My previous posts have described my four-day trip on the Alaska Ferry from Prince Rupert, British Columbia to Skagway, Alaska. It was a great trip with beautiful scenery all along the way. Here are some options for before and after the ferry ride.
Getting to Prince Rupert
1. If you are starting in the lower 48 states, you can board the ferry at Bellingham, Washington. This would be a wonderful trip, but long. Be sure to book way in advance and get a cabin.
2. If you are coming from southwestern Canada, you can board the British Columbia ferry system at Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. In Prince Rupert, the B.C. Ferry terminal and the Alaska ferry terminal are very close together and you can easily walk from one to the other. I have rode this section of the trip a few years ago and it is a nice trip in its own right.
3. Of course, you can drive to Prince Rupert from anywhere in North America. Use this option if you wish to bring your vehicle to Alaska with you.
4. Finally, there is always public transportation with busses or aeroplanes from anywhere in the world. The closest major cities to the east are Prince George, British Columbia and Edmonton, Alberta. There is an airport in Prince Rupert and you can fly there but it may be quite expensive. I have not checked the prices on that. You could fly to Edmonton or Prince George and then take a bus.
When you get to Skagway
At Skagway, after your trip, you have several more options as to what to do next.
1. You could board a different ferry and go all the way to the Kenai Peninsula, near Anchorage or even as far as the Aleutian Islands. What a great trip that would be. It is on my bucket list.
2. You could drive overland from Skagway to Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon Territory. This involves driving over the White Pass which is a high mountain road. This can be dangerous during winter if the weather is bad. The weather has been good lately and this is the option that I took. More about the White Pass in my next post.
3. Finally, you could spend a day or two in Skagway and then take the ferry back to Prince Rupert. You don t have to have a special destination. The ferry ride in itself is a great little holiday. Skagway is a very interesting place with a lot of history from the gold rush days. A very nice place to spend a day touring the historic buildings and seeing the museum.
Alaska Ferry trip summary
Riding the Alaska Ferry is a great experience. I saw beautiful scenery, a whale, sea otters, and lots of birds. I also toured Sitka and Juneau when the ferry stopped there. The ferry often stops for three hours or more in port and that is ample time for a quick visit into town. Cruise ships take the same route at a cost of thousands of dollars more than the price of the ferry. Driving to Alaska is also I great experience. I have done that in the past. Another option is to drive to Alaska on the Alaska Highway and take the ferry back. Wherever you go, I am sure that you will enjoy your time on the Alaska Ferry. I highly recommend it.