Vanacouver to Moab?

[gotham]

Just wondering which method (or other) people would suggest on getting my wife and I down to Moab in November..

Fly direct from Vancouver to Moab $750
Fly from Vancouver to Denver/SLC and drive 4hrs $500 plus rental car (shuttle?)
Drive 2hrs to Seattle and fly direct to Moab $450pp
Drive 2hrs to Seattle and fly to Denver/SLC and drive 4hrs $200pp plus rental car (shuttle?)
Drive 20hrs to Moab

Or option B which is <insert here>.

Any help or suggestions is appreciated.

[DerJaeger]

In November, and with only two people, I would probably choose to fly.

I've done the Vancouver-Moab drive and back, straight through both ways. Driving 20 hrs straight is no fun, and for safety it's best to rotate the driving with at least 3 people. You can make it more fun by taking your time and making it a road trip, stopping in, say Bend and/or Ketchum. However, November isn't the ideal time to visit either place.

My advice: Fly into SLC, get a rental car, and consider using the time you save to add Route 12 to the itinerary.

[farmer]

I think we need naked pictures of said wife before we can make an informed choice.

[DasBlunt]

Option C looks best. Drive to SEA and fly direct to moab.

Have fun, its one of my favorite places to ride. Make sure to check out the cool bike shop in town, i forget the name, but old school and cool. I first went there to ride slickrock and the LaSal's in 1990, blast of a trip.

[Colorado_Freeskier]

Option C looks best. Drive to SEA and fly direct to moab.

That's what I'd do too. Its still quite a drive from Denver or SLC.

[altagirl]

I'm guessing you guys are biking, since you're posting this in Sprocket Rockets? The problem we've always run into is transporting bikes (or renting bikes). On our first trip to Whistler it was like a $75 fee to fly a bike. Not that big of a deal. Last year when I was flying to Quebec, they wanted $300 EACH WAY to fly a bike (when my RT ticket was only $300). I found another way to get my bike out there. I'm sure every airline is different, but they're working hard to make it not make sense to fly with a bike anymore.

I will say though, the bike rentals in Moab are way cheaper than bike rentals in Whistler (Chile Pepper has Reigns for $40 the first day/$35 consecutive days), so renting a bike probably makes more sense. (Also depends on how many days you need a bike for.) Speaking of which - number of days would also be a factor in the rental car decision.

But for the bike transport reason (and preferring not only to have our own bike, but that we both want to bring multiple bikes), we now just drive to Whistler. (Granted, from SLC, it's cutting a few hours off the trip, but not that much different.) And we make that drive with 2 people and it's not that big of a deal (though Mr. AG and I are both used to a lot of solo driving for work.) I guess that's the final factor - how much do you guys love/hate driving on road trips? What's it worth to you to avoid a really long drive?

[shirk]

Check out Bellingham to Vegas.

Likely able to get a cheap rental car in Vegas, it's 7 hrs to Moab, I'd guess you can cut a couple hrs off the drive time with a lead foot. Don't forget to do an internet search on where the cops hang out between Vegas and UT.

Rent bikes in Moab unless you drive down. If driving I suggest not cutting down thru Oregon but going across Montana instead. Google Maps says that the Oregon route is shorter, but I figging hate the drive from along I84 from the WA?OR border to where it meets I15. In Montana you can speed way over the limit without the same worry as in OR.

When you going Andrew? Added bonus to flying into Vegas is if the weather craps out you could detour to Flagstaff AZ or flake out in the desert.

[powderwhore]

I'm guessing you guys are biking, since you're posting this in Sprocket Rockets? The problem we've always run into is transporting bikes (or renting bikes). On our first trip to Whistler it was like a $75 fee to fly a bike. Not that big of a deal. Last year when I was flying to Quebec, they wanted $300 EACH WAY to fly a bike (when my RT ticket was only $300).

