Car-Flight ?? re. post cruise DIY land tour

[kristieokc]

I have been scouring the boards for the past several hours (and have gotten lots of great information that I wasn't even looking for, so thank you to everyone who shares on these boards!) but I do still have a logistical question about the best way to manage our DIY land tour after a north-bound cruise next summer. We will disembark in Whittier, and my plan initially was to rent a car in Whittier (very limited selection and must reserve well in advance, I know) ... drive down to Seward, spend 2-3 days there, then drive from Seward to Denali, spend 2-3 days there, then drive back to Anchorage, return car, and fly home. This is for a group of four of us. I realize that Seward is a bit out of the way, but we are military and can stay at the resort and really want to do some of the excursions in that area. We visited Seward almost 10 years ago after a NB cruise and it was a highlight, so we are excited about repeating.

 

I am wondering specifically:

 

1. Would it make for a cheaper car rental if we took the shuttle from Whittier to Anchorage, rented a car there, and then drove back down to Seward? Would it save enough money that back-tracking that drive would be worth it?

 

2. Is there any advantage to flying out of Fairbanks instead of Anchorage, and would that impact or benefit the car rental at all?

 

We are flying from home to Vancouver pre-cruise, so we're not buying a round-trip ticket to/from any one place ..... I'm guessing we could fly home from Fairbanks or Anchorage, whichever is easier/cheaper/more convenient.

 

Last time we rented the car in Whittier, drove to Seward, then returned the car in Anchorage before our flight home. We are super excited to add a few days in Denali this time, but I'm not quite sure the best way to work this out that is both cost- and time-efficient.

 

If anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it. I realize I am almost a year out but some of the reservations for hotels/cars open up then and I want to get some decisions made. Thank you!!

Kristie

[Alaskanb]

What we did was to take the Princess shuttle to Anchorage Airport to get the car. It was a cheaper rental because we returned it there. You will need to look at the cost of that for 4 folks vs an open ended rental from Whittier.

Look at the time it takes to get to and from Denali. Glorious place but make sure you have a full day or more in the park. Highly recommend the Eielson shuttle.

[mapleleaves]

If budget is a factor, definitely do a cost comparison for the various options. And also look at the time lost factor .....

 

The Enterprise office on Airport Rd in Anc has one week rentals for $200 if you reserve now for 2017. Book it now .... you can always cancel it when you firm up your plans.

 

- all 4 of you could take a transfer from Whittier to Anc to pick up the car. Assuming you catch the 8:30/9am bus you'll be in Anc by 11-ish, a quick cab to the car rental office, then hopefully on the road by noon/1pm. Plenty of time for sightseeing along the way.

 

You don't indicate a definite time frame so it's hard to determine the timing of your itinerary. Is this your plan?

- arrive in Whittier on a Sat. Overnight in Seward for Sat, Sun and Mon. Drive to Denali on Tues and overnight there Tue and Wed. Fly home Thursday ?

 

This mileage/time guide might be useful for you. http://www.alaska.org/advice/mileage-chart

Edited July 17, 2016 by mapleleaves
web

[kristieokc]

What we did was to take the Princess shuttle to Anchorage Airport to get the car. It was a cheaper rental because we returned it there. You will need to look at the cost of that for 4 folks vs an open ended rental from Whittier.

Look at the time it takes to get to and from Denali. Glorious place but make sure you have a full day or more in the park. Highly recommend the Eielson shuttle.

 

Great, thanks, that's what I was wondering about getting car rental from/to the same location. I am planning three full days in Denali, and know that won't be near enough.

 

Is this shuttle bus one you can hop on/off from? I would love to make it the full distance in, but am not sure if there is anything but a narrated tour bus going the full 91 miles. I will give up some of the distance for the freedom to get on/off the bus, sightsee, and hike a short bit. How much of the 8 hours was "free" time, or is the entire 8 hours driving?

[kristieokc]

If budget is a factor, definitely do a cost comparison for the various options. And also look at the time lost factor .....

