If you rented (or plan to rent) a car in Skagway..

[Cruisechick82]

Go online to the Avis Alaska website to this link: http://www.avisalaska.com/alaskapreferred.html

 

Sign up for the Alaska Preferred Rate and use the discount code given. You should get a discount on you rental car. We paid about $50 for our rental car in Skagway last year.

[sea_u_onboard]

I used this one from the Entertainment Book

Discount Code: B790000 – Rate Code: 32

got a rate of $62.59 for our date.

[NASCAR Bubba]

Just ran a search and found aaa code b900000,costco a 108325 & a108300. Saw others but costco saved me the most about $20.

[LEtue]

About how much is a normal amount to rent a car for the day thru Avis out of Skagway? I guess driving to Emerald Lake and back is a easy drive? We just need our passports? Is gas extremely high? I am just wondering if we should do this or a motor coach from our cruise boat? I would much rather rent a car and do my own thing.

 

It is very easy to drive to Emerald Lake and the gas was a little higher than in the lower 48 but not enough to make that big a difference on a tank full or less.

 

You need your passports to enter Canada so don't make the drive without them.

 

From the faces on the buses I would say we had a much better time on our own and we've already reserved a car for this year :D

[allentownahoy]

We will be docking in Haines and then taking the ferry into Skagway. Where is the Avis rental in relation to the ferry dock?

Renting a car sure does seem alot more economical than any of the tours, and more pleasant too.

Ruth

[Yukon]

We will be docking in Haines and then taking the ferry into Skagway. Where is the Avis rental in relation to the ferry dock?

Ruth

 

Walk into town, take the first street on the right, then the first street on the left. The Avis office is in the 2nd block of buildings on the left, across the street from the Westmark Hotel lobby (it's all part of the Westmark Hotel). It's a total of perhaps 6 blocks.

 

Murray

[stjohnrocks]

Go online to the Avis Alaska website to this link: http://www.avisalaska.com/alaskapreferred.html

 

Sign up for the Alaska Preferred Rate and use the discount code given. You should get a discount on you rental car. We paid about $50 for our rental car in Skagway last year.

 

Thanks, you just saved me some $$. I cancelled my original reservation at a total of 90+ and rebooked for a little less than $50!!:)

[Budget Queen]

We will be docking in Haines and then taking the ferry into Skagway. Where is the Avis rental in relation to the ferry dock?

Renting a car sure does seem alot more economical than any of the tours, and more pleasant too.

Ruth

 

 

http://www.skagway.com look at the downtown map. Avis, is located on 3rd, between Spring and Broadway on the south side of the street.

[hogwildcruzers]

We rented from Avis last May....easy walk from pier... only need passport to enter Canada..... no hassel at all.... drive from Skagway to Emerald Lake....unbelievable......have some nice photos of the drive and Emerald Lake(while still mostly frozen) and the worlds smallest desert(lots of fun to hike the dunes), on the webshots link below.

[Tyrkitty]

Planning to use Murray's guide with a rental from Avis May 28th. Any information as to this trip so early in the season? Is there a chance the road will be closed? I have skimmed through this thread and it looks like those taking the trip haven't encountered problems entering Canada. I may call Avis again and ask for their regulations.

[hogwildcruzers]

Planning to use Murray's guide with a rental from Avis May 28th. Any information as to this trip so early in the season? Is there a chance the road will be closed? I have skimmed through this thread and it looks like those taking the trip haven't encountered problems entering Canada. I may call Avis again and ask for their regulations.

 

We did it on May 22 last year and the roads were clear and weather cool but very nice....that early you should see more wildlife and more snow in the mountains....the lakes will also have ice still on them....have fun.

[dyeadave]

Okay, so for what it is worth dept., and just one more arguement for sunsetting a lot of laws [and NO, I am not picking on silly Canadian laws in particular, we got plenty of them on this side of the border!?!] Anywhere you have burreecrats you are goiing to find some of these regs. which won't even go away long after they are even laughable in their redundancy.

You see, it had nothing to do with rental cars at all, imprimis, it was a blanket law which was enacted about fifty years ago, when Canada was trying to build an auto industry...[at least that was the excuse given at the time.....you know, "jobs for locals" etc.] What really was happening was that the Canada dollar was worth more than the US dollar [yes Virginia that has happened, albiet only in ancient history,] and a bunch of people in Windsor had developed a little bootleg trade where they would go across to that place called Detroit, aka The Motor City, [although not in recent times!?!] and purchase cars wholesale, drive them back across the river and make a nice markup on the private sales market. It was really the screams of the car dealers along with the tax people who got this law passed! And when we pass a law we don't make any distinction re. any inconvience for the rest of the citizens lets just make it simply, from this day forward, in perpetuity, NO Canadian citizen shall ever again drive any car which is in any way registered in the US into Canada. That means everywhere and any vehicle. One small and silly example was my friend, since deceased, who was a Canadian citizen, who owned & operated a Motel right in Skagway for nine years. She owned a service van which of course had to be registered in the US. You got it, she couldn't drive her own business van to Whitehorse for supplies!?!? I even tried to loan her one of my vans, also no go!?! Now there is a small backfire trade restriction to consider!?!? This is just a small example of "its the law a by golly we will enforce it" Live by the border and you will soon see many such nuances!

