Rental Car in Skagway

[chuckles60]

Looking to rent a car and do some exploring myself instead of cruise excursion ...where can i rent on and what is the must see while there

[quack2]

Avis rents cars in Skagway.  I've used them twice.  Not cheap but still a good option for self touring.

 

My usual trip is a drive to Carcross, and sometimes on to Emerald Lake.  Lots of stops along the way for photos.  If  you want to see bears close-up in Alaska, this is one place where they are.  They like to graze alongside the highway.  Drive as slow as you safely can, keep your eyes open, and if you see a car pulled over ahead of you, there are likely bears ahead.  I got some great photos in June.

 

I also like to drive to abandoned townsite of Dyea on my way back into Skagway.  Nice viewpoint of Skagway not far off main highway.  Keep going and you will arrive at some National Historic Landmark sites at Dyea.

 

You may want to familiarize yourself with the location of the gas stations in Skagway for refueling before returning the car.  They are not hard to find but they don't stand out.  Googlemaps can point you in the right direction.

 

I should say that my first visit to this area was on a Dyea Dave's self-excursion.  Well worth the modest cost.  Fun and informative.

 

[ParrotRob]

5 hours ago, chuckles60 said:

Looking to rent a car and do some exploring myself instead of cruise excursion ...where can i rent on and what is the must see while there

 

Avis.  It's a very short walk from the pier.  The Avis site will tell you it's in the Westmark Hotel, but it's moved a half a block east to Spring Street, and is about a half mile from the cruise ships.

 

I paid $200 for a full day in an SUV (Toyota RAV 4).  The road to Carcross/Emerald Lake/Whitehorse is paved the entire way.  The road to Dyea is paved part way, and gravel part way.  The only potential hazard really is on the gravel part of the Dyea road if you follow too closely to the LARGE tour buses, as they tend to kick up a little gravel.  For this reason, the Avis office will check your windshield when you get back and allegedly will bill you if it's cracked.  I would check it very carefully for cracks or stars.  They do a much more thorough check of the car in remote areas like this than they do in the large airport rental operations in big cities where anything goes.

 

And like the previous poster said,  we did see black bears right on the side of the road near Fraser, British Columbia.

 

[geoherb]

You're not allowed to drive on gravel roads according to the Avis rental contract: "The standard Avis rental contract prohibits travel on unpaved roads."

[ParrotRob]

2 hours ago, geoherb said:

You're not allowed to drive on gravel roads according to the Avis rental contract: "The standard Avis rental contract prohibits travel on unpaved roads."

 

A) I have a corporate MRA, so I couldn't care less about the "standard Avis rental contract"

 

B) The Avis operator in Skagway is the one that specifically recommended caution on the unpaved Dyea Road.  I think you should tell them they're in violation of the "standard rental contract" and see where that gets you.  Especially since Avis Alaska is an independently-owned franchisee, able to make their own policy.

 

Edited September 6, 2019 by ParrotRob

[masterdrago]

We had rented in Skagway with diyjeeptours. It was $302 for the full day. Make Emerald Lake your destination and with a DIY rental, you can stop when and where you want at your own time.

[Glaciers]

20 hours ago, ParrotRob said:

 

A) I have a corporate MRA, so I couldn't care less about the "standard Avis rental contract"

 

B) The Avis operator in Skagway is the one that specifically recommended caution on the unpaved Dyea Road.  I think you should tell them they're in violation of the "standard rental contract" and see where that gets you.  Especially since Avis Alaska is an independently-owned franchisee, able to make their own policy.

 

Regardless of what an employee has said, which is pretty irrelevant when you’ve signed a contract that says differently.  This from the Avis site;  “Avoid the gravel roads 1 mile past the Scenic Overlook on the Dyea Road, our vehicles must stay on paved roads.”

 

Previous posts regarding driving on gravel roads indicated that if you do drive on gravel roads in violation of the contract and file a claim with your own insurance company they will not cover any damage since the contract was violated.

 

Your corporate MRA may cover it but many insurance companies may not.

[ParrotRob]

5 hours ago, Glaciers said:

Regardless of what an employee has said, which is pretty irrelevant when you’ve signed a contract that says differently.  This from the Avis site;  “Avoid the gravel roads 1 mile past the Scenic Overlook on the Dyea Road, our vehicles must stay on paved roads.”

 

 

Previous posts regarding driving on gravel roads indicated that if you do drive on gravel roads in violation of the contract and file a claim with your own insurance company they will not cover any damage since the contract was violated.

 

 

Your corporate MRA may cover it but many insurance companies may not.

 

As I said before, Avis Alaska is a privately owned franchisee and not a corporate location, so I'll take my chances with what the owner/operator tells me.

 

[CruiseDigits]

We didn't know about them until we were there but there are short trails near the piers too.  We had some time to explore before we had to board the ship and enjoyed taking the opportunity.