INSIDE PASSAGE TO ALASKA ON THE ALASKA FERRY - We took our camper van to Alaska

We started our Alaska trip off right by taking the Alaska ferry (official name: The Alaska Marine Highway System, or AMHS) from Bellingham Washington, up through the Inside Passage through British Columbia, Canada and Southeast Alaska to Skagway, Alaska.
What a fun and gorgeous adventure - we highly recommend doing this on either your way up or on your way back from Alaska. Or just for the fun of it, ride the ferry one way and fly the other way, just for the experience!
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[@ganggreen9012]

My family lived in Sitka from 1971-76. In 2001 we took a trip back up. We flew to Seattle and got a shuttle to Bellingham then the ferry to Juneau. After a couple of nights in Juneau we flew to Sitka and spent a week there, then flew home. I suggest to people all the time that they should look into the ferry as a do it yourself cruise.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Totally agree with you on that - what a wonderful way to see southeast Alaska!

[@randomviking8676]

Loved this! I took a cruise to Alaska but this is Way More my style! Thanks for taking us along.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

You are so welcome! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the comment!

[@jacobpoucher]

lol ive done both an you sound confused.

[@denisfrancine3221]

Loved your video. Took the Ferry from Skagway to Prince Rupert.Three days of heaven, sleeping on the deck. Loved all the stops along the way.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Glad you enjoyed it! (Both the video and your 3 days of heaven!) Thanks for the feedback!

[@MarioLopez-fq3sx]

Thank you so much for taking us along on your beautiful trip! The filming was awesome along with the music which was not overwhelming. I'm planning on taking this trip soon and your video made it more exciting with anticipation of what 's ahead. Safe travels and thanks again!

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

That’s so good to hear! Glad you enjoyed it - thanks for commenting and we hope you enjoy your trip!😀

[@nancyhannan1977]

I've been on that ferry many times. They will give You more blankets and pillows.On the Sulaiman Deck you can put you can put a tent up if you want. I took that ferry many times when I spent 15 years in Ketchikan

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Good to know - we’ll keep that in mind for next time. Thanks Nancy!

[@dickspade7045]

Great video, thanks. The filming was very professional, the narration just right & the music not distracting. In case I don't get there in person due to "advanced maturity" Your video is the next best thing, Thanks again.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! Sure appreciate your comment!

[@morinaga7630]

I have lived in Washington State all my life and never took this ferry ride. Such beautiful places, this ferry ride is definitely on my list now. Thank you.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Glad you enjoyed it! 😃

[@floccinaucinihilipilifications]

Thanks for this!

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Our pleasure - glad you enjoyed it!

[@jennifermanders7386]

oh my goodness! Thank you so much for this video! My husband and I have been wondering how the ferry operate!

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

You’re very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the comment!

[@EatTravelHappy]

Awesome video! Glad I found you guys. I wanted more information on the ferries, enjoyed your video. 👍👍👍🙋

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

So glad you liked it, thanks for the comment!!😀

[@jimfling2128]

We did that trip in 1997 with our camper. We also had a 4-5 hour delay waiting for a part. We slept on the fantail under the roof with about 50 other other people some had tents up for awhile. We got off at every stop for awhile and left the ferry system. at Skagway. Great adventure of a lifetime.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Very cool! Yes we agree - "trip of a lifetime!" So glad we did it!

[@Scrambler85]

Nice video and a good adventure. Very interesting, 👍

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Thanks J!

[@tonypainter6744]

May 25th for me and the wife ! Just to Ketchikan for 2 weeks. Great job with this post. Thank you

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Sweet - have fun and thanks for the comment!

[@johtor2358]

I'm surprised. This vessel is in such a beautiful shape. According my information it is already 60 years old.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Yes it’s true. They take good care of their vessels!

[@lizhaydon2250]

Top on my bucket list. Thank you

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

You are so welcome and yes it is truly a bucket list worthy experience! Thanks for the comment!

