Recent Alaska Shipping News

Basic info about car clubs

If you live in Alaska and have some spare time, joining a local car club is a great way to spend it. It is also a good way to showcase a car that your proud of or to show how much passion you might have for a particular type of car.

These clubs will require very affordable annual membership dues. Most will be between $25 and $100. Most of these clubs do not require that you own one of their cars either. So, you can still join if you are just passionate about a certain type of car.

These clubs hold both monthly and annual meetings and events. So, as much as participation is not necessarily required, it is recommended that you take part in the clubs’ activities as much as you can.
 

The list of car clubs located in Alaska

The following are a few of the oldest and most popular car clubs that you can join in Alaska:

• Alaska Sports Car Club – Alaska Sports Car Club was founded back in 1958. Membership is through the Alaska Lions Club and costs $100 per person or $150 for a four-member family. The club holds multiple events each year including races, fundraisers and much more.
• Artic Air-Cooled VWs – Artic Air Cooled VWs is a club dedicated to the Air-Cooled Volkswagen in Alaska. You do not need to own a VW for membership so you can join if you are just an enthusiast. The membership fee is $24 per year.
• Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska – Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska is a car club dedicated to antique cars. To join you do not need to own an Antique vehicle, but you do need a membership in the Antique Automobile Club of America which costs $40 each year. The club has monthly meetings with club cruises after the meetings during the summer months.
• Anchorage Corvette Association – The Anchorage Corvette Association was founded in 1969. The club charges $40 for new members and $30 for renewals as well as $50 for families to join. They hold monthly meetings as well as several cruises and other events each year.

Helpful tips for joining a car club

Before you join a new car club, there’s a few things that you should know first. Here are a few tips to consider when joining a car club:

• Reach out to the club or a member with any questions you might have – You will want to reach out to the club or a member of the club directly with any questions or concerns that you might have.
• Most clubs won’t require you to own one of their cars – If you are just an enthusiast of a certain type of car and do not personally own one, you can likely still join the club. Just contact the individual club and ask them before you send a membership payment.
• Be sure to take care of your vehicle – If you plan on showing your car off at a car club’s events, make sure that you keep the car clean and that you get the required maintenance to make sure that the car is running properly. It would be off-putting to fellow members if your car wasn’t working or was really dirty.
• Get involved – It does not make sense for you to join a car club if you are not going to actively participate in the club’s activities. Be sure to take part in meetings, cruises, shows and whatever else the club holds as much as you can.

Conclusion

Joining a car club is a fantastic way to spend some of your extra time. It is a fun hobby where you can meet other car enthusiasts just like yourself and have some serious car conversation. You won’t regret the memorable experience of joining a car club.

If you are in Alaska and want to join a car club but want your car shipped there first, contact Alaska Car Transport today for a free quote and more information on how we can get your car to Alaska safe and sound!

History of Alaska Highway

Alaska Highway was originally built as a supply route for the American military during the second World War in the 1940’s. Regular civilians did not have access to drive on the road until 1948. After the war, the Canadian part of the highway was turned over to Canada.

Then in the 50’s and 60’s the vast majority of the road was paved over by both the United States and Canada in their respective portions of the highway.

Since then it has been considered one of the primary ways to drive into Alaska from both Canada and the United States.
 

Basic information about Alaska Highway

The highway runs from Dawson Creek in British Columbia to Delta Junction in Alaska and is seventeen hundred miles long. Since Canada took control of its portion of the highway, it has shortened the highway by almost forty miles mainly by bypassing residential areas.

The highway is so long you could encounter different types of weather conditions along the way. Although it is extremely rare for the highway to close because of weather, you might want to consider taking a trip on this highway only in the spring or summer months as the weather can get pretty bad on occasion in the winter time on certain stretches of the highway.

The highway takes about 5 days to drive if you are driving for over twelve hours a day. We recommend you only drive for eight hours per day.
 

The best places to stop along the way

There are pits stops you can make for gas and amenities like food or lodging every thirty to fifty miles or so. There are also historic mileposts along the highway. In many cases, people in residential areas use these mileposts to refer to their location by word of mouth or even in their mailing address.

Towards the start of your drive on the Alaska Highway, you will encounter exits for Fort Nelson and the Heritage Museum. Later in the drive, you can stop off and see the Liard river, Coal river, contact creek and Watson Lake. This is around the five to six-hundred-mile mark.

Later in the drive, you can stop off at the George Johnston Museum as well as the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre.

Around the eight-hundred-and-eighty-mile mark, you can stop off at the Wolf Creek Yukon Government campground for some r&r. You can also visit the famous and wonderful town off Whitehorse.

Then, just before the nine-hundred-mile mark you can visit Dawson City. You can also quickly connect with the Takhini Hot Springs, Hot Springs Campground and Hostel and Yukon Wildlife Preserve.

Just before the thousand-mile mark, you can stop off at Haines Junction.

Just before the fourteen-hundred-mile mark, you can visit the quaint town of Delta Junction.

Finally, towards the end of the highway, you will have reached the North Pole.
 

