Renting an RV in Alaska after cruise

[cezzy123]

Planning a first-time cruise with my husband in celebration of our 40th anniversary in July, 2019.  Thinking of booking a 7-day northbound Glacier Tour on Holland America's Westerdam.  embark in Vancouver and disembark in Seward.  Rather than adding a ground tour up to Denali through H.A., I thought it would be fun to rent an RV in Anchorage.  Thinking of heading up to Denali for a couple of nights.  Afterward,  go back south to the Kenai Peninsula to to fish, hike and explore on our own before flying home out of Anchorage.

 

Any thoughts, suggestions and input are appreciated.  Gotta book this cruise fairly soon.  Thanks! 

[zqvol]

We looked into and found that an SUV and staying in B&B's and some out of the way hotels was more cost effective, not to mention that the SUV is a lot easier to drive, and uses a lot less gas.

[GottaKnowWhen]

49 minutes ago, zqvol said:

We looked into and found that an SUV and staying in B&B's and some out of the way hotels was more cost effective, not to mention that the SUV is a lot easier to drive, and uses a lot less gas.

Advantage of the RV is that you are less committed to being in a given place at a given time. But can you find parking/camping spots without prebooking? We went with motels/lodges/b&b’s following an itinerary like you propose. Train to Anchorage, rental SUV there at the airport because rental in Seward is way more expensive. Whatever you do, it won’t be inexpensive. 

Stan

[Heidi13]

Can't comment on renting a RV up in Anchorage, but know that Alaska is a popular destination for RV'ers. I have an Alaska trip planned out, and will be making all campground reservations before we set off.

 

If you do rent an RV, suggest also making campground reservations well in advance. 

[Greg4502]

If you have never RVed before, go with the car rental and hotel or B&B. Major thing to consider with the RV, is that if you are at campground and are going to sightsee or to the market you have to disconnect your utilities and reconnect upon return.

RV Cost: Rental of the RV, Fuel, Mileage charge, Campground fee and food. ( and condiments you like) Plus what to do with the leftover food when returning home. If you like longer showers, not an option in an RV. I have been RVing for many years. If you have any other questions, just let me know.

[JimnKaren]

Once, I met a couple who drove an adventure. They rented an RV and drove north to Alaska, then got on a ship and cruised south. While that was happening, another couple cruised north and they returned in the RV to the starting point (Wisconsin).

Each couple had only a single one-way ticket for airfare. I thought that was unique.

Jim

[cezzy123]

Thanks for the input!  Yes, I have some trepidation about renting an RV for the first time, but it's a 22' motorhome and

we've "tent camped" back in the day.  We're looking at it as an adventure.

[packedandready]

Another thought...If you're going to use full hook-ups (electricity, water and sewer) when you stop and the RV being your only mode of transportation then you're going to have to unhook everything before leaving. RVing has its own learning curve and I wouldn't want to try it for the first time while trying to have a nice vacation. It may also be a little large and cumbersome to navigate places you may want to go. 

 

Edited February 14, 2019 by packedandready

[XBGuy]

In my corporate career I made three or four trips to Anchorage.  Usually, the local rep would pick me up at the airport and do the driving as we made calls on various customers.  On one trip, he had some conflicts in his schedule, and, so, I rented a vehicle at the airport.  The only vehicles they had were SUVs--not terribly surprising, I suppose.

 

Here is the part that surprised me.  When I picked up the vehicle, I had to sign a document stating that I was not going fishing.  If they smelled fish when I turned the vehicle in, there would be a serious penalty surcharge.

 

My point is that since you plan on fishing, it might be wise to disclose that information when you make your arrangements.  It sounds, to me, like they have vehicles for people who don't want to go fishing and other vehicles for those who do want to go fishing,

 

On the other hand, maybe my one experience was a fluke.  I really don't know.

[cezzy123]

I appreciate the replies and input.  I have made a reservation with ABC in Anchorage and have been watching videos and doing

research about RVing.  I like that it will give us flexibility.  I'm thinking maybe we will rent one here in Minnesota for a weekend before taking this trip as a "dry run".  

 

The vehicle will have a generator, and it's just two of us, so I'm hoping we can camp at recreation areas and/or state parks (though I know they don't take reservations).  Dry camping sounds kind of interesting.  

