Trains and boats and planes ........

[OlsSalt]

Interesting offer in our Sunday travel section: called the "West Coast Swing" -11 days.

 

1. Amtrak Coast Starlight to Seattle from any Calif city

2. Two nights in Seattle - Hotel Roosevelt

3. Ferry to Victoria BC

4. Two nights in Victoria plus city tour

5. Ferry to Vancouver

6. Overnight stay Vancouver

7. Four-night Noordam cruise - Vancouver to San Diego," Holland America's elegant Dutch ocean liner"

8. Amtrak return to any California city.

 

**starting from $2,695

[Cruiser Andi]

Sounds fun!

[rafinmd]

I'd be tempted if it started in DC with the Capitol Limited and Empire Builder to Seattle and ended with the Southwest Chief and Capitol Limited back home.

 

Roy

[Cruising-along]

I would love it if it went the reverse, Seattle to CA! Sounds wonderful for those in CA.

[igraf]

That's a long train ride from my home in San Diego to Seattle!

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

Interesting offer in our Sunday travel section: called the "West Coast Swing" -11 days.

 

1. Amtrak Coast Starlight to Seattle from any Calif city

2. Two nights in Seattle - Hotel Roosevelt

3. Ferry to Victoria BC

4. Two nights in Victoria plus city tour

5. Ferry to Vancouver

6. Overnight stay Vancouver

7. Four-night Noordam cruise - Vancouver to San Diego," Holland America's elegant Dutch ocean liner"

8. Amtrak return to any California city.

 

**starting from $2,695

[avian777]

Interesting offer in our Sunday travel section: called the "West Coast Swing" -11 days.

 

1. Amtrak Coast Starlight to Seattle from any Calif city

2. Two nights in Seattle - Hotel Roosevelt

3. Ferry to Victoria BC

4. Two nights in Victoria plus city tour

5. Ferry to Vancouver

6. Overnight stay Vancouver

7. Four-night Noordam cruise - Vancouver to San Diego," Holland America's elegant Dutch ocean liner"

8. Amtrak return to any California city.

 

**starting from $2,695

 

Very interesting offer but IMO a tad over-priced even if all meals in Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver are included (which I doubt).

[Cruise_More_Often]

That's a long train ride from my home in San Diego to Seattle!

 

igraf

Heck, it's even a long train ride from the San Francisco Bay Area to Seattle, and one we won't be doing again.

[cl.klink]

Interesting offer in our Sunday travel section: called the "West Coast Swing" -11 days.

 

1. Amtrak Coast Starlight to Seattle from any Calif city

2. Two nights in Seattle - Hotel Roosevelt

3. Ferry to Victoria BC

4. Two nights in Victoria plus city tour

5. Ferry to Vancouver

6. Overnight stay Vancouver

7. Four-night Noordam cruise - Vancouver to San Diego," Holland America's elegant Dutch ocean liner"

8. Amtrak return to any California city.

 

**starting from $2,695

 

Clever. I assume a travel agent / broker put this together, purchasing the different elements. It sounds like a good trip. I like it when the travel itself is part of the reason for the trip.

 

- Joel

[Cruising-along]

That's a long train ride from my home in San Diego to Seattle!

 

igraf

 

It depends on how much you like (or dislike) train rides. I have friends who have done that trip and absolutely loved it. But they love Amtrak.

[rkacruiser]

I have enjoyed some long distance Amtrak trips: Cincinnati-Chicago-San Francisco-Seattle-Chicago-Cincinnati and New York-New Orleans-Los Angeles-Chicago and Washington, D. C.-West Palm Beach-Washington, D. C. and many years ago a Dayton-New York-Dayton journey (that was when Jimmy Carter was in the White House). Enjoyed them all, met some interesting people on the trains, and even witnessed a couple of "gentlemen" who had to be removed from the Southwest Chief soon after departing Los Angeles.

 

Amtrak is a really great way to see the magnificence of America.

Edited March 27, 2016 by rkacruiser

[3rdGenCunarder]

I'd be tempted if it started in DC with the Capitol Limited and Empire Builder to Seattle and ended with the Southwest Chief and Capitol Limited back home.

 

Roy

 

I'll take the Lake Shore LImited and join you in Chicago!

 

 

I have enjoyed some long distance Amtrak trips: Cincinnati-Chicago-San Francisco-Seattle-Chicago-Cincinnati and New York-New Orleans-Los Angeles-Chicago and Washington, D. C.-West Palm Beach-Washington, D. C. and many years ago a Dayton-New York-Dayton journey (that was when Jimmy Carter was in the White House). Enjoyed them all, met some interesting people on the trains, and even witnessed a couple of "gentlemen" who had to be removed from the Southwest Chief soon after departing Los Angeles.

 

Amtrak is a really great way to see the magnificence of America.

 

I agree!

[igraf]

San Diego to Seattle is 38 hours (!!) by train versus 3 hours by air, and the air fare is less than the train fare. The train fare is much higher if you want a sleeper "roomette" on the train, more than 1st class on the airplane.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

It depends on how much you like (or dislike) train rides. I have friends who have done that trip and absolutely loved it. But they love Amtrak.

[Just_a_cruiser]

It sounds expensive to me.

[3rdGenCunarder]

San Diego to Seattle is 38 hours (!!) by train versus 3 hours by air, and the air fare is less than the train fare. The train fare is much higher if you want a sleeper "roomette" on the train, more than 1st class on the airplane.