Tips for driving on Alaska Highway

• Bring extra supplies – Load your car up with extra windshield wipers, a spare tire, extra gas, food, a first aid kit and more. You never know when an emergency situation might arise.
• Stay Alert – There are hazards such as wildlife which could pop up on the road occasionally. Make sure that you stay alert. You can do so by drinking coffee, an energy drink or even by keeping your window open for fresh air.
• Get some rest – Make sure you get a good amount of sleep before you venture out on such as long drive. You definitely don’t want to fall asleep while you are driving.
• Bring a friend – You should have at least one person to talk to and switch off driving with. You should not try and drive more than eight hours in a day.
• Take pictures – Driving this road is an experience that you will never want to forget. Make sure you snap some photos to look back on, while you aren’t in the middle of driving of course.

Conclusion

The Alaska Highway is a must for anyone who wants the truest Alaska experience. You can see and enjoy much of the gorgeous expanse that makes the state so great.

If you are headed to Alaska and want to skip the awful rental process, you can always ship your car there with Alaska Car transport. Give us a call today and we’ll get your car to Alaska without a problem.

When is the best time to go to Alaska?

If you are going to be traveling to Alaska for a vacation or extended trip, you should think about when exactly that will be. The winters can be brutally cold and full of inclement weather. The fall might be alright to visit during if you head there earlier on in the season.

However, the later part of the spring and throughout the summer have classically been when most people end up visiting Alaska.
 

Decide what you want to do and see in Alaska

There are a ton of great sights and attractions to see in Alaska. In fact, there are too many to see on one trip. So, you will need to pick and choose which sights you want to see exactly.

You can always take any of the various tours that exist. These are a great and efficient way to see a bunch of sights in one shot while you have the help of an expert guide at your side. In fact, we recommend trying at least one of the many great helicopter tours.

The following are the most popular tourist attractions in Alaska:

• Denali National Park – Probably the most popular attraction in Alaska, this park is home to all sorts of wonderful wildlife such as bears, wolves, birds, elk, reindeer and more. It also has some of the most scenic geography in all of Alaska including mountains, tundra and more.
• Glacier Bay National Park – A must see spot in Alaska, Glacier Bay National Park has some of the most picturesque glacier views in the entire world. It boasts some of the world’s most amazing glaciers as well as views of whales and penguins too.
• Alaska Highway – Alaska Highway is one of the most scenic routes in North America and an experience that you will not soon forget either. You will be able to see the lush wilderness in ways you likely didn’t think possible.
• Alaska Railroad – This railroad will take you through some of Alaska’s most popular areas including Anchorage, Denali National Park and more all while you enjoy a relaxing and amenity filled train ride.

What will you need to bring?

You will need to take several things with you on your trip so you are prepared to venture out to see all that Alaska has to offer.
These are some of the things you should bring with you on a trip to Alaska:

• A GPS or roadmap – There will be several areas in Alaska where your phone will not get any service, especially when you are out on the road. So, you will need a backup if you are driving yourself around to each destination. You can pre-program most GPS so that you won’t need to have it connected to the internet.
• A portable phone charger – If you are out seeing the sights for an entire day, you will likely lose the charge on your phone. If you have a portable charger, you can get your phone charged back up without needing to worry about stopping somewhere to do so.
• Your roadside assistance card – If you get stuck out on the road in Alaska, you might need some help. With a Triple-A you could avoid that awful situation with just a phone call.
• Some snacks – Unfortunately, some of the highways in Alaska have long stretches without any stops where you can stop to get something to eat. Bring some snacks such as protein bars to help get you through any trips that you might be taking.
• Extra emergency supplies – Just in case you do happen to get stuck out on the road while you are traveling, you will want to have some extra emergency supplies with you. Things like extra windshield wipers, road flares, kitty litter (for tire traction), and a spare tire could be the difference between completing your trip and getting stuck out on the road.

Where are you going to stay?

You will also need to figure out where you are going to stay during your Alaskan excursion. This will be heavily dependent on what you are planning on seeing while you are in Alaska. For example, if you are mostly interested in the National Parks it would make sense that you stay in Anchorage as it is pretty much in the middle of several National Parks.

Here are some of the most popular places people stay while they are visiting Alaska:

• Anchorage – As we just mentioned, Anchorage is a great place to stay if you are planning on checking out the incredible national parks in Alaska. It is also the best place in Alaska to stay in terms of restaurants, hotels and other amenities as over half of Alaska’s population live in Anchorage and the neighboring areas.
• Juneau – Juneau is another great place to stay if you are visiting Alaska. It has a considerably smaller population than Anchorage but still has over thirty thousand people living there. The hotels and restaurants are excellent in Juneau as well. Staying in Juneau will afford you the best opportunity to visit the Glacier Bay National Park.
• Kodiak – If you plan on visiting the National Parks in Kodiak, then Kodiak is a fantastic place to stay. Its population isn’t huge, but it is still around seven thousand people at any given time. There are also a bunch of good options for dining and lodging. There are also a bunch of museums and even a brewery on the island just in case you get bored of the nature preserve (you won’t).

