Anchorage to Seward

To start a cruise in Seward I need to fly to Anchorage.
What is the best way to get to Seward?

We took the train.
"Miles" wrote in message
news:Qdp9g.1574$KB.1210@fed1read08...
To start a cruise in Seward I need to fly to Anchorage.
What is the best way to get to Seward?

We took the train.

"Miles" wrote in message
news:Qdp9g.1574$KB.1210@fed1read08...
To start a cruise in Seward I need to fly to Anchorage.
What is the best way to get to Seward?

The Alaska Railroad has service at 06:45 am..The arrival time in Seward is
around 11:15 am...It is a lovely scenic ride..we have taken it twice. Last
July, we took it from Seward on a Saturday morning and stayed at the fairly
new Holiday Inn in Seward which is a short walk from the train station...We
awakened the next morning to see the HAL Ryndam from our window waiting for
us..What a lovely sight..there was a marina filled with boats with the
mighty *R* docked next to it with snow capped mountains framing it all...I
love Alaska!

--Jean
P.S. I believe there is also bus service from Anchorage to Seward.

I guess you also stayed over night in Anchorage?
If so, where is a good place to stay?
Is the train station near the airport?
Thanks,
Dick



"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message . com...

"Miles" wrote: in message

To start a cruise in Seward I need to fly to Anchorage.
What is the best way to get to Seward?

The Alaska Railroad has service at 06:45 am..The arrival time in Seward is
around 11:15 am...It is a lovely scenic ride..we have taken it twice. Last
July, we took it from Seward on a Saturday morning and stayed at the fairly
new Holiday Inn in Seward which is a short walk from the train station...We
awakened the next morning to see the HAL Ryndam from our window waiting for
us..What a lovely sight..there was a marina filled with boats with the
mighty *R* docked next to it with snow capped mountains framing it all...I
love Alaska!

--Jean
P.S. I believe there is also bus service from Anchorage to Seward.

We arrived in Anchorage a week before our cruise, spent two days in Anchorage, rented a car and drove to Denali, stayed a few days, drove to Fairbanks for a night, returning to Anchorage two days before our train to Seward..It gave us a wonderful opportunity to visit little places on the way..Talkeneeta was one of the quaint and lovely stops..If you have the time, it is a great way to see Alaska this way.

Because of the proximity to the railroad station, we stayed at the Howard Johnson's at the top of the hill from the railroad station in Anchorage...It used to be a Holiday Inn when we stayed there the year before...It has a restaurant and the courtesy van will take you to the railroad station if you make arrangements the night before with the front desk..Just tip the driver...there is no charge for the courtesy van...at least there was none last year.

The airport is not near the train station and I believe the cost of a taxi to Howard Johnson's was $12. plus tip.

--Jean

take a cab from the airport to downtown. we stayed at homewood suites. then to the train station and a wonderful ride to seward

--
Sheree

Crown Princess 8/25/06

"Miles" wrote in message news0s9g.1588$KB.281@fed1read08...
I guess you also stayed over night in Anchorage?
If so, where is a good place to stay?
Is the train station near the airport?
Thanks,
Dick



"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message . com...

"Miles" wrote: in message

To start a cruise in Seward I need to fly to Anchorage.
What is the best way to get to Seward?

The Alaska Railroad has service at 06:45 am..The arrival time in Seward is
around 11:15 am...It is a lovely scenic ride..we have taken it twice. Last
July, we took it from Seward on a Saturday morning and stayed at the fairly
new Holiday Inn in Seward which is a short walk from the train station...We
awakened the next morning to see the HAL Ryndam from our window waiting for
us..What a lovely sight..there was a marina filled with boats with the
mighty *R* docked next to it with snow capped mountains framing it all...I
love Alaska!

--Jean
P.S. I believe there is also bus service from Anchorage to Seward.

Miles wrote:
To start a cruise in Seward I need to fly to Anchorage.
What is the best way to get to Seward?

I don't know why everyone who responded said the best way was
to take the 6:45 am train!

OTOH, I think I know why. Probably because the Old Bag who
has been there tells others so, and others follow suit.

It COULD be the best way for SOME folks, but here are some
reasons WHY it ain't the best for us (or any small group of two
to 4 passengers).

1. Getting up at ungodly hours to take ANYTHING at 6:45 am.

2. Have to take a cab to the train station, and then hire
porters to lug the big suitcases to the train.

3. What do you do when you get OFF the train at the other
end? More luggage lugging and cab ride to the pier? Or
pay the cruiseship for the transport?


My wife and I just rent a car on arrival to Anchorage, stay
overnight at the Hilton, use the rental car to go dinner and
see a little of Anchorage, and drop the car off leisurely the
next day at Seward, after seeing what little there is to see
in that little town. One-day car rental does it ALL!

