Enjoy Alaska’s backcountry from the comfort of a railcar, complete with comfortable seats, large picture windows and onboard dining. Alaska at its finest, keep a watchful eye for moose in the wild!

Amenities

 Luggage Guidelines 

• The Alaska Railroad offers checked baggage One carry-on is allowed per person. Each ticketed passenger may check two pieces of luggage when traveling aboard the Alaska Railroad, and up to four pieces aboard the Aurora Winter Train. Aurora Winter Train baggage service available in Anchorage and Fairbanks only. The luggage weight limit is 50 pounds (around 22kg) per bag.
• Baggage service varies by depot location.
• Luggage storage is not available at any train station.
• One carry-on item is allowed per person. Carry-on bags may not exceed 15” x 14” x 6”. Please remember to carry on medications, cameras or other items that you will need during your train ride.
• Different rules for outsize items such as bicycles.

Check-in Times

• Passengers need to 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.

Dining 

• Alaska Railroad offers two onboard dining options: The Wilderness Cafe and the GoldStar Dining Room.
  • The casual Wilderness Cafe snack bar car offers grab-and-go refreshments like baked goods, salads, sandwiches, and both non-alcoholic and adult beverages. The Wilderness Cafe is available on all Alaska Railroad routes and in some cases includes table seating.
  • Sit-down dining aboard Alaska trains is available in the GoldStar Dining Room. Depending on the route, the dining room serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Meals are prepared onboard and oftentimes feature local produce and ingredients. The drink menu includes craft beer, wine, and signature cocktails. The dining room is equipped with four-person booths and picture windows. Sit-down dining is available on the Coastal Classic and Denali Star trains. It is not available on the Glacier Discovery route.

Accommodations 

• Adventure Class is considered the standard or coach service while GoldStar service is an upgrade to one of the railroad’s newer luxury dome railcars.
  • Adventure Class:
    • Adventure Class Only option to Whittier on the Glacier Discovery route.
    • Most economical train option.
    • Lots of room for hand carry luggage.
    • Easy to walk from car to car.
    • Shared dome observation car (time limited to ensure fair use by all)
    • Casual snack and dining options
    • Seats recline and have footrests
    • Tour highlights pointed out over Public Address system
  • Goldstar:
    • Premium service option operated by Alaska Railroad.
    • Exceptional 360 viewing in upper level dome.
    • Lower level fine dining restaurant.
    • Meals and two alcoholic beverages included.
    • Newest dome rail cars on train.
    • Only exclusive dome car to Seward on the Coastal Classic route.
    • Exclusive upper level viewing platform, great for photographs.
    • Easy to walk to other Alaska Railroad cars.
    • Additional casual snack and dining options.
    • Seating rotates so families or parties of four can face each other if they wish.
    • Less people in dome compared to private dome options.

Notable Scenery

• Various national parks, some fjords, ancient geology and (if we're lucky), the Aurora Borealis.
• The Alaskan Railroad goes through some truly breathtaking scenery, along with rugged routes and either through or near some National Parks (you can go, for example, on a day cruise from Seward to Kenai Fjords National Park The Denali Star follows the Susitna river, and goes past The Chugach Mountains just north of Anchorage.
• Between Talkeetna and Denali, the train crosses Hurricane Gulch with amazing views. fter Denali, the train snakes along the Nenana River. On a clear day it's possible to see Mount Denali (otherwise known as Mount McKinley) from the train, the tallest mountain in North America.
• The route also offers various photo opportunities, such as the Talkeetna Mountains and into the Matanuska Valley, and Broad Pass, the highest point on the Alaska Railroad at 2,363 feet, featuring impressive panoramic views of the Alaska Range.