The best way to travel from Anchorage to Denali…read more Check-in and boarding is pretty straight forward and efficient. We were there off-season, so we got to exclusively enjoy the dining car ... Which, in my opinion, has better views than the observation car. They had a bar with decent options, and the prices were reasonable. Overall, it was a good time, and I highly recommend taking the train if you're going to Denali or Fairbanks.

Review #10 for 2026…read more We did this train ride from Anchorage to Seward while in Alaska to get to our cruise. This train ride was a fantastic scenic way to get from point A to point B. My baby boy loves trains and he had a great time on the train too. For this trip, we did splurge and did the GoldStar service. If you are doing it only once, I would say splurge on it!! However, I do not have any experience with the regular adventure class seating, but we felt it was totally worth it for us. It is DOUBLE the cost at $240 though, so keep that in mind as far as budgeting goes. I did just check the website and right now as of Jan 2026, the price increased to $277 for GoldStar seating and $133 for regular seating. Kids 2-11 cost significantly less. Under 2 is free if they sit on your lap. Everyone gets a special Goldstar pin! Our particular train was sold out as it was the first day and everyone was there trying to catch their cruise in Seward also, so to have the assigned seating and all was great for us. Checking in was quick. They are very efficient and fast!! When you bring your luggage, they will ask you if you want it to go to the cruise or train station. Those going to the cruise, tell you cruise!! You do not want to lug your luggage around town. Let them do the work for you!! So there is a weight limit for the suitcases. 2 can be checked in at 50lbs each. We spent ALL night moving stuff around and trying to make the weights work out and to get there and they just grabbed everything and asked you where you wanted it to go! It took like 10 seconds! They were not weighing any one suitcases or checking all that stuff... so I do not know if they actually check it or because our train was sold out they just wanted to load everyone on as fast as possible. Also, online it says you can only carry on a small backpack, but there were tons of people with large backpacks and even some with small suitcases. Like I said, I do not know how strict they are exactly or if because we were the first train of the season and sold out that they just wanted to get people on as fast as possible... With Goldstar, you get an open window train, meaning you can see 360 around you as opposed to regular seating where it is just a window, but the window is pretty big. I forgot to walk around the other trains just to see how different it was. With GoldStar you also get 2 free alcoholic drinks, there is no limit on non-alcoholic drinks and a full breakfast included. For breakfast you go downstairs and are in a seated table with table service. The breakfast was delicious! I got reindeer sausage with eggs and potatoes. You can also order multiple drinks. I got orange juice with coffee. Breakfast goes by pretty quick as they get people down in groups and send you back up so they can go on to the next group. If you have a sleeping toddler like we did, we were able to get his breakfast to-go and he had food when he woke up and he LOVED the breakfast as well. He devoured most of his meal! On the train, you were free to roam around. We went out back to the open air several times. It was a good way to get fresh air and stretch your legs. The air in Alaska is just so clean and fresh! The views were amazing from everywhere!! The Goldstar seats were comfy and big. Would I come back? YES!! I have been wanting to come back since we left Alaska! I want to do the aurora train during the winter that goes to Fairbanks. I heard its possible to see the northern lights. I want to experience the other train rides! Unfortunately, the only route that offers the Goldstar service is the Coastal Classic which goes from Anchorage to Seward and vice versa.

Usually, I cannot make out what is being said over the PA system on the plane. But this time I…read moreheard that my bags would be on carousel #4. Most all airports have excellent signage so that even the most oblivious can find their way. As my family has elevated my rank to, "Captain Oblivious" I especially appreciate the ease with which I can navigate. Usually finding the right baggage carousel is a toss up as most are split left and right from the entrance/escalator. 50/50 chance of getting it right unless they are labeled with the airline. Since I knew where I was going, I took my time and snapped a few pics. As I've said in previous reviews, this airport is a walk-through art show. Sacramento has a bit of that here and there, the luggage display, that big red rabbit, etc. I took a video of the lightening cloud art in the hallway to the rental cars. Enjoy!

I flew into Alaska for the first time recently. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the…read moremain airport in Alaska and is also a stopover point for people going to Europe and Asia. It is a major cargo hub and has a seaplane base adjacent to it. The airport itself isn't very large compared to most airports that I have been to. But it has a nice cozy vibe to it. Ted Stevens has two terminals and around 30 gates. When I arrived, I noticed several taxidermy mounts of animals all around the airport. There was also a seaplane on display. It made me feel like I was in the wild. It was a nice way to welcome me to the state of Alaska and got me excited for some of the outdoor activities that we had planned for the week. I did a lot of fishing while I was here and even flew on a small plane over some of the glaciers. The fish count was higher than usual when I was here. Most people were checking in 50 pound boxes of fish when I departed. I checked in a box myself. Overall, getting in and out of this airport went smoothly for me and my crew. This airport is named after Ted Stevens. He was senator of Alaska from 1968 to 2009.

