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Q: When are the bugs the worst? I will be on a motorcycle touring Alaska and Canada.
A: Generally, bugs tend to be worse earlier rather than later in the summer. Mosquitos tend to be at their peak from early June through the middle of July. It really does vary throughout the state and what type of insect is hatching.
Q: Do you offer any escorted Alaska tour packages?
A: We do offer two different fully escorted tours, one is 6 nights and one is 9 nights. The Alaska Explorer 6 night tour starts in Fairbanks and ends in Anchorage. The 9 night Grand Alaska tour is the only one that starts and ends in Anchorage. These tours offer a variety of rail and bus transportation with the same travel group and escort. Hotels, tours, transportation and some meals are included.
Q: I understand that it’s much cheaper to pick up rental cars in Anchorage, rather than the airport. Are the rental car locations easy to get to from most of the downtown hotels?
A: When you pick up rental cars at the airport you have to pay the airport concession tax. The daily rate for the cars is the same if you pick them up at the airport or if you pick them up at an off airport office. The tax at the airport is 29% while at an off airport location it is 18%. We use Thrifty Rental cars and their off airport office is about 3 miles from the airport. If you are staying at a downtown hotel the Thrifty office will pick you up. If you arrive at the airport and would like to pick up your car immediately, we recommend that you take a taxi from the airport to the rental location. If you use the Thrifty shuttle from the airport you have to pay the airport tax rate.
Q: What is the age limit for child rates?
A: The child rate applies for children 11 years old and under.
Q: Are there any dog sledding day trips in summer in Anchorage?
A: We do offer a dog sledding day trip out of Girdwood, Alaska which is about 30 miles south of Anchorage called the Girdwood Glacier Sled Dog Helicopter tour. During the tour you are flown by helicopter to a glacier. Once you land on the glacier you will ride in a sled on the glacier.
Q: We plan to travel to Alaska via ferry but would also like to take the train to Denali. Is there somewhere that we can get off the ferry and board the dome train to Denali? Can we get off the train and into a resort in Denali without renting a car?
A: Absolutely! You can drive from your final destination on the ferry to the Anchorage rail depot. You can park your car at the depot (paid parking) and take the GoldStar dome train to Denali. There are hotel shuttles waiting at the depot to take you to the hotels so you do not need a car. See our blog on Denali for additional questions on transportation without a car. I would recommend spending at least two nights so you can go into the national park on a guided tour. The Kantishna Wilderness tour will take you into the park for viewing the wildlife and some of the scenery within the Denali National Park area. We would be happy to assist you with transportation, tours and hotels in Denali.
Q: My family and I are planning a trip to Alaska this summer. In researching vacation packages online I see that some companies seem to recommend traveling between Anchorage and Denali Park roundtrip by train, while others recommend roundtrip by motorcoach. I notice that you offer both train and motorcoach options. Can you help us choose which will be best for us? We also want to go to Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park.
A: We recommend vacation packages using a combination of both rail and motorcoach. Generally, travelers fly into Anchorage so we suggest taking the train to Denali and then returning to Anchorage by bus. Our packages are completely customizable so you can reverse that itinerary if you want. The combination of motorcoach and rail gives you the best of both worlds. You can enjoy the scenery offered by both the rail belt and the roadway routes. On the train, enjoy wandering between the cars and take advantage of the dining experience. The Park Connection Motorcoach offers a faster, less expensive option and offers photo stops which is not an option on the train! Another great advantage of the motorcoach is that you can travel between Denali and Seward in one day. On your return to Anchorage from Seward, we recommend you travel by train as that trip is one of the most beautiful on the Alaska rail system and follows a completely different route than the road.
Q: Is there any credit for a Golden Age pass when going on a bus tour in Denali National Park?
A: When you book one of the concession operated guided tours (Natural History Tour or Tundra Wilderness Tour) into Denali, the fee for the national park is included. If you would like a refund for the national park fee you need to visit the Wilderness Access Center located at the Denali National Park entrance. This is where the park rangers are located and they would be able to assist you if a refund of the “golden age” park fee is due. The Kantishna Wilderness Tour is a private tour and does not offer a park fee refund.
Q: I am looking at several of the all suites hotels and they offer single, double, triple and quad rates? What is the difference between the triple and quad when a suite has 2 queen beds and a pull out?
A: The terms, single, double, triple, and quad denotes the number of adults in the room, not the bed types. A triple room will have 3 adults and a quad will have 4 adults. Most hotels in Alaska set the room rate based on the number of adults in the room.
Q: We will be flying into Anchorage in the afternoon, spending the night, and taking the train to Seward the next morning. Where is the best area to stay, and how do we get to the train station?
A: The train depot is located in downtown Anchorage. You would want to stay at one of the hotels downtown that has a courtsey shuttle. The hotel would be able to pick you up from the airport and shuttle you to the depot in the morning. I recommend the Comfort Inn, Clarion Suites or the Quality Suites.
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Alaska Tour & Travel Box 221011 Anchorage, AK 99522 |
