I can do my own land options for cheaper, right?

[Fyrefly]

So I've been on here a bit before, talking about the trip I'm working on with my family. We're 90% set on Princess Voyage of the Glaciers southbound so as to get both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay.

 

The thing is, travel agents I've been speaking to keep saying land portions are the way to go, and quoting us trips for $8000-$9000 that don't even have a balcony room on the ship! :eek:

 

I am sure Denali is wonderful, but at the same time I've been to lots of national parks before. I'm not sure if for our first trip it would be best for us to spend an extra two days traveling, and two days just to see a national park. Again please don't flame me, I fully appreciate the beauty of a park and I would plan on coming back to do it, but I'm not sure its what's best right now. And it's certainly not worth $4000!

 

I was wondering though, if we do decide to do Denali on our own, what are the transportation/hotel options? The TA's kept telling us that its impossible to get to Denali on your own because the cruiselines own EVERYTHING, and I smelled a rat. I'm thinking there's no way the budget-minded people here would say a few days in Denali is more expensive than the entire rest of the cruise. There has to be some tourist infrastructure in place, its not like the cruises have been there since the dawn of time, right?

 

I was also wondering, since we are kind of cool on Denali right now, what else people recommend. I've seen that Homer is interesting, and I was also wondering if there are some "can't-misses" in the Anchorage area too. It just seems like all the books and websites and TAs make it sound like if you don't go to Denali, you aren't going to Alaska. We're going to be seeing a lot of scenery already, surely there is some fun local color we can experience instead?

 

Thanks for your help!

[Yukon]

The thing is, travel agents I've been speaking to keep saying land portions are the way to go, and quoting us trips for $8000-$9000 that don't even have a balcony room on the ship!

 

They've probably never been to Alaska so have no idea how to plan an inexpensive/independent trip, and booking cruisetours is easy money (high commissions with a couple of mouse clicks). It's very easy to just rent a car, and there are LOTS of lodging options at Denali as at every other place on the road system in Alaska.

[kalliea]

I love TA's and used to be one, but it has become competitive and cruises and other packaged tours are their bread and butter. Denali and Anchorage are like any other location in the world, you can get lodging and transportation on your own. It's true that the cruise lines own much of what goes into Denali, but not all. What is left does book early so get a book or search online and find what interests you. You can bike, hike, scuba, walk, dine, fish etc. Anchorage is a good sized city with plenty to do.

[Yukon]

It's true that the cruise lines own much of what goes into Denali, but not all.

 

A common misperception, but not true at all.

[frugaltravel]

A common misperception, but not true at all.

 

Well, if it weren't for the cruise lines, there probably wouldn't be any Natural History or Tundra Wilderness Tours. Many things are in place due to the cruise lines, not necessarily that they literally own a lot.

[Yukon]

Many things are in place due to the cruise lines, not necessarily that they literally own a lot.

 

The comment was that the cruise lines own them. If it wasn't for the cruiselines, there would be about 300 less jewelery stores, too. If it wasn't for the cruiselines, Nassau and St. Thomas would be little villages. Etc, etc, etc.

[wolfie11]

If animals in their natural habitat is a priority, then Denali is the place to go. Opportunities to see moose, caribou, wolves, bear, and Dall sheep as well as numerous birds (golden eagle, ptarmigan) and small mammals.

 

You can fly into Anchorage, rent a car, drive the 5 hours to Denali/Healy and stay at a nice place for around $100 a night. You need at least two nights at Denali. The shuttle bus into the park is around $40 per person, with under 14 free.

[Budget Queen]

If interior Alaska isn't what you want to do, then just do the cruise. I would suggest you look into what Denali Park is all about, before you go with wrong assumptions, however. The main features of Denali park is wildlife, scenery, Mt.McKinley. It is the cheapest wildlife jackpot in all of Alaska. BUT, you need to determine WHAT it is you want out of your trip.

