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I like to spend more time in a certain destination. Can I change the routing? All of our tours are ”Flex Drives” and we can add, modify or exchange nights in destinations to suit your timetable and preferred routing. Thus, sometimes it will be necessary to observe ferry schedules, national park opening/closing dates etc to match certain dates and/or departures. Please check also each itinerary online. |
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What is the difference between single, double, triple and quad room? Single: A room assigned to one person. May have one or more beds. Double: A room assigned to two people. May have one or more beds. Triple: A room assigned to three people. May have two or more beds. Quad: A room assigned to four people. May have two or more beds. The maximum occupancy per room is four. We can arrange our self drive tours including 2 rooms and 1 rental car if your group is larger than 4. |
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I cannot find the list of hotels included? Each tour includes a choice of pre-reserved superior hotels (*** category) or first class hotels (**** category). If you have any special requirements we can certainly customize any of the advertised tours. Please contact us for advice and applicable rates. Hotel accommodation does not include breakfast or other meals. Please Note: A large number clients and travel agencies are using our pages and travel ideas to plan their “own” customized tours. This is the reason why we do not publish the hotel names for each trip on top of all travel planning information already included on our pages. If you have any particular question about accommodation, please contact us. |
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Do you offer bed and breakfast accommodation Yes, we can substitute our advertised hotel category with bed and breakfasts (B&B) accommodation (breakfast included) for any of the advertised itineraries. Please contact us for availability. |
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Do you have one-way rental cars or tours between Alaska and the Yukon/Canada? No - we do not provide any one way rentals between Alaska (USA) and the Yukon Territory (Canada) Certain government and insurance regulations do not permit such rentals. We offer one way rentals to Skagway, Haines & Juneau. |
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Are Car Rental Charges Included? Yes, the rental of a compact car (automatic) is always included in our flex drive tour packages. Additional rental days or upgrade details and rates for mid and full size car, passenger vans or a sport utility vehicle (4x4) are available on each self-drive page. All upgrade rates are per car and not per person. Our advertised rates include also local taxes, unlimited free mileage, airport concessionaire fees, licensing fees. Rental car insurance is optional. Many Americans have their own car insurance that also covers them with the rental cars. Please contact us if you require rental car insurance. We provide a complimentary transfer from your downtown hotel to the rental station. A valid driver license and a valid major credit card are mandatory for all individual vehicle rentals and/or tour packages including vehicle rentals. Driving on gravel roads/highways is at own risk. The rental car insurance is void on the following highways Denali Highway, Dalton Highway, Top of the World Highway, Taylor Highway, McCarthy Road, Dempster Highway and all other gravel roads. You will be responsible for any damages. Drivers have to be more than 25 years of age and the drivers license has to be valid for more than 1 year. Contact us if you are below 25 years of age. |
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What if something unexpected goes wrong during the Tour? We do not anticipate anything but you can contact us, the rental car company or any of the pre-reserved hotels for assistance. We have a 24 hr emergency help line available for our guests. |
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What type of Identification do I need to enter Canada and Alaska/USA The Visa/entry requirements do change frequently. Please check requirements on the appropriate government pages. We are unable to take any responsibility for such information however you will definitely need your passport. Please ask us if your self drive tour enters Canada. |
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Which services are included in your Self Drive Tours Please refer to the appropriate tour page for a listing of included services. Our service generally includes the rental car, accommodation, applicable local taxes, ferry trips as scheduled, sightseeing as per itinerary, a detailed tour description, highway or road logs. Not included are: Meals, highway tolls, gasoline, entrance fees, additional sightseeing tours. |
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What is the advantage of Self-Drive Tour -VS- Escorted Tour This depends on your personal preference. Alaska and the Yukon are providing some good and scenic highway connections and driving is very easy. A rental car with individual pre-reserved hotels are an independent way to discover the beauty of the northern wilderness areas and national parks: You can stop were you want, you have plenty of time for sightseeing off the beaten path and you are very flexible. Escorted tours are usually limited in flexibility because you are traveling with a group and fixed departures and routings. |
