Questions regarding flying into Seattle and cruising out of Vancouver

[TestingH2O]

Because we have free tickets and a companion pass on southwest, we will fly in and out of Seattle. However our cruise leaves out of Vancouver.

 

1. What's the best way to get from Seattle to Vancouver? Train? Bus? Rent a car?

 

2. Hotel suggestions for overnight in Vancouver? I've seen mention of the Pan Pacific. Ideally we'd get something that makes it easy to go out for dinner the night before and maybe near a coffe shop or quick activity to do in the morning. With the time change, I fully expect we will be up early.

 

Thanks for sharing your expertise.

[Kamloops50]

Because we have free tickets and a companion pass on southwest, we will fly in and out of Seattle. However our cruise leaves out of Vancouver.

 

1. What's the best way to get from Seattle to Vancouver? Train? Bus? Rent a car?

 

I would suggest flying both ways . If not a bus shuttle is the best.

http://www.quickcoach.com/

Train runs twice a day .Check the Amtrak schedule. Rental Car is not cost affective.

2. Hotel suggestions for overnight in Vancouver? I've seen mention of the Pan Pacific. Ideally we'd get something that makes it easy to go out for dinner the night before and maybe near a coffe shop or quick activity to do in the morning. With the time change, I fully expect we will be up early.

There are many nice hotels to fit all budgets.There are many places to eat in the downtown core of Vancouver.

Thanks for sharing your expertise.

 

 

See comments in RED.

[ShipsandDipper]

Flying might be the easiest. There also are buses from SEA to Vancouver.

 

The first time we rented a car at SEA and drove up, which was very pleasant because we were on our own time and schedule (came in a few days early). The one-day, one-way rental was expensive, but it was cheaper than two air tickets and we were able to drop the car off just a few blocks from our B&B, so that was convenient.

 

Last time we didn't care about spending time in Vancouver, so we flew to SEA, stayed at a cheap airport hotel for what remained of the night, then took the train to Vancouver the next morning (same day the cruise was leaving). It was a bit stressful doing the same-day trip, but luckily it worked out fine.

[mapleleaves]

Best meaning ....fastest? cheapest? most scenic? most convenient?

 

You'll need to look at the prices and schedules to see what works best for you and your plans.

Options include Amtrak Cascades train or bus, Greyhound bus, cruiseline transfer, Bolt bus, Quick Shuttle, Alaska Airlines, rental car

Be mindful of where you meet your transfer and where you are dropped off, as it may require a cab ride.

[xlxo]

My vote goes to Quick Shuttle/Coach for $50 per person.

 

• Quick shuttle offers 5 to 7 daily trips with cruise teriminal pickup. Other require you to pay for a cab to the train/bus station which cost extra
  http://www.quickcoach.com/schedule.htm
  
• train offers two trips a day.... real early vs arriving real late. Not the most convenient.
  
• Other buses have you marshalling (adds time) for the bus and train the Pacific station for your departure time after the cab ride.... Quick Shuttle has you loaded and you go.
  

[martincath]

If the train times work for you, it's IMO the most pleasant option (scenic, least border hassles as all done in Vancouver on arrival with no actual border stop at all, has food and drink available onboard, and cheaper than QuickShuttle at US$32pp Saver - 2+ of you can easily get a cab on both ends with the money you save, as a one-way QS from Seatac is almost double the train cost at US$59pp).

 

Rental cars can be the cheapest and are the most flexible - take any route and border crossing you like, instead of being forced to take the commercial crossing that all buses and most trucks use. One-way rentals commonly have no drop fee as the date approaches, as Seattle-Vancouver is a popular route and cars end up in the 'wrong' country so need returned. Shop around all major companies, keep checking rates - I have never failed to find a car for less than $100 and many posters have reported rates of half that much. If there are four of you, a rental car is almost certainly going to be the cheapest all-in price too.

 

Bus-wise, Bolt and Greyhound are both cheaper than QuickShuttle - Bolt is as little as US$1, though more commonly $18-20pp. Greyhound has Companion fare discounts than sometimes make it cheaper than Bolt. Just like the train you do need to get from Seatac to downtown and then from bus station to pier in Vancouver, but the savings are more than enough to offset cab fare on both ends for two people. High number of departures and convenience of airport-pier do make QS the simplest way you can always book - but you are paying for that convenient pickup spot and time.

 

If your cruiseline is offering a shuttle, these are excellent value - reports are usually US$49pp and they have zero stops, so they're the fastest bus option and go airport-pier just like QS. The problem is that not every Vancouver departure has a Seatac shuttle available, it's all based on demand (probably how many folks want to book air through the cruiseline and want to fly SEA instead of YVR).

 

All buses suffer from the hassle of having to schlep your bags into the border post for immigration & customs, then take them back to the bus.

[K.T.B.]

