Great Vacation in Alaska Home: Alaska Travel Information

Alaska Travel Information

Getting Around Once You Travel to Alaska

Once you get to Alaska, there are plenty of modes of travel to choose from. Alaskan travel is pretty simple actually.

As you look through this Alaska travel information, keep your personal travel preferences in mind.

If you are one that likes to leave all of the planning and driving up to someone else, then the tour bus option might be the best.

Those of you that like to be more spontaneous and do your own thing, then renting a car or an RV might be your best choice.

Whatever your preference is, the Alaska travel information (below) will help you make transportation plans for a truly great vacation in Alaska!

Driving

The majority of Alaskan tourists come via an Alaskan cruise, but there are definate advantages for those who have a vehicle, be it their own, a rental car or rented RV.

When you are driving, you set your own schedule and you get to go see exactly what you want to see.

Driving in Alaska is really no different than driving in any other state.

Alaska has more scenic highway than any other state in the country. Driving will let you see a lot of Alaska's road system.

At the same time, it is a simple road system. It is hard to get lost in South Central Alaska.

For example Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, has only two ways out of town. One highway to the south (leading to Seward) and the other heading north to destinations such as Wasilla, Talkeetna and Denali.

Bottom line...if you feel comfortable driving at home, you'll be comfortable driving in Alaska, as well!

Alaska Travel Information: Travel by Train

The Alaskan Railroad provides passenger service on it's 500-mile (800km) scenic route.

Tracks run from Seward to Fairbanks.

The views are breath-taking and the Alaska landscape is best when viewed through one of their double-decker glass-domed cars.

(Note: Not all of their cars are glass-domed so be sure of what type of train car you are booking)

Another exciting rail trip can be had on The White Pass & Yukon Route Scenic Railway.

This railway was built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush.

It's length is 110-miles (177km) and links Skagway Alaska to Whitehorse in the Yukon. It gave prospectors access to the gold fields.

Today White Pass offers narrated train rides in traditional parlor cars.

Train travel, overall, is a great part of any Alaskan travel plan.

Travel by Sea

Alaska has more coastline than all the rest of The United States combined. So it goes to reason, that there is no shortage of sea-based travel options.

Tour companies provide single and multi-day excusions to many ports within Alaska.

Additionally, The Alaska Marine Highway System provides a very dependable ferry system throughout the coastal alaska waters.

These ferries are capable of transporting your car or RV.

Alaska Travel Information: Van and Bus

There are various tour companies that offer both large and small transportation options to visitors during the summer....some offer limited year round service such as Alaskan Splendor and Eagle River Shuttle.

Anchorage Public Transportation and Taxis

Anchorage Alaska has a pretty nice bus system that transports passengers throughout the main thoroughfares of Anchorage, Eagle River and Eklutna. It is called the People Mover.

An area about an hour north of Anchorage, known as the Mat-Su Valley has a public transit system as well....known as MASCOT.

MASCOT provides weekday service between Palmer, Wasilla, and Anchorage during the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Air Taxis and Charters

There are regularly scheduled Alaska air taxi and air charter services that serve thousands of Alaskans and visitors each year.

These air services companies use propeller-driven "bush plans" to small communities and remote destinations throughout Alaska vast frontier.

Among many reasons to travel by small plane is to access a wilderness lodge, visit a Native community, a fly-out fishing trip or to just go "flight-seeing"!

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