Once you decide to move to Alaska, there are a few hundred more related decisions to make. Deciding to move to Alaska is only the first step. After you’ve convinced yourself to move, you’ve got to deal with the details of how to get here, how to ship your possessions, which vehicle or vehicles to take or sell before you leave, what and how to pack, how the pets are going to travel and a host of other things.
First, determine how you want to travel. Do you want to drive up the Alaska Highway? Do you want to fly up with a major airline and ship everything, including the car? Or, unique to Alaska, would you like to drive onto a ferry in Seattle and pull your car off the ship onto Alaskan soil a few days later? All of these questions must be answered in order to properly plan your trip. Lets take a look at the various ways you can travel to Alaska.
Alaska Highway
Forget all the horror stories you’ve heard over the years-the Alaska Highway is no longer a muddy, rutted gravel road on the edge of nowhere. Except for those areas under construction in any given year, it’s now a fully paved road, often with an extra lane for passing and, for the most part, wide shoulders. Thankfully, it is still sort of on the edge of nowhere; that’s a large part of its charm!
You don’t need any more preparation for a summer trip up the Alaska Highway than for any other lengthy road trip anywhere else in the country or Canada. From Seattle, it’s about 2,200 miles to Anchorage. Be certain your car is in good repair, check that you have plenty of tread on your tires-including the spare-and if you plan to load the car heavily, invest in overload shocks or springs. Then engage your common sense and keep it on for the duration of the trip. Although you’ll be traveling on good roads, these are not multilane interstates. A little common sense goes a long way in the North Country.
Officially, the Alaska Highway begins at Dawson Creek, British Columbia , about 700 miles north of Seattle. The first 1,200 miles or so are all in Canada, both in B.C. and Yukon Territory. The longest distance between gas stations at present is about 75 miles. In fact, there are enough services available that the Canadian government no longer posts signs to warn you how far it is to the next gas station.
This proximity to service stations does not, however, hold true on the Cassiar Highway running from New Hazelton, British Columbia to where it joins the Alaska Highway at Watson Lake, Yukon. The Cassiar is a beautiful drive, no mistake about it, but there are long stretches along its 450 miles with no serviced available. The advantages of choosing the Cassiar route instead of the first 600 miles of the Alaska Highway are the spectacular scenery, the lower volume of traffic and the fact that it is about 150 miles shorter. The single disadvantage is that there are still some gravel sections on the Cassiar. These gravel sections are generally in pretty good shape and present no real driving problems except after a heavy rain when they might be gooey, slick and rough. One final note about the Cassiar-your chances of seeing a bear from this road are much greater than on almost any section of the Alaska Highway, especially if you make it a point to travel in the evening hours.
These days 100,000 or more tourist vehicles a summer venture up and down the Alaska Highway system. Many of these are some sort of recreational vehicle-a motor home, pickup camper or travel trailer. Those living along the road tend to favor sport utility vehicles and pickups over more traditional sedans, but that’s mostly for practical reasons. A pickup truck is a much more functional everyday vehicle in Yukon Territory than a compact hatchback.
Driving to Alaska is one of the last great open-road adventures left in North America. The scenery is superb, the traffic fairly light and the opportunities for recreation are limited only by your imagination. For example, except for Alaska’s well deserved reputation, some of the best roadside freshwater fishing in North America is available in the lakes and streams alongside or near the Alaska Highway in Canada. Then there’s a wonderful outdoor hot springs at Liard River, fascinating mementos of the Klondike Gold Rush in Whitehorse and Skagway (the later a 99 mile side trip from Whitehorse) and so much more. While it possible to drive Anchorage from Seattle in three rather long days, most people take up to a week or more to make for a special trip.
A Few Things To Remember:
If you are a U.S. citizen or resident moving or transporting your personal equipment, household and/or personal effects in-transit through Canada from one U.S. State to another, you will encounter Customs in the U.S. and Canada. Customs in both countries will enforce their regulations and may want to inspect your goods to determine admissibility. (In most cases, the below described process is very similar for Canadians transiting the U.S. with household effects.)
There are measures you can take prior to leaving the U.S. with your belongings to assist both customs authorities in determining the goods' admissibility and to avoid complications when clearing Customs in Canada and the U.S.
Prepare an inventory list of the items you are transporting and present it when you declare your goods to the Canadian Customs (going into Canada) and U.S. CBP officers (when reentering the U.S.).
Present documentation to the Canadian Customs officer to prove you do not intend to stay in Canada. For example, if you are moving to another U.S. State for employment reasons, a letter of employment can be presented to Canadian Customs. A new signed lease or mortgage for a new house in the U.S. would also be sufficient proof of your intent.