[@evabalga6133]

Very well done, and I saw many from my favorite state - Alaska.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Thank you Eva! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@enziogehrig9425]

Thanks for this very nice video! It brought back some very fond memories of a similar trip I made with my father back in 1973. I even think on the same ferry, which has been in service since 1963. We did it the other way around, i.e., from Haines, Alaska to Prince Rupert, B.C. where we switched ferries to go on to Vancouver Island (I don't remember the destination port there, it may have been Port Hardy or Campbell River). What I do remember is that the Alaskan King Crab was dirt cheap at the time and now it costs a fortune!

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Glad you enjoyed it and could relate it to your similar trip years ago! Thank you for the comment!

[@MilesCobbett]

My favorite vessel is the Columbia

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Ah yes - another beauty. You can see the Columbia in Ketchikan at 12:40 in the video. Thanks for the comment Miles!

[@hypergolic8468]

This is from a European perspective; but I actually have a one/two season sleeping bag that I use on overnight ferries. It really packs down to nothing, but it guarantees a good night sleep...unless I'm in a force 11+ on the Shetland to Scotland run, in which case I'm in the bathroom....

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

OK, well thanks for the comment!

[@khnelson2]

Really great video and information. Thanks for the boat tour. Considering this trip but was unsure about comfort.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Thanks and glad this was helpful. It’s certainly not a 5-Star hotel, but for us it was wonderful. Thanks for the feedback! ❤️

[@trainmanhawaii]

Banana's on boat are bad luck. A lot of captains won't even let you bring them aboard...😂. Maybe that's the reason for the late start? 😁❤

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Wow, never heard that one but we’ll keep it in mind! Thanks!

[@HughButler-lb6zs]

Did a float fishing trip.on the Kasilof in 2006. 2 guys in the parry had bananas and the guide made them throw the bananas overboard. I been fishing all my life and never heard of this. Back in the days of sailing ships sailors took fruit aboard to prevent scurvey.. Bananas go bad faster than other fruit and maggots in their skin would ruin other fruit and food. So, no bananas were allowed.

[@alaska4939]

FYI to anyone who rides the MV Matanuska, the thing on the wall is an air flow regulator, not a thermostat.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Thank you for clarifying that!

[@ajit52]

Beautiful vlog

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@alaska4939]

Looks like you guys had a good trip. Hope all my shipmates were nice to you 😊

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Yes they were. It was an awesome trip!

[@USNVA11]

Good thing about being the last vehicle on is that you are the first one off ! 😃

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

LOL well yeah except that they unload from a forward door on the side, so we were also nearly last to unload. (but there were some big vehicles with trailers too, that actually ended up unloading after us).

[@USNVA11]

@@TimAndShannonLTD - Duh, I didn’t think about a ramp up forward. I’ll go stand in the corner with my dunce cap. 😉

[@USNVA11]

I went back and rewatched the video and you guys even showed the front ramp. I doubled up on my dunce cap. LOL.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

@@USNVA11 LOL!

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

@@USNVA11 Oh it's all good. We really appreciate you watching and your comments - Thank you!

[@wannacashmeoutside]

Wow an ambulance inside the ferry. That’s an interesting sight

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Yep. Brand new ambulance being delivered to one of the towns in S.E. Alaska.

[@doncolincreative]

Very cool. Can you provide a link to the ferry company that you used?

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Hi Don, yes here it is: dot.alaska.gov/amhs/index.shtml

[@roxannek1551]

Wow! That’s an amazing trip! Definitely something to put on our bucket. How long did it take to get to Skagway?

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Hi Roxanne, yes definitely put it on your list. Even if just for the ferry ride and then fly home. It took about 60 hours. We left Bellingham late Wednesday and arrived at Skagway early Saturday afternoon.

[@gregpasser2448]

How long is this cruise from Bellingham to Skagway??

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Hi Greg, it’s about 3-1/2 days. We left Bellingham on a Tuesday, slept 3 nights on the ferry and arrived in Skagway on Friday.

[@FrederickBeckerBP]

We are planning on taking our RV to Alaska, may I ask why you decided on the Ferry instead of driving up?

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

We knew we would be driving back and we wanted to see the Inside Passage going up.