Start getting ready for your Alaskan trip

Make sure that by the time you are ready to leave for Alaska, you are completely ready for your trip there. Get the right clothes and be sure that all your travel arrangements are set in stone.

If you are going in the spring, you will want to bring warmer clothes but not quite a full winter outfit. Bringing a heavy jacket, light jacket and some gloves is your best bet to be prepared for all sorts of temperatures.

If you are going during the summer, then you should pack for weather between fifty and eighty degrees. Temperatures at night can drop pretty low compared to the average highs of seventy or eighty degrees. Of course, all of this depends on where you are in Alaska. The state is so big that temperatures can vary by over thirty degrees between the north and south parts of the state. Odds are that you will be in the lower part of the state.
 

Conclusion

Your trip to Alaska will take effort and the proper planning but it will be well worth it once you arrive there and start to experience the incredible wilderness, beauty and expanse that Alaska has to offer.

The preparation for your trip will involve a lot of decision making including the decision about what to see and what to leave for your next trip to Alaska.

If you are visiting Alaska for a more extended stay, it might make sense for you to ship your car there rather than ship it. If you choose to ship a car to Alaska, or you just have questions about the vehicle transport process, give us a call today at (907) 331-3100.

The benefits to taking a defensive driving course in Alaska

The primary and best benefit to taking a defensive course in Alaska, or any where for that matter, is the cost of your car insurance will drop significantly. On average, you can expect to save about 10% annually in Alaska as a result of taking a defensive driving course. However, some providers like E-surance will give up to a 15% discount for taking such a course. Things like your age and previous driving record will also play a role in how big a discount you can get for taking a defensive driving course.

Taking a defensive driving course can also help you reverse the effects of a previous traffic violation. You can reduce points that you received on your license by taking a defensive driving course for example.
 

Why taking the course online is easier

These classes take between four and eight hours to complete. The in-person classes usually take four or five hours and are usually held at night or on the weekend at a driving school. The online classes can easily be completed from the comfort of your own home at a pace that suits you over the course of a month.

So, if you wanted to take it easy and complete a half hour at a time, you could do the online course that way. You could not do that with the in-person course. You would need to complete the course in one four or five hour segment after work or on the weekend.
 

Providers of online defensive driving courses for Alaska

The following are the recommended and DMV-approved online defensive driving providers for Alaska.

• AARP – This course costs $25 and will take 8 hours. You have thirty days to complete it once you start it. The final exam must be taken in person at a testing center.
• Go To Traffic School – This course costs $30 and will take 8 hours. You have thirty days to complete it once you start it. The final exam must be taken in person at a testing center.
• Traffic School Online – This course costs $30 plus an in-person testing fee that can range from 9 to 15 dollars. The course will take 8 hours to complete. The final exam must be taken in person at a testing center.
• Safe2Drive – This course costs $24. The course will take 8 hours to complete. You will have 30 days to complete the course once you start it. The final exam must be taken in person at a testing center.
• I drive Safely- – This course costs $26. The course will take 8 hours and you will have 30 days to complete the course once you start it. The final exam must be taken in person at a testing center.
• DrivingUniversity.com – The course costs $30 plus about $8 in shipping for the course completion certificate. The course is 8 hours long and you will have 30 days to complete it once you start it. The final exam must be taken in person at a testing center.
• AlaskaDriver.com – This course costs $40 and will take 8 hours to complete. You will have 30 days to complete it once you start it. The final exam must be taken in person at a testing center.

Conclusion

So, you can avoid having to spend 4 to 8 hours taking the course after-work or on the weekend by taking the online version. You will need to show up in person to take the final exam but that only takes less than an hour in most cases. Plus you can take the course at your own pace and in small increments each day.

See Alaska from the sky

Alaska is the largest state in the entire country, by a long shot. It is over six hundred and fifty thousand square miles wide. It is more than twice the size of Texas. So, you really need to choose which sights you want to see and plan properly before you venture out to see them.

However, you can always get the best view of the incredible state of Alaska while seeing more of it than you ever could in a car by taking a helicopter tour. That’s right, helicopter tours of Alaska are a regular tourist attraction and they are incredible to say the least.
 

Helicopter tours in Alaska

There are dozens of helicopter tours in Alaska to choose from and they are all worthwhile experiences during your time in Alaska. Which ones you choose to embark on depend on your specific travel and sight-seeing agenda.

The best helicopter tours in Alaska are:

• Alpine Air Alaska – Alpine Air Alaska has been in business for almost thirty years now. They offer a ton of awesome tours that you can choose from. They also offer things like transportation to the best hiking and fishing spots via helicopter as well as pilot lessons. Some of the best tours they offer are:
  
