2 of us are travelling from scotland to alaska for the first time and looking for advice.
we arrive sat 26th june in anchorage.
on mon 28th we go to brooks lodge til friday 1st july.
we pick up a hire car that night.
we are due at denali national park mon 4th july to stay at camp denali until the friday.
we are due in whittier on the night ofthe 13th(tues).two days to be spent on the water then to seward for friday night where we have another two days on the water before we head back to anchorage for our flight on tuesday morning.
our original plan was to drive back from denali by the denali highway--the cost of a rental car that will let us do that is prohibitive.having to replan-any advice?

You will just have to return via the Parks Highway from Denali Park/Anchorage, but the extra cost is certainly worthwhile if the Denali Highway is of interest. This isn't the place to worry about the extra cost- if this is a priority. I would recommmend an overnight in Talkeetna for flightseeing and a look at a unique place. But not 2 days in Whittier- if I am reading you right??? The long day trips with glacier viewing via boat are more than enough. But 2 nights in Seward are worthwhile- Not sure what you mean by "2 days on the water"???

I am too a little confused about your itinerary.
Marjorie, would you please repost your day by day itinerary so we could help.

'we are due in whittier on the night ofthe 13th(tues).two days to be spent on the water then to seward for friday night where we have another two days on the water'

And, when you repost, please put the name of the place you are headed in your title. You will receive better responses.

sorry to confuse.date by date;
25/6 arr anchorage
27/6 -1/7 brooks lodge
4/7-9/7 camp denali
13 and 14/7 boat trips out of whittier
16 and 17/7 boat trips out of seward
fly out of anchorage on 19th
denali highway or drive up to fairbanks?

Marjorie--I have to admit I'm still a bit confused by your itinerary. For instance, what are you doing between July 1st when you leave Brooks Lodge and July 4th when you arrive in Denali? Also, what are you doing from July 9th, when you leave Denali and July 13th when you arrive in Whittier? I assume this latter gap is when you'd planned to drive the Denali hwy, but that's still a lot of time to get from Denali to Whittier unless you have some extended stops planned along the way.

As BudgetQueen noted, the Denali Hwy is definitely a worthwhile experience. We spent a few extra dollars to do it and I wasn't sorry in the slightest. What company are you trying to rent your car from?

You've scheduled an awful lot of boat trips, which is fine if that's your interests, so long as you understand that it's likely to get a bit repetitive. Whittier is really not a place I'd choose to spend 2 nights, or even one. It's a very depressing town and there's almost nothing there in the way of hotels, restaurants, etc.
Have you thought about substituting one of your Whittier trips for a boat trip from Valdez? The city is somewhat industrial, but the drive into Valdez is beautiful. If you've completely ruled out the Denali Hwy, you could leave Denali heading south on the Parks Hwy and turn east at Palmer toward Valdez. Take a boat trip, hike, go kayaking, or see the museum in Valdez, and then take the ferry to Whittier. You could stay for another boat trip if you still want to do that, or drive straight through to Seward.

Hope this helps.

Just wanted to add that I probably wouldn't go to Fairbanks in and of itself. If you still have extra time and want to do something a bit different you could also consider an artic tour. I believe Alaska Airlines offers some economical packages to Nome, Kotzebue and/or Barrow, which would be a great way to get off the beaten path and see something truly different. Kotzebue and Barrow are good choices if you really want to see and experience Alaskan Native culture.

the 2nd and 3rd are to give time to drive up to denali and see a bit of anchorage.then the original plan was to drive the denali highway back perhaps diverting to mccarthy and valdez on the way.i am interested in puffins--and there are tufted puffin colonies in both prince william sound and kenai fjords national park.

continuedWas hoping to hire a car from affordable new car rental.But they have been taken over by payless who dont allow driving on unpaved roads.Have found some who will but including insurance will cost $3000(compared to $1300).The cheaper hire companies who allow driving on unpaved roads wont give me motor insurance and i cant get motor insurance from this end.AAA wont let me join cos i am not a us resident--i thought i might get insurance through them.When i booked the other things to do i didnt imagine car hire would be so difficult.
Then i was told by one of the travel companies i contacted that the denali highwaywasnt worth the extra effort and cost.
Now i wonder if we can reroute up parks highway to fairbanks and down.
friday 9th to fairbanks
sat 10th to paxson or beyond.
sun mon tues ?
i do want time on the way to see hatchers pass.
this may all seem half assed to any experienced traveller but the itinerary centres round the things i really wanted to do--which i had to book early.Whittier may be horrible but we wont be in town long.We have arranged 2 days with a retired marine biologist who knows the Sound like the back of his hand!
My husband was all for just hiring a car from the cheapest company and driving the denali highway anyway--'what the eye doesnt see the heart will not grieve over'!Then i pointed out our insurance would be invalid and if we hit someone we could face a huge claim.
We want to see as much of the scenery and wildlife as we can.Is the denali highway worth an extra $1700 or do we replan?
marj

Your plan is disjointed, are you using THE MILEPOST?? Also be aware Hatcher Pass may be off limits after the mine since that too is unpaved. You can loop over Fairbanks and down the Richardson, but do see some sights in Fairbanks- very interesting city and a birder's area Creamer's Field may be of interest? There is nothing in Paxson, so plan elsewhere for a stay. I always make a stop at Copper Center and stay in the Roadhouse, great meals too. Valdez is definately worthwhile- more birds. Only you can decide if the unpaved driving is worth the costs to you.
Will you be returning to Alaska?? Even with all these plans and certainly enough days- nothing is guaranteed. So if it is of interest to you, then most certainly do it.

Do not forget to include Homer. You are guaranteed to see puffins in many places there but the simplest way to see them is to take a noon-boat to Halibut Cove. Also for an exceptional viewing of puffins go to Pratt Museum where thanks to hidden cameras you could see baby puffins fed by their parents. Mid-July should be the best time to see them

One more thing regarding your statement "My husband was all for just hiring a car from the cheapest company and driving the denali highway anyway--'what the eye doesnt see the heart will not grieve over'! and driving on Denali Highway." Be aware that some rental cars are equiped with tracking devices. They can see you!