I was hoping to dislike Wasilla and the Wasilla Train Depot--mostly because of the famous female…read moreRepublican politician who hails from this city. But darn it, Wasilla seems like a nice place and the Wasilla Train Depot was quaint and picturesque. It seemed a lot more modern than some of the other one-horse town depots that are little more than quickie whistle-stops. According to the Alaska Railroad website, "the historic depot in Wasilla is where the train stops to pick up passengers, however it is not staffed by the Alaska Railroad. The building is leased to the Wasilla Chamber of Commerce, and is often closed and locked at train arrival/departure times." Passengers who are boarding at Wasilla park their vehicles in the designated gravel area at least 10 feet from the tracks. Passengers board on the same side of the tracks as the depot building. The area is not sheltered from the elements, so be warned. When the train arrives, have your ID handy for the Conductor or the onboard supervisor, and they will give you a boarding pass which will have your seat assignment. Since the train stops in the middle of Wasilla, be prepared to hustle since street traffic stops on the road in both directions to accommodate boarding and departing. Immediately after leaving Wasilla heading north, be prepared to see some absolutely spectacular scenery, Sara Palin excluded.

We had a great experience with Red Eye Rides and would highly recommend. We flew into Anchorage and…read moreneeded to get to Seward for a cruise. After looking at several options, we decided to go with Red Eye Rides. Communication was awesome the entire time and Paul, our driver, was fantastic. The trip down to Seward felt like a sightseeing tour at times because Paul pointed out different things along the way, including a huge bald eagle nest and historical information about the road and our trip down. Again, if you need to get to Seward from the Anchorage airport, Red Eye Rides is top notch.

From the owner: We are based out of Seward, Alaska. Locally owned and operated…read more Our company runs the Seward Highway multiple times a day - year round between Seward and Anchorage. We offer service from Ted Stevens International Airport to Seward Alaska. This includes, Bird Creek, Girdwood, Girdwood Train Station, Hope cut off, The Y-Tern Lake-Cooper Landing pick up location-Moose Pass & Seward Alaska. Early Morning, Mid Day and Late night shuttles

"I said train kept a rollin' all night long" (Aerosmith)…read more After our Princess cruise ended, we took the McKinley Express train from Whittier to Denali. It was a long ride of 5 hours plus. The train cars were very comfortable and each of the 7 cars (each car holds 80 passengers) had its own Steward. The cars had enormous glass windows and a glass domed ceiling, so you could see just about everything. FYI, each of the 7 cars had a rest room. Our Steward was Jeremy and he was great. As a native Alaskan, he shared a lot of tidbits about Alaskan culture. He also shared some family memorabilia and photos with us. The scenery on the ride was amazing! Mountains galore, plus we saw two mountain sheep and THREE moose! The train has a bar car and you can order drinks at your seat. My group all had lunch on the train, and my hamburger was pretty good. Gina handles the food orders and service and she was great too. We had an excellent experience with McKinley Express.

Yellow cab has been great for airport dropoffs--even during blizzard conditions. They have been…read morepunctual and friendly. Last June, Madrid helped us load and unload five large bags without any hesitation. I am surprised that there are so many poor reviews. I scheduled a minivan pickup a day in advance. That may have helped our experience.

Rude, disrespectful, scary, and hard to get anyone who understands what your saying -…read more There has to be a more effective communication approach when handing customers- I understand there are bad people but you can't just treat them all like that-

Went to Talkeetna with my boyfriend this Summer and have nothing but good things to say about…read moreTalkeetna Taxi! They only took a few minutes to pick us up from downtown after we called them. Really nice driver, and easy ride home. The ride cost less than I thought it would have! Definitely will use again next time I'm in town. Friendly and punctual!

Beware of this Taxi Service. I love Talkeetna and I love the laissez faire attitude everyone in…read moretown has, except when Im trying to get back to my hotel and I call the ONLY TAXI SERVICE IN TOWN to reserve a ride back to our hotel, and he never shows up because his buddies keep jumping in the taxi and he doesnt have enough sense to tell them that others have booked his taxi in advance. Horrible Service. Do not count on this Taxi Service especially if you have any elderly members of your party...this service cannot be counted on...make sure your back at your hotel before the shuttle stops running!!!