Public Transportation in Fairbanks

[NHtoAlaska]

Thank you all very much for the information, you've been a huge help.

[stiffnecked]

If you are depending on public transit, which I do not recommed, it stops running by 9:00p.m. If you are going to have to work a part time job while going to school that schedule will limit when and where you can work. Just something to think about.

http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/busrou...cs/RedLine.pdf

[NHtoAlaska]

Hello everyone, I'm back again. I've been planning out a route from New Hampshire to Alaska and I think I could potentially make it in seven days, six if I make good time. In planning this trip, I noticed something worth bringing up. There are huge expanses of highway through Canada that don't appear to have small towns or villages no matter how far I zoom in on google maps. Are there gas stations somewhere along the way between, for instance, Fort Nelson, BC and Whitehorse, YK? I've read that there are, but I'm not quite sure how to locate them.

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by NHtoAlaska

Hello everyone, I'm back again. I've been planning out a route from New Hampshire to Alaska and I think I could potentially make it in seven days, six if I make good time. In planning this trip, I noticed something worth bringing up. There are huge expanses of highway through Canada that don't appear to have small towns or villages no matter how far I zoom in on google maps. Are there gas stations somewhere along the way between, for instance, Fort Nelson, BC and Whitehorse, YK? I've read that there are, but I'm not quite sure how to locate them.

You need a copy of the Milepost, it is very detailed on everything for your drive.

The MILEPOST: Alaska Travel Guide and Trip Planner

[warptman]

Originally Posted by NHtoAlaska

Are there gas stations somewhere along the way between, for instance, Fort Nelson, BC and Whitehorse, YK? I've read that there are, but I'm not quite sure how to locate them.

Yes there is.

Toad River Lodge

Muncho Lake has a few.

Liard River Lodge.

Contact Creek

Watson Lake

Junction 38 has a station.

Teslin

Jake's Corner

Then Whitehorse.

[MissingAll4Seasons]

If you'd like to drive for the adventure of it but don't absolutely trust your vehicle to make the trip safely, you can always rent a car/SUV to get up here. I checked pricing a couple times over the years and the cost of a week's car rental is usually comparable to flying; BUT adding in gas, food and lodging can double or triple the expense. If you don't have a lot of goods that would need to be shipped, then that expense wouldn't necessarily offset the extra expenses driving. The drive is AWESOME, but if your budget is tight, it might not be the best option in your car or a rental. But, above all else, if your vehicle isn't reliable and in near-perfect driving condition, DO NOT take it on a long-distance cross-country journey, especially not on the Al-Can through remote areas with limited access to services.

As a lone female, I have driven across the US coast-to-coast, and from WA to AK via the AlCan and the Cassiar. I, personally, didn't find it unpleasant or dangerous. But anyone who drives long distances alone should know how (and have the tools and spares) to do a few basic vehicle maintenance/repairs - how to change tires, replace a busted belt, swap or jump your battery, etc. No one expects you to be able to rebuild your engine by the side of the road, but it's normally the little things that get you stuck.

If you do bring your own car or buy one when you get here, you'll need the winterization package that Ray recommends. If you aren't driving in the winter (Oct - Apr) then you won't need it until you get here. It's better to get it done up here, as many dealers and mechanics in the L48 aren't used to installing them and you most likely won't get the components that are up to AK conditions down there.

I've had to rely on public transportation in Fairbanks a few times and have found it to be reasonable within the city limits. As mentioned, many of the larger establishments (esp. grocery stores and gas stations) along the routes will allow you to wait inside for the bus on extremely cold days in the winter. I've never seen the buses stop running no matter how cold (they picked me up on schedule at 50 below!), the worst I've experienced was a 10 minute delay waiting for the plow to clear the roads during a heavy snow storm (and if it's snowing, it's not really that cold). With the right winter gear, it's not horrible to wait at the stop a few minutes, but you wouldn't want to wait more than half-an-hour... if you're that early for the bus you're better off starting to walk to the next stop toward your destination, you'll stay warmer

I've also found F'Banks to be fairly pedestrian friendly, at least along the main routes. The city isn't really that big or complicated, there are primarily 3 places where business are concentrated -- by the college, by the military base, and downtown -- so if you can manage walking a mile or two, you can pretty much get to any amenities from UAF on sidewalks, and most are only a few blocks away.

There are a gajillion cabs in Fairbanks, and they are pretty good about coming quickly and taking you to areas on the outskirts or helping you load & unload packages. BUT using them can get really expensive in my experience. Since you can take a large duffel/pack on the bus and it goes nearly everywhere inside the city with only a block or two to walk, I reserve taxis for large shopping trips or truly out of the way places.

If you aren't planning to live in the campus dorms, just be aware that UAF is right on the outer boundary of the bus lines. You'll need to rent a place toward the city center from the college, not away from it if you want to stay within easy bus access. Unfortunately, this might mean that you miss some really cheap dry cabin rentals out in the hills around Goldstream, etc. But the UAF dorms really aren't that bad as far as dorms go. I think UAF & UAA realize that their students are probably going to be spending more time inside due to winter than a lot of other colleges, so they tried to make them nice.

[MissingAll4Seasons]

Originally Posted by gobrien

You need a copy of the Milepost, it is very detailed on everything for your drive.

The MILEPOST: Alaska Travel Guide and Trip Planner

This is the BEST advice to give anyone wanting to drive up. Unless you drive this route very frequently, you would be INSANE not to have the latest copy of the MILEPOST to plan your trip and then handy in the seat next to you during the trip. And you do want the LATEST copy, spend the money!!, because I compared two of my copies that were only a year apart and some of the stations and hotels were closed or had different services or hours.