I've heard of but haven't ever tried a free way to get bikes on planes. If it's in a golf bag, a large one of course, it's considered golf clubs which fly free. Just as long as they don't notice there is a bike in there.

[farmer]

Check out Bellingham to Vegas.

Likely able to get a cheap rental car in Vegas, it's 7 hrs to Moab, I'd guess you can cut a couple hrs off the drive time with a lead foot. Don't forget to do an internet search on where the cops hang out between Vegas and UT.

Rent bikes in Moab unless you drive down. If driving I suggest not cutting down thru Oregon but going across Montana instead. Google Maps says that the Oregon route is shorter, but I figging hate the drive from along I84 from the WA?OR border to where it meets I15. In Montana you can speed way over the limit without the same worry as in OR.

When you going Andrew? Added bonus to flying into Vegas is if the weather craps out you could detour to Flagstaff AZ or flake out in the desert.

If you go through montucky, I've been told to just carry $50 in the glovebox in case you get pulled over, and to try to that stretch at night (if its all in one day). That's how my buddies made it in 8.5 hrs from van to butte.

[altagirl]

I've heard of but haven't ever tried a free way to get bikes on planes. If it's in a golf bag, a large one of course, it's considered golf clubs which fly free. Just as long as they don't notice there is a bike in there.

I've heard that too, and I tried finding a golf bag that would work but didn't have any luck.

[LeeLau]

I've heard that too, and I tried finding a golf bag that would work but didn't have any luck.

A hockey bag with less than 62" dimensions work

[gotham]

Check out Bellingham to Vegas.

Likely able to get a cheap rental car in Vegas, it's 7 hrs to Moab...

When you going Andrew? Added bonus to flying into Vegas is if the weather craps out you could detour to Flagstaff AZ or flake out in the desert.

We were going to go down for Remembrance Day (al so our anniversary)... Y ou guys wanna split gas??

[LeeLau]

here you go andrew http://www.pinkbike.com/news/fly-che...ubey-2010.html

[skiingnow]

I've heard of but haven't ever tried a free way to get bikes on planes. If it's in a golf bag, a large one of course, it's considered golf clubs which fly free. Just as long as they don't notice there is a bike in there.

Why should the airlines care if there is a bike in a hockey bag?

if its an issue of size a bike in a hockey bag would be the same size as hockey gear in a hockey bag?

or am I missing something....

We're flying Alaska and we're going to try it.

$20.00 each for first three pieces of luggage under 50lbs

[donkeykong]

good point. it should not matter what's in the hockey bag, as long as it fits, and it's not drugs.

[powderwhore]

It shouldn't matter but it does to the airlines. Make sure to check your airlines policies before you fly or you could be charged a large sum for that bike to make it on the plane.

Fly Southwest and you won't have an issue as long as it meets the size/weight requirements.

[shirk]

We were going to go down for Remembrance Day (al so our anniversary)... Y ou guys wanna split gas??

Too many projects on the go at work to get holidays in Nov.

Long drive for less than a full week. I've done the drive Colorado for a three day event for work, crappy week.

[Nitro]

I thought Great Lakes Airlines flew from Denver to Moab? I know Ive seen the gate listed and the DIA. As far as bike rental, I would always rent in Moab.

[altagirl]

It shouldn't matter but it does to the airlines. Make sure to check your airlines policies before you fly or you could be charged a large sum for that bike to make it on the plane.

Fly Southwest and you won't have an issue as long as it meets the size/weight requirements.

That's my worry. I've had a regular bag where on the RETURN trip, they decided it exceeded dimension requirements and charged me $85 or something - they tried telling me that their baggage policies had changed between when I flew out and when I was returning like 5 days later. She's like "oh, well, you don't have to pay it - you can just leave it here". Oh - yeah, now there's a great solution.

Basically, I'm sick of dealing with airlines and not knowing what they're going to do, even after I've printed out their baggage policy and weighed and measured my bags to make it work. Not to mention thinking about them losing my bag with a bike in it...