Drive to Seward or Take Bus or Train

I%26#39;m planning on arriving a few days early in Anchorage for my Cruise/tour next July.

I wnat to go to Seward for the day and take a tour of Kenai Fjords.

My options are:

*Rent a car in Anchorage drive myself to Seward and catch a Kenai Fjords National Park 6 hour cruise from Kenai Fjords Tour (11:30- 5:30 ) for $129 PP

or

*Take the MotorCoach Train Combo (Motor Coach 7:00AM to 10:00 AM- Boat Cruise 11:30- 5:30 Train back to Anchorage 6:00PM - 10:25PM) for $235PP.

The car rental would give me greater flexibility and would be cheaper but I would be giving up the train ride exp.

Any recommendations or thoughts?

Thanks

Marty

Drive to Seward or Take Bus or Train

I vote for the car rental......

Just imagine yourself crowded onto a bus (or train), saying ';I wonder where that road goes';......or ';Wow let%26#39;s stop to take a picture of that sunrise';......or ';Indian Valley Meats, let%26#39;s stop and take a look';......etc, etc.......You are going to be with the cruise crowds soon enough, enjoy this part of your trip on your own.....I promise you, you will have no regrets......

Drive to Seward or Take Bus or Train

If I drive what time would I need to leave Anchorage to get to Seward in time for an 11:30 Boat Tour?

Marty

Another vote for the car. Leave Anchorage by 8 so you have lots of time to look around and make short stops.

Murray

driving at a decent pace you can get to Seward in 3 hours or so...definitely drive though, you wont get lost

Hi Marty - Today is my day to play devil%26#39;s advocate. Take the train-boat-bus package. I have no love of busses but the additional scenery will be spectacular, and looking at the long day you have, you can enjoy the scenery on the drive back on the bus instead of concentrating on the road after a looong day. The scenery from the train is the easiest way to get into the true wilderness %26amp; into some spectacular country that is not matched by the road. The train passes several glaciers, goes through winter avalanche zones (look for broken trees and stripped branches on the mountain side of the trees at the bottom of cleared areas that run up the mountain). Coming back from Seward get a seat on the right side of the train for the best view from Moose Pass through the tunnels, then perhaps change to the sea side, or left.

The road goes through some beautiful country but it does not match the part the train goes through. The highway is not that bad to drive. 30 years ago it hardly had a straight stretch.

Yes, a car would let you stop at a few places coming and going - but you are still looking at a 14 hour day. How many additional stops and activities can you really enjoy? Tough choice, your choice. Either way will be a great experience.

71

I have to agree with the previous poster. If you had more than one day for the car rental, then I would say to go for it. You would have additional time to stop at some spectacular places, such as Exit Glacier, the SeaLife Center, the Wild Life Conservatory, Girdwood, Cooper Landing, Portage ,etc. However, if you were to depart at 8am for a 3 hour drive to an 11:30am boat tour, you won%26#39;t have much time for enjoying the scenery. Relax and let others do the driving.