[@stumphead4885]

How much does a trip like this cost with vehicle transportation, room and board and eats? Thanks for the informative video.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Hi Stump. Too many variables for us to answer that - length, width and height of your vehicle; when you’re traveling; where you’re traveling; which accommodation you want, etc. Check out dot.alaska.gov/amhs/index.shtml and you can plug in all those and get an exact cost. Happy travels!! 🙂

[@gordybishop2375]

Ice for margaritas…pack the blender

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

LOL

[@HughButler-lb6zs]

You can't get a schedule or make reservations yet. The ferry system is very inefficient. Was planning on using the ferry this August but decided to pass.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Really? I think we made our April reservations in the previous November. Sorry to hear that-we really loved this experience!

[@HughButler-lb6zs]

@TimAndShannonLTD I have wanted to travel by the ferry since my first trip to Alaska in 2006. My son has been trying to make reservations since June of 2023. But as of January the Alaska ferry has not published a schedule and you can't make reservations. We both felt waiting any longer would risk not being able to do the things we wanted, so we will fly out of Alaska rather than take the ferry. We would have been on foot but had to coordinate other accommodations with the ferry schedule.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Wow so sorry to hear that. I wonder why they don’t have those available yet-seems like they’re losing good business!

[@HughButler-lb6zs]

@TimAndShannonLTD my son was handling making the reservations. They told him they were having difficulty getting people to work for them. IMany of the routes they offered in the past are no longer available.

[@Lst2ltdwn]

How long did they charge you for the van, and how much. I was thinking of doing this one way.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Hi Brad. Our van is a 170" wheelbase Sprinter at 22' 6" overall. The cost varies quite a bit depending on how long your rig is, how high, what season you travel in (we were not peak season as it was April) and where you depart from and arrive. Turns out we could have gone to Haines instead of Skagway and still driven the rest of the way to Alaska. But kinda hard to say what it costs without knowing all the above. You can visit the AMHS website and see what yours will cost: dot.alaska.gov/amhs/index.shtml

[@skunkedagain]

Thanks for a great video. Why not just tell us what YOUR trip cost?

[@glee918]

Hi, we have a converted Sprinter Van. Are we able to sleep in our van or must we book a stateroom? thanks!

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Hi Glee. Unfortunately no you can’t stay in your van. We have a sprinter as well and we would have stayed in it if we could. You don’t have to get a stateroom if you don’t mind sleeping in one of the lounge areas. We saw quite a few people bundled up in their sleeping bags on the floor in various locations around the boat. Also, people set up tents under the solarium on the top outside deck (I think you’ll want warmer weather for that).

[@ironhorsegladiator5034]

The Ferry is nice but at an average of $1,00 to $2,000 per vehicle (Auto/Motorcycle), $450 per person and $500 per cabin, $3,000 ONEWAY is steep for most. That is why just about everywhere you videotaped were mostly EMPTY.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Yes indeed - Quite expensive and definitely not something we would make a habit of. But for that one time , wow what a great experience!

[@pjsplace5665]

Can you stay in your vehicle if you’re paying for an rv or van ?

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Hi PJ. Unfortunately no you can't. They do give access to the car deck 3 times each day for about 20-30 minutes, but other than that, passengers are not allowed on the vehicle deck. A lot of people sleep on pads on the floor in one of the quieter lounges, or outside under the solarium on the sun deck (in tents and sleeping bags). But yeah, we opted for the "luxurious" stateroom and were happy we did. It cost more obviously, but for us it was worth it.

[@dennislyons3095]

What was the cost of bringing the van on the ferry from Bellingham to Skagway? I'm considering this trip for May 2024.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

We're remembering it was somewhere around $2800 but could be off a bit. That included an overheight, 23' van and also a stateroom.

[@dennislyons3095]

@@TimAndShannonLTD Thank you for getting back to me. I am planning a one way ferry & drive the return after an "expedition cruise" of S.E. Alaska. & some sight seeing in AK. I'd leave the car in Juneau since that's where the cruise ends, explore Juneau then ferry to Haines & drive to the interior of AK, put wife on jet for home then I'd make my way home (she doesn't like being gone more than two weeks). I realize prices are fungible but I'd never seen any numbers, thanks very much.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

@@dennislyons3095 You're welcome - have a great trip!

[@norrispalmer3250]

Thinking of going in our van like you. Will they let you stay in your RV/Van? Why do they restrict you from going down?

