Start from Fairbanks or Anchorage?

I will be traveling to Alaska on my own this coming September, and cost is the biggest issue for me. I have the option of flying into Fairbanks or Anchorage (I%26#39;m using my miles to get a free ticket), but I%26#39;m flying out of Anchorage at the end of my trip.

My plan is to visit the Denali National Park and then Kenai Fjords National Park during a one week trip there. Ideally my itinerary would be Anchorage/Fairbanks- Denali NP- Talkeetna- Seward- Anchorage

I realize that the train from Fairbanks to Denali National Park is cheaper and a lot of a shorter journey than it is from Anchorage, but is the Fairbanks- Denali NP scenery anything to go by, or should I really do Anchorage to Denali instead? And would it be much different to take a bus from Fairbanks instead? I haven%26#39;t planned to do anything in Fairbanks, but of course if anyone has any good suggestions!

The other thing I worry about starting from Fairbanks is the flight- I haven%26#39;t taken Alaksan Airlines before, are flight delays very common?

Thanks in advance!

Start from Fairbanks or Anchorage?

Hi snowshoe bunnie, welcome to the forum.

I gather you%26#39;ll be relying on public transport (train, bus) for your whole trip? Any chance you could rent a car for at least the Anchorage-Seward-Anchorage portion? Lots of things to see and do along the way.

Any special activities you plan to do? What are your interests (hiking, kayaking, fishing, goldpanning, wildlife, glaciers, museums, etc.)?

The Fairbanks to Denali scenery isn%26#39;t as nice as the rest you%26#39;ll be seeing, but I wouldn%26#39;t let that be a deciding factor in whether you go to Fairbanks or not.

Do you know what times/dates your planes arrive (say in Fairbanks) and depart from Anchorage?

Start from Fairbanks or Anchorage?

Hello Manitoba Maple,

Thank you for your reply. :)

I will be traveling entirely by bus and train for my entire trip (not confident driving alone), and am interested in doing mostly sightseeing, cycling as well as kayaking, and a bit of hiking, although nothing too difficult.

I read in guidebooks that there%26#39;s a lot to see and do on the Anchorage-Seward leg, but that the train journey is also very scenic and different from the view I%26#39;d see from the bus or car, so I%26#39;m taking the train towards Seward. My return trip has to be by bus as it would be September 16 by the time I return and the trains would have stopped.

The kayaking trips around Seward/Kenai Fjords I%26#39;ve come across by various outfitters seem pricey at about 400USD for a day trip to Aialik Bay which they say is the best. Are there any really good beginner level canoe/kayak trips in Denali NP/ Talkeetna/ Seward which I can do for under 250?

There are a few flights on Alaskan Airlines arriving in Fairbanks from Seattle with or without stopping in Anchorage, but to time it with my international flight to Seattle, I%26#39;ll have to take the flight which transits in Anchorage (arriving 1740) and then arriving in Fairbanks at around 1900 on the same day. I%26#39;m just concerned that I%26#39;ll be stranded and miss the bus/train if flight delays are common as I%26#39;ve seen in the Northeast :).

Other factors I%26#39;m considering would be the ease of transportation from the Fairbanks airport, if there are shuttles available in the evening. I%26#39;d like to save more money on the getting around part so I have more for activites that I actually want to do.

A snowshoe bunny from singapore? You sound quite versatile!

The total train time from Fairbanks to Anchorage will be about 12 hours. The advantage of taking the train all the way is that you will see a part of Alaska many people miss, and I believe that you have not really seen Alaska if you have not visited the Interior (around Fairbanks).

I recommend you fly to Fairbanks, and that you book the right hand side flying up from Seattle to Anchorage and the left hand side from Anchorage to Fairbanks. That will give you the best mountain views on both flights. All you need then is clear weather for knock-your-socks off beauty.

There is plenty to do around Fairbanks, as a short search of this forum will reveal. There is still plenty of gold in the ground and being mined at this time, there is likely exposed permafrost nearby (it melts differently from year to year), the pipeline, the old gold fields and tours, the Hot Springs, the University Museum and so much more.

