Trying to decide best travel option from Vancouver to Seattle in July.

[savannah2117]

We will be getting off the ship on Saturday morning in Vancouver and our flight leaves out of Seattle on Sunday morning. We are looking at the best options to get to Seattle. This is what it appears to be--

 

1. Amtrak train- 4 hours, about $65 per person.

2. Shuttle transfer- about 4 hours, i think about $20 per person

3. Rental car- 4 plus hours (depending on how much we dink around) maybe $100-150.

 

I'm trying decide if the train is worth the extra money. Will we see more? I'm guessing we can move around a bit more, and... it is a "hip" way to travel, I've never actually been on a train before. I'm guessing we'd end up saving about $100 by using the shuttle-- add that to some spending money on the cruise if we choose this option.

 

I see the advantage of the car as being able to stop and look at things-- but is there much to see and do on a drive from Vancouver to Seattle? My husband wouldn't be opposed to driving 4 hours, but it is nice to sometimes completely not worry about things and just be the passenger.

 

The current plan is to do a 3-4 hour bicycle tour of Vancouver after getting off the ship, so I'm guessing we would potentially be ready to leave Vancouver by 2-3pm. The train leaves about 5pm, so we might end up with downtime in Vancouver.

 

Thoughts?

[LH25]

What shuttle company are you looking at?

 

We are going from Seattle up to Vancouver for our cruise, we're doing the train. In part because DH is a train nut, and loves the idea. I like being just a passenger like you say.

[ACoupleAtSea]

We took amtrak from seattle to vancouver and the ride was absolutely awesome. Very scenic and peaceful

 

 

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[olemissreb]

We took the train from Vancouver to Seattle. We were a little delayed because of a derailment that caused the trains to have to "single track", but even with the delay, it was really nice to sit back and relax and watch the scenery. It was beautiful. I can't remember what we paid for the train, but we did take advantage of AAA discounts, Senior Discounts and student discounts. It ended up being very reasonable for the 5 of us. We actually flew home on a Monday to take advantage of some sightseeing in Seattle.

[Northern Aurora]

Yet another option would be to fly from Vancouver to Seattle. But if you have never traveled by train than the train certainly would be a great option. Several years ago we took the train from Seattle to Vancouver, and thoroughly enjoyed it. We booked Amtrak business class, so the seating was two seats on one side and one on the other. Lots of room to move around. Part of the track parallels the ocean and the views are lovely.

[martincath]

Your info is wrong on pricing for the first two options OP.

 

The train is $33 per person not $65 - unless you wait until so close to booking time that they have no Saver tickets left. You may have been looking at Business Class fares, but those are unfair to compare with alternatives as nobody else offers a different class of service (even air, the small planes used for YYZ-SEA are almost all one class seating only) so you should be trying for as like-to-like as possible. Even then, the regular economy train seat kicks the ass of any bus or economy plane seat! Plus, there is no easier way to cross the border - you do preclearance before boarding in Vancouver just like at the airport, but with shorter queues. The only downside to the train is the lack of flexibility in the schedule - day you disembark you only have one option, the late afternoon train that gets to Seattle late evening.

 

Shuttles to Seatac run $59pp (independent) or the same price for cruiseline transfers based on most recent reports; other bus-based trips are scheduled travel downtown to downtown. Bolt, the newest and most comfortable bus fleet, can in theory cost $1 but realistically is more like $15-20 depending when booked (and price can and does peak close to travel, with over $30pp common in the last week or so); Greyhound is rarely less than $30pp but can offer discounted companion fares, so for 2 people can end up very comparable to Bolt just with an extra stop on mostly crappier buses. Amtrak is the worst bus option by far - old fleet, worst routing (every railway station is stopped at). All buses, unless you can find a cruiseline-arranged Sealed bus which means leaving imediately after disembarkation, have to stop at the border for customs & immigration which involves hauling your own bags inside.