  • 30 Minute Heli Tour – As you can tell from the title, this is a half-hour long tour where you will travel into the TwentyMile river valley for some incredible glacier viewing. The cost is $299 per person and tours depart several times per day throughout the year.
  • Helicopter Glacier Landing – This is a tour where you’ll get incredible aerial views of several famous glaciers and even land on one of them over the course of an hour. The cost is $399 per person and tours leave multiple times per day throughout the year.
  • Prince William Sound Tour – This has everything the glacier landing tour has plus it also includes a return trip over the Prince William Sound. Although all the tours are great opportunities to see wildlife, this one is especially good. The tour takes about an hour and a half. The cost is $499 per person and tours depart several times per day throughout the year.
  • Ultimate Summer Tour – This is the longest and probably the best tour that Alpine Air Alaska offers. This tour can be customized to combine the glacier landing tour or the Prince William Sound tour with their glacier dog sledding summer tour. The tour costs between $850 and $950 per person and only runs from May through August.
  • Directions: Alpine air Alaska is located at 599 Mt. Hood Dr Girdwood, AK 99587. You can enter your address here for directions.
• Ascending Path – Ascending Path is an Alaska Tour company that has been in business for almost twenty-five years now. They offer hiking tours, train tours, climbing tours, helicopter tours and even Kayaking tours. They offer some of the most interactive helicopter tours of Alaska around. Their Alaskan helicopter tours include:
  
  • Helicopter Glacier Hiking – This is a great tour that takes you from Portage Valley to Spencer or Lake George Glacier. Normally you would land and actually hike and explore the glacier for a little bit. However, as of right now, due to a recent ice melt that is not part of the tour. The tour costs $529 per person and requires a minimum of three people to take flight.
  • Helicopter Ice Climbing and Caves – This is another wonderful glacier and wilderness tour with some breathtaking aerial views. Most of the time, this tour includes guided ice climbs but due to the recent ice melt, this is unfortunately not part of the tour at the moment that this is being written. The tour costs $639 per person.
  • Ultimate Overnight Camping – One of the most adventurous helicopter tours you can embark on, the Ultimate Overnight Camping tour is an overnight excursion that you won’t soon forget. It starts with a train glacier tour. Then you will take a kayak tour with a guide and eventually you will experience the awe of two incredible helicopter tours. You will also physically spend time on the glacier. The tour costs $1999 per person and operates from June through September.
  • Directions: Ascending Path is located at 1000 Arlberg Ave, Girdwood, AK 99587. You can enter your address here for directions.

    Understand that some tours are booked as a combo rail-hike. If this is the case, you can take the Alaska Railroad from downtown Anchorage and meet your tour guide along the way.

• Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska – An Alaskan tour company that has been operating since 2004, Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska offers guided tours including snow machine tours, dog sled tours and helicopter tours. They are a family run company as well. The helicopter tours they offer are:
  
  • Fly & Ride – This tour is only offered in the winter, but it is well worth the wait. You will get a helicopter tour of Denali and the Iditarod trail with some amazing picturesque views and then you will land and get either a dogsled tour or snowmobile tour. The tour starts at the Anchorage airport and lasts about four hours. It costs $799 per person.
  • Glacier Dog Sledding – This tour is the perfect combination of aerial sightseeing and true Alaska travel via dogsled. It includes a thirty-five-minute helicopter tour of the glaciers followed by an hour-long dogsled tour. It costs $569 per person.
  • Directions: – Snowhook Adventure Guides of Alaska is located at 23880 Long Lake Rd, Willow, AK 99688. You can enter your address here for directions.

Conclusion

Taking a helicopter tour of Alaska is likely the best way you can see the incredible expanse of the biggest state in the Union. These tours can lead into other wonderful adventures such as dogsledding, hiking and much more.

If you are going to be relocating to Alaska, visiting Alaska, or even already live in Alaska, you owe it to yourself to take one of these incredible tours. You won’t soon forget it.

What kind of car are you shipping?

There will always be a bunch of different things that factor into the price of shipping your vehicle. One of those variables that remains pretty consistent is the type of car that you are shipping.

The model of car that you are shipping will play a considerable role in your final price to ship. If you are shipping a bigger vehicle to Alaska, then your price will be at least a little bit higher. The reason for this is that larger cars weigh more, and this will end up causing the truck that your car is being carried on to use more gas during the transport process.

Bigger cars also require more labor to maneuver on and off of the carrier. So, a large SUV will cost more to ship than a regular sedan would.
 

Where are you shipping your vehicle from?

When you are shipping your vehicle to Alaska, the distance from the point of pick up to the drop-off at the port will play a very important role in determining the final price that you need to pay.

All vehicles shipped by Alaska Car Transport are shipped from the port in Seattle. So, if you are shipping your car door-to-port, then your car will be picked up at your door and it will then be shipped on the ground to Seattle.

If you are close enough to Seattle, you could drive your car to the port which will save you some money on the shipment. However, you will need to spend money on gas and transportation home after your car is dropped off.
 

When are you shipping your car to Alaska?

The season that you are shipping your car during will also play a role in the cost of shipping your car to Alaska. Seasonality plays an integral role in the determination of price for your car shipment. If you ship during the summer, fuel prices will be higher and so will demand for car shipping. Each of those facts would lead to mild increases in prices.

How soon you need your car shipped will also be a significant factor in the determination of your final price to ship. If you need your car shipped extremely soon after getting your quote, then you will likely face higher prices. Think of it this way, a carrier will need to go out of their way to get to you to pickup your car on short notice, thus they will want a higher price. Try and book several weeks in advanced if at all possible.
 

