I want to elaborate on why RVing is the best way to see Alaska. When you visit Alaska, the first thing you will figure out quickly is that it means a LOT of driving. You must understand, the state of Alaska spans 600,000 sq miles. We joke (but it’s true) that if you cut Alaska in half, Texas would be the 3rd largest state! If you wish to make the most of your time and see the beauty of Alaska, day tripping (from hotels) is impractical and will limit your experience.
Assuming you fly into Anchorage, here are some examples of driving times (assuming you make no stops and there is no traffic or construction not he road):
To Denali (Mt McKinley): 4 – 4 1/2 hrs
To Seward: 2 – 2 1/2 hrs
To Homer: 4 hrs
To Valdez: At least 6 hrs without any stops
Fairbanks: 8hrs
And these are the closest tourist destinations!
Then you must consider the amount of time you want to spend at each place and what activities you wish to partake in. Most will take some time. For example, a Kenai Fjords tours typically run 4 or 8 hrs long. Add in your drive time and desire to visit other sights (like Exit glacier) and you are certainly spending at least a night in Seward. Then there is the time cost of packing/unpacking/checking into hotels, etc. A motorhome offers you more flexibility to adjust your trip along the way to compensate for weather, construction delays, snafus, and unthought of opportunities that may surface along the way. You will be self contained and save yourself the time of daily packing/unpacking. You can drive to your fishing charter the night before and spend the night in it’s parking lot. Most charters go out VERY early in the am. It’s pretty sweet to roll out of bed and be right there. And remember, this is the land of the midnight sun, so you can easily drive most any time of day in the summer months and not have to drive in the dark. It’s 20+ hours of sightseeing with the best wildlife viewing in the early morning or late evening hours. Experiencing Alaska by RV allows you to travel at your own pace and always in the direction of your next adventure.
Visiting Alaska is expensive. Hotels are very costly in Alaska during the summer months. An average hotel stay would be $200 per room/per night. A dumpy motel goes for $150 and a nice place will run you around $300. Also, most hotels only allow for a maximum of 4 persons in a room, so often a family of 5 (like mine) has to incur the expense of two hotel rooms. This is not a problem in an RV. Most class C RV’s sleep 6 – 10 people.
Add the cost of a rental car… well figure $400-$600 for a week if you reserve VERY early. Car rentals can run over $1000 a wk if you are particular about the car size or style. Restaurants aren’t cheap either and eating 3 meals a day on vacation can be very costly. It’s my opinion that these expenses far exceed the cost of renting a motorhome, buying gas, and stocking it with food. Even if you ate a nice dinner out every night, you could prepare food throughout the day and have coffee, drinks and best of all, a BATHROOM at your disposal!
By RVing Alaska you get a “real” Alaskan experience! Camping outdoors offers you the best chance to see Alaskan wildlife! Your vacation becomes an adventure! You will have the opportunity to explore nature at it’s finest! Camping (either by tent or RV) places the traveler amongst stunning landscapes, surrounded by world class fishing and where the outdoor activities are plentiful. Alaska is very RV friendly. There are many RV parks which offer full hookups and tons of campgrounds or spots for boon docking (RV camping without hookups). You can find beautiful waterfront campgrounds with views that surpass those of the best hotels. The above featured photo is the road to the backside of Summit Lake where both tents and RVs can spend the night at Tenderfoot Creek Campground.
So, in my opinion, RVing Alaska provides you the best of everything. It will ultimately save you time and money while offering you an adventure of a lifetime!
RVing Alaska 