Flying to/from Seattle, cruising from/to Vancouver, several questions

[josetann]

It's taken me months to get this far, so I better pick up the pace! My wife, son (under 2), mom, and myself are on this trip. We're on the NB and the SB cruise on Princess's Island Princess. We arrive in Seattle at 7:20PM on Saturday, May 17th. Current plan is to rent a car and go straight to Vancouver (hopefully border crossing time will be short this late at night). We'd then stay Saturday and Sunday night at a hotel near the port, board the ship on Monday the 19th. We return Monday June 2nd, probably rent another car to Seattle, stay the night, then fly out noon Tuesday June 3rd.

 

First question, I'm not sure how to best do the car rental. It looks like the rental counter at Canada Place (the port our ship leaves from) won't be open when it's time to return the car Sunday night. Has anyone just returned it the next day and not been charged extra? It would be nice to just drive it right to the port Monday morning (side question, when's the earliest we could show up for embarkation?).

 

Second question, what's a decent motel/hotel to stay at that's near the port? Budget is closer to $100/night than $400/night (so no staying right at the port). Obviously if we can keep the car we can stay a bit farther out, but if not then we'd like to be within walking distance. I figure that if we have to walk to the port we could make it into part of our trip, i.e. eat breakfast somewhere, do a little shopping, and still arrive at the port in plenty of time (may be a bit harder to do with all the luggage, but I usually get designated as the guy who watches the luggage while the women shop).

 

Third question, when we disembark, I'm not sure how crazy things will be. Should we attempt to be one of the first off the ship, rush to get our car, and cross the border ASAP? Or should we take our time on the ship (what I normally do), stroll right through customs, then attempt to get a car and cross the border (side question, which would be the best border crossing)? How late would be the latest we could leave the ship? I ask because if we can leave around 11AM or so, then we can just keep the rental until we fly out the next day.

 

I heard that you might be able to get a good rate on a one-way rental from Vancouver back to Seattle (something about only being able to rent a car with US tags to a US citizen), has anyone done this before? Did you actually get a good rate? Right now it looks like pricing is going to be between $130-$150, if I can get it for less I wouldn't mind trying.

[Putterdude]

It's taken me months to get this far, so I better pick up the pace! My wife, son (under 2), mom, and myself are on this trip. We're on the NB and the SB cruise on Princess's Island Princess. We arrive in Seattle at 7:20PM on Saturday, May 17th. Current plan is to rent a car and go straight to Vancouver (hopefully border crossing time will be short this late at night). We'd then stay Saturday and Sunday night at a hotel near the port, board the ship on Monday the 19th. We return Monday June 2nd, probably rent another car to Seattle, stay the night, then fly out noon Tuesday June 3rd.

 

First question, I'm not sure how to best do the car rental. It looks like the rental counter at Canada Place (the port our ship leaves from) won't be open when it's time to return the car Sunday night. Has anyone just returned it the next day and not been charged extra? It would be nice to just drive it right to the port Monday morning (side question, when's the earliest we could show up for embarkation?).

 

Second question, what's a decent motel/hotel to stay at that's near the port? Budget is closer to $100/night than $400/night (so no staying right at the port). Obviously if we can keep the car we can stay a bit farther out, but if not then we'd like to be within walking distance. I figure that if we have to walk to the port we could make it into part of our trip, i.e. eat breakfast somewhere, do a little shopping, and still arrive at the port in plenty of time (may be a bit harder to do with all the luggage, but I usually get designated as the guy who watches the luggage while the women shop).

 

Third question, when we disembark, I'm not sure how crazy things will be. Should we attempt to be one of the first off the ship, rush to get our car, and cross the border ASAP? Or should we take our time on the ship (what I normally do), stroll right through customs, then attempt to get a car and cross the border (side question, which would be the best border crossing)? How late would be the latest we could leave the ship? I ask because if we can leave around 11AM or so, then we can just keep the rental until we fly out the next day.

