Cruise and Train Vacations

Adding a Train Trip to Your Alaska Cruise

The Alaska Railroad tracks run north from Seward, stretching 470 miles through Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Denali National Park to Fairbanks. The two primary cruise ports are in Whittier and Seward. You can easily take the train to or from your cruise ship in both communities.

If you are traveling on a northbound cruise, you can catch the train to Anchorage in the evening from either Seward or Whittier. Both train departures are great for those wanting to catch a day cruise to see the glaciers and wildlife out of either port after disembarking their cruise ship. To continue north beyond Anchorage by rail you will need to overnight and catch the northbound Denali Star train the following morning.

If you prefer to disembark the cruise ship and go directly north to either Talkeetna or Denali National Park, you can book a seat on the Park Connection Motorcoach. This is the only scheduled service available that gets your from a cruise port to those two locations in one day.

If you are cruising southbound and want to tour by train before your Alaska cruise, plan to fly into either Anchorage or Fairbanks. Anchorage has the largest airport in Alaska, and most travelers choose that option. From Anchorage you can take the train directly to either Seward or Whittier. You can also add a short three-day land tour north to Denali National Park before your cruise.  You can enjoy traveling by train on the way to Denali Park. When you’re headed south again, travel by motorcoach takes just a day (by train it would require an overnight in Anchorage).

Does this sound like a lot of logistics to consider? We can help! Our reservation agents are here to book not only your train or motorcoach transfers, but can arrange complete pre- and post-cruise land packages as well.