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When should I book a tour If you travel during the high season from the middle/end of June until the end of August we recommend to make a reservation as early as possible to avoid disappointments with sold out situations in highly frequented national parks and destinations - because the northern tour season is very short. The same applies in/around national holidays. Any hotel accommodation, rentals cars and ferry space must be definitely booked well in advance. Thus, tour operator such as our company may still have space on a short notice. Accordingly it is well worth to contact us. |
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When should I Travel May, June and September are perfect months for a vacation in the Land of the Midnight Sun. The weather is usually stable and sunny with almost 24 hours of daylight. July and August are prime travel months and are obviously very busy. |
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When is the best time so see the Northern Lights Due to the long daylight hours (up to 24-hours) during the summertime, it is impossible to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) from approximately mid May until the middle of August. Northern Lights are occuring mainly during the fall/winter months from end of August until the beginning of April. For further information please refer to our winter tour program. |
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What’s about sightseeing options during cruises and self-drives We provide a choice of optional sightseeing adventures and activities such as wildlife viewing, rafting, self drive tours, flightseeing, hiking, rafting and day cruises. If you book these tours with us in advance - instead of onboard the cruise ships or locally - you will save a significant amount of money. |
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Should I compare rates & services on the Internet Yes definitely. You notice sooner or later who actually provides the best services, rates and most affordable or specialized tour program because at these days almost everyone within the industry provides similar statements. Thus, you may also notice that some of the competitors web sites are completely outdated, terms & conditions are not published and that some of these people don’t even know the State – actually they are not even located within the USA or Canada. When you compare rates and services look for hidden charges such as reservation fees or ticketing fees, inclusion of taxes (up to 11 %), the exact service description, hotel categories, rental car standards etc and than make your decision. |
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Could I organize the same tour package by myself for less money Probably not - because tour operator and corporate identities with a high volume of clients and revenue receive much lower rates than an individual person or a travel agent with a few reservations per year. In addition be prepared for: (1) a significant amount of time to find and identify the right products and destinations (2) to contact the different suppliers may be multiple times and wait for their response (3) exchanging continuously sensitive personal Information over the phone/internet (4) getting professional assistance and advise for the entire tour package - which usually includes a variety of tour components. Virtually impossible ! You can certainly book your hotels through Travelocity, Expedia or other global players – but this does not guarantee any savings either or the success of your vacation. PS: we do not even markup reservations for sightseeing tours. So you'll get always the current original rate when booking with us. |
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How can I get to Alaska or the Yukon Territory Seattle is a major Alaska Airlines hub with multiple daily flight connections between the lower 48's and Alaska. In addition Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and San Francisco are alternative gateways with non-stop flights on Alaska Airlines, United, American Airlines and Delta to/from Anchorage and other destinations within Alaska. Clients from Europe may check Condor Airlines with it's non-stop flights between Frankfurt and Whitehorse, Fairbanks or Anchorage. You can fly to the Yukon Territory (Whitehorse) from Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton with Air Canada. |
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Do you offer railroad tours between Canada and Alaska No, because there is no railroad access or any connection between Canada and Alaska. |
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How about traveling by ferry Bellingham (USA) and Prince Rupert (Canada) are the main gateways for Alaska Marine Highway Ferry trips throughout the extremely scenic Inside Passage in southeast Alaska. Port of calls are: Ketchikan, Wrangell, Juneau, Sidka, the Glacier Bay, Skagway and Haines. If you plan to travel to Alaska by ferry please check our website for departures, fares, rates and reservations. |
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Should I purchase travel insurance ? We strongly encourage you to purchase travel insurance to cover: cancellation fees associated with an outing as well as airfare or other nonrefundable expense in the event you need to cancel a trip; medical expenses incurred on a trip; and the cost of a possible medical evacuation from a trip. We have made arrangements with Allianz Travel Insurance Services for you to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance plan. Feel free to contact Allianz if you have questions on this policy or its coverage as we are not equipped to provide specific answers to questions on the insurance program. |