 

The Enterprise office on Airport Rd in Anc has one week rentals for $200 if you reserve now for 2017. Book it now .... you can always cancel it when you firm up your plans.

 

- all 4 of you could take a transfer from Whittier to Anc to pick up the car. Assuming you catch the 8:30/9am bus you'll be in Anc by 11-ish, a quick cab to the car rental office, then hopefully on the road by noon/1pm. Plenty of time for sightseeing along the way.

 

You don't indicate a definite time frame so it's hard to determine the timing of your itinerary. Is this your plan?

- arrive in Whittier on a Sat. Overnight in Seward for Sat, Sun and Mon. Drive to Denali on Tues and overnight there Tue and Wed. Fly home Thursday ?

 

This mileage/time guide might be useful for you. http://www.alaska.org/advice/mileage-chart

 

We disembark on a Saturday, plan to be in Seward Saturday night (leaning towards going on up to Anchorage to get car) stay in Seward for sightseeing Sunday and Monday, allocate all day Tuesday to drive from Seward to Denali, sightseeing in Denali Wed-Thur-Fri, then drive from Denali back to Anchorage on Saturday for an evening flight.

 

Does that sound do-able? I'm having trouble gauging distance in my head. (Which is typical for me, ha!!)

 

Thanks for any help, I really appreciate it! I will definitely go check out the mileage chart you suggested.

[Alaskanb]

 

Is this shuttle bus one you can hop on/off from? I would love to make it the full distance in, but am not sure if there is anything but a narrated tour bus going the full 91 miles. I will give up some of the distance for the freedom to get on/off the bus, sightsee, and hike a short bit. How much of the 8 hours was "free" time, or is the entire 8 hours driving?

Yes it is a bus you can get on and off at certain locations. The bus stops about every 90 minutes for restroom breaks then a longer break at the Eielson Visitor Center. Time flew by as you are constantly on the look for wildlife and amazing scenery. We took the 8:00 am shuttle and it was about half full --the later ones were full up...

[mapleleaves]

Seward to Denali in a day is do-able, but is there nothing of interest in between ? You certainly have the time to make it a leisurely drive with hikes or excursions along the way. An ice trek at Matanuska Glacier, hike at Independence Mine?

 

I think the best bet at this point is to reserve a car at the lowest rate you can find (with no cancel fee), then concentrate on your research. Figure out what you want to see and do, and that will allow you to firm up an itinerary, determine where you need to overnight, and then you can book hotels/cabins. Get an Alaska travel book from the library, look at resources on line (like Alaska.org) and really research all the opportunities available to you. If you have a week, make the most of it.

 

As for the Denali shuttle. The shuttle is the one you hop on/off. It's 8 hrs RT to Eielson Visitor Center. You stop at a rest area for 10-15 minutes every 90 minutes, and then stop for 30-40 minutes at Eielson. You can choose to stay with that bus and ride it for another 3 1/2 hrs back to the entrance, or you can stay longer to hike alone or on a ranger-led hike. There's a bus dispatcher at the Center who can help you with finding empty seats on a later bus.

 

http://www.reservedenali.com/shuttles.aspx

 

The Denali web site has info on the buses, activities, hikes, ranger hikes, sled dogs, etc. Look for the Park newsletter, Alpenglow too. https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

 

I haven't used this Whittier transfer but have seen it mentioned in trip reports, positively. https://alaskacruisetransfer.com/

Edited July 17, 2016 by mapleleaves
park web site

[kristieokc]

Great, thanks so much for all the information! I just ordered a copy of Mileposts and will start my research in earnest once it arrives. In the meantime I'm going to rent a car and at least have that out of the way. :)

 

I appreciate all the help!

[Budget Queen]

I never recommend driving Seward/Denali in 1 day. You are looking at having to invest at least 10 hours+++++ with a few brief stops.

 

A "budget" alternative for a rental car is to just have ONE person, get to Anchorage and then drive back to Whittier. Or, all stay in Whittier and take advantage of a Prince William Sound boat tour, stay the night in Anchorage, then head back to Seward. Especially keep the options open at this point, if you can add days.

