Trips to Alaska by Rail

Amtrak

• While Amtrak does not have any direct rail service to Alaska, it does have several train/cruise packages. Visitors take an Amtrak train to Seattle or Vancouver and then board and Amtrak connected cruise to Alaska. Amtrak offers the Great Alaska Adventure, which includes a six day rail trip from San Francisco to Vancouver, followed by an 11 day cruise of Alaska's Inside Passage and then the Pacific Ocean and ending in San Diego. Amtrak also offers the Coast Starlight, a three-day train trip from Los Angeles to Seattle followed by a seven day cruise to Alaska. The Empire Builder is a three-day train trip from Chicago to Seattle followed by a seven-day cruise that includes Alaskan cities and sites such as Juneau and Glacier Bay National Park. Travelers can book all of these rail/cruise trips through Amtrak. Prices vary according to time of year, type of rail seating and cruise cabin and length of time, but prices start at around $4000 per person in September 2010.

  Amtrak

  60 Massachusetts Ave NE

  Washington, DC, 20002-4285

  800-872-7245

  amtrak.com

Alaska Railroad

• Another option is to travel by rail within Alaska. Travelers can fly to Anchorage, Fairbanks or Whittier and take one of the train trips offered by Alaska Railroad. Another option is to book your own cruise to Whittier or Seward and then book a rail trip through the Alaska Railroad. Many of the company's trips include hotel stays and meals. The National Parks by Rail trip includes a night at the beautiful Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. There are also rail trips through Denali National Park, from Anchorage to Fairbanks and between Seward and Anchorage. Prices range from $1,799 to $5,439 per person as of September 2010.

  Alaska Railroad

  327 W Ship Creek Ave

  Anchorage, AK 99501

  907-265-2300

  alaskarailroad.com

Rocky Mountaineer

• Canada's version of Amtrak, the Rocky Mountaineer, has several vacations that include rail trips through the Canadian Rockies and subsequent cruises to Alaska. Passengers begin their rail trips in Calgary and end them in Vancouver. The cruise portion of the vacation begins and ends in Vancouver. There are 13- day through 17-day experiences, with each trip including a seven day cruise to Alaska. The length of the rail trip varies by the length of stops in Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and Kamloops. Prices for the Rocky Mountaineer/cruise packages start at $3,299 per person as of September, 2010.

  Rocky Mountaineer

  101 - 369 Terminal Avenue

  Vancouver, British Columbia

  V6A 4C4 Canada

  877-460-3200

  rockymountaineer.com