 

The agent you are dealing with is completely inaccurate. It is indeed a simple matter of going on your own, if you choose. I would suggest you ask her, how Princess can "own" a National Park and everything around it?????

 

A car rental is preferred due to the open options of meals and lodging. There are several budget hotels in the $100 range. Food is subjective, but stopping at the grocery can yield savings. http://www.nps.gov/dena

[LittleMissS]

Thanks to the OP for posting this. I am considering the same thing and trying to price my options. Thanks to all of the wonderful suggestions on this board!

[ready2travel54]

You can fly into Anchorage, rent a car, drive the 5 hours to Denali/Healy and stay at a nice place for around $100 a night. You need at least two nights at Denali. The shuttle bus into the park is around $40 per person, with under 14 free.

 

Wow we just finished booking our own land package to Denali and Seward. Lodging is expensive. we did NOT find any lodging for $100 a night that we wanted to stay in. Traveling companions don't like shared bathrooms and one place has tarps for roofs. I would also encourage you to do your research and book soon. the hotel we booked at had the least expensive rooms gone when we booked.

[ready2travel54]

OH we will end up paying about what we would have paid for the land tour to Denali as for what we are doing. BUT we have an extra 3 days in another part of the country. I'm glad we booked that on our own.

[PennyAgain]

I've done Denali NP super cheap by driving my own car, car camping along the way and riding the shuttle buses in the NP getting off to hike and camp where we pleased.

 

I've also stayed in a couple of the hotels when I was escorting guests who were not the car camping type.

 

Many people travel around Alaska without spending fantastic amounts of money. It can be done, but if you don't know your way around, you need to study up and possibly find someone to go along who does know how it all works

 

The cruise companies absolutely do not own it all. If you have your own car (yours or a rental) you are free to roam. Free to enjoy at your own pace.

[Budget Queen]

You can fly into Anchorage, rent a car, drive the 5 hours to Denali/Healy and stay at a nice place for around $100 a night. You need at least two nights at Denali. The shuttle bus into the park is around $40 per person, with under 14 free.

 

Wow we just finished booking our own land package to Denali and Seward. Lodging is expensive. we did NOT find any lodging for $100 a night that we wanted to stay in. Traveling companions don't like shared bathrooms and one place has tarps for roofs. I would also encourage you to do your research and book soon. the hotel we booked at had the least expensive rooms gone when we booked.

 

There certainly is lodging in basic motels, in the $100 range, that is NOT what is described above. I, myself have 2011 bookings.

 

The key here is "wanted to stay in". Lodges and glitter gluch is high priced. But, there may be savings, using purchased coupon books, IF you have other uses for it as well.

[Naismith]

A car rental is preferred due to the open options of meals and lodging.

 

We agree, but we are on a tight time schedule, we want to see Fairbanks, and the only way to have a full day in Fairbanks and two nights at Denali is to work our way down to Anchorage and the cruise. Although we got our 1-day Fairbanks car rental for $29 inclusive, we couldn't find a one-way car rental to Anchorage for less than $800.

 

Unless anyone has a better recommendation on the car rental, we are doing the train. And we just hit the shoulder season discount. In making Denali hotel reservations, I would recommend checking the details of your hotel shuttle because it turns out some are not free, some require a certain amount of notice etc. (like you really know when you are coming back from hiking).

 

At first it seemed strange about the car fees, because if you fly into Orlando, FL and drop the car rental off in the same state, there is no drop-off fee. I guess fewer people do one-way from Anchorage to Fairbanks so they can't afford to have the cars flowing only that direction?

 

(And no, I don't want a lecture on the importance of TIME in seeing Alaska. Some of us have to work, and do have a limited window available. If it's a matter of going at all or not going, I will take going at all.)