 

With Denali Park- IF you want the distance into the park, then take the Wonder Lake shuttle.

 

When is this trip?

[donaldsc]

Just remember that anytime you try to figure out how long it will take to get from point A to point B in Alaska, it will take you a lot longer than you think or how long Google says it will take. Most of the roads are 2 lane. You can not cruise at 75 MPH. You will be slowed up by RVs or construction. You will end up stopping many times because the scenery is so great or there is some great wildlife at the side of the road. Whenever, I drive in AK, I end up allowing twice as much time as I think it will take. Even then, sometimes I underestimate how long my trip will take.

 

You are not in AK to make distance but to see things and enjoy yourself.

 

DON

[kristieokc]

I never recommend driving Seward/Denali in 1 day. You are looking at having to invest at least 10 hours+++++ with a few brief stops.

 

A "budget" alternative for a rental car is to just have ONE person, get to Anchorage and then drive back to Whittier. Or, all stay in Whittier and take advantage of a Prince William Sound boat tour, stay the night in Anchorage, then head back to Seward. Especially keep the options open at this point, if you can add days.

 

With Denali Park- IF you want the distance into the park, then take the Wonder Lake shuttle.

 

When is this trip?

 

That's a great suggestion, to have just one of us go to Anchorage and get the car, then return to Whittier for the others. I will definitely check into that.

 

Sounds like I need to break up the drive from Seward to Denali and enjoy some stops along the way. I am excited to get my copy of Mileposts and really start researching this!

 

We will be cruising mid-July 2017 with the land portion afterwards. I'm always so excited to get started planning way in advance, but then that sure makes the waiting long and painful, doesn't it??? :)

 

Thanks again for any and all advice,

Kristie

[cruiseguy1016]

We are doing a DIY tour before our southbound cruise from Seward. We are flying into Fairbanks and spending 7 days driving one way to Seward. We found flights into and out off Fairbanks to be cheaper than Anchorage so you may want to consider driving to Fairbanks and flying home from there. Spend a night in Fairbanks and visit some of the attractions there. Also, there's only one road between Anchorage and Denali. If you go to Denali and back, you'll be driving the same road twice and seeing the same sights twice. By driving to Fairbanks, you'll have opportunities to see things you haven't already seen.

[Budget Queen]

We are doing a DIY tour before our southbound cruise from Seward. We are flying into Fairbanks and spending 7 days driving one way to Seward. We found flights into and out off Fairbanks to be cheaper than Anchorage so you may want to consider driving to Fairbanks and flying home from there. Spend a night in Fairbanks and visit some of the attractions there. Also, there's only one road between Anchorage and Denali. If you go to Denali and back, you'll be driving the same road twice and seeing the same sights twice. By driving to Fairbanks, you'll have opportunities to see things you haven't already seen.

 

You haven't been there yet??, but your "seeing the same sights" is far from true. The different directions- offer very different scenery viewing. There is also far more you can see depending on the various stops you can make. It could take you a whole day between Anchorage and Denali and you could still do a totally different trip for another full day on the way back.

 

It's rare that there are any savings with a Fairbanks/Seward car rental, especially with planning ahead now, and Anchorage having $200 weekly rates for 2017. Certainly all kinds of options and possibilities. And excellent to suggest and look at several options.

 

Alternatively- being short on time in Fairbanks, could be a negative. A lot of cruise tours really shortchange this area. It's well worth a few days, or more, if you want some arctic adventures.

[ppeckham]

First, I did not read all of the knowledgeable replies but scanned them for actual dollars.

 

We are doing the land tour on our own as well. I looked into renting in Whittier. Avis is the only rental agency in town. Without the competition, rates are higher there than in Anchorage.

 

Plus you pay $150 one-way fee. If you plan to fly out of Anchorage and not Fairbanks, taking a shuttle (about 1.5 hours) to the airport will be worth it.

 

I found Alaska Cruise Transportation has a shuttle from Whittier to Anchorage at $25 per person. So you are paying for a shuttle, but it's less money than the one-way fee. Plus you get more competitive rates at the rental cars in Anchorage.

