I often joke with people that in the small town of Juneau, Alaska, the Uber drive is the same person as the taxi driver who is the same person as the mail delivery person who is the same person working at the Safeway Grocery store.
While I am joking, there’s some truth in the sense that Juneau still operates like a small(er) town. The taxi service is incredibly unreliable and Ubers may or may not be around and the same goes for Lyft (like many places in the lower 48, Uber and Lyft have the same drivers). Car rentals work well but there have been times when the car rental desk is closed because your flight gets in too late (or early).
The good news, during the summer when most visitors pile into the area, most services are functional. You can walk outside the airport and there are generally 3-4 cabs out front. IF you are one of the last people to get outside after an incoming flight, and there is a shortage of cabs, try to catch a cab driver and let them know that you’ll wait for a pick up. Most cab drivers will circle back around after their initial drop off. The good news, since Juneau is not too big (40 miles of a road system give or take), often times the drop off and return back to the airport is not too long of a wait.
Generally speaking, Juneau has the same ways to get around the town like most places in the lower 48 but be prepared for the ‘Alaska’ nuances (delayed timing, less drivers, overpacked schedules in the summer, etc.). Here are the 5 ways that most people explore Juneau and the surrounding areas:
5 Ways To Get Around Juneau
Uber / Ride Sharing: As time goes on, Ubers / Ride Sharing drivers become more prevalent and more available. Depending on your arrival time, consider pre-booking a ride especially if you know your final destination.
Taxis: Generally 3-4 taxis waiting at the airport. However, very few just driving around in the downtown area (or any area). I have had several poor experiences with calling ahead for a taxi and having it show up. Taxis at best are unreliable and at worst, they do not pick up their phone service (non-existent). I have tried several methods - prebooking and calling subsequent times to reconfirm pick ups (sometimes I even receive text confirmations and still have ‘no shows’), calling day of, calling when I need the ride, etc. Net/net, in my experience, taxis can be helpful from the airport but unreliable anywhere else.
Rental Cars: Rental cars provide freedom to explore yet during the summer, the rates can be high (high demand). If you’re planning ahead of time, make sure to snag a rental early on. Pick up is at the airport - yet some companies accommodate drop offs at the Ferry terminal. We have the main car rental companies (Avis, Hertz, etc.) and other companies such as Alaska Airlines have started streamlining their guest experience by providing rentals via their own platform. Some of the car rental places allow you to drop off your car rental at the ferry area (they have a drop box for the keys). This may surprise you and if you’re planning a trip without seeing the dropbox, you may feel a little odd just leaving your rental car randomly sitting at a ferry terminal without interacting with a human. I have embarked on this experience and I can say with confidence, that in my situation (pick up a rental for the airport, drop it off at the ferry terminal), the process worked out just fine. It was so ‘uncomplicated’ that it felt wrong. Just one of the beautiful things about a small town.
Turo: I used Turo once when I was on mainland Alaska (fairly remote location and Turo was my only option). Turo is a combination of a car rental and uber - essentially people rent out their own cars for a period of time. It can be a great option if you are willing to take some risk around the quality of vehicle. If I was providing guidance to a friend, my recommendation would be to stick to the established rental car businesses in town as they have more resources if you should need help during your experience.
Public Transportation: When I first moved to Juneau, I was surprised by the bus system. Routes take folks to / from the downtown area and ‘out the road’ a bit, over to Douglas (island connected to Juneau with 1 bridge) and out around the back loop. While some visitors use the bus system as an ‘easy’ way to transfer around the city, it is not a popular mode of transportation for guests. Mainly because the pick up / drop off locations are near ‘everyday’ type of locations such as the university, grocery stores and living areas. Find the most up-to-date bus schedule here.
Small Town Kindness
One thing I love about transportation to / from the airport the forcing mechanism it can be for travelers to meet other travelers. I have witnessed the kindness of other travelers at the airport. When there is a shortage of cabs, often times groups of people or couples will pile in with other couples, splitting the fares in real time. I have seen some people offer rides to those left waiting at the airport. Perhaps there is some benefit to extra waiting time if the taxi service is backed up that day or the rental car pick up shop having limited hours. The charm of being on Alaska time can reach us when we least expect it.