Vancouver or Seattle?

[Dunn1951]

We are going to Alaska next July and I am undecided about flying into Seattle and taking a transfer bus to Vancouver. It seems to cost less to fly into Seattle. Has anyone taken the transfer from Seattle to the ship terminal? Should I just fly into Vancouver and pay the difference?

[trophy_23]

That would depend on how much the difference is I guess. Its going to be about a 4hr bus ride +/-, depending on border traffic etc so think about whether you want to do that and what your time is worth. I would consider the Amtrak from Seattle as a good option as well.

[Keith1010]

I know some fly to Seattle. If it was me I would fly into Vancouver which is what we have done several times.

 

Keith

[Happy ks]

Since we are only a 3 hour plane ride to Vancouver and Seattle is only a few minutes less, we'll pay to fly the extra few minutes and save the grueling hours on the bus.

 

Vancouver is a lovely city and well worth the visit. Of course, so is Seattle, but if leaving for a cruise, if it's not more than $100-200 more per person to fly to Vancouver...so very worth it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

We have done quite a few cruises out of Vancouver -- from Pittsburgh, PA it is much cheaper to fly into Seattle and use HAL's transfers to get to Vancouver. We always fly in a couple of days early to allow enough time to get to Vancouver. Also from Pittsburgh we would have to take 3 flights to get to Vancouver -- our schedules are that bad here.

[momofmeg]

We rented a car through Avis at the airport-the drive was about 3 hours even though we stopped 2 or 3 times for 10 or 15 minutes each time-not a bad drive, and we found it very scenic and enjoyable. (which is why we kept stopping) Plus we were able to drive to the Space Needle before we started our drive to Vancouver. We did this because flying from Atlanta, we would have to change planes in Seattle and the plane to Vancouver was one of those dinky 50 PAX things. I am terrified of those. Now, this was pre 9-11. I have read it is not so simple to rent a car and drive across the border now. Hertz will no longer do this, I read in a post here. So you need to check and see if Avis will.

 

I also understand Amtrak will take you there, so that is another option.

[emrmom]

If you plan it right, the best option is to go to Seattle and visit that beautiful city. Then take the Amtrak up the coast to Vancouver. It is a gorgeous, comfortable ride that hugs the coastline and gives you such a window into life on the Pacific Coast. It was one of the highlights of our cruise experience. You'll need to grab a cab from the train terminal to the cruise terminal, but that is also a pleasant ride through the center of downtown Vancouver.

 

Have fun planning!

[bqkali]

My opinion only...

 

I cruised round-trip out of Vancouver in September but flew round-trip to Seattle. My Seattle flight was $240 and a flight to Vancouver was $425 so there was a huge cost difference. A round-trip transfer between the 2 will vary (depending on if you choose train, bus, or rental car), but is likely $60-100 per person.

 

I did not mind the train ride from Seattle to Vancouver (pre-cruise) at all. At $30/ticket for a 4-hour journey it was affordable and comfortable. Plenty of room at my seat, pretty scenery, and a movie playing in the train cars for entertainment. Free wifi too, if you want to bring your laptop and get something done on the trip. Plus, this option gave me a chance to spend some time in Seattle - a city I had never been to before so I was anxious to explore.

 

After the cruise, I spent the day in Vancouver before catching an evening train back to Seattle. It was easy enough to store my luggage at the train station for the day so I was "hands-free" to explore a little of Vancouver. The ride back seemed to drag on more, since it was dark for most of the trip (and even if it wasn't, the scenery would be repetitive from the ride up) and I was just anxious to get to my hotel and call it a night. Somehow, the "pleasantness" of the train ride lost its appeal on the return leg when you are just antsy to get off, have a nice dinner (instead of sandwiches on the train), and get comfortable in your hotel room.

 

If I were to cruise out of Vancouver again (and I likely will because Alaska was INCREDIBLE), I would look into multi-city flights: i.e. flying to Seattle before the cruise but flying out of Vancouver after the cruise (or vice versa) so that you still get to see both Seattle & Vancouver, get some of the savings, and only have to take the train once.