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Hi Norris! No, you can’t stay in your van 🤨. I’m guessing they consider it a safety thing as to why they restrict access to the car deck. They do travel in some pretty gnarly weather at times…

[@jimmyolsenband]

Which ship?

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

It was the M/V Matanuska.

[@jmp.t28b99]

Time of year ? How long to Skagway ?

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Late April. 3-1/2 days Bellingham to Skagway.

[@frankemmite1666]

How much did this ferry trip cost?

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Don’t remember the exact amount but it was over $2K. Our van is over length, over height, we got a stateroom, and we went all the way to Skagway which is the farthest destination in Southeast AK 😮 but totally worth it to us.

[@frankemmite1666]

@@TimAndShannonLTD Awesome, thanks for the reply!

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

@@frankemmite1666 of course!

[@Jeff-hp3vn]

What was the cost to take your van? I am going in a 1994 f150 4x4 short bed with a slide in camper

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Hi Jeff. It was quite a lot. For our van (22 ft length, 10 ft height), two of us and a 2 berth stateroom, from Bellingham to Skagway was $2,800. Lot of money but worth for us for the experience.

[@candiceprebble3528]

@@TimAndShannonLTD Hi Tim, thanks for posting :) Is the $2800 in USD? I've just come across the Marine Highway system, we are from NZ, do you think it would be easy to go from Bellingham to Skagway and hop off at say Ketchikan, Wrangell and Juneau for a few days at a time. I've found trying to figure out the AMHS website really confusing.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

@@candiceprebble3528 Hi Candice, yes USD. And yes if you plan ahead you can hop off to explore places along the way. At the time of year (late April) we sailed, it only ran once per week so we would have been a week at each stopover. Maybe later in the year there are more sailings and you could do fewer days each? Not sure. Be sure and let them know your plans when you buy your tickets and they can help you figure it out. (Their phone support for ticket sales is very helpful). Good luck and enjoy your trip!

[@candiceprebble3528]

@@TimAndShannonLTD thanks so much for your help, we would probably look at going mid-late May...if we are brave enough to adventure on our own :)

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

@@candiceprebble3528 oh there may be more sailings per week in May!

[@nielskjr5432]

A bit different from a cruise ship.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

That's for sure. If it had been a cruise ship, we would not have been on it!

[@foreverhappiness3396]

the ferry looks like a hospital ...

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Yep. Definitely kind of spartan on the decor side…

[@amtrak_121]

seems kinda run-down.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Yes well it certainly is old-school. But considering it was built in 1963 (so it will be 60 yrs old next year) I think it’s doing pretty well.

[@ThomasKent1346]

Have you seen the Quiet Nerd's trip on the Columbia from Bellingham to Ketchikan? kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZ_KqYF9nZqXkJI

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Hi Thomas. No we haven’t but thanks for the link - we’ll check it out!

[@davidjamar4472]

Ill bet your "outrage" brother was from the northeast. Please dont move to me in Florida.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Oh but he was being sarcastic, he’s one of the most chill people I know! 😊

[@rampar77]

The most stupid system. I spent hours trying to book a cabin from Belligham to Juneau and none was available. The only one available was from Juneau to Belligham and it cost over $900 for a 4 beth. Did they expect people sleep outside like a homeless person or stupid camper, or refugee, on a chair if one was even vacant ? Do people fight for it? The ship Columbia had 500 passengers and only 45-4 beth and 56 -2 beth. Over 200 passengers had no place to sleep for 38 (Kitchikan) - 58 (Juneau) hours. Stupid design/ The smaller ships don't even have decent hot food.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Yeah these ferries aren’t for everyone. You might have a better experience on a cruise ship next time.

[@daleangrignon6101]

It's a shame you thought the most picturesque part was out of Ketchikan.

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Oh man the entire trip was gorgeous! I just have a thing for glass calm waters. It’s like riding on a mirror. Could’ve happened anywhere along the journey but for us it happened just before Ketchikan. But yeah I agree - there are many places along the route with more beautiful natural beauty.

[@johnp139]

Too many commercials!!!!

[@TimAndShannonLTD]

Thank you for letting us know John - How many commercials popped up??

[@garymurphy4165]

GREAT VID but please lose the musak.

[@user-sd8ky4zm3l]

That’s NOT a stateroom. It’s a cabin.