We are planning on doing a cruise (maybe) and road trip in Alaska next May. The road portion would be about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks, going from Anchorage to Homer. We've always wanted to do this in an RV, but are starting to wonder if this will be cost-worthy, vs renting a car. Would like to hear how much people have paid for total costs involved in renting an RV (gas, unlimited mileage vs ppm), as well as car rental (gas, motels, and restaurants)? We would prefer not paying over $200/nite in motels; is that possible? Also, concerning the RV, would it be worth the extra cost to rent a slide-out , and is parking a problem in restaurant parking lots,etc. with a unit over 25'?

Thanks to everyone who can help us decide.

We spent a lot of time on the KP in a borrowed old Buick station wagon. Parking in the downtown areas of Seward and Homer can be tough. There's also a wonderful steep Skyline Drive in Seward that started off with some switchbacks thru a residential neighborhood. I'm not sure that you could take that route in an RV. The downtown Seward campground looked great and I bet it is fun to stay there but if you're not fussy you can get a hotel/motel/b&b room for less than $200/nite. You can also visit sandwich shops or the grocery deli for lunch fixings. Just keep in mind that there can be many miles between grocery stores and restaurants. You'll find large grocery stores in Kenai and Soldotna and then nada until you get to Homer. Gas stations can be a source of inexpensive sandwiches and breakfast burritos esp in Anchorage. At home we use a travel trailer. If the RV has a bed that stays made up, you don't need a slide-out. If you have to unfold a bed and make it up every night, that's a pain. While the extra space of a slide-out is nice, if you can do without it's better. The spaces in the Seward campground are small so I would look into whether there's room for a slide out to be open. Sorry, we didn't keep records of expenses. We tended to stay in b&b's where there was always a microwave and small frig, sometimes a toaster. The one in Whittier was really a small apartment. Also consider that the RV bathroom might be extremely small and you won't like the cramped shower. I usually use campground showers.

dfrostnh-Thanks for your suggestions, esp about the b&b. I don't know much about them,except that I thought staying in one meant that you eat breakfast with a bunch of strangers early AM. Since I am not an early AM person, this has never appealed to me, but you mentioned having a microwave and frig in yours. Does that mean you can eat breakfast in your room? If so, I will have to investigate this option, since I have heard that b&b's are less expensive to stay in. I'm really not anti-social, it's just that I'm in a fog the first hour after I get up.
I'm still hoping to get some "cost" replies, but all info is appreciated. Thanks, again.

VictoriaB, check with each b&b you are considering. Some let you hide out in your room to eat when you feel like it. My favorite, however, Alaska Garden Gate in Palmer (north of Anchorage) did gourmet breakfasts. I think there was the option of private dining. The first night we were there there was a group traveling together who ate in the diningroom. Karen served us at a small table in the kitchen. I think she would have also delivered to our door if we had wanted. She is a super host. I prefer a b&b that has a public area so you can meet and chat with other guests but in AK we found some were a spare room over the garage/cash only. There was plenty of privacy. There's quite a range but they all seem to agree on one thing - no cleaning fish in the kitchen sink!

dfrostnh-If we do the car thing instead of the RV, I'll definitely keep this b&b in mind! Thanks!

we just rented a car for 1 week for 350$

ys--If you read this, who did you rent your car from and what was it?

If you travel in May, the costs are cheaper vs. summer when the fish are running. However the climate will be colder in May vs. July. To keep the hotel costs down, book early vs. waiting for the prices to go down. Same for car rentals. If you were to start pricing out the cost of trip right now, it would be more costly vs. during the winter months. As for cost, my trips usually cost between 1,000 & 1,500 USD, for 2 people for a 10 -14 day trip. We are frugal travelers. We take hikes vs. tours. Fish from the shore vs. charted boat. Stay in cabins or State parks vs. 4 star hotels.
You had not mentioned what you want to do in Alaska, just what it costs. If you post what your interests are, I am sure there will be enough posts here, that you will be able to plan a wonderful trip to AK.

We drove an RV just a relative short distance to a neighboring music festival ( 1 hr. away) & we were so worried about the way it handled that we both agreed that's enough RV'ing for us. Maybe there is a 'learning curve' & we could get more comfortable with it, but in unfamiliar territory, & winding roads, I'd be uncomfortable.
Also, we didn't enjoy our 'partay on late' neighbors being so very close. Not sure if it's different in the road camps, but don't care to take the chance.

RV is almost always a lot more expensive than car rental + motels.