By the way, in spite of some naysayers on this forum, sometimes, on small ship days we have arranged drivers of rental cars, to take the hapless Canadians to see there relatives, etc. across and as far as I know, no laws are broken that way!!?! Happy travels! DD:rolleyes:

[sea_u_onboard]

We are getting into Skagway on a Sunday. I'm told the Avis office doesn't open until 9. Our ship arrives about 7 and departs at 4:30 - which means we will have to be back on by 4. I plan to pack a picnic lunch for the drive to Emerald Lake. On another thread someone said they did the trip in 6 hours - with many stops.

 

If we drive pretty much straight through to Emerald Lake (as this is what we really want to see), eat lunch and then make stops on the way back are we going to be missing much (as opposed to stopping on the way ther)? We will probably stop briefly in Carcross.

 

Is there a good place to eat our picnic lunch at Emerald Lake?

 

Would like to make it in less then 6 hours - so we can see some of the town. What would be the not to be missed things along the way?

 

With limited time when we return - what do you suggest we see in Skagway?

[Budget Queen]

We are getting into Skagway on a Sunday. I'm told the Avis office doesn't open until 9. Our ship arrives about 7 and departs at 4:30 - which means we will have to be back on by 4. I plan to pack a picnic lunch for the drive to Emerald Lake. On another thread someone said they did the trip in 6 hours - with many stops.

 

If we drive pretty much straight through to Emerald Lake (as this is what we really want to see), eat lunch and then make stops on the way back are we going to be missing much (as opposed to stopping on the way ther)? We will probably stop briefly in Carcross.

 

Is there a good place to eat our picnic lunch at Emerald Lake?

 

Would like to make it in less then 6 hours - so we can see some of the town. What would be the not to be missed things along the way?

 

With limited time when we return - what do you suggest we see in Skagway?

 

 

The average trip is 4-5 hours, so you have plenty of time for the drive. Be also aware- if you are planing it- you can not bring food off the ship and certainly not any fruits, meats etc.

[sea_u_onboard]

Plan to pick some things up in town beofre we leave. Also we always pack some factory sealed stuff to snack on.

[MercedMike]

We are getting into Skagway on a Sunday. I'm told the Avis office doesn't open until 9. Our ship arrives about 7 and departs at 4:30 - which means we will have to be back on by 4. I plan to pack a picnic lunch for the drive to Emerald Lake. On another thread someone said they did the trip in 6 hours - with many stops.

 

If we drive pretty much straight through to Emerald Lake (as this is what we really want to see), eat lunch and then make stops on the way back are we going to be missing much (as opposed to stopping on the way ther)? We will probably stop briefly in Carcross.

 

Is there a good place to eat our picnic lunch at Emerald Lake?

 

Would like to make it in less then 6 hours - so we can see some of the town. What would be the not to be missed things along the way?

 

With limited time when we return - what do you suggest we see in Skagway?

 

I am not sure about the office times for Avis -- pretty much everything in Skagway is geared to the cruise ships and almost all of Avis' business comes from them so I would be very surprised if they don't open when the ship docks -- If you can't get the car til 9, that gives you time to walk around town and shop a bit before you get it. There is a shuttle bus from the ship to downtown.

 

It is about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half, downtown Skagway to Emerald Lake driving straight through, including a brief stop at the border post. Really, the drive is the main part of the trip. In theory you COULD drive it straight through -- but at every turnout you are going to be amazed at the scenery and want to stop and take in the view and take a picture! I really think it is better to plan to make the stops on the way out and drive straight through on the way back!

 

Just this side of Emerald Lake is a little cafe/tourist camp called Spirit Lake. We stopped there for some very nice soup, sandwiches and blueberry pie. I would strongly recommend it.

 

The museum and dog musher's camp at Caribou Crossing are worth a stop. If you don't want a dog cart ride, it will only take an hour or so. Add another 45 minutes or so if you take a dog cart ride, which is lots and lots of fun! The tour buses are there until about 1 PM so if you get there after that you have the place to yourself. However that might put you a bit late getting back.

 

Otherwise the only things on the road are scenic viewpoints. There are lots of them. Some of them have historical markers to read. Be sure to get Murray's mile by mile guide.

 

So 3 hours to Emerald Lake, 1/2 hour for lunch at Spirit Lake, 1 hour to tour Caribou Crossing, and 1 1/2 hours back to town would be 6 hours and get you back to town at 3 PM if you don't leave until 9 AM. It works but is cutting it a bit fine. You can figure out if you want to shorten something on there.

 

Check our pages at

Sapphire Princess to Alaska

and

Zuiderdam to Alaska

for nice pics of the ride into the Yukon.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[fman]

Since we can't take food off of the ship, how easy is it to find food for a 'picnic style lunch' (sandwiches, soda, etc) in Skagway, or on the way to Emerald Lake?

[Budget Queen]

Since we can't take food off of the ship, how easy is it to find food for a 'picnic style lunch' (sandwiches, soda, etc) in Skagway, or on the way to Emerald Lake?

 

 

Fairway Market on State.