Skagway car rental for Canadian to Emerald Lake

We are Canadians and would like to rent a car either from Avis or Sourdough for the day in Skagway to drive to Emerald Lake, Yukon. Can anyone please tell me if it is possible? Does either car rental allow us to do that and let them know in advance? I read some forum that the plate for the car must be in Canadian if we enter the car into Canada.

To rent a car for four of us is alot cheaper than to join any excursions.

Thanks in advance.

As I read it before a Canadian can't drive an American plated car across the border or even in Canada. Your only hope would be a rental company having a car that had been driven over from Canada and left there still. Not very likely.

Check on your roll call, maybe another couple who are American would like to rent a van with you if they are available.

We did a ship excursion, Skagway train over the border and the bus back with a stop at the gold dredge.

We had the same trouble when our Alaska cruise was leaving from Seattle but we wanted to drive up to Vancouver since we'd never been. We ended up flying to Vancouver first and then driving down to Seattle.

As I read it before a Canadian can't drive an American plated car across the border or even in Canada.

That's an old law that was killed a couple of years ago. Canadians can drive a US-plated car into Canada now. Book ahead (like NOW) - there will almost certainly be nothing available when you arrive. See http://www.torontosun.com/2012/05/17/us-rental-cars-to-be-allowed-north or any of hundreds of other sites to verify that (I'd give you the Canadian government page but it's too hard to find :) )

Thank you so much. This is good to know now they have changed the law. When you have time, can you please find the Canadian gov't doc to show that we can do this, that would be very appreciated.

Sorry, I hadn't realized anything had changed. I think I found the Gov. doc.

I'm confused about the one-way only part, because for your purpose it would be a round trip to the same rental place. I'd send an email to the rental companies and see.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safevehicles-rental-usa-1302.htm

Rental Vehicles from the United States

Canadian residents may, as of June 1, 2012, bring U.S. rental vehicles into Canada for non-commercial use for 30 days or less. This will not affect the safety of Canadian road users, because Canadian and American vehicle standards are similar, and the vehicles will be in Canada for short periods of time.

While these changes to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA) will allow one-way and two way trips, residents of Canada may only deliver a vehicle to a vehicle rental business for a one-way trip, with the consent of the business.

Visitors to Canada may continue to bring rental vehicles from the United States into Canada.

Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA) – rental vehicle provisions

I'm confused about the one-way only part, because for your purpose it would be a round trip to the same rental place.

You're mis-reading that. It says that return trips are okay, but you have to have the rental company's permission to do a one-way. To which I have to respond "DUH" - who would try to drop a car at another city without having made a one-way rental?

Anyway, there are no one-way rentals in Skagway.

Thank you so much. I called Avis at Skagway (I think Anchorage office answered as no one is in Avis Skagway in the winter time), he said they just changed the law recently and said that we can drive to Canada for Canadian. I also made the reservation with him for a compact of $99+tax, a bit more then Sourdough I think but I don't have to pay a deposit.

I also found out there will be 4 ships in port for our day in Skagway.

Thank you again for the heads up.

Four of us rented a jeep for the day from Green Jeeps in Skagway, just under $200, and plan to drive up through the Yukon to Emerald Lake!:cool:

The first page of this guide lists the milepost # of various sites and points of interest during the drive to Emerald Lake.

http://www.bellsalaska.com/myalaska/klondike-highway.html

Be sure to get "Murrays Guide" $5.00 online.