Originally Posted by
oldpenny16
I have never tried to view them from Fairbanks.
You need to be away from town, have clear weather and good luck.
On any given clear night, from what I hear, the chance of seeing the lights is about 50% in Fairbanks as opposed to 20% in Anchorage. Plus, the weather
tends to be clearer in FAI than ANC. I've heard unanimous agreement that lights-viewing is FAR better in FAI than ANC.
Originally Posted by
bocastephen
Chena is on the expensive side, but we will consider it - although the package is not available until December and I'm not sure gives us enough time to view the aurora unless we hit a particularly vibrant time of the cycle.
Given the chilly temperatures in FAI in the winter, nothing beats staying warm while looking at them by soaking in a steaming-hot pool. I've never done it, but it's something I've always wanted to do, and it's highly ranked by friends who have done it.
Originally Posted by
bocastephen
The flights to FAI are not available as standard awards - only ANC is open. If we don't drive, and the train only runs twice a week, what other transportation options are there between the two cities?
In the winter? None. But see this next quote and response:
Originally Posted by
uva185
When I visited Anchorage & Fairbanks I booked a package for travel between Anchorage & Fairbanks. It included travel on the Alaskan Winter Train from Anchorage to Fairbanks and a flight on AS back to ANC. The cost was about $200. The scenery was beautiful on the way up and it was very convenient to only spend 1 hour or so getting back to ANC.
I did this a few years ago. Very convenient. Plus, it allows more time in FAI, since otherwise, the train goes north Saturday and south Sunday (and that's it). Taking the train both ways, you'd either have 12 hours in Fairbanks or 7.5 days. It's only a $49 (IIRC) upgrade to the round trip rail fare to fly back.
Originally Posted by
Chugach
It's a 40 minute flight on AS or an hour flight on an Era Aviation Dash 8...
Just fly. PFD airfare specials are out now, so it's a good time to buy.
And if you don't want to do the train (though I highly recommend it--the Aurora Winter Train is one of the best ways to really see and experience Alaska, as it is used by the locals to get to their rural cabins with boxes and boxes of supplies from Costco in Anchorage), round-trip airfares aren't that bad between the cities right now. I've been flying and traveling for four days and this is the first I've had good, solid Internet access, but before I left, AS was running a $79-each-way fare. Era (
http://www.era-aviation.com) and Frontier Flying Service (
http://www.frontierflying.com) both tend to have similarly low (or lower) fares, but book when you find good ones.
Originally Posted by
ludocdoc
Just another thought... When I was in AK, the only time I saw Denali was from an AS flight from ANC to FAI -- off to the West, it was the only thing piercing the clouds. Huge. 3 days in the park, plus the train ride, and I never saw the mountain again.
This is usually the case in the rainy summer season, but winter days tend to be clearer. Plus, depending on the time of the flight, it could be dark--remember, in the dead of December, the sun rises at 10 and sets at 2.