[agabbymama]

OP - NOT ALWAYS A TRUE STATEMENT. For some (maybe a husband and wife, or a single traveler) could do the independent travel cheaper than a cruisetour. But in our case, there was my husband and myself, my husband's friend and my husband's sister. I started looking at RV rental but decided there wouldn't be adequate privacy for any of us. Then progressed to car rental with Bed & Breakfast/motel accommodation. I even purchased the Milepost, figuring this was what we would do. About 3/4 of the way through, I gave up and looked at cruisetours. Comparing prices, I would have only saved approximately $50 pp, so threw the Milepost in the trash and booked HAL 11 day Yukon Wilderness tour for $2720, then Alaska added the $50 head tax, so we ended up paying HAL $2770 for a wonderful worry free cruisetour.

 

And two nights isn't essential to do the TWT at Denali either. We arrived at Denali at approx. 12:00 pm, did the TWT from 3:00-11:00. The next morning did the Jeff King Husky Homestead tour and back to the train station for the 12:30 train to Anchorage. We were on the move constantly, but I like all the planned activity.

 

So everyone has to decide for themselves what is best for them. Go with what you know you like. I've done many independent trips to Europe and Australia as well as here in the US. I don't want the hassle and frustration anymore.

 

Have fun planning, then taking your cruise.

[PennyAgain]

Threw the MILEPOST in the trash! Good grief. It is a wonderful resource.

[frugaltravel]

We agree, but we are on a tight time schedule, we want to see Fairbanks, and the only way to have a full day in Fairbanks and two nights at Denali is to work our way down to Anchorage and the cruise. Although we got our 1-day Fairbanks car rental for $29 inclusive, we couldn't find a one-way car rental to Anchorage for less than $800.

 

Unless anyone has a better recommendation on the car rental, we are doing the train. And we just hit the shoulder season discount. In making Denali hotel reservations, I would recommend checking the details of your hotel shuttle because it turns out some are not free, some require a certain amount of notice etc. (like you really know when you are coming back from hiking).

 

At first it seemed strange about the car fees, because if you fly into Orlando, FL and drop the car rental off in the same state, there is no drop-off fee. I guess fewer people do one-way from Anchorage to Fairbanks so they can't afford to have the cars flowing only that direction?

 

Supply and demand. How many rent in Anchorage and return in Fairbanks? I would guess very few.

 

Not sure who "we" is but there are options. Remember the train takes a lot longer than driving the same route.

 

And it seems pretty easy to plan your hiking in Denali around the shuttle bus schedules within the park, thus also with the shuttle bus schedules of the lodging options that offer it. At least, it has been for me.

[NancyIL]

Threw the MILEPOST in the trash! Good grief. It is a wonderful resource.

I also love the Milepost. :)

 

I think she was looking for specific lodging recommendations with prices, like a AAA TourBook has, and was disappointed. (AAA members can get the Alaska TourBook for free.)

[agabbymama]

I also love the Milepost. :)

 

I think she was looking for specific lodging recommendations with prices, like a AAA TourBook has, and was disappointed. (AAA members can get the Alaska TourBook for free.)

 

 

Yes, Nancy, that is more what I was expecting. Unfortunately I'm not a AAA member anymore. Gave that up as too costly about 30 years ago. A day late and a dollar short.

 

But I've had two absolutely awesome trips to Alaska. I just prefer at this stage in life to let others deal with the hassels, planning, driving, etc. If they have the tour I want (going where I want, seeing what I want to see), then I'll book it and save myself a lot of work.

[Fyrefly]

Thank you for the suggestions, everyone. It has been decided that Denali isn't necessarily high on our list this trip. My parents aren't necessarily for it, and after all of driving we did on our trip last year, I think my dad was looking forward to a trip with not much on his part. So maybe my choice of Alaska was ever-so-slightly ill-timed in that respect, but at the same time I got him to agree to a cruise, which I thought would never happen...

 

We're going to at least leave one full day in Anchorage to do the Heritage Center, as that looks quite nice and we are into history. The tour books seem to indicate there is nothing else to do in the area Anchorage besides that, some kid's museums, and hiking. Is that about accurate or is there anything else reasonably nearby that is worth a look?

