Anchorage Alaska to Vancouver by road

Can someone tell me how long it takes to drive from Anchorage to Vancouver and what the road trip is like in terms of scenery and things to do? Travelling in July.

Anchorage Alaska to Vancouver by road

Hi, how long very much depends on how many hours your drive each day, the kind of vehicle (it%26#39;s more tiring in a large RV than in a sedan, for example), the speed you drive, the road construction, etc. As a general rule, if you allow a week, you will have plenty of time for sightseeing and activity stops and not having to push hard any day.

The scenery is absolutely stunning in many places and somewhat boring in others (there are some long, flat farm areas). I used to do the drive a couple of times a year and loved it for the scenery and peacefulness. Would happily hop in the car and do it any time.

There are various things to do along the way - like most popular highways, there are lots of businesses set up to cater to the tourist.

I suggest you get a copy of the Milepost - it%26#39;s the best book for driving the roads between the %26#39;Lower 48%26#39; and Alaska and includes routes to Vancouver. I%26#39;m not sure where in Australia you would find it but it is available on Amazon and is about US$20. The Milepost covers the highways in almost minute detail.

Hope this helps!

Anchorage Alaska to Vancouver by road

To put a number on it, it%26#39;s about 45 hours of behind-the-wheel time.

It%26#39;s give or take about 2300 miles on primarily two lane road and some of it is slow going if you are behind a truck, etc. Don%26#39;t count on averaging over about 40 miles an hour in July because the road is also busiest then with RVs and other vacation travelers along with, of course, the usual stops for meals and breaks. If you stop much more or take short side trips, you need to add on time. All that said, it is a great trip and well worth the time.

%26gt;%26gt;Don%26#39;t count on averaging over about 40 miles an hour in July ...%26lt;%26lt;

That just ain%26#39;t true except in construction areas and some rough spots around the Alaska-Yukon border. Most of the highway can be driven at 60mph+ no problem.

Well 2,300 miles / 45 hours is an average of about 50 mph :-)

I must beg to disagree with the post above - while there is a lot of the highway that can be driven at over 60 mph, if you think about AVERAGE speed over a day with construction, stops for meals, etc., it isn%26#39;t much better than 40-50 mph so it is better to plan on the lower end of the scale. I%26#39;ve sat at construction holds in Canada for as much as three hours - kills your average if you are planning on 60 MPH average for the day or you end up driving way too fast or quite late. While I%26#39;m sure the poster above has driven the highway quite a lot, I, too, have actually driven the entire route you are driving nearly a dozen times and it is hard to do better if you are a visitor, want to stop for meals and not just eat in the car, and don%26#39;t like to pass when you aren%26#39;t comfortable with how far you can see - easier for those who know the road and know what is ahead, not so easy for those on the highway for the first time or who don%26#39;t travel it very often. It%26#39;s also easier to have a better AVERAGE speed in a car but we don%26#39;t know what kind of vehicle they are driving. Besides, who wants to be in that kind of rush on holiday? Better to plan a slower rate and arrive at your destination for the night a bit early than to end up driving until 9 or 10 every night because you also stop to enjoy the scenery, visit an attraction, etc. unless, of course, you enjoy driving until later in the evening. Therefore, I say plan on an average rate of 40 mph or a bit more and you won%26#39;t end up having to pass by places you might like to stop to see and you won%26#39;t feel stressed because you did stop and now are late to get to your overnight stop. At 40 mph, you have time to stop a bit each day because this allows for the trip to take about 7 days driving 8 hours each day - odds are you%26#39;ll do much better some days but certainly not much worse (unless you get one of those horrible construction delays - keep some water, etc. in your vehicle as it can be hot in July and sitting in the sun waiting for the construction can be pretty miserable). Also try to get an accurate list of the construction planned for the dates of your travel - the AAA here in the States can provide maps with construction information and, as I recall, the Milepost gives telephone numbers and addresses for the various provincial and state offices to get the information.

Most of this is, of course, a matter of preference. You can drive the route in 3 days if you drive 18 hours a day and don%26#39;t stop much except for sleep. So the bottom line is that it is a minimum of 3 days if you stop for sleep, a comfortable week and, of course, you can take much longer if you like to stop a lot, drive shorter days, etc. If you are in an RV/camper, you will need to stop quite early or have reservations for each night because the RV parks fill up by 4 PM or so at the latest in the summer.

Hope this helps.

%26gt;%26gt;Well 2,300 miles / 45 hours is an average of about 50 mph%26lt;%26lt;

And 2300 miles at 40 mph = 57.5 hours, an extra day and a half or 2 days on the road. After 17 years running buses on that route, I can tell you that even on the old highway in the %26#39;90s if I averaged 40mph I would have very quickly been looking for a new job.

Murray

Hi, Murray - I understand you were a professional driver who knew the road, wasn%26#39;t interested in taking an hour for lunch, had all the information on construction, didn%26#39;t slow down or stop every few miles just to look at the view, etc. Your job was to make the best time you could over your route and it seems you were very good at it. But this just isn%26#39;t the same way visitors drive. I think most folks visiting our great countries and spending the time and money driving the highway want to feel free to slow down and/or stop when they see a beautiful view, stop for attractions along the way (it%26#39;s a shame to drive past the license plates - you can easily spend an hour there), stop at interesting places for lunch and maybe take a stroll. There are so many great spots to pull off the road and take a walk to a gorgeous vista - I always remember to stop at the Devil%26#39;s Cauldron - it takes a little time to get down the little provincial park road and then walk to the viewpoint but it%26#39;s well worth it. This all leads to a great and relaxed trip but it does take time - you simply can%26#39;t average 55 or 60 miles an hour traveling in this way. I recall talking to visitors on the highway who were taking two weeks plus to do the drive...that%26#39;s luxurious but it isn%26#39;t uncommon.

I%26#39;m talking about DRIVING speed, you%26#39;re talking about a miles-per-day average. That%26#39;s why I began by saying 45 hours BEHIND THE WHEEL. On tour, 250 miles in a day was a very long day - in my car, 900 miles is.

Yep, we have been talking apples and oranges probably. Like you, if my goal is point-to-point, I do 800-900 miles in a day if necessary but I wouldn%26#39;t like to do that alone on the Alask Highway - that would be a long and tiring day indeed. I just hope the OP has a great trip and is able to have sufficient time to truly enjoy it!