 

Driving is the method that rewards waiting as long as possible - due to the many folks who do one-way car rentals, you end up with US cars up here and vice versa. By July you will almost certainly be able to find a car with no drop fees and a rate of <$100 - so if you plan your route well you can actually enjoy some sightseeing while paying a comparable amount per person to the train or bus options but have total flexibility. 3 hours drive is realistic if you avoid peak Seattle traffic and busy border crossing times, but if you plan to spend the morning up here and leave around noon you should allow for 4 hours.

 

We drive through Seattle over twenty times a year - when you master the traffic timing it's a smooth drive so our end to end time to Portland averages well under 6 hours, while the train takes 8 hrs even if it's bang on time. However I'd still take the train every trip if quality of the trip was the main factor rather than getting to our destination. Being able to walk around, buy snacks and drinks, and even get liquored up if you choose, the always-easy border crossing, combined with the nicest scenery of the options (unless you take some hefty detours in a car), makes it qualitatively far and away the best choice to make the trip itself the most pleasant.

 

Since your flight is next day, the evening train timing isn't a problem - in fact it's a good thing as it gives you almost a whole day in Vancouver, inarguably a superior tourist town to Seattle for short trips since we have conveniently put almost everything right downtown for you where you can walk or bike to it easily;-)

[mytime53]

If taking the train, do children need a passport, like flying, or is a birth cert ok, like driving?

[martincath]

If taking the train, do children need a passport, like flying, or is a birth cert ok, like driving?

The rules separate border crossings by whether it's a land, sea, or air arrival rather than the type of vehicle used (otherwise there'd be all kinds of problems with flying cars, DUKWs, hovercraft and anything else that could potentially arrive over more than one type of border crossing) so train/car/bus makes no difference. Kids also get hefty discounts on Amtrak I believe.

 

Edit - actually it's my post above not this one. Just noticed I used the wrong airport code, Toronto vs Vancouver, d'oh! Flights from YYZ would be nice big planes with premium seating options on most: YVR-SEA is what I should have quoted. I'll blame my wife who's flying back from Toronto today for the brain fart;-)

[mytime53]

The rules separate border crossings by whether it's a land, sea, or air arrival rather than the type of vehicle used (otherwise there'd be all kinds of problems with flying cars, DUKWs, hovercraft and anything else that could potentially arrive over more than one type of border crossing) so train/car/bus makes no difference. Kids also get hefty discounts on Amtrak I believe.)

 

Thank you. Working on getting a passport for our granddaughter who is accompanying us on a cruise Whittier-Vancouver. But since it is our granddaughter (and one parent is out of state), essentially the process is out of our hands. So want a back-up plan, and driving would be low on our list this time, just slightly above bus!.

[savannah2117]

thanks for the information. I'm glad to hear the Amtrak is less than I thought!! I thought i saw shuttles from $17 per person but i didn't put all our information in so maybe there are extra charges or a bait and switch type of thing. I'm leaning towards the train.

 

BTW, what are some "must sees" in Vancouver. I've been looking at bicycle tours and it seems like they see lots of the "popular" areas. We love being outdoors and riding bikes. We did a city bicycle tour of Atlanta last fall and it was absolutely awesome!

[martincath]

thanks for the information. I'm glad to hear the Amtrak is less than I thought!! I thought i saw shuttles from $17 per person but i didn't put all our information in so maybe there are extra charges or a bait and switch type of thing. I'm leaning towards the train.

 

BTW, what are some "must sees" in Vancouver. I've been looking at bicycle tours and it seems like they see lots of the "popular" areas. We love being outdoors and riding bikes. We did a city bicycle tour of Atlanta last fall and it was absolutely awesome!

I'm pretty sure $17 is the rate for a shuttle from the pier to Vancouver airport and that's after the previous company, charging $15pp, went bust; considering Seatac shuttles from Seattle piers run over $20pp there's just no way any shuttle claiming to cross the border will be charging that little. Bolt's business model is about as efficient as it gets (their $1 loss leader fares are restricted to just 1 or 2 seats per bus) and it's rare to score under $15 for a Van-Sea downtown to downtown.

