Originally Posted by
MariaP
I did just look at the hotel prices and, yes, I am having sticker shock. I am hoping to score something with Priceline.
I have no hotel points.
We will have to get a rental car but I have not begun t price that out. I think we will be there for four days. We had put the dates in on a lark, not realizing that we were booking tickets so I am not really sure what we booked. I can change the tickets once then arrive though.
Hotels in ANC are not going to be price-friendly. I always advise budget-conscious travelers to go the last two weeks of May or the first two weeks of September--the peak tourist season starts pretty abruptly on June 1 and ends pretty abruptly at the end of August, so anything in between those dates is just going to be killer (if you can even find something). Even the Motel 6 is $140/night. I'm trying hard to think of something that will help, but I'm drawing a blank even after working in the tourism industry there for 7 years and living there for 17. Maybe check airline/travel industry discounts to see if they can knock something off the price?
Rental cars are also going to be just as bad. The second half of July is prime fishing season, and an unbelievable number of cars, SUVs, and minivans are swooped up by people looking to score the big one. FlyerTalk has a treasure trove of information about rental car coupons, though, that might help to take some of the sting out of that.
If you can change the tickets to September, you might be better off. Check hotel/rental car rates before changing your tickets, as the rental car/hotel rate cliff isn't as sharp of a drop-off at the end of the season as it is at the beginning of the season, so you can play around with the dates to find a set that's affordable for you.