Travel Hundreds of Miles Across the Alaskan Wilderness by Riding the Train

25.07.2023 - 10:37 / matadornetwork.com / Star

Train travel in the United States may not be as common or practical as in other parts of the world, but that does not mean it’s nonexistent — far from it. There are high-speed trains operating on the coast of Florida; there are Amtrak trains that will take you through some of the nation’s most beautiful national parks; there is a train in Colorado that runs at the bottom of a 1,200-foot-deep gorge and one that goes through California’s most celebrated wine region; and there are trains in Alaska that will take you for the ride of a lifetime through the most spectacular scenery — in glass-ceiling cars, no less!

There are two companies that operate trains in Alaska: the Alaska Railroad and the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway.

The Alaska Railroad is owned by the state of Alaska and provides freight and passenger service; it is very popular with tourists. The Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star and Coastal Classic trains are fitted with glass-ceiling cars to cater to out-of-state visitors who want to take in the phenomenal scenery.

The historic White Pass & Yukon Route Railway was built during the gold rush in 1898 and is based in Skagway on the southeast coast. Now a tourist attraction owned by Carnival Cruises, narrow-gauge steam engines haul visitors up the mountain behind Skagway along the historic Klondike Trail. Some of the rides turn back to Skagway right after White Pass Summit while others go all the way to Fraser, BC, Canada; Bennet, BC, Canada; and Carcross, YT, Canada.

Traveling with Alaska Railroad is a great way to see the Last Frontier State from a very comfortable seat.

The two main Alaska Railroad train routes for visitors are the Coastal Classic from Anchorage to Seward, and the Denali Star from Anchorage to Fairbanks; however, the Alaska Railroad has five routes in total:

Alaska Railroad offers two types of tickets: Adventure Class tickets and GoldStar Service tickets.

Adventure Class tickets offer the basic comforts: spacious seats, the freedom to walk through the cars, access to the glass-ceiling car, and a café where you can purchase food.

GoldStar Service tickets cost more and include a meal, soft beverages, and two adult drinks in the dining car; plush forward-facing seats; access to outdoor viewing platforms; seating in the glass-ceiling car; and onboard tour guides who are ready to answer all kinds of questions.

For prices, check out the section titled “How much is a scenic train ride in Alaska?”.

The Coastal Classic route is 120 miles long and was built between 1903 and 1910. This is the Alaska train ride to take if you have just one day. Leaving at 6:45 AM and heading south through the Kenai Peninsula to Seward, it departs back from Seward to Anchorage at 6:00 PM the same day.

The leisurely