Register any equipment with serial numbers on a Certificate of Registration form (CBP 4457) with an U.S. CBP officer prior to leaving the U.S. You must physically take the equipment to a Customs port of entry and have a CBP officer fill out the form and stamp it. You will need to present the form when you reenter the U.S. with the equipment. (If you have sales receipts for these items, you do not have to register them with customs - just make sure you have the receipts handy.)
Avoid taking items that are restricted or prohibited from entering Canada. For instance, household plants and dirt generally can enter Canada temporarily. However, under no circumstances can outdoor plants or firewood enter Canada. Additionally, firearms are prohibited by Canadian Customs from entering in-transit. Firearms are only allowed to enter with hunters during hunting season. Ammunition is not prohibited and you are allowed to pass through with up to 5000 rounds of ammunition.
Avoid purchasing goods in Canada that are restricted or prohibited from entering the U.S. For instance, beef, poultry products and eggs are not admissible at this time, neither is pet food containing meat or poulty. Also, citrus or tropical fruits purchased in Canada are prohibited. Fruit and vegetables that are grown in Canada, such as apples, peaches, etc, may be admissible, but must be declared and presented for examination.
When entering Canada, you will not be required to fill out a declaration. The inventory list will be sufficient. However, you may be required to fill out a Customs declaration CBP 6059B when returning to the U.S. It would be helpful to present the inventory list as well. If you registered equipment prior to leaving the U.S., present the certificate of registration.
Any purchases acquired while you were in Canada must be declared on the CBP 6059B. These items may be subject to duty, unless you stayed in Canada for 48 hours or more, In which case you will be eligible for an $800 duty-free personal exemption. The next $1,000 worth of your purchases will be subject to a flat rate of 3%. The duty rate for goods purchased valued over $1,800, will be subject to duty rates in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. If you were in Canada for less than 48 hours, you will be eligible for a $200 exemption. The remaining value will be subject to duty rates in the HTS.
For additional information on U.S. regulations, you should reference our publication Know Before You Go.
For additional information on Canadian regulations, you should can contact Canadian Customs at (519) 257-6510 or visit their web site.
Those driving north in the cold weather months, roughly mid-September to early May, should also carry additional items in the vehicle for emergencies. These include, but are not limited to warm clothes (gloves, hats, mittens and warm boots,) tire chains, and extra fan belt, a flashlight, a shovel, blankets or sleeping bags and an ice scraper/snow brush for clearing windows in the morning. Though driving north in the winter is not overly dangerous, if something does go wrong, it can be a long time before somebody shows up in another car to lend assistance.
For winter drives to Alaska, your car does need a little extra attention before you leave. Install an engine block heater before heading north. This allows you to plug in your car when you stop for the evening and keeps the engine from freezing overnight. Outlets are available as standard equipment at most hotels along the Alaska Highway. You may also want to consider changing to a lower viscosity oil as well, both in the engine and other components. As an alternative some of the synthetic oils are excellent choices for cars used in arctic climates. Your local car dealer can recommend how to prepare your vehicle for the long haul to Alaska.
Finally, be certain your windshield washing fluid is the kind that won’t freeze. Pure water in your reservoir will quickly turn into a solid lump of ice in the North Country.
Maps, a North American road atlas, and the annually printed Milepost are essential travel companions for navigational and recreational purposes when driving to Alaska.
Any travel agent or airline-ticketing representative can arrange a flight from any airport to Anchorage. If you don’t live in or near a major hub airport, there are connecting flights to get you to the departure point for Anchorage. Whether you are moving to Anchorage or the Mat-Su Valley, Ted Stevens Anchorage International is the only airport serving the region. Flying north as part of your move to Anchorage, while certainly quick, has several limitations. All you’ll be able to carry with you has to fit in two suitcases and a carry-on bag. If you ship your car, you’ll need a rental to get around town until your vehicle is delivered in Anchorage.
For gun owners, the major advantage to air travel is that you can bring handguns along. The weapon must be locked in one of you bags and you must declare that you have it to the agent when checking your bags in. Ammunition cannot be transported in the same locked bag with the gun; it must be locked in a separate checked bag.
Here’s an old-timers tip for those flying back and forth to Alaska for the first time from the West Coast; Right –side window seats on the way north, left-side windows in the way south. Those seats offer the best views of Alaska’s coastline when it is not hidden by clouds. On a clear day there are spectacular views mountains, fjords and glaciers almost from the moment you depart Seattle until you land in Anchorage. Oh, and one more tip, everyone in Alaska loves their Alaska Airline Mileage Plan. You should seriously consider getting involved in any program that offer Alaska Airline Miles to your personal account. For more information go to the Alaska Airlines website.