 

I'm not a big fan of the term 'must see' as it varies with every individual. TripAdvisor is by far the best and simplest way to see what 'most people' deem the most popular attractions. Bike tours do work well here - we have an extraordinary amount of separated bike lanes and several companies that offers cycling tours (can't say as I have ever taken one to give a personal reco though; again TripAdvisor has large group data on that sort of thing). It's very easy to just rent a bike and pootle around as you wish though, rather than restricting yourself to the standard tours - I'd be inclined to have everyone in your party look over TA reviews, check Google Maps (they have our bike lane network included) and then talk about your faves.

 

Start off with a 'loop around Stanley Park on the Seawall' which is as close to a Must Do as it gets with a bike, and work your own route out from there - you can also take bikes on our little water taxis around False Creek if you don't fancy cycling both ways. Depending which piers you use, you could slice off 3+ miles that way. Oh, and helmets (legally required) and bike locks (a very, very good idea) should be included in bike rental rates from all reputable companies - casual property theft is endemic all over downtown Vancouver, an unchained bike will swiftly become a missing bike!

[martincath]

Thank you. Working on getting a passport for our granddaughter who is accompanying us on a cruise Whittier-Vancouver. But since it is our granddaughter (and one parent is out of state), essentially the process is out of our hands. So want a back-up plan, and driving would be low on our list this time, just slightly above bus!.

Whatever documentation gets her onto the ship will also get her across the land border; one way cruises do not get the 'Closed Loop cruise birth cert & driving license' exemption so the whole party will need appropriate WHTI-compliant docs to get on the ship, plus from Vancouver back to the US. Once you remove the closed loop factor, Land and Sea border requirements are the same - but also you should be aware (or rather the parents should!) that some cruise lines demand full passports if a child is not being accompanied by both parents, over and above the standard permission forms to take the kids abroad/get them medical treatment.

 

 

If you're fully-documented on the 'minor without both parents' side of things you should have MORE than enough to get across any of our mutual border by any mode of transport!

[mytime53]

Whatever documentation gets her onto the ship will also get her across the land border; one way cruises do not get the 'Closed Loop cruise birth cert & driving license' exemption so the whole party will need appropriate WHTI-compliant docs to get on the ship, plus from Vancouver back to the US. Once you remove the closed loop factor, Land and Sea border requirements are the same - but also you should be aware (or rather the parents should!) that some cruise lines demand full passports if a child is not being accompanied by both parents, over and above the standard permission forms to take the kids abroad/get them medical treatment. If you're fully-documented on the 'minor without both parents' side of things you should have MORE than enough to get across any of our mutual border by any mode of transport!

 

Thank you for the information,

[savannah2117]

Thank you so much Martincath-- you are a wealth of information. I'm definitely going to check out the bicycle maps and such for Vancouver. I appreciate your insight.

[ROCruiser]

We took the Amtrak Cascade from Vancouver to Seattle after our cruise in 2015. A scenic ride and quite interesting.

Here are some photos of that trip.

[savannah2117]

We took the Amtrak Cascade from Vancouver to Seattle after our cruise in 2015. A scenic ride and quite interesting.

Here are some photos of that trip.

 

 

Thanks for the link. I was wondering about what to do with our luggage. The hotel "holds" it for $5 ? How do I reserve that?

[Gardyloo]

With a car you could make a day of it and take a MUCH more scenic route than the train or bus. Here's a map - https://goo.gl/maps/AwgMonHqCQr

 

Places to note -

 

Steveston - This is Vancouver's fishing port; the town is also used as the filming location for the Once Upon a Time TV series.

 

Fairhaven - This is Bellingham's "old town," the southern terminus of the Alaska ferry system. There are lots of cool old buildings, galleries, cafes, pubs etc.

 

Chuckanut Drive (WA 11) - This is a scenic length of highway that parallels the coast, passing oyster farms and scenic viewpoints.

 

Deception Pass - Follow WA 20 west to Fidalgo Island, then south across the Deception Pass bridges to Whidbey Island. Take the state park turnoff (a mile or so south of the bridges) down to the beach levels - stunning views and hiking trails (if interested.)