Other things to consider

For Alaska, you can ship to a bunch of different ports. So, you will want to choose the port closest to where you will be staying or living so that you can minimize the amount of travel needed to go pick-up your car.
The ports in Alaska where you can have your car shipped are:

• Anchorage
• Cordova
• Dutch Harbor
• Fairbanks
• Haines
• Hoonah
• Juneau
• Kake
• Ketichikan
• Petersburg
• Sitka
• Skagway
• Thorne Bay
• Valdez
• Wrangell
• Yakutat

The cost of shipping a car to Alaska

These quote prices were calculated for a shipment in April 2024. They were calculated exactly one month before the shipping date. For all the quotes, a 2024 Nissan Altima was used. Every quote was for door-to-port shipment to the Anchorage port.

**Please be advised, these quotes are subject to change at any time and frequently do because there are various factors involved in the calculation as previously stated.**

• New York – $3,645
• Houston – $3,335
• San Francisco – $3,195
• Tampa – $3,595
• Boston – $3,555
• Chicago – $3,235
• Baltimore – $3,605
• Kansas City – $3,415

Conclusion

For normal sized cars in most areas in the country, it will cost you somewhere between three and four thousand dollars to ship your car to Alaska. Keep in mind though, that this price could change based on the variety of factors mentioned above including season, fuel prices, demand and more.

Remember, you should always be able to get a free quote from any of the auto transport companies that you are considering using for your shipment. It is almost always as simple as visiting their website and using the quote form that they provided.

Self-driving basics

For all intents and purposes, “self-driving tours” are more structured and carefully planned road trips in a specific area or stretch of land with slightly more of an emphasis on sight-seeing. Self-driving tours are offered all over the country and are a great way to spend your vacations.

There are both several positive and negative aspects of taking a self-driving tour.

The benefits of taking a self-driving tour are:

• You are the boss – You will set the pace for your tour. There will be no one rushing you or telling you “No, we can’t stop here.” How you go about your Alaskan self-driving tour will be completely up to you.
• Bond with those you take the trip with – A self-driving tour of Alaska will provide you with a great opportunity to bond with family and/or friends as well as the opportunity to get to know them better. You will be making life-long memories during the trip!
• It will be more authentic – One of the best benefits to a self-drive tour is that you will get the most authentic experiences possible. You will be able to take whatever time you need to stop somewhere experience nature, see the wildlife and talk to locals if you so please.
• The price – The overall price of a self-driving tour can range from a couple hundred bucks to several thousand dollars. In Alaska, many self-driving tours range between $1,500 and $2,800 per person. This might seem like a lot but keep in mind that this cost includes accommodations for several days up to over a week, ferry passage, any taxes and fees, and the higher priced tours include extras like glacier cruises and lunches. Realistically, when you consider what all of this would cost separately, it’s a steal!
• It’s one of the best ways to see Alaska – You can really take your time and enjoy all of the sights that Alaska has to offer during a self-driving tour. You will be able to pull over and take some great photographs as well as spend quality time with friends and family.

The possible downsides of a self-driving tour are:

• You’ll be driving yourself – An outrageously obvious point, but, one that needs to be made because driving around Alaska for seven or eight straight days can lead to higher levels of exhaustion. However, that can be expected from any sort of road trip or extended driving excursion.
• Your trip is at the mercy of the weather – Unfortunately, your trip could possibly be at least partially side-tracked by bad or inclement weather conditions. Although, if you choose a self-driving trip in Alaska and choose to do so in the spring or, especially the summer, you should be just fine.
• Lack of a tour guide – Odds are that if you’re taking a tour of Alaska or any place for that matter that you won’t know too much about the area including the very best and most specific spots to visit. A tour guide is usually very useful in this way. However, if you do your research and gather the right info, you will be just fine.
• You are on your own – If you have some sort of accident or emergency, you won’t have a guide or other tourists there to help you out. Don’t worry though, as long as you prepare properly and keep a few ways of reaching help with you, you won’t need to worry.

The different self-driving tours in Alaska

There are a bunch of different self-driving tours in Alaska. The cost, specific locations, and scope of each one is quite different from the next. However, all of them are well worth the money and will be an incredible experience that you won’t soon forget.

You can browse the different types of self-driving tours that are available in Alaska on the following websites:

• AlaskaTours.com – There are a wide variety of different Alaskan self-driving tours available to book on this website. They range from family tours, to rail and car combination tours to national parks tour.

  If you are looking for a self-driving tour of pretty much any area of Alaska, at least one of the tours from AlaskaTours.com will have it.

  On the site you can browse the tours by setting filters where you can sort by “activity”, destination and/or duration.

  The activities you can sort the tours by include: bear watching, glaciers, dog sledding, hiking, historical sites, northern lights, marine wildlife, river rafting, fishing and much more.

  The destinations that you can sort by include: Chugach National Forest, Denali National Park, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Prince William Sound and much more.

  You can sort the duration of the trip from anywhere between two and fifteen days. Prices range from $789 to $5039 per person depending on which tour you choose.