 

I heard that you might be able to get a good rate on a one-way rental from Vancouver back to Seattle (something about only being able to rent a car with US tags to a US citizen), has anyone done this before? Did you actually get a good rate? Right now it looks like pricing is going to be between $130-$150, if I can get it for less I wouldn't mind trying.

 

 

The answer to the first question is easy, just drop the car off at the rental company's downtown location on the Sunday evening.

 

The second question is a little more of a challange, regretably you are not going to find anything from where you can walk to the cruise terminal for close to $100. You may get lucky and find something that is closer to $150 if you go on Priceline. If you did get something at that level you could turn in the car and walk or use transit (all day pass is $9.00 CDN pp). If you use Priceline enter downtown-west as your area. You may get something for about $100 out towards the airport, which is 30 to 45 mins into town.

 

When you get off the ship but I would suggest that almost everyone is off the ship by 10 to 10:30 but you could hang around waiting for a car. I doubt that you will save anything on a US platted car, you are just one of thousands each day renting cars to take down Seattle. Have you looked into taking Amtrak back to Seattle, you could check you baggage, wander around in Vancouver and then catch the train...just an idea.

 

With regard to the border question, your fastest border crossing will be at Aldergrove/Lynden. I would download the directions and map from MapQuest but here goes. Take Georgia St west over Georgia Viaduct, take Main St exit, right on Main to Terminal St. (just a few blocks) left on Terminal.....terminal becomes 1st Ave. and stay on it until you come to Hwy 1 , take east bound ramp and stay on it until you are directed to the border crossing which as I recall is 240th Ave. You will meander thru Aldergrove and come to the border crossing, from there it is a straight to I-5.

My the way of a heads up, May 17 thru 19th is a holiday weekend in Canada, it is the Victoria Day long weekend so be prepared for crowds.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

[jbh7]

Also check over on the WEST COAST DEPARTURES forum - lots of info there about the train, rental cars, hotels etc.

[Budget Queen]

I have rented from Budget, Avis, National and Alamo in downtown Vancouver. All are walkable to Canada Place, without luggage and and no mobility issues. There is also Hertz. Your price is the in range.

If you do not return it within your 24 hour clock, you will be charged an extra day.

 

Vancouver is a big congested city, so if you want downtown activities, stay near downtown. Look at the Days Inn, very basic but excellent location.

 

Usually everyone is off the ship by 10 am. People now want to embark around noon. :) The later you go, the longer the border crossing is going to be. I cross in Lynden which overall has shorter lines, but with the increased back ups at Blaine, Lynden is bound to get more traffic.

 

In addition to the above Amtrak reference. I would NOT be checking my bags back and forth to the RR depot. Canada Place has a bag check.

[shannieb77]

Best Western Vancouver is about $140 (CDN) per night. I am staying there for my cruise in June. I never had probelms with Best Westerns...

[TMLAalum]

I see you are from TN. You will be arriving in SEA at 9:20 your time assuming that your flights are on time. Add an hour for collecting luggage and rental car. It is at least 3 hours to Vancouver. You have a young'un with you as well. IMHO you would be better off staying that first nite near Seatac and then in the a.m pick up your rental car & head to Vancouver.

 

I speak from an experience we had last year. We were to arrive in SEA @ 1:30 pm, but our flight was delayed and so we actually got there closer to 4pm. We were headed past Vancouver to Whistler. This was 7pm our time. Traffic was horrendous, and it took us 2+ hrs to get through the Lyden crossing. Once on Canada 1 we made good time to Vancouver, but let me tell you, doing the Sea-to-Sky Hwy from there to Whistler in the dark and "running on empty" was quite the challenge for DH & me. We made it to the Aspens at Whistler shortly after 10 pm.

 

If I had ESP, I'd have opted to spend the nite in Seattle and driven across the border the following morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

[Putterdude]

Vancouver is a big congested city, so if you want downtown activities, stay near downtown. Look at the Days Inn, very basic but excellent location.