You have a choice of ONE car rental company -- Hertz. No
other company has a one-way drop off at Seward. That's the
only downside to the car rental option. Hertz got ya by the
balls, if ya have any of those.

Otherwise, it's a great, 120 or so miles of scenic drive from
Anchorage to Seward, where you can stop enroute and look
at mountain goats, the river, and other flora and fauna on
the leisurely drive; drop off the luggage DIRECTLY from
the rental car to the metal bins for cruiseship passengers'
luggage, then go sightsee Seward G, and finally drop the
rental car off at a little hut right outside the cruiseship pier
terminal!!

What could be simpler and more leisurely and enjoyable?

Why didn't your travel agent know and tell you about this?
Why didn't Ray Goldenberg, with all his press releases, offer
you any help on this?


-- Dr. Bob. (aka Reef Fish).

That's interesting.
Thanks,
Dick


"Reef Fish" wrote in message ups.com...

Miles wrote:
To start a cruise in Seward I need to fly to Anchorage.
What is the best way to get to Seward?

I don't know why everyone who responded said the best way was
to take the 6:45 am train!

OTOH, I think I know why. Probably because the Old Bag who
has been there tells others so, and others follow suit.

It COULD be the best way for SOME folks, but here are some
reasons WHY it ain't the best for us (or any small group of two
to 4 passengers).

1. Getting up at ungodly hours to take ANYTHING at 6:45 am.

2. Have to take a cab to the train station, and then hire
porters to lug the big suitcases to the train.

3. What do you do when you get OFF the train at the other
end? More luggage lugging and cab ride to the pier? Or
pay the cruiseship for the transport?


My wife and I just rent a car on arrival to Anchorage, stay
overnight at the Hilton, use the rental car to go dinner and
see a little of Anchorage, and drop the car off leisurely the
next day at Seward, after seeing what little there is to see
in that little town. One-day car rental does it ALL!

You have a choice of ONE car rental company -- Hertz. No
other company has a one-way drop off at Seward. That's the
only downside to the car rental option. Hertz got ya by the
balls, if ya have any of those.

Otherwise, it's a great, 120 or so miles of scenic drive from
Anchorage to Seward, where you can stop enroute and look
at mountain goats, the river, and other flora and fauna on
the leisurely drive; drop off the luggage DIRECTLY from
the rental car to the metal bins for cruiseship passengers'
luggage, then go sightsee Seward G, and finally drop the
rental car off at a little hut right outside the cruiseship pier
terminal!!

What could be simpler and more leisurely and enjoyable?

Why didn't your travel agent know and tell you about this?
Why didn't Ray Goldenberg, with all his press releases, offer
you any help on this?


-- Dr. Bob. (aka Reef Fish).

Miles wrote:
That's interesting.


It has its plusses and minuses ... itinerary freedom is a plus, just
like having one of your party behind the wheel not completely free to
watch the scenery has to be a minus. Transferring via Hertz will run
you roughly $125 (more for a larger-than-econobox), assuming that its
even available for the day you want (they do sell out).


But insofar as the complaint about the early hour that the train runs,
it isn't necessarily anywhere near as burdensome as what was being
suggested because if you've just arrived the day before, your circadian
rhythms ("internal body clock") haven't yet adjusted to local time:

everyone arriving from the Lower48 is coming from 1-4 timezones to the
East, which makes it easier for them to wake up "early" in AK.

For example, for an Eastern Time Zone visitor, they've incurred a four
hour shift, so on their first morning in AK, that "ungodly" 6:45AM
train perceptually feels like a 10:45AM appointment.


-hh

-hh wrote:
Miles wrote:
That's interesting.


It has its plusses and minuses ...

Of course it does. I have stated the pluses are mostly for TWO or
more passengers travelling together.

itinerary freedom is a plus, just
like having one of your party behind the wheel not completely free to
watch the scenery has to be a minus.

A very minor minus, especially on the connecting highway where one
can STOP to observe or change driver.


Transferring via Hertz will run
you roughly $125 (more for a larger-than-econobox), assuming that its
even available for the day you want (they do sell out).

There shouldn't be a problem in sufficiently early booking. I griped
about the rental (two years ago) when it was almost $60. But for
2007 booking, the $125 figure is good for some midsize to full size
cars with 5 large pieces of luggage. Even so, dividing that amount
by 2 or 3, it should counter the cost for taxi + train + porter for the
same 2 or 3 passengers.

The convenience I mentioned of using the rental car for OTHER
minor sightseeing AND one 1-day rental does all is good enough
for my travel.

YMMV of course.

-- Bob.