Inside Passage

The route threads between the mainland and a screen of islands from Washington up through British Columbia to south-east Alaska, which is why it is sheltered - vessels avoid the open Gulf of Alaska almost entirely. Most of the towns along it, including Juneau, the state capital, have no road connection to anywhere; the ferry is the road. The Alaska Marine Highway is a public transport system rather than a cruise line, carrying vehicles, freight and residents, with cabins bookable or a solarium deck where passengers pitch tents and sleep in deckchairs. It costs a fraction of a cruise and stops where people actually live. Humpback whales, orca and bears are seen from the deck. Rain is constant - this is temperate rainforest.

What you actually see

• A sheltered route behind islands - avoiding the open gulf.
• Towns with no roads out - including the state capital.
• A public ferry, not a cruise - carrying residents and freight.
• Deck camping in the solarium - the cheapest way to travel it.

When to go

May to September; ferries run year round on a reduced schedule. Three days to two weeks.

Honest expectations

Ferry schedules are sparse and have been cut in recent years - plan around sailings, not the reverse. Rain is near-constant. Cabins book out months ahead. Vessel breakdowns have stranded passengers.

Nearby

Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau and Skagway are all stops on the route.