skagway

[gottacruz]

hi guys,
will be in skagway from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and was planning to take a tour, on the train. Tour 1, is railroad, yukon and lake bennett from 7:45 a.m. for 9 hrs, tour 2, Yukon exploration and white pass scenic railway which leaves at 8:30 a.m. for 8 hrs. Which tour has better secnery, and when the bus gets back to skagway, would like to wander about the town, take pictures, shop and I've heard about the skagway fish company restaurante, will there be enough time to do it all? I WANT IT ALL, I WANT IT ALL! Years ago, went on the train up the mountian and back, now i would like to do a little more sightseeing and taking pictures.
Thanks for your input.

thanks,
virginia

[Donna]

I've only done the train and will most likely do it again. I've heard that you get the most scenery that way, but with a bus one way, you get a different view?? As long as you get part of the train, I think that would be the way to go.

[My2cents]

I took the white pass RR's 3 1/2 hr tour last week (in Skagway). The train went 7 miles into Canada (across the "white pass") before turning around for the return to Skagway. I took the earliest 8:00 am ride and only the train went into Canada - the afternoon excursion did not. There was lots of snow in the actual white pass/Canada portion, which was pretty to see.

I would not have enjoyed a ride of longer duration, as the train seats are not very comfortable and 3 1/2 hours of scenery was enough for me.

Many passengers on my ship rented cars or took tour bus excursions and I saw those folks making scenic stops along the highway that follows the RR tracks. They were able to take beautiful pictures that weren't possible from the moving train...in addition, there was a tall tree line blocking the view from the train much of the way up...so no pictures. In a nutshell, I'd do the bus tour or rent a car if I had it to do over. The advantage of a tour bus or the train is commentary on the surroundings. So, bus for me next time. When we returned from the RR trip, downtown Skagway was a 15 minute stroll and the sun had come out and it was great fun. This was the only time I did not need to bundle up/wear a jacket.

Have fun.

Have fun.

[Karen16]

If you are a rail fan, the Lake Bennett trip is not to be missed. Gets consistant raves. This is a great option as it's a one way train ride, getting much farther than the regular run.

[subtropic]

The bus tour over the pass goes through a little bit of B.C. Canada and then into the Yukon to Carcross which was an interesting stop (Yes it was snowing in the pass in mid June !)