Trip planning
Find a less pricey room with a view
Choices include motels, hostels, camping, even renting an RV
By Leon Unruh / Alaska.com
Hotels and motels in the larger cities and around the national parks often charge $150 to $180 a night, and wilderness lodges inside Denali National Park may ask for $300 a night.
But if you'll venture outside those areas, you'll find a big savings.
For example, a visitor to Fairbanks might check out smaller motels farther away from the airport or check into accommodations in North Pole, 15 miles down the highway.
Using coupons and advertised discounts is another way of scoring big savings.
Look for advertisers' specials on Alaska.com, of course, but also in newspapers or in such over-the-counter coupon books as the Great Alaskan TourSaver, which costs about $100 but has freebies and two-for-one deals totaling thousands of dollars.
Hotels and motels
Around Denali National Park, consider the enclave of motels in Healy, 11 miles away, or look at such campgrounds as Denali Grizzly Bear Cabins and Campground six miles south of the park entrance, which has cabins, tent cabins and tent sites and RV parking, as well as a small store and showers. Sometimes tourist-oriented hotels and motels offer shoulder-season rates or package deals with the Alaska Railroad, especially around Denali in the last half of May and the first half of September.
Hostels
Alaska has hostels in most larger cities and towns, both independent and members of Hostelling International or other organizations. Expect to find hostels in or near Fairbanks, Tok, Anchorage, Talkeenta, Seward, Ninilchik, Homer, Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg, Ketchikan and around Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias and Kenai Fjords national parks.
An overnight stay in a hostel dorm will run $25 or less, and some hostels have options for fancier accommodations. Bike rentals may be available, and intercity bus service is often handy. Some hostels may require memberships in a larger organization, and some may accept checks but not credit cards, or vice versa.
B&Bs
Many homeowners have hung out the B&B shingle and, depending on the scenery, accessibility and amenities, have widely varying rates. Some B&Bs are quite gorgeous or are located in remarkable places.
Camping
This classic method of cutting costs can still run up a nightly bill of $12 or more, but many campgrounds have showers and other amenities. Free camping is permitted on many public lands.
A great advantage to camping in Alaska is the absence of fire ants, ticks, poisonous snakes and scorpions. Bear attacks are not a serious problem, especially in organized campgrounds and when food-safety rules are followed.
Rent an RV
RV dealers in Fairbanks and Anchorage rent motor homes to visitors for round-trips and one-way trips.
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