Budget Saving Tips for Traveling to Alaska

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9 Money Saving Tips to Help with Your Alaska Vacation

Alaska is the cure for what ails you. Venturing out away from home and taking in the sights of this majestic land is a wonderful way of releasing the stress of the modern life. In this economy, though, the stress free vacation can become a pit of despair and worry when trying to plan an inexpensive visit to the Land of the Midnight Sun. With a little help, any traveler can save money while making the trip of a lifetime. Use these tips when you are ready to make your next trip a journey to remember:

• Plan first. Alaska is a beautiful place, but it is also rugged and unforgiving. Locals often joke, “Step off the plane and into the food chain.” Several webs sites can point you in the right direction like Travel.aol.com or Expedia.com.

Pick hotels you want to stay at in advance. Planning out your trip, as in sites to visit or things you want to see, will tell you where and how long you want to stay. If you want to walk on a glacier, then Anchorage is good stop. Want to visit Santa Claus’s House, then Fairbanks is the place to be. Regardless, use web sites, like Trave.aol.com, to pick out your hotel before you leave.

Comparison shop. Literally hundreds of shops sell the famed Ulu Knife. Usually the further you get from popular tourist spots, the more likely you are to find deals on the common souvenirs. Be cautious, though, because if you get too far away from a town, then you find yourself paying a premium for some things. Think of it like this: If you are a hundred miles from the nearest gas station, then you’ll be willing to pay more for a gallon of gas.

Make your own postcards. Alaska has some spectacular views and some kitschy Alaskan scenes, picture a 50 foot Santa Claus statue. Every shop in nearly every town sells these postcards, but your digital camera and a color printer can create the same scene. Staples.com sells the postcard stock for $21.99 for a pack of 100 cards. That’s 22 cents a card, compared to $1.00-$1.50 per card in a store.

Compare your fishing charter. Whether you are fishing for king salmon or halibut, there are hundreds of people willing to take you out, for a price. Fortunately, all of the reputable guides and charters have web sites. Use them and compare. If you are going out with a group, many charters will even offer group rates, like Profish-n-sea.com offers a $10 discount per person over the 9th person.

Get gasoline in major towns. According to Alaskagasprices.com, the rates vary by $2.30 per gallon. Yes, that is not typo, it is really two dollars. Gas, per gallon, on January 20, 2010, was about $3.20 in Anchorage. Out in Bethel, AK, the price per gallon was $5.35. If you can avoid it, do not purchase gas out of the major cities of Anchorage, Fairbanks, etc.

Pay for the Alaska Travel Coupon Book. This book is extraordinarily useful when it comes to saving money. Toursaver.com sells the books on-line, but they can also be purchased from stores in Anchorage or Fairbanks. The going rate is $99.99, which may sound expensive, but just one coupon will make it worthwhile. For instance, the whale watching coupon out of Juneau is a buy one get one free offer, valued at $149. That’s $50 savings off of one coupon. It really is like free money.

• Rough it. To truly experience Alaska, you have to rough it. That doesn’t mean sleeping under the stars, though you could, but it means go stay in a cabin. The State and National Park Services have cabins on their property as low as $20 a night, beating out most hotels that are worth staying at. Visit Recreation.gov for this adventure. Be prepared to bring your own linen!

Take home a real Alaskan Souvenir. Each spring the Alaska Fur Trappers put on an auction to sale their wares gathered over the winter. They also auction off confiscated furs and antlers from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as well as from local trappers. Since it is an auction, the savings can vary, but a tanned fox fur can be had for $30, and wolf pelts normally run about $120 and up.

A trip to Alaska is a once in a lifetime journey for most people. The natural beauty and splendor is unmatched anywhere in the world. There are thousands of things to see and do, and to make the most of it, you need to go out and do them all. Doing so, though, does not have to batter your wallet.

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