save a chunk of money in taxes if you pick-up the car at a downtown Anchorage location (Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, U_Save) rather than at the airport. You can drop-off the car at the airport at no extra charge with Hertz and Avis, and for $40 more with Enterprise (but Enterprise was STILL $100 less than my Hertz reservation even with the extra $40 fee).

 

Frommer's Alaska has some itinerary suggestions in chapter 2 that are quite helpful. Alaska By Cruise Ship has a little bit about choosing an Alaskan cruise, but its emphasis is on the ports themselves, as well as most of the areas you will visit on a land tour. It doesn't recommend excursions with specific companies as Frommer's does, but gives the highlights of what you will see in various ports.

[fti]

We're just beginning to crack the ice on this big plan. Guess the steps are --

o First, figure out what places we want to see, what things to do

o That will lead us to where to stay and how long

o Adjust our plane reservation, if necessary

o Find hotels, make reservations, even if tentative, as you say... This will include a couple of days in Vancouver as well as post cruise

o Reserve a car

o Research and reserve tours, guides, excursions, etc. for both cruise shore days and post cruise trip, including the shuttle bus at Denali, etc.

o Compile a list of recommended eating places

 

Do we need to / can we reserve the train ride from Seward to Anchorage?

 

Wow! This really is a project!

 

Yes you can and yes you should reserve the train in advance. You don't want to be stranded in Seward for an extra day. www.akrr.com is their site.

 

My suggested order would be:

 

o First, figure out what places we want to see, what things to do

o That will lead us to where to stay and how long

o Adjust our plane reservation, if necessary

o Reserve a car

o Find hotels, make reservations, even if tentative, as you say... This will include a couple of days in Vancouver as well as post cruise

o Research and reserve tours, guides, excursions, etc. for both cruise shore days and post cruise trip, including the shuttle bus at Denali, etc.

o Compile a list of recommended eating places

 

As NancyIL said, once you have the plane resevations set, reserve the car. Besure to try and judge your car rental dates, pick up times and size of car that you want as closely as possible. If you don't change the reservation, your rate is guaranteed. But if you make changes a few weeks or months from now, your rate can and probably will change. Once the car rental is done, then work on reserving hotels.

 

Actually, if you look at how much time you have spent so far and how far you have already gotten, I would say that you are making excellent progress!

 

Once you get tentative reservations in place, then you can relax a bit as you pursue other options. Note that for a hotel in Vancouver, I suggest you make a tentative reservation but then try to get a better price at a nice hotel using priceline.com. You can probably save 30-50% if you can live with knowing which part of the city and which quality level hotel you are getting but not knowing the exact name of the hotel until you pay. I do it all the time and save a lot that way. Anchorage is tough with priceline in the summer since the hotels have no need to discount their rooms in the summer when they are at or near capacity anyway.

 

Some on this board have also suggested using priceline for your car rental. You can certainly try though my experience with priceline and cars is that I can find it cheaper than priceline on my own.