 

Fort Casey - Overlooking Puget Sound, look at the nice lighthouse and the very cool coastal defense gun batteries.

 

Greenbank - Home of an excellent farm stand and store, but (more importantly) Whidbey Pies. OMG.

 

Langley - A gorgeous waterfront village full of more galleries, cafes, etc.

 

Mukilteo - Take the ferry from the south end of Whidbey Island across to cute little Mukilteo, with its lighthouse, driftwood-covered beach, brewpub...

Future of Flight/Boeing tour - If time permits, the tour of the Boeing Everett plant is fab. It's the home of the big jets and the biggest building in the world.

 

This turns a boring 4 hours on the road into a terrific full day's excursion, sort of an instant introduction into Puget Sound country. Highly recommended.

 

Deception Pass

 

 

Olympic Mountains from Deception Pass -

 

 

Mukilteo lighthouse

 

[savannah2117]

Those are gorgeous pictures! Thanks for the detailed itinerary--it helps us make an informed decision.

[joniBee2]

We took the train from Vancouver to Seattle. We were a little delayed because of a derailment that caused the trains to have to "single track", but even with the delay, it was really nice to sit back and relax and watch the scenery. It was beautiful. I can't remember what we paid for the train, but we did take advantage of AAA discounts, Senior Discounts and student discounts. It ended up being very reasonable for the 5 of us. We actually flew home on a Monday to take advantage of some sightseeing in Seattle.

 

Would you be kind to tell me how best to schedule the train trip from Vancouver to Seattle? Thank you in advance.

[martincath]

Would you be kind to tell me how best to schedule the train trip from Vancouver to Seattle? Thank you in advance.

There isn't really a choice of schedule - two trains daily, but unless you are overnighting post-cruise only the evening train is possible to take. The evening train leaves at 5:45pm (arr Seattle 10:10pm), and morning is 6:35am (arr Seattle 11am) if you are staying in Vancouver post-cruise. Book direct through Amtrak website or phone 1-800-USA-RAIL.

[shetravels]

We will be getting off the ship on Saturday morning in Vancouver and our flight leaves out of Seattle on Sunday morning. We are looking at the best options to get to Seattle. This is what it appears to be--

 

1. Amtrak train- 4 hours, about $65 per person.

2. Shuttle transfer- about 4 hours, i think about $20 per person

3. Rental car- 4 plus hours (depending on how much we dink around) maybe $100-150.

 

I'm trying decide if the train is worth the extra money. Will we see more? I'm guessing we can move around a bit more, and... it is a "hip" way to travel, I've never actually been on a train before. I'm guessing we'd end up saving about $100 by using the shuttle-- add that to some spending money on the cruise if we choose this option.

 

I see the advantage of the car as being able to stop and look at things-- but is there much to see and do on a drive from Vancouver to Seattle? My husband wouldn't be opposed to driving 4 hours, but it is nice to sometimes completely not worry about things and just be the passenger.

 

The current plan is to do a 3-4 hour bicycle tour of Vancouver after getting off the ship, so I'm guessing we would potentially be ready to leave Vancouver by 2-3pm. The train leaves about 5pm, so we might end up with downtime in Vancouver.

 

Thoughts?

Loved the train. Check for sr. rate if you qualify or AAA or AARP rates- might save a few bucks. Scenery was great and very comfortable.

[bottom-dragger]

take the train, it follows a more scenic route than I-5

 

unless you really like US Customs

 

- 70 lbs of kitty littler, but no cat. Because i'm barging my new car back to Alaska and kitty litter is really heavy. That's an hour of my life lost.

 

- empty all of your day bags from the front of the truck and we're taking samples of all the drugs in your daypacks. Okay, let me open the back of the truck so you can search there also. Oh no, we're just screwing with you to see how you react.

 

- show me all the aspirin with codeine you purchased. Uh, none.

 

all on separate crossings. take the train

[Coral]

Some friends took me to Deception Pass a few years ago - it was stunning! We also had dinner at Mukilteo. Such a beautiful area.