Please help...Cruise land tour for 3 days or my own?

Hello All!

A bunch of my family and friends are going to Alaska in Aug. %26#39;07. They%26#39;ve already booked a 3 night land/7 night cruise with Princess. I%26#39;m definitely going to hook up with them in Whittier to embark on the 7 night cruise, but I%26#39;m not taking the land tour. I feel that I can do so much more on my own. Any thoughts? I%26#39;m wondering if someone could present me with some ideas for the 3 days/nights I have before the cruise? Or should I just take the land tour with Princess? It%26#39;s quite overwhelming. By the way, I%26#39;ll be flying into Fairbanks.

Thanks so much.

Please help...Cruise land tour for 3 days or my own?

Hmmm ... you don%26#39;t say what your interests are, so it is tough to tailor recommendations on how to spend your time.

Well, 3 nights gives you the arrival day, departure day and two days in between. I hope you arrive in Fairbanks early enough to tour the city area with its gold mines, the pipeline, and University Museum. Then jump on the train for a 12 hour comfortable trip to Anchorage through the Interior of Alaska, through the Alaska Range at Denali Park, and on to Talkeetna and Anchorage.

I don%26#39;t know how you can squeeze in a trip into Denali Park in the short time you have, unless you sacrifice everything else. Depending upon your interests, you could plan an overnight Talkeetna and book a flight-seeing tour of Denali. These are truly spectacular and well worth it. Then you could continue on to Anchorage the next day and catch the Native Heritage Center and lesser attractions before you join your family on the cruise.

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Please help...Cruise land tour for 3 days or my own?

What do you want to see on your land trip? Since you are flying into Fairbanks I would assume you want to go to Denali. Then rent a car in Fairbanks, drive 2 hours to Denali, spend 2 days there, and drive to Whittier on the cruise day. You will have to check what car rental companies would allow you to return a car in Whittier or you will have to return it in Anchorage and get a ride from there to Whittier. Or you can spend 1 or 1 1/2 day in Denali and then go to Talkeetna or Hatcher pass or some other place that interests you. The train just takes too long and doesn%26#39;t allow flexibility or stops for photos or picnics.

Thanks for your replies. Sorry, but I meant to say that I%26#39;d like to spend one full day in Fairbanks and 2 in Denali. Then either drive or take the train to Whittier for connection with the cruise, depending on your recommendations. Of course I%26#39;m open to any other destinations that you may have. I%26#39;m just looking for the most enjoyment (sights/tours/hiking/river cruises, etc.) in the little amount of days that I have. Also, could recommend and lodging? Like I mentioned, it%26#39;s a bit overwhelming and any advice from experienced travelers would be greatly appreciated.

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