Great value rentals from the United States’ most trusted RV hire providers
Are you planning to go on a road trip in Alaska? VroomVroomVroom can help you find the perfect RV rental in Haines. We compare motorhome and campervan hire deals from trusted brands so you can find a camper that will best suit your budget and needs.
The city of Haines, also known as “The Adventure Capital of Alaska” and “The Valley of the Eagles,” is located on the state’s panhandle, nestled between Glacier Bay National Park to the southwest and British Columbia to the northeast. The region is noted for a mild temperate climate (by Alaskan standards) and for its beautiful, lush natural scenery.
Sports lovers and outdoors enthusiasts will find more than enough to do year-round on land, water, and air. Your affordable RV or motorhome rental brings you right to hiking, gold-panning, salt/freshwater fishing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, as well as helicopter and small plane sightseeing tours. A must-visit destination for the truly adventurous, extreme sportsmen come from all over the world to heli-ski the fantastic pristine powder snow, where skiers are flown by helicopter to otherwise inaccessible mountain slopes in the wilderness.
Most travelers driving a motorhome or RV rental find lots to see and photograph, including whales, bears, moose, and over 260 species of birds (most notably American Bald Eagles). In November, the City of Haines hosts the annual Alaska Bald Eagle Festival, and during the peak of the fall congregation, the nearby Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is visited by 3,500 to 4,000 Bald Eagles.
For those who love Native American art and culture, the Tlingit settlement of Klukwan is an easy 22-mile drive up the Haines Highway in your rented motorhome. This scenic journey was once the route taken by treasure-seekers during the Klondike Gold Rush. Tlingit arts and crafts are well known for their exceptional refinement and quality. The abundant natural resources in the area easily provide the necessities of life for the local settlers, allowing artisans to devote ample amounts of time to honing and perfecting their craft.
Clearly, there is plenty to keep you busy in this amazing city. If you are planning a visit, choose an rental RV and a Haines campground, and then have fun exploring everything that southern Alaska has to offer!
RV rentals are available from the following locations across the country. Check the map below to find the nearest depot.
Haines Hitch-Up RV Park, Inc. Open seasonally mid-May through mid-September, this RV rental park is conveniently located, with sightseeing tour information, tickets to local attractions, and a souvenir gift shop on-site. The RV rental park also provides 92 full hookup sites and cable-TV. Handy laundry facilities, squeaky-clean restrooms, and complimentary Wi-Fi are also offered for guests.
Oceanside RV Park Park your rental campervan right next to the water at this RV park, which is open year-round with 23 oceanfront sites. It is an easy walk to downtown Haines, as well as being convenient for local shopping. This motorhome park provides clean restrooms, showers, laundry facilities, cable TV, Wi-Fi, and ice. The park also offers bookings for fishing charters and day trips to Juneau and Skagway.
The Salmon Run Campground and Cabins Open seasonally, May through October; this motorhome park offers beautiful forested grounds, excellent views of the mountains, and water about two miles away from the Haines ferry terminal. The park provides 30 and 50 amp electrical sites, nice restrooms, showers, laundry, campfire pits, and picnic tables. They also provide Wi-Fi, fishing license applications, and fish freezers. Aside from that, this RV rental campground is pet-friendly. Caravans and groups are always welcome.
The Gathering Place On 8 mile Lutak Road, just 3 miles north of the ferry terminal, this RV park sits on 160 beautiful acres. Open seasonally -- May through September 2 -- the park offers rental cabins and has one large lodge/activity center that can be used for events (weddings, retreats, family reunions, etc.). Craft school is open every day at the lodge, with activities like scrapbooking, making fused glass jewelry, woodcarving, and photography. Charter a boat and go fishing for king salmon and halibut.
Hammer MuseumDescribed as quirky and fun, it’s easy to find in your RV rental: just look for the only building with a 20-foot hammer out front! It’s an incredibly unique place, boasting a collection of over 7,000 hammers (1,400 of which are on prominent display), gathered over the past three decades. The friendly owners will share their enthusiasm, passion, and memorable stories of one of humankind’s oldest tools.
