Alaska Railroad staff provide narration while onboard the train, sharing the stories behind the sights along the Railbelt. During the summer, this narration is provided by local high schoolers who have successfully completed the Alaska Railroad Tour Guide Program.

Passengers are required to check-in at the ticket window and show a government issued photo ID (for those age 18 and older) to receive boarding passes. If you have luggage, it must be checked through to your destination.

Please check-in at the ticket counter one hour early at the Anchorage and Fairbanks depots, and 30-45 minutes at Talkeetna, Seward or Denali. At depots, boarding for all trains occurs 20-30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure. Reservations and seat assignments may be altered if passengers and baggage are not checked in 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

If departing from a location with no ticket window (Portage, Whittier, Girdwood, Wasilla), passengers are required to be there 15 minutes prior to departure to wait for the train to pull up. At these stations, passenger check-in will be with the conductor on the train.

Each passenger may check two pieces of luggage, no more than 50 pounds/23kgs each, and may carry one additional piece on board. Up to two additional bags per passenger may be checked for an extra fee. Bags of an odd shape, bicycles, strollers and pet kennels can be checked for an additional fee as well.

Dressing in layers will help you prepare for Alaska's weather changes.

There are wheelchair lifts at all stations. Accessibility on other connecting modes of transport can vary, so please check with an agent locally for details. Alaska Railroad’s passenger trains are wheelchair accessible and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Service animals are welcome aboard.

Yes, you may bring a stroller on the train; however, it must fold up if it is your carry-on, or it may be checked as luggage. For safety, strollers may not be used while onboard the train.

No. Smoking is not permitted on any Alaska Railroad train. Passengers may smoke in designated smoking areas outside the depots prior to boarding the train. Passengers traveling on board the Denali Star may disembark for a few minutes at the Talkeetna and/or Denali depots whilst new passengers are being boarded. There are no such stops on the Coastal Classic or Glacier Discovery trains.

No, the Alaska Railroad does not provide any transfers. Taxis are available in Fairbanks and Anchorage, and the majority of hotels do provide transfers to and from the depot and sometimes the airport as well. Onboard staff will call ahead for you to notify your hotels that you are arriving by train and to send a shuttle if possible. However, you should not rely 100% on hotel shuttles as they are limited in supply and there can be delays during busy times of the day. Taxis are readily available and may be your fastest option.

In Whittier, the Glacier Discovery Train stops just across the street from the large cruise ship dock, and a 5-minute level walk from the small boat harbor.

In Seward, the train depot is approximately 1/2-mile (almost 1 kilometre) from the large cruise ship dock, with a level, curbed and guttered sidewalk available should you decide to walk. The depot is also a short walk from the small boat harbor.

As with all holidays and trips abroad, we strongly recommend that you have travel insurance. Please consult with our agents at time of booking and we can assist you with this.