Somehow I have always loved the beauty as seen from the railroad more than what you see from the highway, even though they are fairly close to one another.

Write in with more questions, I am sure people will respond with specifics.

71

I’m wondering why you want to stop in Talkeetna? Were you planning on flightseeing? Since you have only a week, I’d suggest spending the extra day in Fairbanks, Denali or Seward instead.

“Other factors I%26#39;m considering would be the ease of transportation from the Fairbanks airport, if there are shuttles available in the evening”

You can book accommodations that offer a shuttle, just make sure they still offer them at 7 pm when you’ll be getting in.

If you want a suggestion for a cheap ($85), convenient place and don’t mind a tiny room with older fixtures, consider Golden North Motel. Right near the airport, offers a shuttle to/from airport and train depot, within walking distance of a shopping center (so you can pick up snacks, etc. for Denali), and has mini-fridge %26amp; microwave so you can cook your own dinner (eating out is expensive in Alaska). My only (minor) complaint was that the walls were ';thin';, so you could easily hear people in the next room.

As for kayaking, I’m not a kayaker so I can only tell you what I’ve read. The best places for that seem to be Valdez and Homer, but you won’t be near those. Seward would be next. I do know it is offered at Denali (Denali Outdoor Center), no idea how good that is. The website does say beginners welcome, but the trip is in some whitewater, so if you’ve never kayaked, that might be a bit daunting. Best to contact the outfitter directly with any concerns.

On your route, the only places to kayak amongst icebergs are near Seward at Aialik and Bear glaciers. If being near icebergs isn’t important, you can get a lot cheaper trips. Sunny Cove is highly recommended by the local expert in Seward, and has some 3 hr. trips for about $65. Sounds perfect for a beginner.

What date are you arriving in Fairbanks?

Are you sure it is worthwhile to fly back to Seattle to get a flight back to Singapore? I think that if you leave from Anchorage you have a shorter flight to a connection in Tokyo or Hong Kong than leaving from Seattle.

Wow, thank you all for the helpful tips!

I know this is not likely for the time of the year, but any remote chance of seeing the Aurora borealis in Fairbanks in September? :)

71- It%26#39;s really useful to know which side to sit on in a plane... I do pick my seats on the plane according to the scenery I expect to see along the way.

Manitoba Maple- I wasn%26#39;t planning on Talkeetna initially and had planned only 6 days for my trip, but I thought it was kind of short for the distance I%26#39;m traveling all the way to AK, and since it%26#39;s expensive traveling in the state, I didn%26#39;t want to spend too much veering away from the standard route.

I read that Talkeetna is a bit more quaint than Denali NP and there is some nice canoeing I can do over there, and a much better view of Mt McKinley from there, but I%26#39;ll definitely consider your advice on staying an additional day in Denali seeing how with the timing of the buses and trains I only get one full and half day in the NP.

I really would like to visit the very remote places in the region, but unfortunately without a car it will be difficult getting around.

Martin- The only flights which fly direct to Anchorage from Singapore would be China Airlines (Cathay Pacific or Korean Airlines only stop for refueling and don%26#39;t pick up or drop off passengers, I think), which cost about 600USD more than a ticket to Seattle on United or NWA the last time I checked online. UA and NWA from Singapore to Anchorage transit in the Mid-west instead and cost more than twice my ticket to Seattle. Since I%26#39;m able to redeem my miles for a direct flight into Alaska I thought it might mean a lot more flexible timings for flights too. :)

There is definitely a chance to see the aurora in September - I saw it in late August from near Juneau. Check the aurora forecast 2-3 days before your arrival and just hope for the best.

Our flight yesterday from Fairbanks to Anchorage was like a flightseeing tour - just incredible views of Mt. McKinley!

Personally I too would recommend an extra night at Denali and forego Talkeetna but it is personal preference.

I totally understand about the flight prices and routings. Often the less direct flights are also less costly. They have to give something back as an incentive to flying less direct, and that ';something'; is usually the price. And with the indirect routings you get more frequent flyer miles too:-)

John