Amtrak Seattle to Vancouver

[Dbld777]

We are a family group of 14 flying into Seattle for a couple of days before a NB cruise departing from Vancouver in June 2014. We plan to take Amtrak the night before cruise departure to overnight in Vancouver. Of course we'd like to sit together on the train. We have no experience traveling on Amtrak. Should we purchase Business class fares in order to ensure we will have reserved seats together? What would you recommend for a group this size traveling on Amtrak Cascades? Thank you.

[visagrunt]

We are a family group of 14 flying into Seattle for a couple of days before a NB cruise departing from Vancouver in June 2014. We plan to take Amtrak the night before cruise departure to overnight in Vancouver. Of course we'd like to sit together on the train. We have no experience traveling on Amtrak. Should we purchase Business class fares in order to ensure we will have reserved seats together? What would you recommend for a group this size traveling on Amtrak Cascades? Thank you.

 

Seat assignments are only made at the station, so there's no particular advantage to business class, other than generally lighter loads. Provided that you arrive at the station early enough, they should be able to accommodate you all in the same coach.

[Putterdude]

The advantage of Biz Class is that if you all arrive at the station you will have the chance of getting seated together and frankly it is more comfortable. However, my son's gang when going to Seattle for Sickhawk games is to book coach and then just meet up in the bar/deli car and have fun.

[zephyr17]

You have no need to worry about being seated together whether in coach or business class. Conductors make every effort to seat groups together. Just check in all together and make sure and be there relatively early to make sure.

 

Seats are assigned at check-in by the conductor in both business class and coach. There are no pre-reserved seats.

[OutdoorAlaskan]

I've never had a problem getting a group to sit together when traveling coach on Amtrak.

[CanWeGoYet?]

We have business class seats for next September from King Street station to VAC. Last time we had trouble finding the drop off spot, and we ended up walking a distance & having to take the elevator down to the station. Barely made it in time to check our bags. It's kind of a blur as it's been over a year.

 

 

Do we have to use the kiosk to get tickets or just get in the business class line after handing over our bags? How early should we get to the station for the morning train?

[Northern Aurora]

 

 

Do we have to use the kiosk to get tickets or just get in the business class line after handing over our bags? How early should we get to the station for the morning train?

 

We took Amtrak from King Station to Vancouver last September. Our taxi dropped us off at the King Street station about 6 am as we had been told by Amtrak personnel in Seattle that they opened the office for luggage check-in at 6 AM. Since we had never taken Amtrak to Vancouver we thought we should be on the early side. Well, they opened for luggage check more like 6:20 AM. After checking our luggage it was at least another 30 minutes before they began to assign seats. The seats were assigned in the lobby area.

 

We rarely take trains, and really enjoyed the trip up to Vancouver. I know I couldn't take a long train trip, but for four hours it was quite nice. Much of the track runs along the coast, and the views were lovely.

[CanWeGoYet?]

We took Amtrak from King Station to Vancouver last September. Our taxi dropped us off at the King Street station about 6 am as we had been told by Amtrak personnel in Seattle that they opened the office for luggage check-in at 6 AM. Since we had never taken Amtrak to Vancouver we thought we should be on the early side. Well, they opened for luggage check more like 6:20 AM. After checking our luggage it was at least another 30 minutes before they began to assign seats. The seats were assigned in the lobby area.

 

We rarely take trains, and really enjoyed the trip up to Vancouver. I know I couldn't take a long train trip, but for four hours it was quite nice. Much of the track runs along the coast, and the views were lovely.

 

Thank you!

[zephyr17]

We have business class seats for next September from King Street station to VAC. Last time we had trouble finding the drop off spot, and we ended up walking a distance & having to take the elevator down to the station. Barely made it in time to check our bags. It's kind of a blur as it's been over a year.

 

 

Do we have to use the kiosk to get tickets or just get in the business class line after handing over our bags? How early should we get to the station for the morning train?

 

Amtrak has gone to eTickets, so you should have a PDF "travel document" you can print out beforehand, so no need to go to the QuikTrak kiosk or a ticket agent. If you haven't printed your eTicket travel document, then you would have to go to the kiosk or agent to print one out before checking baggage.

 

If part of your Amtrak journey includes buses, you might be ineligible for eTickets, and in that case, you would also need to go to the kiosk or agent first to print out your paper "value ticket".

 

If you are checking bags, your bags must be checked 45 minutes before departure. That means checked, not standing in line to be checked. So your bags must be checked by 6:55 am at the latest. I think if you got there at 6:40 or 6:45, you'd be fine.

 

If you don't have bags to check and don't care where you sit, if you got there in enough time to get through the station and out to the platform, you'd get on. It isn't an airport, and the border crossing formalities are done in Vancouver.

Edited December 14, 2013 by zephyr17

[CanWeGoYet?]

Thank you Zephyr17 :)

[avcruz]

FYI if you are a member of AAA, Amtrak offers a discount off the fare.