Why You Must “Book Thoroughly” to Have a Stress-Free Alaskan Vacation!
If you haven't booked your trip to Alaska (or anywhere) for this summer yet, read this today! Booking early is something that most people understand. “Booking thoroughly” is a more recent necessity. Traveling stress-free today requires more than the simple 1-2-3 of Air-Lodging-Transportation. It doesn’t have to be hard, but you should also add two more steps to that sequence so that you ensure that you have the incredible travel experience of your dreams. The ideal sequence to book now is a “1-2-3-4-5” process!
I am not downplaying those first 3 steps for booking your vacation. In fact, that is the perfect place to start. In Alaska, specifically, you will find that hotels are your most limiting factor, especially in smaller communities such as Talkeetna, Seward, Denali & Homer. I would recommend checking out the airlines first, but when booking flights before lodging, you have a few things to consider.
You can hold off on making the booking until you can confirm that you can find hotels in your desired locations, but you may risk losing that seat on the desired flight.
Most airlines offer a 24-hour free cancellation, so you can book the flight and work on hotels next… leaving yourself an “out” if you can’t get your flights and itinerary to jive.
You can also consider upgrading so that you have flights that give you an option to change dates as needed.
Lastly, you can just be resolved to paying a date change fee if you must.
That brings us to #2, Lodging. Travelers have more options than ever when it comes to having a place to stay. But no matter what options you are exploring, (hotels, motels, condos, rented houses, rooms or camping) lodging in Alaska, everywhere, is at a premium again this year as staffing is limited. Some of the smaller towns have always booked up early, but the pandemic has upped the ante, and you need to be strategic.
If finding a place to sleep can be tricky, then securing a late rental car booking can be even tougher! Don’t wait or think that prices will go down. Rental car companies are better prepared than they were in 2021, but the pandemic shortage of cars continues and, as with hotels, the rental car market has always been tight in Alaska. Last year, people who waited were resorting to renting UHaul Trucks and RV’s, if they were lucky enough to get them. Definitely plan on higher prices than you are used to getting. However, if you book your rental car well in advance, you will definitely find a better rate! If you wait, then you might not be able to get a car no matter how much you are willing to spend. If you can’t get a rental car, then you can book a train, private cars (Taxi/Uber/Limo), or shuttles to get around but, you may be limited on exactly where, and when, you can go.
Fortunately, many of our local tours also provide transportation from hotels to the tour site and back! The bonus of built-in transport to, for example, your glacier and wildlife cruise, is that in Alaska, the transfer is a worthy tour all on its own!
And that leads us to the “4” of our “must book thoroughly” items, and those are your tours and attractions. What are your “must-do’s?” Do you dream of a glacier cruise, dog-mushing, fishing, jet boating, zip-lining, bear viewing, flight-seeing, or helicopter ride with a glacier landing? Then, honestly, book it now! Book it all! You can no longer “wait and see” on these bucket list items! Don’t wait to see if the weather is perfect. Don’t wait to see if something better appears before you. Everyone wants in on the action and the day-of, even the week-of, is too late! Last year, I had a client who was willing to pay almost anything for a bear viewing trip and, even with some lead time, I couldn’t find a seat for him on any excursion. He was terribly disappointed!
Once you have your hotels, your flights, your transportation AND you cement those must-do activities, you still have one more step to go! Last, but not least, is the number “5” item on your “book thoroughly” list. Your restaurant reservations! This often-overlooked detail can make the difference between a good and a great vacation! Yes, you can try to walk in, but then you should plan on, at least 90-minute wait for a table. If you have more than 4 people in your party, then forget it! Everyone in Alaska is short on staff, especially the restaurants. That limits available tables, as well as lengthening turnover times. If you want to sit at a table for dinner, especially one with a tablecloth, then book, book, book! You can always cancel later (check on their cancellation policy first, of course.)
When you travel, you should be on vacation! Alaska is so beautiful! Don’t waste it on your phone looking for a “Hail Mary” opening somewhere. Book your 1-2-3-4-5 of Air, Lodging, Transportation, Excursions, Restaurants early so that you have choices. “Book thoroughly” so that you can have a stress free, bucket-list worthy, trip of a lifetime!
