YVR vs. SEA

[Vaca2006]

I've been pricing flights from Washington DC for my July 25 Zaandam roundtrip from Vancouver. We plan to arrive three days before embarkation and to leave the day of disembarkation. It appears that flying into Seattle makes more sense, costing nearly $1000 less for my party of five than would flights to YVR (Bellingham is not an option). Moreover, the cheapest YVR options require me to fly from distant BWI and to arrive in Canada at 9pm, after connecting in Dallas. I can get a direct flight from DCA to SEA that arrives at 10:30am.

 

Returning via SEA requires that we extend our vacation a night. Fortunately we have the time and I can get a free night at an airport hotel with my Marriott reward points. Even after figuring in the cost of two one-way rentals from National (SUV northbound, minivan south) and additional food and entertainment for the extra day, the SEA option figures to save me some $600. And we might even have a good time during that extra night in Seattle.

 

So it all comes down to the drive, 3 hours plus border crossing. Is it a pleasant drive? Am I missing other important considerations?

 

Lee

[ell52]

Might I suggest spending the extra day in Vancouver? What time is your flight out of Seattle the next day? If it's not too early, consider staying in Vancouver (lots of things to see and do), spend the night at a Marriott here; then drive or take the shuttle to SeaTac the next morning. Alternatively, spend the day in Vancouver and drive to the Seattle hotel in the evening.

 

Things to consider: If you factor in disembarkation, picking up rental car, the drive, border line-up, pitstops for lunch, etc., and checking into your airport hotel; you may not get into Seattle proper for sightseeing until mid-afternoon.

 

The drive to Sea-Tac is pretty much straight freeway driving - easy, but not much to look at; the border lineups vary (depending on day of the week, time of day, whether it's a holiday weekend, etc.);and if you're staying at an airport hotel, you'd still have to go back and forth into the city to see anything of interest in Seattle.

[ell52]

I forgot to add; since you are arriving 3 days prior to your cruise, and you want to see Seattle, it might make more sense to do it pre-cruise rather than post-cruise.

[LeftcoastBC]

I would like to suggest to you Amtrak.

There is a train that goes North to Vancouver at 7:40 AM that gets you in around noon and its an easy cab to the ship.

 

REturn leaves Vancouver at 6 PM and get you in around 10:30.

 

Trip is very scenic and the timing may fit your exploration needs for both cities.

 

If you do drive it is an easy one on the freeway except for the border and Seattle rush.

There is a stretch of old highway between Bellingham and Burlington (Hwy 11 ) that will give you some coast line and a sniff of the Pac NorWest. Very nice drive.

 

There are more than the two main border crossings and although a bit out of the way you can't get lost and waits are generally shorter. Except for holiday weekends and its all bad.

[Vaca2006]

Thank you for replying, Ell and Lefty. The train seems intriguing. Certainly, I take Amtrak here on the East Coast whenever possible. The only problem is that there's just one departure in each direction daily, 745am from Seattle and 600pm from Vancouver. That would mean seriously readjusting my itinerary to accommodate the choo-choo. Interestingly, Amtrak runs four coach buses in each direction daily. The one-way cost of both train and coach is comparable to the cost of a one-way car rental from National, although the Amtrak option would require a cab ride at both ends.

 

I'll probably end up driving just to minimize the transfers and have (hopefully) more control over my schedule. After the ship returns, I may do as Ell32 suggested and put in some more Vancouver time rather than trying to get south fast enough to do anything in Seattle other than dinner. With a 1:30pm flight out of SEA, however, I won't try to drive down the same day.

 

Following LeftcoastBC's suggestion, I did a little reaerch about driving Route 11 and found that this byway is also known as the Chuckanut Drive. Looks like fun.

 

Someday, I'd like to take that Amtrak train all the way from San Diego up ...

 

Thanks,

Lee