Getting Started - Alaska and Points North: Tips and Tales from the Road - page 3

Marine Route
A nice option is to drive the Alaska Hwy in one direction then take the ferry, via the Inside
Passage, the other way. There are also shorter ferry routes for seeing different parts of
Alaska. On this trip we drove both ways by road but used ferries for shorter hops.
In Skagway, Alaska we showed up to buy a ticket for the next morning's 60-minute sailing
to Haines. We were told that the ferry was full but we would be waitlisted if we showed up
at 5 am the next morning. We did and were boarded.
We ran into a similar scenario in Prince Rupert when we wanted to take the BC Ferry to the
Queen Charlotte Islands. “ Sailing is sold out ,” we were told. “ But you can show up and see
if there is some room in the morning .” That ferry must have been at least 50% empty.
I am guessing that at a certain time, like 48 hours before sailing, the computer closes that
sailing to advance reservations. So the screen now shows “sold out” even when it isn't. I
would never depend on that happening but I would not despair either. If told the boat is full,
show up anyway.
Two ways to approach the marine highway route:
1. Take the Alaska ferry from Bellingham, Washington all the way to Alaska. There are a
number of ports you can choose to disembark at. As a point of reference, the running time
from Bellingham to Ketchikan, Alaska is 37 hours. Cabins are available for sleeping but
there are not as many cabins as there are people who want them so book early.
2. Drive up to Port Hardy on the far northern tip of Vancouver Island and catch the BC ferry
through the Inside Passage to Prince Rupert. In Rupert catch the Alaska ferry to Alaskan
ports. Running time Port Hardy to Prince Rupert is 15 hours during daytime hours. Prince
Rupert to Ketchikan is a 6 hour trip.
If the weather is good, it's a spectacular trip. The Inside Passage is a relatively narrow chan-
nel that passes between the hundreds of islands of the Alexander Archipelago. The tourism
propaganda says stuff like: green clad forests melt into majestic snow-capped peaks; mystic-
al fjords disappear into the fog shrouded wilderness. That's mostly true. It's also expensive.
Choosing either routing, the cost for us in our 22-foot van would have exceeded $2,000 one
way.