Thanks to everybody for their input!
joesorce...Your comment is exactly what I'm trying to get out of everybody! With Alaska being such an expensive state, is a car REALLY cheaper? I'm thinking the price of motels and meals alone (at least 2 meals daily) must really add up. Obviously, gas would be a lot cheaper than an RV. I don't know...this is why I'm still eager to hear from people who have done both. EVERYONE, PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS COMING! To hear actual experiences is such a plus! We still have some time before we make our decision, but we don't want to wait too long before starting to make phone calls. Thanks,again!

I forgot to add that I would really like to hear specifics about your rentals..if an RV, what size,slideout,comfort? If car,who did you rent from, and what did you rent? Also, best campgrounds/motels/hotels between Anchorage and Homer? Favorite places to eat? Any drawbacks to what you rented?

We rent a 30 ft with a slide. We prefer the back bedroom and full bath. As I mentioned earlier, check the price of a rental car for 10 days via Travelocity for next month just to see the costs of renting a car. Then price a hotel room in Anchorage for the same period. Restaurants will cost at least $40 a person a day. Then check Great Alaskan Holiday for a 30ft with a slide for the same period. I think you will be surprised in the price comparison.

bdawk--Great idea! Why didn't I think of that?! DUH!! Will do just that! Thanks.

Hi Viktoria -- My BF and I are renting a 26-foot RV (with a queen-size bed) from Great Alaskan Holiday for our 10-day trip which starts on Aug. 12, less than 2 weeks away! My BF is into spreadsheets and he did one which shows basically that the cost is just about equal between the RV and gas, and a car, gas, B&B's and eating out every day. We are going to stop at Target on the way out of Anchorage and stock up on everything we need. We are also bringing some things from home (paper towels, tea bags, sugar packets, plastic silverware -- for hiking -- and plastic containers etc) to save more money. We will be staying at RV parks in Homer, Seward, Denali and Talkeetna. They are relatively cheap -- I don't think we are paying more than $30 a night anywhere. I don't have the spreadsheet available right now but I can ask for it later if you are interested in the actual costs.

My BF is thrilled to drive a "big rig" in Alaska. We are in our early 40s if it matters.

The one thing that we did that wasn't so smart was to book it by Thanksgiving last year. we were so worried about reserving what we wanted during the tourist-season rush that it didn't occur to us to wait as the economic situation worsened. By January the price had gone down, but when we called, there was a charge to change the reservation and it almost equalled the discount for us. Oh well.

We used Greater Alaskan to rent a RV in Alaska. I recommend highly renting an RV over the car. I am not sure the costs are all that different. However, there are not a lot of motels in Alaska compared with the lower 48, particularly outside of Anchorage. I would describe many of the motels as 30 year old, 1 star, roadside places. You don't get much more than a simple room for your money (now there are some great rental cabins, and Princess has a couple of resort style hotels). With an RV, you can stop almost wherever and whenever you want.

Hey hikrchick (sorry for hijacking thread), You want to stop at a Fred Meyer, not Target, on your way out of Anchorage. FMs are the Target of Alaska, actually they are much better than Target (and cheaper because there are many more of them there- lower operating costs).

Fred Myers have cheap groceries too. There are Freddies in Anchorage and Soldotna too for when you head to Homer. You can get fishing license there as well. Believe it or not, you can camp in their parking lots in desiginated areas for free.

As a former resident and frequent visitor, I just have to say that if you rent an RV, PLEASE remember that the people behind you in ordinary cars can't see around you, and they have to go slow and form a queue behind you because your attention is divided between navigating a lumbering dinosaur on a two-lane road and gawking at the scenery out the windows.

Sadly Alaska residents, especially those wearing ball caps and driving big-wheel pickups, tend to be an impatient lot, so a lot of fairly dangerous maneuvers take place on two-lane roads, especially the Seward Highway and parts of the Parks and Glenn Hwys. Two of our best friends in Anchorage were killed in one such case, another permanently disabled. I believe this year's toll on the Seward is nearing a record.

Not blaming RVers for all this, of course, but just a warning and a request - if you rent an RV, please adopt RV driving courtesies and protocols.

(As to the main question, I think renting an SUV and staying in bed and breakfasts or small h/motels is the way to go. That way you get to meet real people when you stop. Alaska has a lot of interesting people as well as critters and scenery.)

hikrchick-Hope your vacation is great! Can you do me a favor and let me know how everything went, when you get back? Didn't tell me if your unit will be slide-out, but let me know how it handled. Also, what campground you went to around Homer and Seward--were they clean?showers clean?spacious sites? Did you make reservations? I'm getting ready to go away for a week, so today will be the last I will be on this site for a week. Thanks for your response.

Everyone- Thanks for your suggestions and advice! Gardyloo, so sorry to hear about your friends! I've read other cautions about driving in Alaska (particularly RV's), and we will definitely remember and drive responsibly.