Take the Ferry
Unique among the states, Alaska operates a system of inland water and ocean-going ferries from Seattle. Until recently, Seattle boarding passengers could only get as far as Haines at the northern edge of Southeastern Alaska. From there you would have about a 750 mile drive to Anchorage, via a corner of western Canada and part of the Alaska Highway.
A new ship recently put into service now offers service between June and September from Juneau to Seward in Southcentral Alaska, about 125 miles south of Anchorage. And, if you like a lot of adventure, you can board another ship from Southcentral Alaska that runs all the way down the Aleutian Islands.
The Ferry offers passage for vehicles and people. Cabins are available for rent for the longer voyages. Your pets, however, must ride in your vehicle, and you are only allowed on the vehicle deck to exercise then during stopovers en route or at selected times while underway and accompanied by a member of the crew.
Ferries are not cruise ships. The scenery outside the windows is the same as that seen by hundreds of thousands of cruise ship passengers every summer, but the similarities end there. Perhaps the best way to describe the difference between ferries and cruise ships is to note that the latter are vacation destinations and ferries are part of a transportation system, much like a bus system, though on a grander scale. You’ll have to provide your own entertainment-a good book, knitting and, if you have a something that needs an electrical outlet, there are usually those available at several locations throughout the ship including the lounge and solariums. Meals are pay-as-you-go in the ship’s cafeterias and dining rooms; however, they tend to be expensive so carrying a cooler full of food and drinks is always good.
A few things to remember:
Book early, particularly if you plan to travel in the summer months, need a cabin and/or require vehicle space. January is not to early to book for June or July.
All propane appliances and propane bottles must be shut off before putting a vehicle on board. Ferry personnel will check your vehicle before you drive it on to the ship.
Take whatever you need with you to your cabin or the passenger areas. You are generally not allowed to make trips to your vehicle while the ferry is moving.
Many people bring a cooler of food and drink to make the journey more affordable and comfortable with pleasures you can’t live without.
Dress on board is casual. Carry a good jacket and a raincoat if you want to spend time on the outer decks in the open air. Trust us on this one, you will want to spend time out on the decks. Throughout your journey you sometimes will be traveling so close to beaches you will think there is something wrong. Don’t worry during these times, these are best possible periods where you can spot wildlife on the beaches! The best part is, and this something you won’t find on a cruise ship, the ferry Captain will either slow down or stop to allow passengers to view and picture the wildlife. These special times are the #1 reason to travel the Alaska Marine Highway System.
If you are traveling with children, keep them under control to avoid upsetting other passengers, particularly during the evening hours when travelers without cabins attempt to sleep under the stars on the decks.
If you are unable to get a cabin and intend to sleep on deck, a warm sleeping bag will protect you from the chilly night air of the Pacific Ocean.
Binoculars are handy watching wildlife and you’ll want your camera within reach for this amazing journey.
Walk-on passengers traveling with legal firearms or weapons on AMHS vessels are required to check these items with an AMHS employee. All firearms must be unloaded and ammunition stowed separately from the firearms. Unloaded firearms may be securely locked in passengers' vehicles.
Pets may travel on AMHS vessels, but they must have a health certificate no more than 30 days old to travel into Alaska from another state. Animals traveling through Canada are required to have proof of current rabies vaccination. Most health certificates issued by veterinarians will include verification of current rabies vaccination. Dogs, cats, and other household pets cost $25 to transport to and from Bellingham, and $10 to transport to and from Prince Rupert. Travel between other AMHS ports is free, and there is no charge on any route for a certified service animal traveling with a person with a disability. Pets must remain on the car decks of all AMHS vessels, and be cared for by their owners. This means they must stay either in vehicles or in suitable containers (not provided by AMHS), which must also remain on the car decks. Owners may visit their pets on the car deck only while vessels are in port. Due to United States Coast Guard regulations, passengers are not allowed on the car deck while vessels are underway, unless accompanied by an AMHS employee. Accompanied pet calls are announced by the purser approximately three times a day between Bellingham and Ketchikan, and between Juneau and Valdez.
Contact the Alaska Marine Highway System at (800) 642-0066 for a copy of the schedule and tariffs for passengers and vehicles, or visit the website at www.alaska.gov/ferry Once you decide on a date and destination, reservations can either be made directly via the above phone number, online through the website or with any reputable travel agent.