The train is the easiest, IMO. The lone negative is the schedule. It leaves at 7:45 in the morning and arrives at 11:45 in Vancouver. If you're planning on staying in Seattle for a night and then taking the train up the day before the cruise, that'll probably work. My wife and I took the train up when we were on our trip this past May/June. Though we stopped off for an overnight stay with friends in Anacortes. The train was VERY easy and comfortable.

 

The bus is another option and there are more trips in the schedule. I have heard nothing but good things about it. Though you need to deal with traffic in crossing the border, and that's always a crap shoot.

 

As for hotels, if you're looking for some place somewhat reasonable and downtown, I suggest Ramada Inn at 1221 Granville. It was about $110 US for us when we stayed there. Super convenient and easy to get to the port by cab. It's not too far from the train station too. It's also across the street from one of my favorite restaurants in Vancouver: Two Parrots. :)

[Gardyloo]

The morning train means an overnight in Seattle; the evening train means no evening time in Vancouver. Your choice. Assuming your cruise is a round trip, you have the same issue in reverse - the morning train departs too early to connect off the cruise, the evening train gets into Seattle too late to fly out.

 

A one-way rental car might or might not be "cost effective" depending on the details. There are a couple of rental agencies right at Canada Place, so if you rent in Seattle from one of those companies (IIRC National/Alamo and maybe one or two others) you can avoid having to worry about taxis to/from airports from/to the cruise terminal or hotels, something of a "hidden" cost to take into account.

 

The car would also allow you - should you choose - to take a much more scenic and interesting route between the two cities, seeing something of the region as you do. This route, for example - https://goo.gl/maps/fvQEdu82atQ2 - would take you past the Boeing Everett plant, biggest building in the world, to the ferry from Mukilteo to Whidbey Island. You could visit the pretty waterfront villages of Langley and Coupeville on the island, then stunning Deception Pass between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands. (Google these places.)

 

Then the road follows WA 11 aka "Chuckanut Drive" along a cliff above the water to the Victorian historic district of Fairhaven, then over the border with a possible stop in Steveston, Vancouver's little fishing port and the town used in filming the TV show "Once Upon a Time."

 

This is a lovely and informative day's drive between Seattle and Vancouver, far, far more interesting than a 4-hour bus or train ride. Even if the per-person cost is a little higher, the experience (IMO) more than makes up for it.

[TheCalicoCat]

We took the evening train up to Vancouver spending the night in Vancouver & had the day prior to embarkation in the city.

 

We took the early train back & spent the night in Seattle & had the day prior to our flight home.

 

The train was relaxing & had very pretty vistas.

[xlxo]

The train is the easiest, IMO. The lone negative is the schedule. It leaves at 7:45 in the morning and arrives at 11:45 in Vancouver. If you're planning on staying in Seattle for a night....

Additional thoughts on the morning train vs the Quick Shuttle from the airport comparison....

• how much does that Seattle overnight hotel cost that needs to be added to the train ticket.
  
• 7:45am train departure.... how early do you need to arrive at the station?
  
• how early do you need to arrive at the station for the more scenic West side seat assignments? How much time does that give you for sleep time after factoring the plane to hotel and hotel to train station?
  
• how much extra does it cost for business class on the train?
  

[SherriM]

The car would also allow you - should you choose - to take a much more scenic and interesting route between the two cities, seeing something of the region as you do. This route, for example - https://goo.gl/maps/fvQEdu82atQ2 - would take you past the Boeing Everett plant, biggest building in the world, to the ferry from Mukilteo to Whidbey Island. You could visit the pretty waterfront villages of Langley and Coupeville on the island, then stunning Deception Pass between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands. (Google these places.)

 

Then the road follows WA 11 aka "Chuckanut Drive" along a cliff above the water to the Victorian historic district of Fairhaven, then over the border with a possible stop in Steveston, Vancouver's little fishing port and the town used in filming the TV show "Once Upon a Time."

 

This is a lovely and informative day's drive between Seattle and Vancouver, far, far more interesting than a 4-hour bus or train ride. Even if the per-person cost is a little higher, the experience (IMO) more than makes up for it.

 

Thanks for the Fishing Port tip. We'll have to check it out. We will be renting a one way car into Vancouver (NEXT WEEK!!!:D)

[PCWalton1]

I hate Quick Shuttle, due to the stops it makes it takes 6 hours on a greyhound style bus. We have used it several times northbound and each time we had to unload at the border and haul our luggage through the building.

 

We live near Seattle and three times this past year we have cruised into Vancouver so we just rent a car and drive. Average rental price for the one way trip had been been about $55-60. You just have to find the rental company with the reasonable re-positioning rates, we tend to use Alamo. No border hassles like the bus, just show your passports.

[martincath]

Mostly irrelevant points xlxo

Additional thoughts on the morning train vs the Quick Shuttle from the airport comparison....

• how much does that Seattle overnight hotel cost that needs to be added to the train ticket.
  

If you arrive the day before the cruise, you need a hotel anyway - if you fly in day of, then you better hope your flight is on time and very early regardless of your chosen transportation mode!

