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I know we had a thread about this last year, but I am bringing it up again. I finally made AMTRAK reservations for my wife and I to go to Glacier Park (Essex -- on the EB) in July and stay at the Izaak Walton Inn. We are planning on touring Glacier Park (probably on their "red bus" tour), then driving south, making several other stops, and coming home on the SWC from Flagstaff. I asked Izaak Walton Inn reservations about "one-way" rental car availability (rent a car at Izaak Walton Inn or somewhere else near Glacier, drive it south to Flagstaff, turn it in at FLG and come home via AMTRAK), and was told that all they have at Izaak Walton are cars for "local transportation."
Does anyone know what the closest place to Glacier Park where we could get a "one-way" rental car might be? The Izaak Walton people told me Columbia Falls -- does anyone know of anyplace closer to get a rental car? (like East Glacier, West Glacier, Whitefish, etc?)
I just hope we still have LD trains by June 30 (when we are scheduled to leave Winter Park)..........
chrisg Member # 2488
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Colombia Falls is just about twenty miles west of West Glacier. You could use the rental car at Issak Walton, tour the park {Many Glacier} is my favorite, do the Going To the Sun Highway west then go the Colombia Falls get the other car and you or wife drive it back to the Inn. See the park with one then drive south with the other.
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I and my wife are taking Amtrak to Denver this summer and renting a car from there to Glacier. To avoid some hassles, I rented with Hertz. I can pick up the car in Denver and drop it off at the West Glacier Amtrak station when I get there. Hertz has a relationship w/Amtrak which would allow a connection w/the train, something hard to come by with other car rental companies, in out of the way locations. Although, I am still open on the subject if someone out there knows a better deal, than Hertz. I usually use other rental companies due to better prices when I am returning to the same location or rental is in a larger populated area.
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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Both Hertz and Budget meet the train at Whitefish if you have a resv. I rent locally from Budget at Whitefish because I like their all-Toyota fleet. I have researched one-way rentals often, so I have an idea what you are up against.
I think wherever you rent a car around Glacier you are always dealing with the same LOCAL franchise that operates out of various locations around Whitefish and Kalispel. Local franchises, unlike major airport "corporate" outlets, are not as willing to let their cars get dispersed all over the country. They likely purchase their own fleet and want to keep it there. You could check Kalispel airport for one-ways by web or phone.
At major airport locations, one ways can be limited to more expensive car classes. If you were renting from airports at Denver, Seattle, Albuquerque, or Phoenix, one-ways would be available, but may vary greatly in price by direction and city pairs. I got good deals on one ways from San Diego-ABQ, and ABQ-Denver through Budget to supplement my train rides, but never from smaller locations. I have searched for one-ways at Flag and never found them available.
Sorry to be discouraging, but you can always try dealing with an agent and see what they can do for you. Sounds to me like a fantastic trip if you could pull it off.
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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Last year there was scheduled bus service from Whitefish/Kalispel to Billings, but I couldn't find it on the web. Hertz has one-ways from Billings to Albuquerque for $90/day.
You could consider Portland, Salt Lake City and the CZ, or Spokane and Las Vegas in the middle of the night.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Thanks for the info, everyone!! We'll probably spend a couple hours on our last day there, drive to Columbia Falls, get a rental car, then drive 2 cars back to Izaak Walton Inn and leave the one car there. Thanks again!!
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