The most popular way visitors experience the railroad is by signing up for a shore excursion on one of the many cruise ships that call at Skagway, the line’s headquarters and southern terminus. They can also be booked in advance directly with the railroad. With few exceptions, however, the big boats all arrive in the morning and leave the same evening, leaving precious little time to take in more than one White Pass adventure.
If a (highly recommended) ride behind steam is on your wish list for 2016, you need to select a ship that is scheduled to be in port on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays (except July 1) from May 20 through Sept. 9. The round trips those days operate just over the Canadian border to a loop turnaround just south of Fraser, where the locomotive also takes on water for the return journey. Passengers are not allowed to get off, but there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy stack music on the challenging uphill grades from open platforms at the ends of each car.
A more interesting way to get to Skagway is the Alaska Marine Highway System of carferries. The M.V. Matanuska and M.V. Columbia provide weekly sailings to and from Prince Rupert, B.C., and Bellingham, Wash., respectively; those ships and two smaller vessels together offer daily passage between Skagway and Juneau, the nearby state capital. They certainly don’t provide as many creature comforts that cruise ship passengers enjoy, but staterooms are comfortable, the food in the cafeteria is hearty and varied, and there is ample deck space to take in gobs of fresh air as the ferry slips between islands along the Inside Passage.
For instance, there were only a handful of August 2015 dates in which traveling by rail and sea from Vancouver could be accomplished without staying more than one night in Jasper, Alta., Prince George, B.C., and Prince Rupert hotels between riding VIA Rail Canada’s tri-weekly Canadian, VIA’s now-unnamed, tri-weekly Jasper-Prince George-Prince Rupert train (which does not make a same-day connection with either the eastbound or westbound Canadian), and the Marine Highway’s once-weekly Matanuska out of Prince Rupert.
Planning gets still more complicated if opting for VIA’s “Touring Class” with at-seat meals in a full-length, single level dome between Jasper and Prince Rupert because the one car assigned to the tri-weekly service only runs every other trip in each direction from June 15 through the end of September. Given this year’s connections, that means travelers wishing to duplicate in 2016 the Vancouver-Skagway rail-water journey Trains took last year would have to leave Vancouver every other Friday beginning June 17. Good luck!
Some additional information about travel to Skagway: I am not aware of “float-equipped commuter planes” from Juneau but have traveled on landplanes that use the runway at both ends – they could be six-seat or larger aircraft (Cherokees and/or Cessna Caravans). Note that their are no IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) aids on this route, so all flights must be in VFR (Visual Flight Rules) conditions and are sometimes subject to weather delays.
The most reliable way to fly into this area is via Whitehorse (the airport is equipped for IFR operations) and then take the White Pass bus (the station is the actual White Pass Railroad station downtown, a very short taxi ride from the airport). Or, rent a car – there is at least one car rental agency with a counter right at the airport.
But whatever you do, go ride the White Pass and do the longest run to Carcross if you can. The scenery varies almost constantly on the entire route and is quite spectacular!
The key book for Alaska travel is “The Milepost”. It covers all the travel routes, local details, etc. It is also a great read. I’ve been to and from Alaska by every means but a cruise ship, and the ferries are the best!
I had the pleasure of taking the Skagway train in July 2015. It was a rare beautiful sunny morning in Skagway and as we made our way up the mountains, we could see the harbor and all the cruise ships lined up! Our day trip was made especially memorable as our am bus to the train was waiting for us after we crossed the border. We continued to Carcross and even further north in the Yukon Territory to our luncheon adventure. I must say it was a well run wide spot in the road that served lunch to all the tourists. Included was a gift shop, museum, ice cream store, and of course a very nice lunch. I was just elated to say that I was in the Yukon Territory! Our driver, once loaded back on the bus after lunch, drove even further north to Emerald Lake. After that we began our run back south, stopping in Carcross (it was raining by this time), and then back to Skagway. The RR is not for anyone with motion sickness: it is a ride that will really shake you up! But persevere and have yourself one hack of a memorable day! I know I did! So glad to this The White Pass & Yukon RR featured in TRAIN magazine too!