Vancouver to Seattle - car/shuttle/train ?

[slumdogtexan]

Looks there are 4 options to go from Vancouver (Canada Place ) to Seattle airport:

 

1. Princess shuttle - $45 - requires flight out of Seattle after 3 pm

 

Princess will hand out a questionnaire a couple days before you disembark for all of your flight info. They will assign you a bus number based upon your departure time. When your bus number is called in the morning you disembark the ship, you don't have to deal with luggage (they load it on your assigned bus before you board), bypass customs and go straight to board the bus. They seal the cargo doors and the passenger door when they depart the pier and when you arrive at the border to cross, it is nothing more than an agent coming on board and checking passports then you drive through. Independent shuttles require their passengers to get off the bus and go inside to clear customs. This makes the Princess transfers much faster and very easy. ( Thanks to Hubble from UT for the info)

 

2. Quick shuttle - http://www.quickcoach.com/index.htm $57 one way

 

3. Car Rentals at Canada Place

Rental car kiosks are only available at Canada Place. They include: Avis, Budget, and National. There are no rental car kiosks at Ballantyne. Passengers need to pre-arrange pick-up or drop-off with the rental company in advance.

 

4. Amtrak http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...mtrak/HomePage

$35 - $37.50 . Scenic Route. Canada Place and Ballantyne Pier are about a 15-minute taxi ride from the station. Need to add Taxi cost.

 

Train and Bus Times:

Departure: 05:30 am, 06:40 am, 08:30 am, 11:30 am, 05:00 pm, 05:45pm

Arrivals: 09:00 am, 11:05 am, 12:00 pm, 03:30 pm, 08:30 pm, 10:10pm

 

If you are on Princess Cruise then Option #1 seems to be best choice. Comments ?

[Budget Queen]

Looks there are 4 options to go from Vancouver (Canada Place ) to Seattle airport:

 

1. Princess shuttle - $45 - requires flight out of Seattle after 3 pm

 

Princess will hand out a questionnaire a couple days before you disembark for all of your flight info. They will assign you a bus number based upon your departure time. When your bus number is called in the morning you disembark the ship, you don't have to deal with luggage (they load it on your assigned bus before you board), bypass customs and go straight to board the bus. They seal the cargo doors and the passenger door when they depart the pier and when you arrive at the border to cross, it is nothing more than an agent coming on board and checking passports then you drive through. Independent shuttles require their passengers to get off the bus and go inside to clear customs. This makes the Princess transfers much faster and very easy. ( Thanks to Hubble from UT for the info)

 

2. Quick shuttle - http://www.quickcoach.com/index.htm $57 one way

 

3. Car Rentals at Canada Place

Rental car kiosks are only available at Canada Place. They include: Avis, Budget, and National. There are no rental car kiosks at Ballantyne. Passengers need to pre-arrange pick-up or drop-off with the rental company in advance.

 

4. Amtrak http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...mtrak/HomePage

$35 - $37.50 . Scenic Route. Canada Place and Ballantyne Pier are about a 15-minute taxi ride from the station. Need to add Taxi cost.

 

Train Times:

Departure: 05:30 am, 06:40 am, 08:30 am, 11:30 am, 05:00 pm, 05:45pm

Arrivals: 09:00 am, 11:05 am, 12:00 pm, 03:30 pm, 08:30 pm, 10:10pm

 

If you are on Princess Cruise then Option #1 seems to be best choice. Comments ?

 

There is also Alamo and Hertz for downtown Vancouver rental cars.

 

There is Skytrain, IF you can handle all your own bags, to get to the Amtrak station. Your list is NOT all trains, most are buses.

 

All can be good options depending on what you need.

[slumdogtexan]

There is also Alamo and Hertz for downtown Vancouver rental cars.

 

There is Skytrain, IF you can handle all your own bags, to get to the Amtrak station. Your list is NOT all trains, most are buses.

 

All can be good options depending on what you need.

 

Thank you BQ. corrected my post to state Amtrak timings are both bus and train. Its clear Option #1 is best for me. Thanks again.

[grvdggr71]

The taxi ride would be $10-15 from the pier to the train station. I highly recommend the TRAIN (NOT the Amtrak bus) if you have the time to take it, as it is very scenic and actually quite relaxing. If you are under a time constraint though, don't hesitate to use the shuttle service you listed.

[scottbee]

The downside of the train of course is you end up at King St station in Seattle, another $30 taxi ride from Seatac.