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Celebrate USA’s national emblem by visiting this wildlife sanctuary via your motorhome rental. The preserve is a year-round home to three to four hundred eagles and that number increases tenfold in the fall congregation season. Photo opportunities are abundant and the words amazing and incredible don’t even begin to describe it.
On hiring an RV in Haines
Unlike when hiring a rental car, people tend to book an RV a bit further in advance, and there are a few reasons for this.
When you’re hiring an RV, you’re not simply hiring something with four wheels to buzz around a city for a few days, instead you’re hiring a vehicle that you could well be living in for days, weeks, or even months. As such, people tend to have far more specific needs — some may require a certain number of berths, perhaps an onboard kitchen, or more comfortable living space. All this means that doing your research to find the right RV for you can pay off handsomely — but it also means that supply is more limited. When supply is limited, it is a good idea to book as far in advance as possible so that you know that the RV you need will be waiting for you when you arrive.
With this in mind, while it isn’t unusual for people to book a hire car the day before they need it, with RVs, people often book their vehicle months in advance. So our advice to you is if you’re planning to rent an RV, start researching today, and when you find the right RV for you, book it!
One more point, another way RV rentals differ from regular cars, is that bookings are not instant. Once you make an RV booking it will need to be approved by the provider. Yet another reason not to leave your RV rental until you’re sitting in the airport boarding lounge.
If you’re new to RVs and not sure where to start, please give our RV rental information page a read as it explains many of the basics you’ll need to know to make an informed decision.
We could start off by telling you that a typical customer hiring an RV in Haines tends to look at RVs with two or four berths (including a toilet and shower). This isn’t really all that helpful though, as they type of RV you should hire in Haines depends very much on the type of RV you — rather than a typical customer — needs. Consider the following questions:
How big is your travel group? What is your budget? What facilities do you need — or not need? Where are you planning to go? How long for? Knowing the answers to these questions — and plenty more — is the best way to make sure the RV you hire in Haines is the right one for you.
Solo travellers or couples might find a compact RV to be more than enough, while families — especially those with young kids — or larger groups might prefer a more spacious motorhome with multiple sleeping areas.
Next, consider the facilities you need and the facilities you want. These might sound the same, but they are very different! Basic RVs often include a bed and simple cooking gear, while more luxurious options feature kitchens, bathrooms, and comfortable bedding. For example, if you’re planning on camping, perhaps paying the extra for comfortable beds isn’t really necessary, but if you’re not even packing a tent, then the extra expense required to get more comfortable beds might be a smart choice.
Where you’re going also matters. If you’re planning to just potter around Haines and its immediate surrounds, then you could probably get away with a standard RV. That said, if you’re planning to drive from Haines to Los Angeles — or New York City — something more spacious would be a sound investment.
Think about your budget, as RVs vary in cost depending on size, amenities, and rental duration, and while shortening the length of your trip might bring different options within your budget, spending more to get a bigger van may mean you’ll spend even less on hotels. Either way, do the math!
In conclusion, when you’re booking an RV for pickup from Haines, it pays to be honest when considering what you need versus what you want, along with what fits with your budget and overall travel plans. It’s the best way to maximise your chance of getting the perfect RV for you.
For most rental RV providers, the minimum age to rent an RV is the same as for car rentals — 21 years of age. Depending on the RV rental supplier, those under 21 may only be able to rent certain vehicles. Double check with the RV rental provider to see what their specific requirements are.
In most cases, you won’t need to present a special type of licence to rent an RV — you’ll only be asked to present your standard and valid full driving licence. Keep in mind that a probationary, learner permit, or provisional licence are not accepted for RV hire. If your licence is in a language other than English, you’ll need to provide an International Driving Permit in conjunction with your valid licence. If you’re unsure as to whether your licence will be accepted, you should contact your prospective RV provider prior to booking.
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