Pick up a car at the airport
In-terminal pick-up · AWD and 4x4 available
If you'll drive to Chena Hot Springs or chase clear sky at night, collect the car when you land. Read renting a car in Fairbanks in winter first.
Fly: Seattle to Fairbanks is a nonstop of about 3 hours 50 minutes, so most of the US is one connection away.
Key takeaways
- From Anchorage, the flight to Fairbanks takes just over 1 hour, which is the quickest way to make that trip.
- The Parks Highway drive from Anchorage to Fairbanks is 360 miles, about 6½ hours in summer and longer in winter.
- The Alaska Railroad's Aurora Winter Train takes 12 hours from Anchorage and costs $265 one way for adults, running mainly at weekends.
- From Europe, allow roughly 17 to 22 hours door to door with two connections, as there are no scheduled winter nonstops.
Flying in
You'll land at Fairbanks International Airport (FAI).
3 h 50 minNonstop from SeattleAlaska Airlines and Delta, all year
Just over 1 hFrom AnchorageThe flight takes a little over an hour
17 to 22 hFrom Europe, door to doorRoughly, with two connections
Winter narrows the options:
- United's nonstops from Chicago and Minneapolis are summer-only, so in winter plan to connect in Seattle or Anchorage. From the East Coast that means one stop.
- Condor's Frankfurt flight is also summer-only, so from Europe it's two connections.
For a European, Fairbanks makes sense as part of a longer North America trip, not a long weekend.
Ways in, compared
In short Flying is quickest, at about 3 h 50 min nonstop from Seattle or about 1 h 7 min from Anchorage, while driving or taking the train from Anchorage takes much longer.
| Route | How | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle → Fairbanks | Nonstop flight | ~3 h 50 min | Alaska Airlines and Delta, all year |
| Anchorage → Fairbanks | Flight | ~1 h 7 min | The quickest way from Anchorage |
| Anchorage → Fairbanks | Drive, Parks Highway | 6½ h in summer; more in winter | 360 miles |
| Anchorage → Fairbanks | Aurora Winter Train | 12 h | $265 adult one way; mainly weekends |
| London → Fairbanks | Two connections | ~17–22 h | No scheduled winter nonstops from Europe |
From the airport
In short Rental car counters are inside the terminal, taxis wait at a marked curb outside, some hotels run their own shuttle, and there is also the MACS Transit public bus.
Rental car
- Counters are inside the terminal
- When we searched, all 38 rental offers at FAI were in-terminal pick-up
Taxi
- Pick up at a marked curb just outside the terminal doors
- Several local cab companies serve the airport
Hotel shuttle
- Some hotels run their own
- Pike's Waterfront Lodge, for one, has a free airport and train-station shuttle
- Ask yours when you book
Public bus
MACS Transit
- Fairbanks's public bus system
- Check its routes before relying on it with luggage at night
Driving up from Anchorage
The Parks Highway (Alaska Route 3) links Anchorage and Fairbanks: 360 miles, or about 6½ hours in summer, according to Explore Fairbanks.
Driving it in winter
- Allow more time.
- Drive only in daylight if you can.
- Check road conditions before you set out at 511.alaska.gov or by dialling 511.
Winter daylight is short. On the shortest day of the year, Fairbanks gets 3 hours 41 minutes of sun, so a December drive will be mostly in the dark. February and March are far easier. There's more on winter driving in renting a car in Fairbanks.
The Aurora Winter Train
The Alaska Railroad's Aurora Winter Train runs from Anchorage to Fairbanks and back.
12 hoursAnchorage to Fairbanks
$265One way for adults
$133Children aged 2 to 11
- Schedule: north on Saturdays and back on Sundays, from 19 September 2026 to 9 May 2027.
- Extra midweek trips in February and March 2027: northbound on some Tuesdays and Thursdays, southbound on some Wednesdays and Fridays.
- Stops: Wasilla, Talkeetna, Healy and Nenana.
- On board: a dining car and big windows.
It's slow on purpose: part of the line runs through roadless backcountry, and you arrive in Fairbanks without having driven an icy highway.
Getting to Fairbanks: FAQs
Are there direct flights to Fairbanks?
Yes, from Seattle on Alaska Airlines and Delta all year, in about 3 hours 50 minutes. Chicago and Minneapolis nonstops run in summer only.
How far is Fairbanks from Anchorage?
360 miles by the Parks Highway, about 6½ hours' drive in summer and longer in winter. The flight is about an hour.
Does the train run from Anchorage to Fairbanks in winter?
Yes. The Aurora Winter Train runs north on Saturdays and south on Sundays, with extra midweek trips in February and March. It takes 12 hours and costs $265 one way for adults.
How do I get from Fairbanks airport to my hotel?
Rental car, taxi from the curb outside the terminal, or your hotel's shuttle if it has one. Pike's Waterfront Lodge runs a free one.
More for a Fairbanks trip
Sources (10)
- Explore Fairbanks: transportation, airlines, rail and the Parks Highway (checked 2026-09-23)
- Alaska Airlines: Seattle–Fairbanks nonstop flight time (checked 2026-09-17)
- FlightConnections: Fairbanks routes, Anchorage–Fairbanks flight time, Europe connections (checked 2026-09-17)
- Alaska Railroad: Aurora Winter Train (checked 2026-09-23)
- Alaska Railroad: fares and 2026–27 winter dates (checked 2026-09-23)
- Fairbanks International Airport: ground transportation (checked 2026-09-23 via search index; the page blocks automated access)
- Pike's Waterfront Lodge: airport and train shuttle (checked 2026-09-23)
- Alaska 511: road conditions (checked 2026-09-23)
- Explore Fairbanks: winter solstice daylight (checked 2026-09-23)
- Car rental: DiscoverCars search at Fairbanks International Airport, 38 offers, all in-terminal (observed 2026-09-23)