[klfrodo]

OP,

 

You probably already know this, but, just a reminder.

If flying into Vancouver BC, you must have a passport BOOK.

If driving, taking a bus/shuttle, train, you must have either the passport book, passport card, or (in some States), and Enhanced Drivers License (or other approved travel documentation)

Birth Certificate and photo ID no longer gets you across the Canadian border

[mtwingcpa]

If you fly into Seattle, you can catch the QuickShuttle bus (search on Google) at the airport. It will take you to downtown hotels in Vancouver or directly to the Vancouver cruise ship terminals. Yeah, it's a 4+ hour trip and can get a bit boring, but in my opinion it is much less hassle than either flying or training to Vancouver and then arranging for whatever additional transfers are necessary from the airport or train station.

 

Also check out the West Coast Departures section here on Cruise Critic.

[RetireeWannabee]

Amtrak I think is morning Seattle > Vanc, evening Vanc > Seattle

 

CHEAP. I would do that rather than bus, myself.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The reason we did HAL's bus transfer was because they came to the hotel and picked up our luggage -- we didn't have to haul it ourselves.

 

DH has a heart problem which prevents him from hauling heavy pieces of luggage any distance.

[GORDONCHICK]

If there is a significant difference in the airfare, I wouldn't hesitate to fly into Seattle and take the Amtrak Cascades train to Vancouver. It was over $250 pp (and there were 3 of us), and I think the train was less than $80 for all three of us (one way). The train was a very relaxing way to make the trip. The Cascades train (the only one that runs from SEA to Vancouver BC) leaves Seattle at 7:40am. The train coming back to Seattle leaves Vancouver about 6pm. Be sure to pick the Cascades train - the other options are Amtrak buses!

[RetireeWannabee]

forgot to mention - AAA members get a discount on Amtrak.

[fideauxdon]

I was checking on alternatives this week for a Panama Canal cruise in Fall, 2010. The One-way airfare from Orlando to Vancouver was $273 for a decent one-stop flight. The fare to Seattle was $125. The Seattle Shuttle from SEA airport to downtown Vancouver is about $55 per person, making flying into SEA much cheaper. The significant thing is that nearly every flight from Orlando to Vancouver stops in Seattle anyway. This makes the choice of Seattle a no-brainer for me, but someone flying from somewhere else might see far different results.

[sunseeker09]

I'm looking at it from the opposite direction, but similar factors of course. Living in Vancouver we often find that flights out of Seattle around the US are cheaper. We've done it and looked at every option we can. The train just doesn't run often enough/right times/right locations. Maybe it works, but I don't personally know of anyone who does this from here. The Quick Shuttle runs more frequently and with better stops (not a concern for those who go airport to downtown I realize) but it's still a couple hundred round trip for 2 and takes a long time. If someone on the bus doesn't have papers in order the entire bus is held up. I know of cases of this. So you have to leave lots of extra time for the border. Plus you have to watch with your flight times. If you arrive later in the day or depart early in the morning you quite possibly can't connect without an overnight on one end or the other.

Last vacation we drove and did a park and fly hotel option. Not bad, but by the time we added the long drive both ways, gas, border hassles, cost of hotel and parking (even with the park & fly package) it's a lot of time, money and headaches.

It's personal preference of course, but do weigh ALL the costs, be very mindful of flight times and connections, and overall extra time spent. The cost saving has to be huge for us to justify it again. So we're flying out of Vancouver this Jan. for our cruise out of San Juan. The flights were about $300 more which would have been less than all the costs of Seattle.

[GORDONCHICK]

One thing to consider when calculating savings of flying into Seattle and then taking the Cascades train to Vancouver is that the train leaves at 7:40am. Unless you're on a red-eye, you're going to wind up staying at a hotel in Seattle and taking a taxi to the train station. It was still very worth it for us (saved $750 after hotel and taxi).

