There are three things to consider when picking your best Alaska train tour. First, what route would you like to take? The railroad runs 470 miles from Fairbanks to Seward. Popular Alaska train routes include the Denali Star between Fairbanks and Anchorage with a favorite stop in Denali National Park, the Coastal Classic between Anchorage and Seward, and the Glacier Discovery running roundtrip from Anchorage to Whittier and Grandview. What's the best of the best? Check out our Most Scenic Alaska Train Routes advice page.

Next, what train service are you interested in? The Alaska Railroad, which includes the Adventure Class and GoldStar Dome classes of service, runs the full length of the railway in Alaska. The Wilderness Express and McKinley Explorer are privately operated premium dome train services. The Wilderness Express runs between Anchorage and Fairbanks, while the McKinley Express only travels between Anchorage and Denali Park. To see what each has to offer, please visit our Alaska train comparison page. You can also visit our Best Alaska Train for Me advice page for more amenity details.

Finally, how much time do you have? Although taking the train in Alaska is a wonderfully scenic experience, travel by railway most often takes longer than traveling by road. We usually recommend combining train and motorcoach service to make the most of your time and budget. And for those travelers with less time to play, a train day trip out of Anchorage is a perfect option. You can either head north to Talkeetna near Denali Park or south to Seward near Kenai Fjords. There is also an exciting day trip train option to Spencer Glacier and Grandview.

Many of the best Alaska trains are incorporated into our custom travel packages. To see more, head to our Alaska Trip Finder and search for packages based on travel by train.