Alaska Railroad Anchorage a Denali One Way

We opted for the Gold Star ticket and loved every minute of the views from glass dome portion of the train, as well as the "patio" area Gold Star passengers could visit. With a Gold Star ticket you also get a meal and 2 drinks. We went in the morning, so our meal was breakfast. We had lots of menu options, and the chef was willing to custom make your meal if you had dietary restrictions. The meal was very good! Normally we're not drinkers, but it was vacation so we had a few adult beverages. The bar tender did a GREAT job on our drinks!

We booked with Alaska Railroad specifically because they advertised a military discount. Unfortunately, they don’t extend that discount to 100% disabled veterans. When we arrived, we were unexpectedly charged an additional $50. The depot was overcrowded with far too few seats, and passengers were expected to tag their own luggage outside before boarding. For the price they charge, the experience felt disorganized and underwhelming. Paying $240 for two one-way tickets was already excessive, especially after learning from our Uber driver that the same trip would have cost about $150. To top it off, the staff was neither understanding nor accommodating. We won’t be using Alaska Railroad again, and I can’t recommend it to others.

I would have given this a 5-star rating, however, I paid the extra money to ride as a Gold Star customer and was VERY disappointed to discover I’d been assigned to row 19 A and B - which are the only Gold Star seats that cannot recline due to backing up to the bar. I was able to work with the crew (though it seemed to be a much bigger deal than it should have been) to move over to 19 C and D which could recline. Here’s the thing: It is a looong trip (8 hours). I paid the same price as everyone whose seats could recline. There is no way Alaska Railroad should be selling those two seats at the same price as all the others, and there is certainly no way they should not inform their customers in advance that the seats do not recline! I should never have had to deal with this!

So gorgeous, so comfortable. staff helpful both in depot and on board. handling of luggage was smooth. We stayed at a lodge in Denali that they booked for us and all transitions were easy. The mountains are everywhere. Conductors narrated from time to time, pointing out historical sights, wildlife sightings and, amazingly, Denali peeking out above the clouds. dome car very comfortable, but the windows were not the cleanest. windows by our seats had outstanding views.

It's a long ride but so worth it. Extremely organized departure including luggage. After flying across the country we were really hoping for clean bathrooms and wow, they kept them so clean! That was a nice surprise. Good narration, might have preferred a more seasoned naturalist each way but it was sufficient, just sounded like they were reading off a script. We did one way Adventure and one way GoldStar - for Adventure, bring snacks - snack bar doesn't have many healthy options. GoldStar meals ere better than expected and there was variety - not Michelin but decent for a train. Meal service was average. Seats in Adventure were more comfortable than expected - GoldStar was better but not super luxe - the viewing platform was a nice option for getting some fresh air. The Railroad does a great job and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous.

The scenery was beautiful, the food was excellent, plenty of space while seated in gold star service. Everyone working were so pleasant!

I was very excited to take this train because my friend and I booked the Gold Star service (premium seating in the panoramic train car). From a booking perspective, the office was very helpful and responsive. Here is my feedback by topic: 1) Reservations: The online info on train times was accurate and easy to find. We also booked our accommodation and some tours as well. My only recommendation is that their website is lacking details on tour times and dates. You have to call them to get more information or find out who the tour operators are and go to their website. This created some work on the customer side and we only had 2 nights at Denali so we had to really plan the tours to maximize our time. 2) Railroad Depot Check-in: The baggage drop off was very organized and easy. The check-in staff was super friendly. 3) Train Experience: As I mentioned, we booked the Gold Star service which was not cheap. The experience started off well but then went south quickly. The Gold Star car itself is very nice and comfortable. I love being able to step onto the outdoor viewing platform while the train is in motion. You can take some very cook pics from there. The breakfast service was fine although I think they were a little skimpy on the food portions. Lunchtime is when everything turned south. I have no idea what happened in the kitchen but they fell behind. Almost 2 hours passed by the time we were shuffled to the dining cart, seated and got our food. There was no explanation of what was going or timing. I actually got up and left because I didn't pay to sit in a dining care. I paid for the view and some meal service. They did not even offer an extra drink or glass of wine for the inconvenience. When the food came it was fine / mediocre. After Denali, we took the training to Fairbanks in the Adventure Class. The seats were still roomy and comfortable but that train can be very loud when it slows down and takes turns so bring some ear plugs if you're sensitive to sounds or cannot ignore loud repetitive sounds. 4) Hotel Accommodation: I know that Alaska Railroad is not responsible for hotel management but they could have informed us of changes in advance. We booked the Grand Denali Lodge but it ended up not opening. The Grand Denali moved all guests to a lower category accommodation. I only found this out when I was dropping off my luggage at the Anchorage train depot. When I got my boarding pass is when I found out more details about the new lodging. It was a 3 star rated lodge / camp ground. It ended up being fine. I just wish I would have known about the change earlier.

This is the Holland America train from Anchorage to Denali State Park. What a fantastic experience! if this was the ONLY thing someone did in the area, it's well worth it. Glass-domed train cars; and ours was not crowded due to being end of season (GREAT time to go! early September). Our host / guide was JOSH and he was such a pro! Talked just ENOUGH.. not too much. Told us when photo ops were coming up, and told us about all the regions we were passing through. The beauty of the areas you travel through.. it's unbelievable. We called it "beauty fatigue". The full bar is going the WHOLE TIME :-) and the dining is in the cars below. and it's FINE DINING; with breakfast and lunch (separate check than the excursion). The dining is so organized, as well. They get a "count" of the people who want to dine, then call you down in small groups. The steps between the upper and lower cars are steep and winding. This trip would be hard to do if you had any mobility issues.. you'd just want to sit and look at the scenery. But you'd be missing so much. There's also various viewing decks (between cars), and an open-air caboose. Yes it's 8 hours long.. but you are never bored. A bonus for us: we met alot of nice people who we also saw on the 7-day cruise ship a couple days later.... that made our trip all the more memorable.

This is a fantastic way to see the state and all it has to offer, allowing you into the back country where there are no roads but lots of beauty. If you can afford it, upgrade to the Denali Star with its glass dome roof, excellent service, dining car built in with two meals and unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, plus a full time bartender in your car, no better way to travel in style and enjoy the beauty of Alaska

We took 3 legs with Alaska Railroad, Anchorage to Seward, Talkneeta to Denali, and Denali to Anchorage and each trip was wonderful. Would highly reccomend splurging for the gold star class as it comes with 1-2 meals, dome glass windows, comfy seats with footrest and a major recline, and outdoor viewing area, and 2 included drinks. The tour guides are knowledgable about the trip and answer any questions you may have. It's a great way to travel between cities without a car.