Alaska: By sea
The ferries of the state-run Alaska Marine Highway System (tel 1-800/642-0066, ) cover many areas unreachable by car, currently operating in two separate regions with an occasional "inter-tie" trip linking them. The popular southeast route runs a thousand miles from Bellingham, just north of Seattle, through a wonderland of pristine waters, narrow fjords and untouched forests to Skagway, at the northern end of the Inside Passage stopping at Ketchikan, Wrangell, Sitka, Juneau and Haines. The whole trip takes three days and costs $277 for walk-on passengers, $624 for a small car, $224 for a motorbike and $45 for bicycles and canoes. It is possible to sleep - and even to pitch a tent - on the "solarium," a covered, heated upper deck, while a two-berth cabin costs from $235. The southwest ferry system connects the Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound to the Aleutians, and the new Kennicott ferry now links the two systems by running between Juneau and Seward once a month in summer. Throughout the system, section passenger fares depend on distance traveled: $180 from Bellingham to Ketchikan; $59 from Ketchikan to Sitka; $29 from Sitka to Juneau; and $166 from Juneau to Seward. While the ferry is a bargain for foot passengers prepared to rough it, an extended voyage with vehicle and an overnight cabin (both of which should be booked in advance) becomes very expensive. If you're driving up from the Lower 48, consider boarding a ferry at Prince Rupert in British Columbia, a day's drive north of Seattle. This saves the cost of one day at sea from Bellingham without missing much of the natural spectacle.Alaska city guides
| Anchorage | Ketchikan |
| Cordova | Sitka |
| Fairbanks | Skagway |
| Girdwood | Talkeetna |
| Haines | Valdez |
| Homer | Wrangell |
| Juneau |
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