[mtwingcpa]

Sunseeker09, I think you raise excellent points. If you are trying to make "same day" connections at either end and thereby avoid extra hotel nights, then flying in/out of YVR might be a "bargain" all things considered. On the other hand, if you were planning to stay the extra night(s) ANYWAY, then the land transfer options become more viable.

 

By the way, for those who are interested, I believe AMTRAK has added an extra train on the Seattle - Vancouver run, at least through the Olympics in February. Maybe they will continue it after that. It would be an option to keep an eye on.

[momofmeg]

Sunseeker09, I think you raise excellent points. If you are trying to make "same day" connections at either end and thereby avoid extra hotel nights, then flying in/out of YVR might be a "bargain" all things considered. On the other hand, if you were planning to stay the extra night(s) ANYWAY, then the land transfer options become more viable.

 

By the way, for those who are interested, I believe AMTRAK has added an extra train on the Seattle - Vancouver run, at least through the Olympics in February. Maybe they will continue it after that. It would be an option to keep an eye on.

 

I would think they would make a deal with the cruise lines to add extra runs during the Alaska cruising season. I would prefer a train to a bus any ole time.

[mtwingcpa]

I would think they would make a deal with the cruise lines to add extra runs during the Alaska cruising season. I would prefer a train to a bus any ole time.

 

I suppose the problem is that you would still have to transfer people to the train depots from the airports or cruise terminals. Meanwhile, a bus can take people directly. Indeed, I believe some (but not all) cruise lines run their own buses between the Seattle airport and the Vancouver cruise terminals, at least on selected cruises.

 

Recent expansions of light rail systems in both Seattle and Vancouver MIGHT make connecting to AMTRAK a bit easier. But it remains to be seen whether those systems will work conveniently for people with more than nominal carry-on luggage.

[beachchick]

I would think they would make a deal with the cruise lines to add extra runs during the Alaska cruising season. I would prefer a train to a bus any ole time.

 

Unfortunately, it's rather more than just adding "extra runs" because it would require arranging extra use of rail lines (which Amtrak does not own), arranging border agents to be on hand (governments don't seem to love doing that), likely adding trains (which is problematic at best), and adding crew (because there are restrictions on how many hours certain ratings can work). That's a lot to ask of Amtrak, which is challenged just to keep going as is.

 

With fewer ships even doing Alaska and some of them going out of Seattle to begin with, I seriously doubt it would be feasible or economical. It would be nice, but would only work if we (as a country) took country-wide train travel as seriously (read: we'd pay more taxes or higher rail fares) as many other countries do. That's one thing we love about Scandinavia: You don't need a car most of the time, not even to get from country to country or from one end of a country to the other. OTOH, I do realize that we are a vast and varied country, so much of the train service that smaller countries rely on would be extraordinarily difficult here. Most people simply don't have 3 or 4 days to get from one side of the country to the other.

 

To answer the original question: We know both airports and have also taken the Coast Starlight from CA to Seattle several times. For Vancouver departures, we'd fly to Vancouver. Keep checking fares because it is sometimes possible to find prices that are similar to flying into SEA. In fact, our last time into Vancouver, it was actually less than flying into SEA, so we had our DD (who lives in Seattle) come up and visit us in Vancouver for a few days.

 

beachchick

[momofmeg]

Unfortunately, it's rather more than just adding "extra runs" because it would require arranging extra use of rail lines (which Amtrak does not own), arranging border agents to be on hand (governments don't seem to love doing that), likely adding trains (which is problematic at best), and adding crew (because there are restrictions on how many hours certain ratings can work). That's a lot to ask of Amtrak, which is challenged just to keep going as is.

 

With fewer ships even doing Alaska and some of them going out of Seattle to begin with, I seriously doubt it would be feasible or economical. It would be nice, but would only work if we (as a country) took country-wide train travel as seriously (read: we'd pay more taxes or higher rail fares) as many other countries do. That's one thing we love about Scandinavia: You don't need a car most of the time, not even to get from country to country or from one end of a country to the other. OTOH, I do realize that we are a vast and varied country, so much of the train service that smaller countries rely on would be extraordinarily difficult here. Most people simply don't have 3 or 4 days to get from one side of the country to the other.