 

I had wanted to go to Homer but that's 5 hours away as well... Oh well, I think the plan is now for our first venture take it a little easier for my parents, then in a few years when I'm done my grad degree and making REAL money I'll go back and do more. :D It's not like I can come even remotely close to doing a quarter of it in one trip anyway...

[kathynorth]

Thank you for the suggestions, everyone. It has been decided that Denali isn't necessarily high on our list this trip. My parents aren't necessarily for it, and after all of driving we did on our trip last year, I think my dad was looking forward to a trip with not much on his part. So maybe my choice of Alaska was ever-so-slightly ill-timed in that respect, but at the same time I got him to agree to a cruise, which I thought would never happen...

 

We're going to at least leave one full day in Anchorage to do the Heritage Center, as that looks quite nice and we are into history. The tour books seem to indicate there is nothing else to do in the area Anchorage besides that, some kid's museums, and hiking. Is that about accurate or is there anything else reasonably nearby that is worth a look?

 

I had wanted to go to Homer but that's 5 hours away as well... Oh well, I think the plan is now for our first venture take it a little easier for my parents, then in a few years when I'm done my grad degree and making REAL money I'll go back and do more. :D It's not like I can come even remotely close to doing a quarter of it in one trip anyway...

 

You can order a free visitor's guide from here http://www.anchorage.net/

From Anchorage you can do a boat tour to Portage Glacier, visit the zoo to see wildlife you may have missed on the cruise, or if the salmon are running go watch the combat fishing behind the Ulu store. The downtown area of Anchorage is very active and fun to shop.

[Stout93]

You can find decent lodging in Denali from $135 - $200 a night. You just have to do some research, maybe alot of research. We found our place in Healy for $135. It's cabin with a kitchenette, separate bathroom and BBQ area out in front. Views from the cabin look excellent. Dont know how anyone can turn down Denali when going on a Land tour..??

 

Alaska Spruce Cabins.

[Fyrefly]

Thanks Kathy.

 

Stout, we're not so much turning down Denali on a land tour as deciding that we don't really have the time to do a good land tour to begin with. I have commitments up until closeish before our cruise. We'll definitely fly in and spend a full day in Anchorage before embarkation day, possibly two which is why I'm looking for more recommendations of things to do, but coming in three or four days early for Denali and having most of that be travel time isn't really in the cards and doesn't seem like much fun. And doing a northbound with Denali at the end is no good either because I have to be back for fall semester early and the northbound itineraries don't have both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay.

 

Believe me, I plan on doing one of those 14-day trips and see all over the inside of Alaska at some point with plenty of Denali, maybe even up into the Arctic in the future, as I anticipate falling completely in love with it once I'm there, but for this trip, it's not and option.

[travelingmom37]

Thanks to all who responded to the original poste.er.

We are now booked on the Celebrity land tour but it is not spending much time in Denali which is my primary .land destination.

So far, it may well be a bit cheaper and certainly easier to go w/ Celebrity, but i do have specific things I wanat that they do not offer.

Their first day of a three day land tour consists of an overnight in Anchorage, nothing else.

Just bought the $100 tour saver book yesterday, once it arrives I will try planning again.

Thoughts on the greyline domed bus vs/ the train?

Decent Denali hotels in least tourisy areas? planning ont e the Tundra tour in the park. other suggestions? We will be there two nights.

Greatly appreciate feedbak. Even reviwing these boards is oveer-welming for a first timer.

Thanks!

[mytime53]

Thoughts on the greyline domed bus vs/ the train?

Decent Denali hotels in least tourisy areas? planning ont e the Tundra tour in the park.

 

To be in less of a touristy area, get a hotel in Healy--that town has been there since the early 1900's because of coal mining. The hotels themselves, though, are there for tourists. And to stay there, you pretty much need a rental car, as it's more than 10 miles away from the entrance to the park.