Anchorage Transportation

WALKSING THROG THE CITY , IF YOU WANTTO SEE THE NICE PANORAMA OF ANCHORAGE AND THE SOUROUNDING MOUTAINS .

FOR THOSE WHO WNTS TO MAKE ONLY A SHORT TRIPP BY FEET AND SSE THE MOST INTERESTING POINT , FOLLOW THE FOOTPRINTS ANT THE INFOCENTER

The best service that I found is Alaska Best Cruise -> Park Connections.
These guys have all kinds of options. I was leaving on a ferry in Whittier and I jumped on the shuttle from Anchorage and it was fast and affordable. They also service the bigger cruise ships in Whittier, Seward and Anchorage. I'm told the private vehicle charters are a good deal too. They also go North to Denali National Park and Talkeetna.
Try these guys out!

Alaska Best Cruise -> Park Connections
toll free 1-866-425-8687 or Local 1-907-952-1249
website www.alaskatransportation.net or www.alaskashuttle.mobi

Sincerely,
Damien

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We did a 7 day cruise from Whittier, Alaska, to Vancouver, British Columbia.
Our ship was the "DIAMOND PRINCESS'

Boarding at Whittier went smoothly and quickly on a very miserable day.
On board, and we had an inside cabin which was very nice, always kept clean and tidy by our nice steward.
Meals were excellent, and we had a huge choice. Entertainment was very good as well.

The Cruise directors can make or break a cruise, and ours on this cruise were excellent, laughs galore with them. There were plenty of things to do onboard if you wished, lots of people to mix with, and great ports for full days of sightseeing, etc.
We had no complaints, everything ran smoothly, and nothing was too much trouble for the crew.

Would definitly sail with them again.

My sister and I rented a car from Hertz from the airport and did not have to use public transportation. But I felt I needed to write about this amazing public transpo service they have in Anchorage.

This local transit system is at 6th Ave between G and H St and can take visitors to specific atraction and activities. The Buses run on the hour and one way fares are as follows:

Adults $1.75
Youth 5-18 yo $1.00
Unlimited day pass available for adult and youth at $4. These can be bought on the bus, but bring exact change.

You can get route and schedule info straight from a phone system (push-button) at 343-6543 (24 hours service). Live operators are available M-F 8AM-5PM.

This a great service that Anchorage has for its thousands of visitors, especially during the winter when people may be more uncomforatble about driving. Lucky for me and my sister, we visited during the spring - and would do so again in the future!

The People Mover System, as the local bus service is known, is actually quite good. The current mayor has put a lot of effort into improving service and it shows. If you are in Anchorage for a bit you can get just about anywhere in town by bus. The main hub is right downtown on 5th street next to JC Penneys and the 5th Ave Mall and is not a very safe spot for the lone traveler. Schedules vary depending on who main the route is with frequency anywhere from every 15 minutes to every hour.

Fare is 1.75 one way, or .50 for seniors 60+ and handicap. All buses are handicap accessible now and most have a rack for bicycles.

Parking downtown can be hard to find and expensive, so many workers leave their cars at home and take the bus. With the price of gas above 3.50/gal ridership is growing.

A downside (or upside depending on your outlook) is that you will experience a cross slice of humanity rarely seen by tourists. There is a large number of folks just struggling to find their next meal and you most likely will run across them on the bus.

A rental car is almost a must to see all that Anchorage and the surrounding areas have to offer, especially if you are an independent traveler and plan on seeing more of Alaska.
A few tips:
-- There is a large tax that applies to all rental cars rented in the state. It is a long story, and involves politcal paybacks, etc. Just be sure you know whether it has been included in the price quoted.
-- It used to be that you could rent from a company away from the airport and avoid some of the airport surcharges. Some of the major brands have branches downtown and if you go thru them there they don't charge the airport surcharge. With the completion of the rental car parking garage at the airport, all the majors are there now. The walk from the baggage claim to the rental car counters at the new facility is a long one. I'd suggest sending someone to get the car rather than dragging all your bags if you aren't traveling light. But remember that if you plan on driving the car you have to be at the counter and show your driver's license.
-- Shop around for the best rate. I've been using Orbitz.com and Expedia.com lately (02/2008) and they seem to be finding lower rates. It is a different company each week. Last week Avis this week Thrifty.
-- Avoid Rent-A-Wreck and other offbrand companies in the winter. Nothing worse than having your clunker break down in sub-zero weather - no matter how much you save.

Particularly because it was off season- a fabulous trip. Really lets you experience how vast and wild Alaska is. The train made local "whistle-stops" (you can wave the train down with a white handkerchief) at places where there are no roads. At this fall season, only 1 car for passengers, the last weekend with a dining car and the train stopped to let us photograph the spectacularly clear (rare) views of Denali and a few other things.
During the fall/winter season it only runs Anchorage to Fairbanks on Saturday and Fairbanks to Anchorage on Sunday. No runs to Seward in the winter.
We stayed at the Dome Home B&B in Healy. That was cozy, Alaskan and cheerful.

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Renting a car at the Anchorage airport is not an easy thing to do. To start with, it is a long walk from the Main Hall to the new rental car building. You can also forget Avis Preferred. They do it the old-fashioned way. Counting the time I spent stading in line, it took an hour to get my contract and then I had to go inspect my car in the gargage and come back to add all the dings (esp. on the windshield) to the contract. To top it off, the low oil warning light came on while I was in Homer (thank goodness I was near a service station). The car was two quarts low and the oil was filthy. For sure that car had not had an oil change within 5000 miles. Anyway, it all turned out okay. Just don't expect the same Avis service as in the Lower 48.