Question-Amtrak Seattle to Vancouver

[dogandcatlover]

We are flying into Seattle the day before an Alaskan cruise aboard NCL Pearl that leaves from Vancouver. We are looking at taking the Amtrak the next morning (same day as cruise) from Seattle to Vancouver that departs Seattle at 7:40am and arrives in Vancouver at 11:40am. Does this leave enough time to make the 4:00pm Pearl sailing? I guess my concerns are delays with Amtrak leaving on time and customs/immigration.

Anyone have any experience on doing this?

[WINEMANVISALIA]

amtrak will guarantee your ride to vancouver...we have taken amtrak several times... spent a few days in vancouver...a much more interesting town...we also went to whistler by bus==a great day trip>>see here...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpaRg9TNyOA&feature=channel_video_title

 

so yes amtrak will get you there in plenty of time...but think about vancouver and whistler if you have the time...here is our overnight train part from last year..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFgkNVJnVM&feature=channel_video_title

[RoofingPrincess]

I took Amtrak Seattle to Vancouver on the Wednesday before my Saturday cruise. The train left VERY early in the morning and was in Vancouver around noon, in plenty of time if I'd been sailing that day. Customs/immigration was as we moved into the train station and took almost no time at all.

[Dan G]

the train originates in SEattle so its almost always on time. If you book business class you can preboard and your also the first off and the first to go thru immigration in Vancouver. Your 10-15 minutes from the dock in Vanc.

[Deb in Cali]

We are flying into Seattle the day before an Alaskan cruise aboard NCL Pearl that leaves from Vancouver. We are looking at taking the Amtrak the next morning (same day as cruise) from Seattle to Vancouver that departs Seattle at 7:40am and arrives in Vancouver at 11:40am. Does this leave enough time to make the 4:00pm Pearl sailing? I guess my concerns are delays with Amtrak leaving on time and customs/immigration.

Anyone have any experience on doing this?

 

Are you on the end or begining of the season? The Pearl, at least this year leaves from Pier 66 in Seattle.

[dogandcatlover]

Thanks everyone for your answers.

We will be on Pearl on 5/6/12 leaving Vancouver, returning to Seattle.

[zephyr17]

I've taken that train to Vancouver at least twice a year since they started the service in the 1990s. The latest I have ever arrived in Vancouver was about 12:45pm and even then I was out of customs and on the the street by about 1:15. As another poster pointed out, the train originates in Seattle and doesn't have thousands of miles to lose time in.

 

A whole lot of people use the train during cruise season, and I've never heard of anyone ever missing a cruise.

 

BTW, what troubles the train has is in the wintertime with mudslides (this last winter was epic), but it isn't a problem during cruise season.

[Putterdude]

Like Zephyr17 I have never heard of the train being very much of schedule during the cruise season. We did the Seattle to Vancouver junket in May and were extremely impressed with the service. We are booked to to the trip in reverse in September. We booked business class which was great, look for discounts if you are a senior, member of ARP or AAA.

[gacruiser5]

What is the easiest way to get from SEATAC to train station? How much time does it take to get from airport to train? Thanks.

[bracket_mom]

We are taking the train in late July. We are arriving in Seattle on a Thursday for a Saturday cruise departure. Instead of the Friday a.m. train, we decided on the early evening 6:40 p.m. departure on Thursday so we'd have a full day in Vancouver.

 

We arrive in Seattle at 11 a.m. Thursday and will take the light rail (only $2.75 pp) to within one block of the Amtrak station. We will check our bags and get a cab down to the Pike Market area. We'll have 4-5 hours to walk around that area of Seattle, grab a quick bite and then catch the train to Vancouver.

 

It will be a long day but we decided we'd rather have a full day in Vancouver before boarding the ship.

[Dan G]

if you go to tripadvisor.com on seattle forum on top right is specific instructions of taking lt rail to Amtrak. Takes about 40 minutes.

[runnerodb83]

What is the easiest way to get from SEATAC to train station? How much time does it take to get from airport to train? Thanks.

 

You can take a taxi downtown which will probably run you about 30-40 bucks. The drivers will know where the station is, just say Amtrak or King St. Station. Should take about 20 mins w/o traffic. Maybe up to 40 with traffic in the mornings.

 

If you are feeling a bit more adventurous and are limber with your luggage, you can take the light rail to downtown seattle which takes about 40 minutes pretty much every time. It costs 2.75 per person last time i checked but of course you have to schlep your own luggage on. While there is space to stow it, you'll be competing with bikers for that space. There is not much rooms in the aisles of the trains and the security cops which check for valid tickets periodically will not allow you to stow luggage in the area with folding seats for wheelchairs if they see it. Worst case, you'll have to stand with it or have someone stand with it. As many people have lamented its a bit of a walk from baggage claim to the station at the airport...but its the same distance from the far end of D, B, and A concourses to the baggage claim area. When you approach downtown listen for "International District/Chinatown Station"; there are maps above the door and stations are clearly marked, its the 4th stop from the downtown end. Once there, exit the train and head to the right toward the southern stairwells/elevator/escalator. Take them up and make a left and walk toward a building, when you get to the building (maybe 30 feet) make another left and walk towards a starbucks. Just passing the starbucks turn right down a wide walkway and walk toward 4th avenue (you should be able to see a stadium). Cross 4th avenue when the signal permits and walk over a bridge over railroad tracks. At the end take the stairs/or elevator down (not before, or you'll end up on commuter rail platform). By this point hang a slight right and walk toward the street entrance of the train station (big clock tower). In a few months, it should be possible to enter from Jackson St. but not just yet.

 

Hope this helps, really, you are only walking maybe 1/5 of a mile at most. Only reason I go into detail is because I help people maybe 2-3 times per week when I'm working down there.