• GoAlaskaTours.com – GoAlaskaTours.com is another great site that also has a nice assortment of possible Alaskan self-driving tours.

  The site has tours that span all of Alaska including: Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Dawson City, Whitehorse, Skagway, Valdez and more. Prices range from $200 for a child on the cheapest tour to $4820 on the most expensive tour for an adult.

• AlaskaByDesign.com – AlaskaByDesign.com offers a variety of Alaskan driving tours with “early booking bonuses” of several hundred dollars for each tour.

  The tours available on the site include: Seward, Homer, Cooper Landing, Girdwood, Talkeetna, Denali National Park, Anchorage, Valdez, and more. Prices range from $1,498 to $4,446.

Self-driving tour tips

There are a few things you should know before you get out on the road in Alaska and a few things to keep in mind while you are. You will want your self-driving trip to go as smoothly as possible, but you will also want to be prepared in case it doesn’t.

Here are some tips to get ready for a self-driving trip:

• Download Waze but still bring a roadmap – Waze is a GPS navigation app. However, what sets it apart from other similar apps is that its directions are based on real-time crowdsourced traffic information. It gets into such detail that it includes up-to-date reports on things like police being up ahead or potholes that might be coming up.

  An app like Waze is always extremely useful on the road, but it is essential when you are navigating hundreds of miles of road for days on end in an area that you are completely unfamiliar with. Like any other app, it requires your phone to have service in order to work. There are some areas out on the road in Alaska where you will not have cell service. So, be sure to bring an old-fashioned paper road map as a backup too.

• Be prepared – It certainly cannot hurt to have some extra supplies handy just in case an emergency of some sort does occur while you are out on the Alaskan roads and highways.

  If you are taking a self-driving tour in Alaska, you should be prepared with the following:

  • Extra windshield wiper fluid.
  • Extra bulbs for your headlights and brake lights.
  • Extra windshield wiper in case your current one breaks or malfunctions.
  • Regular tools to use if something does go wrong while you’re on the road:
  • Hammer
  • Pliers
  • Gloves
  • Flashlight
  • Wrenches
  • Screw drivers (both flat head and Phillips head if at all possible)
  • Jumper Cables
  • Spare tire
  • Phone charger, cable and adapter so you can charge your phone as you drive
  • A jack
  • Tire gauge
• Get a roadside assistance membership – Just in case you end up getting stuck in a scenario where you need someone to physically come and either repair or tow your vehicle on the spot, a roadside assistance program like AAA will come in handy.
• Make sure your license, insurance and registration are all current – You don’t want to end up getting an expensive appearance ticket, or worse, arrested for forgetting to renew one of these things just in case you end up getting pulled over.
• Get your car looked at before you venture out on the road – Getting your vehicle inspected before you head out on a self-driving tour might save you from breaking down when you’re far out on an Alaskan Highway. If you have roadside assistance, it should not be an issue for someone to get out to help you. However, you might have to wait for two hours or more depending on where you are.
• Be sure to take the proper amount of rest – Do not try to be a hero who drives a ridiculous fourteen hours in a day. Don’t drive for more than eight hours and be sure to get eight hours of rest. Also, while you are driving, take a quick rest stop every two hours or so if you aren’t driving in shifts.
• Make sure you focus and stay focused on driving – Leave any cell phone duty such as navigation inquiries to someone else in the car. Play some music or have some conversation so that you won’t doze off or start day dreaming. You can also try to open the window for fresh air or sip cool water to help keep you aware and awake. Try to avoid energy drinks and coffee as you will crash from those later on unless you drink them non-stop.
• Keep track of these things as you drive – When it is safe to do so, be sure to check the following:
  • Tire pressure – most cars can do this for you and alert you if you are getting low on air. If this isn’t the case, manually check with a tire gauge after every hours of driving.
  • Gas – This seems like it would be apparent, but you will be surprised how easy it is to forget this after you have driven a few hundred miles.
  • Miles driven – It is highly recommended that you not drive over five hundred miles per day. Not only is this in the best interest of maintaining your vehicle, it is dangerous for a regular person to drive further than this in one day because you can easily get fatigued by that point of mileage.

Conclusion

Self-driving tours in Alaska can be one of the better ways to see some of Alaska’s most incredible sights. There are a ton of them too and they are all different. The activities on the tour might be different, the destinations might be different and/or the pricing might be different.

You will need to shop around and compare. Take your time so that you are sure that you choose the best self-driving tour for you.

Note that for all ports there is a $450 fee for inoperable vehicles. There is also a $150 fee for any drop-offs made during the weekend.
 

Tacoma

The Tacoma port hours are Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 3 PM.

The Tacoma port address is 1675 Lincoln Avenue (Loop), building 200, Tacoma, WA 98421.

Storage is free for five days then $51 per day after that.
 

Anchorage

The anchorage port hours are Monday and Wednesday through Friday from 8 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 3:30 PM.

The Anchorage port address is 1717 Tidewater Road, Anchorage, AK 99501.

Storage is free for three days then $79 per day after that.
 

Kodiak

The Kodiak port hours are Tuesday and Thursday only from 1 PM to 4:30 PM.

