Anchorage Depot — Attraction in Alaska

My family of 4 took the train from Anchorage to Seward and enjoyed the sights of the glaciers and the beautiful terrain. It was a HUGE time commitment (about 5:45 am until 11 pm).

The drive from Anchorage to Seward is about 2 1/2 hours, but the train is a 4.5 hour trip. You do get to see some different sights that you can't see from the car and a fantastic high school student does a great job narrating the trip (including animal sightings), but it was a very long day. We had to arrive at the station by 5:45 am to get our tickets to get on the train. We left the station about 7 am and didn't get into Seward until close to 11:30 am (so be careful what adventure you book in town as most ships leave harbor about that same time for whale watching or glacier viewing).

After a very clear warning about being ON the train and ready to go by 6 pm, my family worked to spend over 6 hours in Seward. Some options are the aquarium (about a mile and a half walk from the train station or you can take the free shuttle) or a glacier/whale watching tour. There are some good shops and some restaurants available as well as sightseeing from the harbor.

If you don't pay the mega bucks for the fancy train cars, you often got to see the wild life from the back end (if at all). Also, the only way to see the scenery without a window view, you need to pay for the more expensive seats since that train car is the only one with outdoor access.

The train left Seward about 6 pm, but didn't get back into Anchorage until 10:45 pm. It was a very long day and wasn't as necessary if you made the car drive to Seward. Pretty, but not worth the time in...

As strange as it sounds, i’ve never ridden a train before so this experience of the Alaska Railroad was a treat! This was a trip from Anchorage to Seward. I've driven to Seward before but the train ride there allows you to see scenery you aren't able to view from the car! The staff was extremely friendly and the process of boarding was very smooth. It was nice that we had the flexibility to walk around after the train started moving, we were able to explore the train! I didn’t realize that was possible. I was surprised when the staff came and gave us tips for viewing scenery and wildlife, some facts of what we were seeing and offered to book tables for us in the dining cart. That was a level of service I wasn’t expecting. In regards to the food and wait staff on the dining cart, the food was really tasty and the service was quick! It was nice to be able to enjoy scenery while eating and I didn’t feel rushed out after we eat, we were able to leave at our own leisure. The back of the train had a unique and awesome view, we were able to walk from the front all the way to the back and take some photos. The glass dome car was also really fun to sit in and see an unobstructed 360 view of nature. The views around us were astounding! I can’t believe I was able to see all these beautiful new sights on the way to Seward I wouldn’t see by road and that was amazing. We even saw a Moose and her baby calf, and a bear! I was able to get some excellent photos! I’ll definitely be recommending the Alaska Railroad to friends, and I’d definitely ride it again! Thanks for that...

I took the Wilderness Express from Anchorage to Talkeetna and Talkeetna to Denali in September 2015. I bought my tickets online and it was a painless experience. You'll get an electronic copy as well as one physically mailed to you, which for some reason I wasn't expecting. The railroad building has a small gift shop and sells coffee.

The Express train is great, as it has a 360 dome and is highly elevated. They don't like you to bring in and eat outside food, but were actually pretty lax about it. The guides were really knowledgeable; I learned a ton on this trip! I do recommend stopping for a night in Talkeetna, it's a small historic district with hospitable people. Touristy, yes, but visiting during shoulder season meant all the shops were 50% off.

The views were incredible, especially passing over Hurricane Gulch. Being mid-September, I got to see brilliant hues of orange and yellow. You'll see some bald eagles' nests, maybe a moose or two.

Another great thing about the Express is that it's at the back of the train. For my first leg, there was just one car, so I got some awesome pictures from the deck looking back onto the railroad. The second day, there were two cars, and being in the first I realized just how much I loved looking back. These dome cars are also cheaper than the official ARR...