 

Either way, Quickshuttle ain't changing whether or not you need a hotel compared to train or other buses, you are either a 'day before' person or you are not - the only difference is that if you arrive late in the day you can choose to take a late bus to Vancouver and stay there vs. only having the option to stay in Seattle, and a comparable hotel could be less up here due to our weak dollar. Edit - but QS doesn't even run significantly later than the train anyway, with last Seatac departure at 6:30pm!

• 7:45am train departure.... how early do you need to arrive at the station?
  

While Amtrak do have one hard cap (45mins prior if you want to check luggage) they don't give away your ticket, since unlike QuickShuttle Amtrak actually DO pass on passport info to border control. You can walk up literally seconds before departure and still get on. Try that on a bus service and you'll find that your ticket might have been sold to a walkup at the 15mins pre-departure mark.

 

But since you apparently want to compare Day Of Cruise travel - only two QS departures have ANY chance to get a passenger onto a cruise out of Vancouver same day, the 8am and 10am. Since the latter is scheduled to arrive at 3pm, only 1-2 hours before most cruises leave, only a madman would book it - which leaves the 8am bus as the only remotely sensible choice.

Now if I were considering a bus rather than train the morning of, even if I were flying in to Seatac on a redeye that came in super-early I would not consider the 8am Quickshuttle a sensible option. Instead I'd book the 6:30am Bolt from downtown - even if there was a 3 hour border wait, this still gets me to Vancouver in time. It costs me $3 to take LINK downtown, $29 by EastSideForHire, less for Uber, and a Bolt ticket is usually $18 or less so even BY MYSELF it's comparable to the $59 Quickshuttle fare if I take a car rather than transit on each end! I also get a newer bus with WiFi, better legroom, and fewer stops than with Quickshuttle so fewer opportunities for delays.

Both trains and buses run late of course - but unlike the bus, the train is never going to make you and all your fellow pax sit at the border for any reason. If 1 person on any bus needs secondary questioning, the whole busload waits until they are rejected or accepted - on the train you're already in Canada so you all get processed individually and walk out of the station.

• how early do you need to arrive at the station for the more scenic West side seat assignments? How much time does that give you for sleep time after factoring the plane to hotel and hotel to train station?
  

This is sort of relevant, in that you do need to be early enough to be in about the first half of people checked in to guarantee a window - but the same applies for QS and other buses since they don't have preassigned seats either! Biggest difference is there's more reason to consider being picky about your seat on the train, because it's that much closer to the coastline.

 

With only ~50pax on a bus you can probably show up 25 mins early and get a choice of seats, but even a seat on the inland side of the train has nice big windows across the aisle for a view partially blocked by other folks heads while the bus is on I5 potentially miles further inland. And like I said above, if you don't care where you sit then you can roll up seconds before departure on the train - we've boarded and had the train start moving before we can even sit down before!

• how much extra does it cost for business class on the train?
  

Until buses start selling Business Class, you may as well ask how much Amtrak charges for coffee, beer, wine, and food onboard because this is another thing that at least you have the option to purchase on trains that buses do not offer at all!

Edited September 15, 2016 by martincath

[TestingH2O]

Thanks for all the specific suggestions! It helps narrow down options to hear individual experiences. Sometimes, there's just too much infirmary out there.

[eandj]

We've used quick shuttle twice. The buses have a special customs line at the border. We did not have to take luggage off bus. It was scanned below. We did take our bags from under our seat tho. There are some buses with fewer stops.

 

The train schedule didn't work for us on our trips, unfortunately.

[PCWalton1]

We've used quick shuttle twice. The buses have a special customs line at the border. We did not have to take luggage off bus. It was scanned below. We did take our bags from under our seat tho. There are some buses with fewer stops.

 

The train schedule didn't work for us on our trips, unfortunately.

 

Not all the time. As I already stated we have taken it twice and both times the driver had to unload all the luggage and we had to bring it through a building where they inspected our passports. The he reloaded the luggage and we were allowed to go. Consider yourself lucky.

[martincath]

We've used quick shuttle twice. The buses have a special customs line at the border. We did not have to take luggage off bus. It was scanned below. We did take our bags from under our seat tho. There are some buses with fewer stops.

 

The train schedule didn't work for us on our trips, unfortunately.

Common misconception - Quickshuttle have NO special relationship or arrangements at the border whatsoever. ALL buses use the same 'special lane' and any time it's busy there's a random chance that any given bus will have some kind of special treatment to streamline traffic like skipping the hold baggage scan.

 

One time we came back to two hour plus queues for buses CBSA were walking the lanes and boarding each bus; if all passengers had Canadian or US passports they literally did a 'hold your passport next to your face' walkthrough then sent the bus up the hard shoulder and sent the bus straight through a manually-opened gate.

 

We saw this happen to a Greyhound and several charter coaches for various coach tour companies but unfortunately we (on Bolt) had a couple of Aussies and South Africans so had to stay in line - nothing to do with who was running the bus, simply about who were the lowest-risk passengers to give 'cutsies' to.