CLynnWeg

My husband and I are planning on flying to Anchorage and renting a motorhome to visit the Kenai Peninsula and Denali for about 7-10 days next summer. After doing this my husband wants to return to Jasper for 4 days before continuing home. Any ideas on a good way to arrange the transportation? I seems to fly to Alberta we need to first return to Seattle. Would love to do the train from Prince Rupert or Vancover, but can't figure out how to get there!

NorthwestMale

I wouldn't pretend to know the "best" way to finesse all of that into your trip.

I think that it may boil down to simply renting a car in Seattle for the round-trip drive to Jasper (565 miles according to Maps.MSN.com).

If you combine the air fares and the awkwardness of your other options, maybe that will be most cost effective.

Don't know where you're flying from, but I assume it is in the U.S. and a long way from Seattle.

I guess a three-leg airfare from your airport to Anchorage to Seattle to your airport might be your best ticket. And then the round-trip rentals both in Alaska and from Seattle will be least expensive.

Note: IF you happen to be Canadian, then you couldn't take a U.S. rental car back into Canada.

I do know that Alaska is awesome, although the mosquitoes will be prominent when you're there in the summer.

I can't rule out some airporter busses that might take people from Seattle's airport back to BC... as means of transportation for you to get to Vancouver's train station.

As Vancouver and Seattle are "only" 150 miles apart, there are certainly modes of transport between the two that could GET you back and forth sans vehicle. As to whether they're comfortable and convenient for your needs, I don't know.

People rave about the train ride from Seattle to Vancouver, so perhaps that is another option worthy of consideration.

I hope this gives you food for thought.

mlw

Can't answer your question, but we flew to Anchorage and rented an RV for 10 days last year and did the Kenai Peninsula. It was wonderful! If you can wait until the end of August...we went August 26th to September 5th, and had NO problem with mosquitos and NO problem finding a place to stay.

CLynnWeg

Thanks for the input. I enjoyed your trip report mlw and am using it to help plan. Although we have camped, we've never done the RV experience. We like the idea of the flexibility and being able to cook. We usually try to book rooms with kitchens as we tire of eatting out. I wish we could travel in early Sept., but I'm a teacher and school calls! Seems I'm might have to tell my husband Jasper will be another trip! Our visit there this year is what's inspired AK next summer.

Fabio

We will be leaving to Alaska (Glacier Bay - Denali and Kenai)next tuesday 16th for 2 weeks !! First trip, can't wait..
We were in Banff and Jasper 2 years ago. We loved it and I agree that that should be another trip !! I would save those 4 additional days for Valdez, Prince Williams Sounds Cruises and a bearviewing flightseeing to Katmai from Homer.

Also for us Banff and Jasper was the good inspiration for this trip to Alaska..

I will make a report of our trip next months, once back home !!

Patrick

How about flying from Anchorage to Juneau, catching the Alaska Marine Highway (ferry system) to Prince Rupert and taking the train from there?
That inner passage on the ferry was perhaps the nicest part of our entire month in Alaska.

NorthwestMale

About Jasper, as it relates to Alaska.

I recall driving home from Alaska, and detouring over to Calgary, and then passing through the Canadian Rockies.

The Canadian Rockies were awesome... except for the fact that I'd just come from Alaska, where the mountain ranges are unparalleled in North America.

At least you've done Jasper first and are then stepping up to Alaska.

CLynnWeg

Thanks for the validation NorthwestMale. We felt that Canadian Rockies were a step up from Glacier, and am thinking Ak will be even better. Patrick, thanks for the idea, I'll check that out, although I was saving the Inside Passage for another trip! Can't wait to read your trip report Fabio.

jtrandolph

My husband and I flew to Anchorage and rented a motorhome (we booked it ahead, as I would suggest you do.)

We had never driven such a "beast" <grin> but found it the only way to go in Alaska. We rented one with a generator so that if we were in a state park, for example, we would have electricity stored up from our engine in our wanderings.

I am sure tht you have this all figured out.

The Jasper part of your trip will need someone else to respond.

CLynnWeg

I can tell by your posts jtrandolph that you are a neighbor, I'd love to know more about your Ak R.V. adventure!

Patrick

NorthwestMale, I guess it's a matter of opinion. We spent a month in Alaska and while Denali is huge, nowhere did we see mountain scenery nearly as breathtaking as the Canadian Rockies. I must admit we didn't go northwest from Fairbanks, but I didn't think that would be that spectacular. Did we miss something?

Fabio

Hi CLynnWeg

if you like glaciers you might consider the 3:00pm direct Alaskan Airlines flight Seattle-Gustavus/Glacier Bay and then direct 6:06pm Gustavus/Glacier Bay-Anchorage, as we will do, or, as option for the next trip, Air Canada flight Vancouver to Whitehorse and driving from there to Skagway to be in Juneau, Haines and Glacier Bay area with local cruises

KellyP

I would take the 4 days and extend your rental with the motorhome. We rented an rv for 3 weeks a year ago, and still didn't see everything we wanted to.

jtrandolph

CLynnWeg,

I am intrigued. How can you tell from the post that I am a neighbor? (the profile?..I am fairly new here.)

OK...we flew to Anchorage, rented a 22 foot Class C motorhome for three weeks. (Spent the first night in the WalMart parking lot, because we had no clue what we were doing, it was raining cats and dogs, and it was late.) Somebody on a travel forum had told me about WalMart's policy, although I will tell you we felt a little silly with all those others. Like circling wagons <grin>.

On our way to Denali we stopped at Talkeetna and took a flight over the mountain, luckily, it was "out". Parked in a space at Denali and took the shuttle out to..hmmm can't remember how far, and did some hiking.

Then we stopped at the State Fair in Palmer, then on to Valdez. We had intended to take the ferry from there to Seward, but had neglected to make reservations, so we ended up driving back to Anchorage and then down to Seward.

From there we went to the Kenai Peninsula. Then back to Anchorage to fly home.

We stayed in commercial sites a few times, especially to get a "real" shower and wash some clothes. The one outside Anchorage under the trees, with moose running about, is very nice, as is one outside Homer, on the water. In Seward we parked in spaces allowed on the beach.

It was a great trip.

jtrandolph

OK, now I remember that you are planning a trip to Alaska. I kept a journal, so if I can find more specifics for you I would be glad to try. It was a great experience.

CLynnWeg

jtrandolph: I assumed you lived in the Bay Area because of your prior posts! I only tend to check out this forum when planning trips, and am not good about trip reports! Thanks for the info on your trip. We are still trying to decide whether or not to RV. I've now found some nice sounding cabins, but not everywhere we want to stay! We hope to go to Denali and the Kenai Peninsula, both Homer and Seward.

jtrandolph

Yes, the very reason we decided to jump into the RV waters was that we could not find accommodations where we wanted to go.

It worked out beautifully, although it took us a day or two to feel comfortable driving it. Otherwise, I would not do it again any other way. Getting a cabin where there were cabins seemed to us to be too restricting.

My travel journal has lists of all of the places we parked the motorhome, to include notes and telephone numbers, and in some cases, addresses and prices when it was a commercial RV park.

I would love to share these with you, while you make your decision, however, I feel a little tentative about boring everybody else here, and also about putting my email address out in public.

Is there no way to send private messages on this board as there is on others?

(moderator of the forum can you help?)

Yes, we are Bay Area...well, Monterey Bay Area.