[pizzalady1]

We rented a car from Avis in Whittier then drove to Seward for two nights. Then we drove up to Anchorage, stopping several times along the way. We stopped at the Anchorage airport and closed our contract with Avis then picked up a different car (at a way lower rate) and spent the night in Anchorage. We then drove up to Denali for a couple of days (stayed in Healy) then back down to Anchorage stopping in Talkeetna an other places. We flew out late that night.

 

We saved a lot of $ by dropping of the Avis car and switching to another car.

[Budget Queen]

First, I did not read all of the knowledgeable replies but scanned them for actual dollars.

 

We are doing the land tour on our own as well. I looked into renting in Whittier. Avis is the only rental agency in town. Without the competition, rates are higher there than in Anchorage.

 

Plus you pay $150 one-way fee. If you plan to fly out of Anchorage and not Fairbanks, taking a shuttle (about 1.5 hours) to the airport will be worth it.

 

I found Alaska Cruise Transportation has a shuttle from Whittier to Anchorage at $25 per person. So you are paying for a shuttle, but it's less money than the one-way fee. Plus you get more competitive rates at the rental cars in Anchorage.

 

I will always post- there isn't one answer. Absolutely an Avis Whittier one way car be a superior choice. Money isn't the only priority here. (my time is far more valuable) A one way car, can get to right to Seward and on to a late morning or afternoon tour. As it is, most people- do NOT have a lot of time in Alaska- yes, I'll be jaded and state that to be at least 2 additional, mainland touring weeks. There are many "single week" people and that is not a lot of time. 4 hours backtracking, (at least)- can mean no Kenai Fjords boat tour or fishing charter out of Seward on a tight schedule. That one way rental can be significant in the best, more efficient use of time.

 

I see a lot of people just shut this down immediately, some later come around, but I suggest, looking beyond the cost and see what "value" that "cost" buys you.

[kpd21880]

I I realize that Seward is a bit out of the way, but we are military and can stay at the resort and really want to do some of the excursions in that area. We visited Seward almost 10 years ago after a NB cruise and it was a highlight, so we are excited about repeating.

 

 

 

 

Hi Kristie,

We are also planning time in Seward pre-cruise in 2017 AND are also military. What resort are you referring to that offers military rates? Thanks for any help you can provide!

Katie

 

 

 

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[mapleleaves]

Hi Kristie,

We are also planning time in Seward pre-cruise in 2017 AND are also military. What resort are you referring to that offers military rates? Thanks for any help you can provide!

Katie

 

 

 

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The Seward Military Resort. It's on this list from the city's web site.

http://cmdev.seward.com/list/category/lodges-36

[kpd21880]

The Seward Military Resort. It's on this list from the city's web site.

 

http://cmdev.seward.com/list/category/lodges-36

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

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[kristieokc]

The Seward Military Resort. It's on this list from the city's web site.

http://cmdev.seward.com/list/category/lodges-36

 

Yes, this is the one. Also, be aware that reservations open up 365 days in advance and as soon as you are able, I would reserve. I have my calendar marked for both the resort and the car rental places so I can reserve the first day it is available. :)

[kristieokc]

We rented a car from Avis in Whittier then drove to Seward for two nights. Then we drove up to Anchorage, stopping several times along the way. We stopped at the Anchorage airport and closed our contract with Avis then picked up a different car (at a way lower rate) and spent the night in Anchorage. We then drove up to Denali for a couple of days (stayed in Healy) then back down to Anchorage stopping in Talkeetna an other places. We flew out late that night.

 

We saved a lot of $ by dropping of the Avis car and switching to another car.

 

This is exactly what I plan to do. Thanks for spelling it out so it made sense in my own head. :)

 

Like Budget Queen, I have to value time over savings when I only have a week post-cruise and want to see a months' worth of sights!! I'll swap rentals in Anchorage to save some, but won't spend any extra time backtracking, except for Denali back to Anchorage, which sounds like it has plenty to see regardless. Oh, Mileposts, please get here soon ..... ha!!

 

Again, thanks to all for the help!

Kristie