We have booked the "Best of Skagway" excursion. After searching this on cruise-chat, I see where one person recommended sitting on the left hand side of the train. Have others had the same experience? Thanks!
By the way, we will be flying to Anchorage 4 weeks from tomorrow. We can't wait!
going away from Skagway you should sit on the left, since that gives you the best view of the scenery as you are on the edge of the mountain. Going back towards Skagway, if you can, sit on the right. they usually make you stay on the same side though if it is full.
To clarify, the train doesn't turn around... it's a "double-ender." So if you're on the LEFT going up the pass, you'll be on the RIGHT coming down. The seats reverse at the summit so that you're always sitting facing forward. Every time I've been on the train, they do a shuffle across the aisle so that the folks who didn't get an "outside view" on the way up can get it on the way down.
Personally, I do enjoy the left side view more on the way up as there's more narration to go along. The trip down is filled with "there's the (insert landmark here) again" without much of the extra info that went with it on the way up.
Left or right, it's a great tour. There are also options to take a van tour up (or down) the highway which parallels the train route on the other side of the canyon. Then you get to take the train in the opposite direction... saves some of the redundancy and gives a "reverse angle" on many of the landmarks.
You may also stand on the platforms between cars...You get the best pictures from there...On my two trips on the WPR people were polite about not overstaying their time on the platforms....in fact, the last trip nobody seemed to want to be out there, so I spent almost the entire trip between cars.....It's a great trip especially early in the year when there is 6 to 8 feet of snow up at the top.... Enjoy the Trip....and happy sailing....
Due to our fear of heights, my niece and I plan to sit on the left side when returning to Skagway. (We're taking a bus on the way up, eventually reaching Carcross.) What will we be able to see from that perspective? I'm actually a train nut, so am looking forward to that aspect, as well.
Lisa, I ave fear of heights as well and generally was no problem on the left. you can look directly sideways to see the opposing side of the mountain if you don't want to look down. In most circumstances, you are looking down at tree tops, so for some reason, the vertigo sensation is not the same. Also, since the train bends a fair bit, you can look forward out of the window and see where the train is heading. Don't miss the left side going up or right side when train goes in opposite direction on the way back! :-)
Lisa you will see alot on the Bus ride to Carcross. The colors are simply amazing. I am still going thru jpegs from our vacation there. I promise to get the one together of the White Pass Railway. Here is a start on it. One thing we did was order the Railway built of gold Dvd. It provided a good background on what we were going to see before we got there.
Originally posted by Nadine M: Thank you for the pictures! They are awesome. What time of the year were these pictures taken?
Nadine
Thanks Nadine. The photos in the post above were taken around the last week of June 2007. These Alaskan Photos were taken the last week of May into the first week of June in 2006.
For those wishing to avoid the seats on the "cliff side", please note some of the people with that thought changed to the cliff side. The reason was the train get pretty close to the rocks on the other side. You won't hit the side, but it did bother some.
Left side of the car...right side of the car~ Good timing will let you get both.
Last July I had the pleasure of taking one of the last trips "up the slope" that began at about 3:30 PM. All passangers in the car were from our ship, MS Statendam. There were only about a dozen folks sitting in our car, along with the train employee. We all had a window seat going up (left side) and a window seat going down (right side). We also had extra food (box lunches) as they must have ordered enough for a full house. Anyone for seconds? Thirds?
I do not know for sure if this situation often occurs, but the empoloyee of the train that was in our car indicated that the last train up the mountain often has a lot of extra room to stretch out and get great views. Also the "observation" area on the back of the car was not crowded at all because of the low passanger count. I believe that I could have spent the entire trip out there if I chose too.
Have a great trip.
regards, mickeyd
Posts: 91 | Location: TX | Registered: December 09, 2006