 

To answer the original question: We know both airports and have also taken the Coast Starlight from CA to Seattle several times. For Vancouver departures, we'd fly to Vancouver. Keep checking fares because it is sometimes possible to find prices that are similar to flying into SEA. In fact, our last time into Vancouver, it was actually less than flying into SEA, so we had our DD (who lives in Seattle) come up and visit us in Vancouver for a few days.

 

beachchick

 

Oh well, all I know, at least I would be willing to pay more for a train ride, than a bus ride. A train ride is just more fun, and usually more scenic. I know from Seward, the cruise lines make a killing on THAT train ride. It is like half the price, for people who take it later in the day-but the first run is exclusive for cruise ship PAX who have debarked.

 

Nine years ago that train ride was $50 if you took it later in the day, but if you took the morning train booked through the cruiseline, it was $90. I am sure it is more by now. BTW,You could take a bus for $50 a person to Anchorage.

 

Since there were 5 of us who debarked, we rented a van for $300 and took the road that paralleled the train. We saw moose, balooga whales, and some sort of wild sheep native to Alaska. We loved our drive to Anchorage about as good as any excursion we had taken the previous week.

[DizzyDallasDi]

When I go on vacation, I want to do it without calculating every mile and every dime. I just want to get away from a very stressful job and enjoy myself. I flew roundtrip to YVR from DFW in a first class seat (bought with miles) and stayed in a beautiful hotel 2 nights (unbelievable rate from Priceline) before I left. I simply looked for the easiest and most comfortable way to get me to my Alaska cruise and booked it. All this analysis wears me out. :D That said, I travel solo so I don't have to worry about buying airfare for several family members. However, I do pay that rotten 200% single supplement :eek: for the aft balcony I must have. I guess it all evens out in the end.

 

My opinion -- just go and enjoy. Life is short and vacations are valuable. Don't stress over every little detail. :D

[beachchick]

Oh well, all I know, at least I would be willing to pay more for a train ride, than a bus ride. A train ride is just more fun, and usually more scenic. I know from Seward, the cruise lines make a killing on THAT train ride. It is like half the price, for people who take it later in the day-but the first run is exclusive for cruise ship PAX who have debarked.

 

Nine years ago that train ride was $50 if you took it later in the day, but if you took the morning train booked through the cruiseline, it was $90. I am sure it is more by now. BTW,You could take a bus for $50 a person to Anchorage.

 

Since there were 5 of us who debarked, we rented a van for $300 and took the road that paralleled the train. We saw moose, balooga whales, and some sort of wild sheep native to Alaska. We loved our drive to Anchorage about as good as any excursion we had taken the previous week.

 

I absolutely agree. We really enjoy train travel, but you'd have to tie us up and force us to get on a bus of any kind.

 

Sounds like you had a great adventure in Alaska.:) Too bad the cruise lines felt the need to charge so much for the early morning trip. I wonder if that was a special run arranged just for cruise passengers and so not on the standard schedule?

 

beachchick

[momofmeg]

I absolutely agree. We really enjoy train travel, but you'd have to tie us up and force us to get on a bus of any kind.

 

Sounds like you had a great adventure in Alaska.:) Too bad the cruise lines felt the need to charge so much for the early morning trip. I wonder if that was a special run arranged just for cruise passengers and so not on the standard schedule?

 

beachchick

 

I am not sure. I just figured it was something arranged for cruise ship PAX, and that the cruise lines got a cut off the cost. You could only book it through the cruise ship. The next train left around 4 in the afternoon. I do think many PAX used it, because we toured the nature center there and there was a TON on luggage stacked up outside the center, (and no one watching it) I was glad our luggage was in a locked van.

 

Yes, I enjoyed beautiful Alaska and hope to go again. We just have so many trips we would like to do on our bucket list that we have never done, I am not sure if we will get to Alaska again. I hope to though. If I lived on your coast, instead of the east coast, I am sure I would have gone again by now.