Skagway - Rent a Car or White Pass Railroad?

[Monica887]

My kids are 11 and 8, so close to yours, and we decided firmly against the train. I think they would be bored to tears, and I like being able to get out and stop. We only have half a day, so I'm not sure if the cost of a car rental would be worth it, but that sounds best to me. 

 

Any idea the cost of the car?

[QueenWiggler]

52 minutes ago, Monica887 said:

My kids are 11 and 8, so close to yours, and we decided firmly against the train. I think they would be bored to tears, and I like being able to get out and stop. We only have half a day, so I'm not sure if the cost of a car rental would be worth it, but that sounds best to me. 

 

Any idea the cost of the car?

When I looked up my date (September) it was about $260 for a full day. The bus tour I have was $230 for the pair of us, so I am sticking with that. It will be a bit more due to tipping but for a first time, I would like a guide. 

 

I thought I might be bored on the train, since it is a round trip this year. If it was train up/bus down or the opposite, I would have been more interested.

[ccqueenanne]

10 hours ago, Cleocruiser said:

We just got back and rented through Affordable car rental. Nils was great to work with and he had the car waiting at the port. We were given a code and the key was in a lock box on the car. We were able to get an early start and we were the first ones to the dog sled camp of Michelle Phillips. We spent a lot of time learning about the Iditarod and playing with the puppies. Highly recommended.

Tagish Lake Kennel tours, Join Michelle Phillips And Ed Hopkins

Affordable car rental can also pack you a picnic lunch. They own Bites on Broadway in town. We printed out a copy of Murrays guide and did our own thing all day.

We did not get asked for ArriveCan, but make sure you stop at the red light coming through customs.

There was no one there, so we pulled up to the window. I guess that was a big no no.

We parked in town after our drive a shopped for a while, then retuned the car back to the port--no walking required.  Highly recommended!

Skagway Alaska Cruise Rental Cars - Home - Affordable Car Rental (skagwaycarrental.com)

 

This is exactly our plan as well - we visit Skagway next Thursday. We've got the car reserved with Nils and it will be waiting at the port. But I don't think I have a code yet - did that arrive closer to your rental day?

[stacer66]

On 7/1/2022 at 5:58 PM, ccqueenanne said:

 

This is exactly our plan as well - we visit Skagway next Thursday. We've got the car reserved with Nils and it will be waiting at the port. But I don't think I have a code yet - did that arrive closer to your rental day?

How did your rental with them go, if you don’t mind my asking? 

[ccqueenanne]

2 hours ago, stacer66 said:

How did your rental with them go, if you don’t mind my asking? 

 

Overall, great, but with one snafu (perhaps caused by me). I hadn't received a communication with a lock code by Skagway morning, so I called Nils while at breakfast. Turns out my reservation wasn't showing, but he said not to worry, he'd get me a car down to the dock ASAP. (I'd emailed the week prior to alert that we might be skipping Skagway due to the rockslide, so I'm wondering if maybe I caused an inadvertent cancellation.) By the time we'd tendered in, the car was waiting in the parking lot with my name in the window (no lock box, but that's where my experience may have been outside the norm). It wasn't the latest model year Ford Escape, but it looked good, totally clean, ran well. There was even a paper map provided.

 

We had a great trip to Emerald Lake and at the end of the day we gassed up in town and left the car in the parking lot at the port. I texted Nils to let him know we were done with it, and ask if there was anything special we needed (no) and that was it. No surprise charges on my credit card. I'd wouldn't hesitate to recommend them, but would probably send a confirmation email right before my cruise date, next time.

[ABQrobin]

When we did it in 2016, it was a bus up and the train back down.  My hubby had never been on a train so he was THRILLED with the whole experience.  In fact, they let you go outside while the train is moving and stand to watch, which he did about half the time.  He loved it.  Plus the train goes on the side of the mountains around curves and it is crazy beautiful.  

[gvgseg]

When driving on Klondike Highway, I know there is customs when crossing from Alaska to British Columbia, but do you also have to go through a checkpoint when crossing between British Columbia and Yukon territory?