Brit Seeks Advice

[Steve]

Hi folks

I am looking at driving from Alaska to New York for a holiday. Being british I am unsure of a few things about the states and canada and I am hoping there are a few Americans and Canadians may be able to help me out

1. Is it possible to rent a car in alaska and drop off in new york?

2. Which is the best month in Alaska and canada for driving?

hope someone can help me out

cheers

Steve

[1990LS400]

Hi folks

I am looking at driving from Alaska to New York for a holiday. Being british I am unsure of a few things about the states and canada and I am hoping there are a few Americans and Canadians may be able to help me out

1. Is it possible to rent a car in alaska and drop off in new york?

2. Which is the best month in Alaska and canada for driving?

hope someone can help me out

cheers

Steve

Since you are not getting much help, I'll speak as an American with Canadian roots who has taken both personal and rental cars from the U.S. into Canada and rented cars in the UK and Europe.

1. I doubt that you will find a rental car company that allows picking up a car in Alaska and dropping it off in New York. Hertz won't even allow picking up a car in Alaska and dropping it off at the nearest Hertz location in Canada. You would have more success in renting a vehicle in ... say Vancouver ... and dropping it off in Toronto. One of my Swiss coworkers and his family did that when he rented an RV after he completed a work assignment here in Kansas -- except that he didn't realize how big Canada is and (expensively) gave up and abandoned (turned in) the RV about half way across Canada.

Or fly into someplace in Alaska, take the Alaskan ferry to Seattle/Bellingham and rent a vehicle to drive to New York. You could take the rental vehicle between Canada and the U.S. as much as you like. You probably already know that one-way rentals can get quite expensive.

If you really want to actually drive from Alaska to New York, you could ship your vehicle from the UK to Alaska and then ship it home from New York. I've run into several people over the years who have brought cars from Europe to the U.S. to drive on holiday. I've met even more people in Mexico who have brought personal cars, small RV's and even a very large (full size Mercedes bus) RV from Europe to Mexico to drive on holiday.

2. Best month to drive? Summer of course ... plenty of websites that discuss that.

You are, of course, crazy ... but it's the type of crazy I like.

Maybe these people can help you:

Anchorage - British Honorary Consulate

Address: British Honorary Consulate

University of Alaska

Anchorage College of Arts and Sciences

Room 362,

2311 Providence Drive

Anchorage AK 99508

Telephone General: (907) 786 4848

Email: afdh1@uaa.alaska.edu

[Steve]

cheers for the info :)

Wonder if it is worth buying an old car? I will try and see what options i have, perhaps lonely planet might know of an option, ordrive to Alaska and then bring it back in to canada.

Shipping a car from the UK will not be allowed as we drive on the other side of the road. I have heard that this is not possible to do apparently. I Could be wrong.

I like to drive about seeing places, best way to travel. In a few years I will be looking to drive to Australia, providing the passing countries dont blow each other up before or on the way.

[1990LS400]

Here is a webpage that discusses bringing a nonconforming car to the U.S. for a period of up to one year: http://foreignborn.com/visas_imm/entering_...tingyourcar.htm

I doubt that your car being RHD would be an issue in bringing it to the US. There are lots of RHD cars here although most are older British sports cars. I sometimes take visiting UK friends to this company, a stone's throw from my house here in Lenexa, Kansas: http://www.victoriabritish.com/

Buying an older car (i.g. a pickup truck or SUV) in Alaska and selling it in New York sounds like a good idea. It must not be all that difficult for a foreign national to buy, license and insure a vehicle in the US. Most of my Swiss coworkers bought new cars to drive when they were here on long term assignments here in Kansas but, of course, they all had work visas and US addresses. All that did buy cars (and at least one Harley Davidson) took them home to Switzerland at the end of their assignments.

[nc211]

Hmmm.... one wonders if Steve isn't really Mr. Top Gear? :D This trip sounds a bit like the episode where the boys of Top Gear flew to Miami, bought cheap cars, and drove them to New Orleans. One of the funniest episodes I've ever seen!