Alaska - Anchroage to Whittier. Shuttle or Drive?. Hotels?

Doing a quick turn to ANC. Since I travelled so far, I thought I might as well stay and find out what Alaska is all about. I could use some advice.

1) My plane arrives at ANC at 10pm. This is after a 10 hour journey (including connections) from LGA. I am booked on a day cruise/tour that leaves from Whittier the next morning at 9AM.

- Being that I am from NYC, I am not a fan of driving. Is there an economical shuttle option that I can catch from ANC airport to Whittier at 10:30pm?.

- The other option is renting a car and driving (which after a 10 hour flight) I am not fond of. Google maps says it takes 90 minutes. Is this accurate?


2) If I do take the shuttle or car service option, will I be left out if I don't have a car? (in Whittier)

3) All else equal, should I spend the night in Whittier or Anchorage?.

Thanks

What month are you talking about? That makes a huge difference. From mid May onward, Alaska is pretty well geared up for tourist season. Before then, very limited services.

There is a tunnel that you need to go through to get to Whittier and it is only open for 15 minutes every hour for vehicles in each direction. That means if you are lucky, you could take some service that would use the 8.30am tunnel, getting you there at 8.45am. But that is way too close for my comfort. That means you need the 7.30am tunnel. I doubt there is a scheduled shuttle arriving that early. I would not go to Whittier the night before - you have a severe limited choice of places to stay in Whittier. It is a TINY town.

If it were me, I would spend the night in ANC then depart about 6-6.15am for Whittier. It is an extremely scenic drive and with a car, you can stop as you want, especially on the way back. It is a VERY easy drive. Just one road going that way - really.

It is only about 90 minutes from Anchorage to the tunnel entrance (slightly less even). But you have to factor in that every hour on the half hour tunnel.

What company are you using for the Prince William Sound tour? That is a great way to spend your time.

John

Thanks - doing a cruise with a small operator. It turns out that there is only one hotel in Whittier, (talk about tiny).

Thanks for the info - re tunnels. I would have never known about that.

Thanks for the info - re tunnels. I would have never known about that.

Also, plan extra time for the tunnel. Even though there is a schedule, there may be delays due to trains (I believe they have a higher priority.) It caused us to miss the tour last time I was there, but we were cutting it really close anyways.

Info on the tunnel (http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/index.shtml)

Thanks - doing a cruise with a small operator. It turns out that there is only one hotel in Whittier, (talk about tiny).

Thanks for the info - re tunnels. I would have never known about that.

Actually there is more than one place to stay in Whittier but just one hotel.

Which small operator are you using? I booked with Sound Eco Adventure two years ago but it was so early in the season that his boat ended up not being ready by then. I really want to go with him sometime - maybe next year.

FYI - all of the major day tours from Whittier offer transportation from downtown Anchorage that connect with their trips. Not sure if the smaller guys do this.

Actually there is more than one place to stay in Whittier but just one hotel.

Which small operator are you using? I booked with Sound Eco Adventure two years ago but it was so early in the season that his boat ended up not being ready by then. I really want to go with him sometime - maybe next year.

Yeah - I am trying him out.

I was lucky to get space - most of his tour dates were either sold out months in advance, or unavailable

He received quite a positive review (http://www.frommers.com/destinations/whittier/A28053.html) from Frommers, quoted below


Frommer's Review


Beloved Gerry Sanger is a retired wildlife biologist who spent years researching the waterfowl and ecology of Prince William Sound. Now he carries up to six passengers at a time on whale, wildlife, and glacier tours from his speedy 30-foot aluminum boat, which has a landing-craft-like ramp perfect for pulling up on gravel beaches and suitable for wheelchairs. Gerry's success rate at finding whales is better than 90% since 1999, and he has gone years without missing once. His shorter, 5-hour tours usually do not encounter whales. Fares include snacks, but bring your own lunch. Gerry is considering retiring again, so grab the chance to spend a day with him.