The Kodiak port address is 727 Shelikof Street, Pier 2 Kodiak, AK 99615.

Storage is free for seven days then $51 per day after that.
 

Fairbanks

The Fairbanks port hours are Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM.

The Fairbanks port address is 615 12TH Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701.

Storage is free for three days then $51 after that.
 

Tips for picking your car up at the port

• Get some gas – If you followed instructions properly, you only filled your gas tank a quarter. You will need to get some more gas once you pick your car up.
• Get an inspection – You will want a professional to look your car over once you pick it up. It is very rare, but sometime bumps during the trip could knock something loose or out of place on your car.
• Get a car wash – Your car will likely have some dust and dirt from the trip. Get it cleaned as soon as possible.
• Inspect the car thoroughly – As soon as you get to your car, inspect it thoroughly. If there are any scratches or dents, be sure to make note of it on the bill of lading.

Conclusion

Picking your car up at the port is a pretty easy process as long as you are prepared properly. Remember, your delivery date is a window, rather than a guaranteed date. So, be ready to get to the port during the window you were given. It is usually a three to five day time-frame. You will get a couple days of free storage so if you can’t get to the port on the same day your car is dropped off and deemed ready, you can always go the next day or day after that.

The port is closed on the weekend, but those days do count towards your free storage. So, if your car is dropped off on a Friday and you can’t make it that day to pick it up, you will likely need to on the following Monday.

If you need your car shipped to Alaska, ship it with the car shipping experts at Alaska Car Transport. You can get a free quote today by clicking here.

Regardless, if you know you will be driving in Alaska at some point in the future. It is best to get prepared to drive safely through winter weather conditions such as snowy and icy roads with low visibility.

Get your car winterized

One of the very first things that you will want to do in order to prepare to drive in the potentially inclement Alaskan weather conditions is to get your car winterized. There are a few ways you can go about this. You can take it to an auto shop and tell them “I need my car winterized” and give them a few hours to a day or two and you will be all set.

You could also do it yourself. It will likely take more time and definitely take more effort on your part, but you will end up saving a few dollars in the process.

Either way, you will want to make sure you have the following done to your car to ensure it is fully winterized:

• Make sure you have your anti-freeze filled – Make sure your anti-freeze is filled and that it is diluted with water by fifty percent. You can test your current anti-freeze mixture by buying one at a local auto parts store such as AutoZone. You also need to make sure you have extra anti-freeze in your trunk just in case you run low while you are driving.
• Get a new battery – Your battery is always critical to your car. This is especially true in cold weather. You do not actually need to get a new battery but if you don’t you will need to get your current battery checked by a mechanic. If that is what you choose to do, then you might as well pay the extra couple of dollars and let the mechanic perform the whole process of winterizing your vehicle.
• Get some snow tires, some sand and a shovel – That probably sounds like a weird thought, but both of those things have a lot to do with the traction you will be able to get in the snow. Snow tires retain flexibility better in colder weather than normal tires. They also have much better treads on them which will greatly increase traction.
  The sand on the other hand is for just in case you do get stuck with your wheels spinning in the snow. Once you clear excess snow away from your tires, you can pour some sand under the front and back of your tires and that should get you moving again.
• Get new wiper blades – You will want to get new wiper blades as well as a spare set to keep in your trunk just in case something goes wrong with the ones you are currently using while you’re driving in winter conditions. You should also fill your wiper fluid and make sure that you have extra somewhere in your car.
• Get your oil changed – You will want to get your oil changed to a viscosity that is lower because this oil will perform better in much colder temperatures. Be sure when you are picking an oil that you pick the oil with the W in the number. For example, many people recommend 5W30 for winter weather. The W, as you might have guessed it, stands for Winter.
• Make sure you have the right emergency supplies – Be sure that you have things like:
  • Road flares
  • A spare tire (not just a donut)
  • Jumper cables
  • A fully charged cell phone and something that will give you the ability to charge it in your car
  • Blankets
  • A first aid kit
  • Ice scraper
  • A roadside assistance program such as AAA or an easily accessible number for a reliable tow truck.

Drive Slow

This is the most important thing to remember about driving in winter conditions. If you take it nice and easy then the risk for an accident decreases greatly.

Driving slower will increase the amount of time that you have to react to something. It also reduces the chance of your car slipping and sliding.

Over a hundred thousand Americans are injured and more than thirteen hundred are killed on snowy, slushy or icy pavement every winter. This goes to show you that driving with caution in winter weather is so important.
 

Tips for driving in the snow and ice

Use these tips when you are driving in snowy and icy conditions:

• Come to a stop gradually – When you’re trying to come to a stop on a snowy or icy road, it is always better to do so at a very gradual pace. You can accomplish this by taking your foot off of the acceleration well before your intended stop point. Then, hit your brake pedal gently but completely. Don’t slam on it. When you slam on it you will end up sliding further than if you came to a gradual stop.
• If you start sliding to the left or right DON’T break – That might sound ridiculous but doing so will only help accelerate the slide. Instead, turn your wheels into the direction that the back of the car is sliding. Also, be sure to avoid overcorrecting as well.
• Drive slow! – We know we already discussed this at length, but it cannot be overstated how important this is when you are driving in winter conditions. This can easily, and often is, the difference between getting to your destination safely and getting into an accident.