 

igraf

 

It's about the experience, not speed.

 

It's one of those things that, if it doesn't "speak" to you, it sounds like a bad idea. I guess I caught the train geek thing from my Dad, because I love it. That's how we travel to and from Florida for a winter cruise or a winter break in Miami.

[Mr. Boston]

San Diego to Seattle is 38 hours (!!) by train versus 3 hours by air, and the air fare is less than the train fare. The train fare is much higher if you want a sleeper "roomette" on the train, more than 1st class on the airplane.

 

igraf

 

 

?..and flying from New York to London is six hours vs. a seven day crossing on the QM2...

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Cruising-along]

San Diego to Seattle is 38 hours (!!) by train versus 3 hours by air, and the air fare is less than the train fare. The train fare is much higher if you want a sleeper "roomette" on the train, more than 1st class on the airplane.

 

igraf

 

Exactly what my DH says :D

But there are some who prefer the train, and why I said it depends on how much you like (or dislike) trains. ;)

[RMLincoln]

Are all luggage transfers included, how many meals? Sounds very busy to me but interesting. You're sitting up all night in the train both directions... I might ask about an upgrade on the trains to a roomette, and that would include your meals then! Otherwise the meals will be extra on the train and you sit up all night - two nights out of 10... yuck.

 

The Seattle ferry to Victoria might be the clipper, 90 minutes of bashing into the waves but once you get there a nice day in Victoria.... and a nice day in Vancouver. Plus a cruise, likely in an inside room. And then another marathon train trip.

 

You have to really like riding the rails and living out of a suitcase but it might be a fun trip. Expensive... $270/night plus most meals? To each their own. I'd rather take a longer cruise for that amount of money. m--

[serendipity1499]

I have enjoyed some long distance Amtrak trips: Cincinnati-Chicago-San Francisco-Seattle-Chicago-Cincinnati and New York-New Orleans-Los Angeles-Chicago and Washington, D. C.-West Palm Beach-Washington, D. C. and many years ago a Dayton-New York-Dayton journey (that was when Jimmy Carter was in the White House). Enjoyed them all, met some interesting people on the trains, and even witnessed a couple of "gentlemen" who had to be removed from the Southwest Chief soon after departing Los Angeles.

 

Amtrak is a really great way to see the magnificence of America.

 

Completely Agree with you! :)

 

I'm retired from a European Airline but one of our most memorable vacations was taken in 1999..We flew to Denver & boarded the "American Orient Express" to Portland.. The train trip was for 7 days & included the Rockies & Yellowstone..

 

We then flew to SFO, where we rented a car, & drove to Vegas & on to the Grand Canyon.. I had never seen this part of our country..

 

We still talk about this vacation & would love to do it again..

 

Unfortunately, the company went out of business..

[retiredkid]

Our upcoming trip........ 4 day coach (bus) trip from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale, 19day HAL cruise, FLL to Vancouver, then riding the rails through the Rockies from Vancouver to Toronto. 27 days total. Longest trip EV.ER. for us! So excited!

[Lizzie68]

Our upcoming trip........ 4 day coach (bus) trip from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale, 19day HAL cruise, FLL to Vancouver, then riding the rails through the Rockies from Vancouver to Toronto. 27 days total. Longest trip EV.ER. for us! So excited!

 

And you will get to see so much more than you would with flying. That sounds like quite the vacation.:)

[rafinmd]

Our upcoming trip........ 4 day coach (bus) trip from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale, 19day HAL cruise, FLL to Vancouver, then riding the rails through the Rockies from Vancouver to Toronto. 27 days total. Longest trip EV.ER. for us! So excited!

 

Amtrak is nice but VIA is even better. Enjoy!!!

[RuthC]

Our upcoming trip........ 4 day coach (bus) trip from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale, 19day HAL cruise, FLL to Vancouver, then riding the rails through the Rockies from Vancouver to Toronto. 27 days total. Longest trip EV.ER. for us! So excited!

I'd be excited, too! That sounds like a fabulous trip (well, maybe not the bus portion so much). Great cruise and a really nice rain trip.

 

Have a grand time.

[rkacruiser]

Amtrak is nice but VIA is even better. Enjoy!!!

 

A VIA Rail journey across Canada is on my bucket list! Maybe I am not thinking straight, but a Winter trip through the Canadian Rockies and across the Plains ought to be beautiful.

[OlsSalt]

Amtrak Coast Starlight route description: 38 hours of pretty spectacular sights.

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/408/807/Amtrak-Coast-Starlight-Train-Route-Guide-2014.pdf

[igraf]

Tell you what, you ride a train for a week and I will sail the QM2 for a week....

 

 

An alternative travel arrangement (to what was originally posted) is hooking up a Pacific Coastal cruise to Vancouver BC with a one-night cruise from Vancouver BC to Seattle (or reversed). This is legal IF one stays two-nights on shore between the cruises which is fine in this case as the OP suggested hotel stays in Vancouver or Victoria anyway. I recently confirmed the two-night rule with another cruise line. The rule is the same for the two cruises being of the same or two different cruise lines.

 

The benefit of this hookup is that all flights from the western USA to the ports are easy domestic flights (and you get to cruise for another night).

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

?..and flying from New York to London is six hours vs. a seven day crossing on the QM2...