 

I'll be certain to look into the fishing aspect with the RV

 

Thanks!!!!

 

[Heidi13]

9 minutes ago, cezzy123 said:

I appreciate the replies and input.  I have made a reservation with ABC in Anchorage and have been watching videos and doing

research about RVing.  I like that it will give us flexibility.  I'm thinking maybe we will rent one here in Minnesota for a weekend before taking this trip as a "dry run".  

 

The vehicle will have a generator, and it's just two of us, so I'm hoping we can camp at recreation areas and/or state parks (though I know they don't take reservations).  Dry camping sounds kind of interesting.  

 

I'll be certain to look into the fishing aspect with the RV

 

Thanks!!!!

 

Congratulations, the RV'ing lifestyle is a great experience.

 

Most rentals are fairly small, being about the same size as my F350 Dually. You shouldn't have any issues getting into State Parks and/or rest areas.

 

When we purchased the RV, we have to pass a driving test, so I hired a trainer for a couple of days. First place he took me was Costco parking lot on a Saturday, towing a 41' 5th-wheel. So rent one locally for a couple of days and head to a few parking lots. Great for the confidence. Once you survive Costco on a Saturday, State Parks are easy.

 

Enjoy the camping.

[cezzy123]

Thanks Heidi!  It'll be a 22' motorhome. Not supposed to go on gravel roads. 

With just six nights, we may decide to spend all our time on the Kenai Peninsula and forego Denali.

Getting excited about this trip!

[Shmoo here]

43 minutes ago, cezzy123 said:

Thanks Heidi!  It'll be a 22' motorhome. Not supposed to go on gravel roads. 

Be aware, there's often gravel roads on main highways, due to road construction.  

 

 

[LynnTTT]

Renting an RV for a short time for just two people will cost more than renting a car. We are long time RV'ers and have many friends who have taken their RV to Alaska. By the time you buy all the basics you'll need to cook (coffee maker/condiments etc) you'll find it's easier to just go to a restaurant. And many roads in Alaska are gravel.  And many of the best campgrounds book up early and are expensive. Friends said a campground cost almost the same as a hotel room.

Just saying

[LuckyStar]

On 1/21/2019 at 7:03 PM, cezzy123 said:

Planning a first-time cruise with my husband in celebration of our 40th anniversary in July, 2019.  Thinking of booking a 7-day northbound Glacier Tour on Holland America's Westerdam.  embark in Vancouver and disembark in Seward.  Rather than adding a ground tour up to Denali through H.A., I thought it would be fun to rent an RV in Anchorage.  Thinking of heading up to Denali for a couple of nights.  Afterward,  go back south to the Kenai Peninsula to to fish, hike and explore on our own before flying home out of Anchorage.

 

Any thoughts, suggestions and input are appreciated.  Gotta book this cruise fairly soon.  Thanks! 

We basically did this.  We took a north bound and disembarked at Whittier (Anchorage).  Love RVs but renting them is very expensive.  We rented a car and stayed in hotels for another week.  We visited sites near Seward (lots of whales) and made our way up north through Denali and flew home from Fairbanks.  It was a great trip.  

[XBGuy]

You're going to have a great trip, cezzy.

[sciencegrrl]

You will have a great time.  I rented an RV from ABC years ago and had a great trip with my 7 year old.  We went from Anchorage to Wasilla to Fairbanks to Denali back to Anchorage.  Highlights included visiting the Musk Ox farm, combat fishing on the Copper River, panning for gold, swinging by the "North Pole", experiencing the summer solstice in Fairbanks, and three days camping in Denali.  We both treasure that trip.  It was a 24 foot motorhome and it was easy to drive, hookup, and dump.  We had plenty of DEET and a great time.  Enjoy!

[cezzy123]

Thanks again for the input everyone.  I did do quite a bit of research to look into renting a car and lodging (cabins, hotels etc.) for our July 21-27 timeframe vs. the RV.  A mid-size car with unlimited mileage would cost $170/day (AARP website).  Lodging is all over the board for where we plan on going, but is at least $100/night (conservatively. If we went to Denali it would be about double or more of that). Some campgrounds are expensive for full hookups, but I think we'd like to stay half the time in recreation areas and dry camp. Yes, gas for an RV would be more than for a car, and we'd have to buy and prepare food, but I'm quite certain that would cost less than eating at restaurants in the long run.