Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Car -- Take the Seward Highway to the Portage Glacier Road, at mile 78.9 (48 miles from Anchorage). The road through the 2 3/4-mile-long World War II rail tunnel to Whittier is only one lane and also accommodates trains, so you'll have to wait your turn. Get the schedule through the tunnel's website (go to http://tunnel.alaska.gov), through its phone recording (tel. 877/611-2586 or 907/566-2244), or by tuning to 1610AM in Portage or 530AM in Whittier. Checking the schedule helps you avoid a wait of an hour or more if you miss the opening, but you can also wait if you arrive just on time at peak hours, when there may be too many vehicles in line to get through during one open period. Typically, the crowding comes in the summer around 6 to 7pm Friday through Sunday. The tunnel closes altogether at night. In summer the first opening from Whittier is at 5:30am and the last to Whittier is at 11:15pm. Winter hours are shorter and changeable, so check ahead. The toll is $12 for cars; $20 for RVs, cars with trailers, or large vans. It is charged only going toward Whittier. Special permits are required for really huge vehicles (over 14 ft. high or 10 ft. wide). Parking in Whittier is $10 a day. As I mentioned in the introduction, Whittier really isn't worth the trouble unless you are going out on the water.

By Train -- If you plan to take a day trip on the Sound from a base in Anchorage (or Girdwood) -- the way most people use Whittier -- you can leave the car behind and take the train. The large tour operators will book it for you when you buy your boat ticket. The Alaska Railroad (tel. 800/544-0552 or 907/265-2494; www.alaskarailroad.com) runs a daily train timed to match the schedules of Prince William Sound tour boats. Unless you have planned an activity or tour on the water, however, you'll find the 6-hour stay in Whittier is too long to just hang around. The round-trip fare is $74, one-way $60, half-price ages 2 to 11. The train ride is scenic and fun, but a rental car will take about half as long and save money if there is more than one of you along.

By Bus -- Boat tour operators have buses that can save time and money over the train. Reserve when you buy your boat cruise ticket.

By Ferry -- Ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway System (tel. 800/642-0066; www.ferryalaska.com) connect Whittier, Valdez, and Cordova. The fast ferry Chenega has dramatically cut travel times and increased sailings in the summer. A ride across the Sound can be over by lunchtime. Passenger areas are enclosed, quiet, and smooth -- hardly like being on a boat at all. The fare from Whittier to either Valdez or Cordova is $89 for an adult, half-price ages 6 through 11, free under 6. A 15-foot car costs $105 to take along. The Whittier-Valdez run creates the opportunity for a wonderful loop tour of a couple days or more: Drive Anchorage to Whittier, take the ferry to Valdez, then return to Anchorage via the Glenn Highway, or continue up the Richardson Highway to Fairbanks and drive back to Anchorage on the Parks Highway.

Whittier is the system's main port connecting Southeast and Southcentral Alaska via the oceangoing ferry Kennicott. The ship's route spans the state, from Prince Rupert, B.C., to Juneau, across the Gulf of Alaska to Whittier, around the Kenai Peninsula to Homer, and out to Kodiak. The entire loop takes 2 weeks. The fare for the 2-day voyage between Whittier and Juneau is $221 for adults, $508 for a 15-foot vehicle, and roughly $200 to $350 for a cabin. A Chugach National Forest ranger interprets the scenery for passengers on the Prince William Sound ferry in the summer.

Visitor Information

There is no visitor center, but you can contact the Whittier Chamber of Commerce (tel. 907/677-9448; www.whittieralaskachamber.org), which includes a business directory with links on its website. The people at the harbormaster's office are helpful and maintain public toilets and showers; it's the two-story building at the harbor (tel. 907/472-2327 ext. 115; www.whittieralaska.gov).