We are doing a land tour and I was wondering if the rental companies charge extra for an additional key or would it be better just to go to the hardware store and have another copy made. I know some key fobs have a chip in it and even though you may get in the car with a copy, it will not start unless you have the chip. Does anyone have any thoughts on this ? We are traveling a circle route -- Anchorage -- Copper Landing -- Denali and back down to Seward.

Most rental companies will not give you an extra key, and most have the chip that does not allow them to be duplicated. Most keys you are given nowadays have the keychain pad that locks the door from the outside. If not, make sure you only lock the door from the outside and ask yourself "do I have my keys?" before getting out of the vehicle and locking the doors.

ttt

We have rented a mini-van twice a year for the last several years all over the country and we have almost always gotten two keys. When we haven't gotten two, we have stopped at a hardware store and had them duplicated with no problem. The really weird thing is when they give you 2 keys they give them to you on the same key ring from which they can't be removed and replaced so we now take a small pliers to get them apart and 2 key chains to put them on. After all, what good does having a spare key do you when it is attached to the other one? We always turn them in on 2 key rings and no one has ever said anything.

Thanks for the replies tcapp and Imsa_mc

I am going check with our rental agency and see -- we are paying for an extra-driver so I think that should warrant an extra-key. It seems the car rental business give favorable quotes and then get you on the little details -- insurance etc.