 

The other option not mentioned is flying, AS/Alaska and AC/Air Canada (and/or their partners) offer frequent YVR-SEA flights. Of course you pay a penalty of crossing the border into the US by air, in the form of taxes imposed by the USA when you cross (Customs/Immgration/Agriculture inspection fees). Flights start at around $100 all in for SEA-YVR (factor in about $25 more for YVR-SEA).

[katmai]

There is now a light rail system connecting Seattle downtown to Seatac airport.

After getting off Amtrak Seattle station (King st), you can just walk across the street to International District light rail station to board the light rail.

It costs $2.50 and takes 30 minutes.

[compozer]

WE are staying four days post cruise so we can't use the Princess shuttle. We are planning to go to Vancouver island and then take a ferry to Seattle. BUT - I was just reading in a tour book that the ferry cancels if there are rough seas. Is this true???? Being boaters on Lake Michigan, I know you never can count on the weather but I'm concerned about missing our flight the next morning if no ferries are running. The Lake Michigan ferries don't cancel very often. The other question is: does the travel insurance policy cover a cancelled ferry??? thanks

[Momma Mojito]

There is now a light rail system connecting Seattle downtown to Seatac airport.

After getting off Amtrak Seattle station (King st), you can just walk across the street to International District light rail station to board the light rail.

It costs $2.50 and takes 30 minutes.

 

Sounded good to me, and showed this to my Dh and his question as always was ... What do you do with ALL the luggage???

[scottbee]

WE are staying four days post cruise so we can't use the Princess shuttle. We are planning to go to Vancouver island and then take a ferry to Seattle. BUT - I was just reading in a tour book that the ferry cancels if there are rough seas. Is this true???? Being boaters on Lake Michigan, I know you never can count on the weather but I'm concerned about missing our flight the next morning if no ferries are running. The Lake Michigan ferries don't cancel very often. The other question is: does the travel insurance policy cover a cancelled ferry??? thanks

 

It can cancel, but doesn't happen often, and then mostly in winter. Summer is nice and calm by comparison.

[Langley Cruisers]

For anyone else reading this and exploring their options, I wanted to mention one thing. I worked in a car rental office in Victoria, BC for five years and whenever we rented a car to be dropped off in another city, there was a drop charge. At the time, the drop charge to Seattle was $125.00. Now, things may have changed of course, but you always want to inquire about a drop charge when leaving the car in another city. Some assume they can drop anywhere they want as long as it's the same company, but it just isn't so. Do your homework and check out all the potential costs.

[HiMagicFan]

this time, but taking Disney in 2011 and are looking at our options. So thanks for the post.

 

I am thinking the train will be a good deal to see the sights but isn't the "train" a night ride? If so, will we really get to see anything or should we just consider renting a car (even with the drop off charge?).

 

No plans to do a flight unless it is direct home, so that is out.

 

CC is great because since we are so far out, I am now also considering doing a short trip to Victoria Island and then maybe go down to Seattle, if so, would definitely do the car then and ask about the drop charge~thx

 

Mahalo!

[milford_cruiser]

I am thinking the train will be a good deal to see the sights but isn't the "train" a night ride?

 

Not completely. Sunset in Vancouver is just after 9, and right around there in Seattle (at least for our ride on 7/16/10). Arrival in Seattle is 10:10, so we'll only be in the dark for the last bit.

 

I figure at best we'll see some great scenery on the way down, and at worst a nice sunset*. But wait, isn't that part of the scenery too?

 

* Barring the "low" probability of rain in the Pacific Northwest...;)

[Momma Mojito]

For anyone else reading this and exploring their options, I wanted to mention one thing. I worked in a car rental office in Victoria, BC for five years and whenever we rented a car to be dropped off in another city, there was a drop charge. At the time, the drop charge to Seattle was $125.00. Now, things may have changed of course, but you always want to inquire about a drop charge when leaving the car in another city. Some assume they can drop anywhere they want as long as it's the same company, but it just isn't so. Do your homework and check out all the potential costs.

 

Thanks, wish I would have known this before I booked our flights out of Seattle instead of Vancouver.

We are going to decide this week-end how we want to get to Seattle.

[compozer]

Thanks scottbee

[grvdggr71]

I am thinking the train will be a good deal to see the sights but isn't the "train" a night ride? If so, will we really get to see anything or should we just consider renting a car (even with the drop off charge?).

 

I agree with the other poster - as long as the weather cooperates, you'll enjoy a spectacular sunset on the way home. My wife snapped a great picture of Mount Baker while the sun was setting from our train ride to Seattle. Can't recommend the Cascades train enough!

[HiMagicFan]

Thanks for the advice...will check it out....I really want to check out the view versus doing the driving.:)

 

And the train will be something new for me too...so I appreciate the info!