Trip to Alaska - RV-Dreams Community Forum

rcostes3 · RV-Dreams Community Member

Trip to Alaska

DRV · RV-Dreams Family Member

Robert,

I remember reading a recent post on driving to Alaska. I found the thread and saw someone posted a blog on their Alaska trip in the thread. I don't know if all your questions will be answered, but a good place to start.

http://www.rv-dreams.activeboard.com/t56646465/going-to-alaska/

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Robert,

First of all, welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You will find the folks here to be very knowledgeable, but I don't know how many may have traveled to Alaska via ferry. Most write of going by land. However, it is still possible that someone can give you a more definitive answer.

Otherwise, use the "Search" feature in the blue bar above and type in "Alaska." When I did that, it came up with 18 different threads with Alaska being a part of the discussion, most of which were specifically for Alaska.

Good luck and enjoy the trip. All we've done so far was cruise up on Royal Caribbean and take a land tour as well. Nothing done in an RV that way.

Terry

Jo and Ben · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome to the forum! You might want to contact the Alaska Marine Highway directly to find out how far in advance they advise you to make a reservation based on the size of your rig. We took the ferry but it was 14 years ago so my info would be obsolete :)

rcostes3 · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thank you all for your tips on finding the information I'm looking for. (I'm new to this concept of Blogging so I'm not sure I posted this "Thank You" in the right place.)

Robert

Jo And Craig · RV-Dreams Family Member

Here's the link to the Alaska Marine Highway. You shouldn't have any problems. Just note that certain routes operate on specific days/times. http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml

John Bridge · RV-Dreams Community Member

I have not used the marine highway, but I've driven to Alaska and back twice, once in 2007 and again in 2011. I never made a reservation for places to stay, and you won't have to either if you don't mind not having a hookup once in a while. Many RV parks along the way have "dry" lots for overflow campers.

Camp sites are usually spacious in the countryside but very close together (parking lots) in or near major cities both in Canada and Alaska. In Canada the provincial parks are a good bet for smaller rigs. Electric hookups are sometimes only 20 amps (if that), and Internet is sketchy.

The condition of the Alaska Highway would take at least another post and possibly a book.

P.S. Skagway is great little town to embark on your road trip from. You will need a reservation there. blankstare

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry and Jo wrote:
Robert,
First of all, welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You will find the folks here to be very knowledgeable, but I don't know how many may have traveled to Alaska via ferry. Most write of going by land. However, it is still possible that someone can give you a more definitive answer.
Otherwise, use the "Search" feature in the blue bar above and type in "Alaska." When I did that, it came up with 18 different threads with Alaska being a part of the discussion, most of which were specifically for Alaska.
Good luck and enjoy the trip. All we've done so far was cruise up on Royal Caribbean and take a land tour as well. Nothing done in an RV that way.
Terry

Terry did you come back on the train through the mountains? I heard of people going up on the ship and coming back on the train. Supposed to be some nice scenery. That's what we'd like to see.

waltben · RV-Dreams Family Member

About three years stationed there and drove the ALCAN up and back when it was still mostly dirt. I'll tell you the best thing you can bring is about a case of the strongest insect repellant you can find - Deep Woods Off at the MINIMUM!

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

TRAILERKING wrote:
Terry and Jo wrote:
Robert,
First of all, welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You will find the folks here to be very knowledgeable, but I don't know how many may have traveled to Alaska via ferry. Most write of going by land. However, it is still possible that someone can give you a more definitive answer.
Otherwise, use the "Search" feature in the blue bar above and type in "Alaska." When I did that, it came up with 18 different threads with Alaska being a part of the discussion, most of which were specifically for Alaska.
Good luck and enjoy the trip. All we've done so far was cruise up on Royal Caribbean and take a land tour as well. Nothing done in an RV that way.
Terry
Terry did you come back on the train through the mountains? I heard of people going up on the ship and coming back on the train. Supposed to be some nice scenery. That's what we'd like to see.

Bernie,

No on taking the train back. What we had was like a 12 or 13 day cruise and land tour. One week was on the Vision of the Seas and the rest was mostly using a bus. We did take the train from Seward to Anchorage after we docked in Seward. That was like a 4 hour trip. Once in Anchorage, our transportation was by bus to various Anchorage points of interest and then to Denali National Park before ending up in Fairbanks. After that, we flew home.

After the trip for the six of us, we all pretty much determined that the next trip to Alaska, if we ever have one, we would fly up and rent either a car and stay in hotels/motels or rent an RV and stay in that. I never even thought about taking a train back to the U.S. I'd bet that would be interesting, but one would miss all the scenery while traveling at night.

Terry

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We, and many others, think that northern British Columbia and the Yukon, are an important part of the Alaska experience. When we talk about our RV trip in the summer of 2006, experiences in Canada are discussed about as much as experiences in Alaska itself. We drove up the Alaska Highway and came back via the Cassiar.

In 1999 we flew to Anchorage, rented a car and drove to my sister's house close to Kenai and visited for a week before driving to Seward and taking a 7 day cruise to Vancouver BC. That was also a great experience, but different than RVing Alaska and Canada.

rcostes3 · RV-Dreams Community Member

Re: John Bridge comments.

Did you ever stay in your RV at the Alaskan Forest Service Campgrounds?

Robert