Conclusion

Driving in winter weather conditions is no picnic. But, if you prepare properly it will be a lot easier and safer.

Try visiting Alaska during the warmer seasons if you want to try to avoid driving in inclement winter weather all together.

However, if you do end up driving in the ice and snow, be sure to drive safely!

Dalton Highway can be dangerous

Dalton Highway in Alaska is one of the most isolated roads on the planet. It is also one of the most dangerous. At four hundred and fourteen miles long, the road will take you from the Elliot Highway, which is a few miles north of Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, near the Artic Ocean.

It was originally built in the 1970’s as a supply route for Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. In fact, until 1994, the road was mainly only open to commercial traffic. That traffic was mainly the trucks carrying the oil back and forth from the Prudhoe oil fields.

The road has a reputation for being so dangerous that it has been featured on the British TV show World’s Most Dangerous Roads as well as four seasons of Ice Road Truckers.

There are crosses and small memorials all along the highway in places where people have sadly lost their lives in past accidents. These memorials serve to honor those we have lost but also help remind us to navigate such a dangerous with extreme caution.

However, if you are an adept driver and want to experience the full expanse of Alaska, you should make a point to take the trip down the Dalton Highway. Many have called it “the ultimate road trip.” With the right caution, low speeds, general know-how and proper supplies, you will be just fine traveling on the Dalton Highway.
 

Dalton Highway can be lonely

Dalton Highway only has three towns along the four hundred plus mile trek. Each of these stops includes places to get gas and spots to grab some basic amenities. However, one of those towns is Deadhorse which marks the northernmost end of the highway. These are the towns you will have access to via Dalton Highway:

• Coldfoot – Mile 175 – Coldfoot is mostly a truck stop. There is one restaurant and few places to sleep overnight. Most recently, the population was reported as thirteen people total.
• Wiseman – Mile 188 – Wiseman is another sparsely populated stop on Dalton Highway with fourteen people. There are cabin rentals available – you can read more here.
• Deadhorse – Mile 414 – Deadhorse is the end of the line for the Dalton Highway. It is mostly just an area of various facilities for workers at the close-by Prudhoe Bay oil fields. The population is about fifty people. However, at any given point there may be as many as three thousand workers staying there. There are amenities available at Deadhorse Camp and the Prudhoe Bay Hotel.

Usually, there are not many other passenger vehicles on the road either. It is mostly just commercial trucks driven by workers going to or coming from the Prudhoe Bay area.

There are no other towns along the highway other than the two mentioned above with a combined population of twenty-seven. There’s also no cell phone service either.

Even the police relegate themselves to patrol the highway almost always only by Helicopter. They are only surveying the road to check for accidents or to see if someone needs help. If there are any, they can radio to a ground unit. Traffic violations could not be a lower priority here.

If you are not traveling on the Dalton Highway for work, what you can gain during the trip is an incredible view of Alaska and its breathtaking vastness.
 

Tips for driving on Dalton Highway

• Bring an abundance of supplies – Make sure you have the following with you when traveling on Dalton Highway in Alaska:
  • As much food and water you might think you need for a twelve to fourteen hour drive.
  • Blankets and pillows in case you need to pull over and rest.
  • Extra gas just in case.
  • CDs or something with the ability to play pre-programmed music. You likely won’t get much radio or satellite reception.
  • Extra car supplies such as windshield wipers, headlights, a spare tire, flares, a battery and tools.
  • An ability to charge your phone through your car or a portable and pre-charged charger.

• The trucks rule the road, drive accordingly – The U.S. Department of the Interior says that big trucks always have the right of the way. The road is intended for them. Always pull over and yield to the trucks on Dalton Highway
• Drive slow and always maintain concentration – It cannot be overstated how dangerous this road can be if you don’t take proper care while driving. If you drive slowly and pay attention, you’ll be just fine. You should switch driving with someone after, at most, half-way through the trip so that you do not get too tired while driving.
• Watch out for potholes – Due to all the water and ice on or near the road in conjunction with the massive trucks that drive along the route, potholes are a large factor on the Dalton Highway.
• Only travel on this road during the summer months – From June to August travel on the Dalton usually has pretty moderate temperatures and weather. Temperatures normally range between fifty and seventy degrees Fahrenheit.
• Use vehicle that is ready for a long trip with potential for inclement weather – You should not venture out on the Dalton Highway with a motorcycle or small car. You should only travel on this road with a larger vehicle with four-wheel drive if at all possible. You should also get your car serviced and inspected before you drive the Dalton Highway.

Conclusion

The Dalton Highway is an experience essentially reserved for very experienced, patient and safe drivers. Driving on the road requires the utmost respect for the possible danger it holds. However, it’s an experience like no other. It’s a great way to take in the central and northern Alaskan expanse.

If you have a car that you think could make the trip up the Dalton Highway and want it shipped there call RoadRunner Auto Transport today at 888-777-2123.