Car rental in Anchorage/Seward?

[mkkao924]

Hi,

 

I am just starting to look for the car rental options, and I have a few questions:

 

1. Rental cars are expensive in AK! Looks like it's $100+ per day for sedan. Is this normal?

2. Looks like the only rental car brand available in Seward is Hertz, is this correct?

3. We have total 7 or 8 people in our group, and we would like to rent a 8-seat mini van or 12 passenger van. Are these available for rental in AK? Do we need commercial driver license to drive the 12 passenger van? We prefer to drive one car, not just for the price, but also number of drivers. Only two of us can drive, so we want to drive 1 car so we can alternate.

 

Thank you for your help! 

[jamminlion]

You are getting down to options being very limited. Yes, Hertz is the only option in Seward, and they can charge what they want. I was trying to book using Hertz website and a big box store travel option. I wasn't having any luck. I ended up calling the Hertz location in Seward and making a reservation through the office. That may be your best bet to get exactly (or at least close) to what you want/need. Also take into account luggage. a 12 passenger van is great for people, but has almost NO space for bags. You might want to reconsider getting 2 vehicles just to manage bags. 

 

The cost is very expensive out of Seward, because of the usual one way rentals to Anchorage. When I priced that with adding on another week of rental and return to Anchorage, it was nearly as much as the cruise itself. SO - I booked one day one way to Anchorage airport, where I will go through the hassle of unloading a car, and picking up a second rental in Anchorage for a week with a return to Anchorage. Booked this part through the big box store travel option. Saved myself a TON of money this way. The minor inconvenience of losing 45 minutes swapping out rentals is well worth the savings. Just something to consider as Seward may not be able to get you the big van you desire for the duration of your trip. 

 

Also consider taking the train to Anchorage and picking up a rental there. The train was about the same price as our one day rental of a mini van, but if you did that, you could manage the bags until you got to a place (airport) with more options. Given rental prices now, the train may be more economical in the long run, and give you a little chance to enjoy scenery and cut down on driving.

 

I will strongly suggest you jump on this quickly. I was online 2 days ago price checking my rental through the big box store site. Most categories were marked as 'no vehicles available'. We are booked for mid-June. 

[AKStafford]

Rental Car prices are cheapest when booked in November or December and go up from there. So don't wait too long.

Hertz is the only rental agency in Seward. And the one-way rental is expensive. A lot of people book it just to Anchorage that night and then switch to another rental.

The other option is to take the train or a bus to Anchorage and start your car rental there.

No need for a CDL for a 12 passenger or 15 passenger van in Alaska.

[thegoaliegirl]

Keep in mind when renting a mini van that most of them are only 7 passenger minivans. It is rare to have an 8 seat one, so don't count on having that 8th seat with a mini van rental.

[masterdrago]

When doing our research to rent a car while on the DIY land part of our cruise, I found that prices varied by the day I looked, the type of vehicle and who renting from by a considerable amount. I researched transport from Anchorage to Seward by bus, train and private transport companies. It takes a lot of time and but with the help of a spreadsheet, it became clear the best package for us. What others say about doing it soon and possibly 2 vehicles might work best.