 

I know the hotel well, I worked next door to it for years, it is showing a rate for May 17 of $209 to $225, there are better deals than that in Vancouver. It also has no parking if you keep your car. However locationaly it is good.

[Putterdude]

Best Western Vancouver is about $140 (CDN) per night. I am staying there for my cruise in June. I never had probelms with Best Westerns...

 

If you have Best Western -Downtown which is on Drake you will enjoy it, It is just off Granville and fairly quiet for a downtown hotel.

 

If you have Best Western - Chateau Granville, I would be giving it a second look. It is in the heart of the Granville Entertainment District, with lots of clubs, bars, adult book stores, pawn shops....... it can get pretty rowdy late at night when the bars start to close up. The hotel also has been known as a centre for drugs and prostitution.

 

IMHO that there was a time when BW's were solid operators but in their rush to grow their brand we are finding more and more of their properties to be ones that we won't return to.

[josetann]

I see you are from TN. You will be arriving in SEA at 9:20 your time assuming that your flights are on time. Add an hour for collecting luggage and rental car. It is at least 3 hours to Vancouver. You have a young'un with you as well. IMHO you would be better off staying that first nite near Seatac and then in the a.m pick up your rental car & head to Vancouver.

 

...

 

If I had ESP, I'd have opted to spend the nite in Seattle and driven across the border the following morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

 

Actually, since we have the little one, that's one more reason for me to drive late at night. He can just sleep the whole way. The alternative is to wake up bright and early...and then be stuck in a car not able to run around and play. Now if we're talking about three hours in line at night vs 5-10 minutes during the day, it's a no-brainer. But if the line isn't much worse late at night as it would be early in the morning, then we'd probably opt for crossing at night.

 

Another possibility would be to stay in Seattle that night, then take the train. I ran the numbers quickly in my head and unless ticket prices have changed, it'd cost just as much if not more (once you figure in the tickets for three adults, plus the cost to get from the airport to downtown), plus it'd be more inconvenient. Nonetheless I will research that option some more.

 

Thanks for the feedback all!

[Putterdude]

Your worst hours at the border will, in most cases, be between 8 am to 8 pm so if you were going to make a late evening run you know when to do it. If you decide to drive there is a number of popular priced motels in Bellingham,WA which is about 30 min south of the border and a Super 8 in Ferndale which is about 15 mins south of the border. So from either of those you could do an early morning border run. Just grist for the mill!

[shannieb77]

If you have Best Western -Downtown which is on Drake you will enjoy it, It is just off Granville and fairly quiet for a downtown hotel.

 

If you have Best Western - Chateau Granville, I would be giving it a second look. It is in the heart of the Granville Entertainment District, with lots of clubs, bars, adult book stores, pawn shops....... it can get pretty rowdy late at night when the bars start to close up. The hotel also has been known as a centre for drugs and prostitution.

 

IMHO that there was a time when BW's were solid operators but in their rush to grow their brand we are finding more and more of their properties to be ones that we won't return to.

 

 

I am staying at the one on Drake. I've stayed there before and loved it.

[Putterdude]

I am staying at the one on Drake. I've stayed there before and loved it.

 

Always happy to learn things like that, because as a resident you don't always know what the accomodation is like, thanks.

[2bundles]

I didn't think you could do US/Canada one way rentals??

 

I saw someone else mentioning the YMCA was a decent 3 star close to the port. Otherwise try trip advisor. They haven't let me down yet!

[Putterdude]

Yes you certainly can do one way rentals between Canada & the US, hundreds are done daily during the cruise season. There was a time a Canadian could not drive a US platted car into Canada but that has now been relaxed to permit a Canadian to drive such a car across the border but must take directly to the rental company location. As for the YMCA the rooms are clean but there are better daily rates in Vancouver.