Amtrak Vancouver to Seattle Border Question

[reney313]

We arrive by cruise into Vancouver and am looking at taking the Amtrak to Seattle. I'm ready to book my air, and it looks like I will have approx. 2 hours from the Amtrak station in Seattle to get to the airport and checked in (on a very late flight so I'm not worried about traffic or even long lines at the airport). However, I started wondering "where" we went through US Border Crossing? Do we clear customs before getting on the train in Vancouver? I just want to ensure that we don't have a potential for a delay in the posted train time into Seattle at 10:10pm to make our midnight flight.

 

Are there others that have had this same route?

[LeftcoastBC]

Although the Train South runs on time most of the time I don't suppose anyone will say that it does all the time. My experience: I would do it.

 

The border crossing is usually done quickly. BUT it is a border crossing and things do happen.

[reney313]

Thank you. Seems like a decent risk. I went ahead and booked the flight this evening. I can wait on the Amtrak and we can decide later if we want to do a bus or other shuttle instead and hang out in Seattle for a few hours vs. in Vancouver for a few hours. I haven't been to either city prior so I would be happy with both; but envision I have more of a chance getting back to Seattle sometime vs. Vancouver so would rather take the later train and spend the afternoon in BC.

 

I was amazed at the price difference in airfare between the two cities. I was willing to do Vancouver for a few hundred $$ difference so we wouldn't have the extra train ride and hassle, but the taxes on the flight took it to double the difference so....Seattle it is. I was happy to find a late night flight so we could save on needing a hotel room that would only serve as a momentary stop as we would have needed to be gone so early in the morning to catch a flight that it really wouldn't have been worth it.

[LeftcoastBC]

Check Flying out of Belllingham Wa. Sometimes that works and train goes through there. ??

[bondscruisegal]

I just recently took the Amtrak train from Vancouver to the US. You pick up and fill your US Customs declarations in Vancouver just before you check in. The train will stop at the Peach Arch border crossing and US Customs agents will board the train to search it and collect the Customs declarations. On the day I traveled this didn't take very long.

[trophy_23]

I just recently took the Amtrak train from Vancouver to the US. You pick up and fill your US Customs declarations in Vancouver just before you check in. The train will stop at the Peach Arch border crossing and US Customs agents will board the train to search it and collect the Customs declarations. On the day I traveled this didn't take very long.

 

Exactly as we experienced it. The officers walk through the train, collect the sheets and look at you passport for a second. They asked a couple questions to a few people. For us it was, where are you going.... A cruise... Ok ... And they moved on. Very simple process and we arrived about 11am in Seattle.

[Pee-ah]

Oh they do also bring on dogs to check :)

[Cruise_More_Often]

Oh they do also bring on dogs to check :)

They certainly do, and they ask that you not pet them. ;)

 

We just did the same trip for the same reason. The price differential between flying out of Vancouver to Oakland ($220 pp) or flying from Seattle ($85 pp) made it a no-brainer. Add the cheap (but ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS and relaxing) train ride at $30 pp and the lightrail from Seattle to Seatac airport ($2 pp senior rate), and you still have a huge cost savings. I can hardly wait to do it again.

 

We did the morning train, opting to stay overnight in Vancouver and leave early am.