train from seattle to vancouver or other ideas

[shutuph]

We are thinking of flying into seattle and going on a cruise out of Vancouver. Is it difficult to get from where Amtrak comes into Vancouver to the pier. Would cab be better. If so what would we expect for cost. Does the train generally run on time?

 

What other suggestions would you have.

[Smallfamily]

Following this - we have a cruise that ends in Vancouver and want to go to Seattle

 

 

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[xlxo]

Additional thoughts...

• some may choose to fly into Vancouver and then return flight from Seattle. This allows the convenience in being in Vancouver, but savings returning from Seattle.
  
• train operates 2 trips per day, Quick Shuttle does 6 to 7 trips a day to fit your schedule. Other buses add additional frequency compared to the 2 daily trains.
  
• research the train schedule. Morning train requires additional cost of Seattle hotel. Evening train means arriving close to midnight to your hotel. Buses allow you convenience to travel mid day. If you want those West side oceanview seats, how early do you need to be at the train station? Especially if you don't want to pay for the business class premium.
  
• $50 Quick Shuttle may appear to cost more, but you save on transfers to the Seattle train/bus depot and transfers from the Vancouver train/bus depot.
  
• For those who also want to explore Victoria, some travel to Victoria and continue on the Clipper ferry into Seattle. This saves time in not returning to Vancouver.
  
• Yes, you can Orca whale watch your way from Vancouver to Seattle via Victoria. Yes it does cost significantly more, but you can travel with your luggage.
  

[martincath]

$50 Quick Shuttle may appear to cost more, but you save on transfers to the Seattle train/bus depot and transfers from the Vancouver train/bus depot.

Except it's not $50 and hasn't been for about a decade - it's $59, almost 20% more. Only Students and kids can use QS for less than $50 from the piers or airport. QS do offer convenience, with the pier and airport options, but they charge more for those than a Bolt bus fare plus Uber/cab fare - even a solo traveler can get a better total price if they get a little lucky, and two people will spend ~US$70-80 compared to $108 on Bolt. Fewer stops too.

[Urban trekker]

I have over the years use Quick Shuttle, Amtrak, Amtrak bus and Bolt bus to go to and from Seattle or Vancouver.

 

Given a choice I will take the train over the other methods.

 

1. It is much nicer looking at the waters of the Salish sea with the San Juan and Puget Sound islands in the distance than looking out the window at 4 - 8 lanes of traffic that is often stopped or going very slow.

 

2. It is much nicer when leaving from Vancouver to clear customs and immigration at the train station with only a quick check at the border vs getting to the border and having to wait in line for any other buses to clear - then getting your luggage and bringing it inside and then having to take it back to the bus all the while hoping that everyone on the bus gets through customs etc quickly. It isn't usually a problem if there are only Canadian and US citizens on board but if other nationalities it can take sometime for them to clear. While the buses will only wait so long for those people this can also delay your bus if the one in front is being held up.

 

3. Somebody posted that the Bolt bus goes from Pacific Central station in Vancouver to the train station in Seattle. NO IT DOES NOT - it goes to the international district light rail station a couple of blocks from the Amtrak King Street station - there is no depot you just wait by the street for the bus - you might find some cover around the station but not much and no nearby public washrooms.

 

Just my thoughts on this discussion.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

[xlxo]

Except it's not $50 and hasn't been for about a decade - it's $59, almost 20% more.

When I look at the fare table... it's $99 for a round trip from SeaTac to Vancouver. I just rounded up the roundtrip to one-way $49.50 fare.

http://www.quickcoach.com/fares.htm

[Smallfamily]

I just realized I have some planning to do here glad someone else started this. Sorry to hijack your thread.

 

So our cruse ends in Vancouver. We will have already done the pacific coastal cruise. So should we spend few days in Vancouver and just fly home from there ? My husband hates flying so I was really thinking Seattle so we could get a larger plane (he hates small planes) but maybe we should stay there or go further into Canada. Thoughts anyone ? We love the outdoors and being active thx

 

 

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[Langley Cruisers]

So our cruse ends in Vancouver. We will have already done the pacific coastal cruise. So should we spend few days in Vancouver and just fly home from there ? My husband hates flying so I was really thinking Seattle so we could get a larger plane (he hates small planes)...

 

We have big planes in Vancouver. ;)

 

:D:D:D

[xlxo]

Yep.... Dreamliners take off and land at YVR.

 

Departing from YVR vs SEA?

-how much would you save?

-how much time it takes to get to SEA?

-does the train, bus, or boat (via Victoria) have a convenient schedule when you want to go?

 

If your husband does not like flying..... the US border is a very short drive from Vancouver.

 

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Edited October 18, 2016 by xlxo

[Smallfamily]

We live near Orlando. I couldn't find any nonstop flights all small planes then connect to larger plane. It looked like Seattle had some nonstop to Orlando. That's where the Seattle plan started

 

 

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[martincath]

Connecting flights YVR-MCO are almost all that's available yes, but not necessarily small planes (and WestJet offer a non-stop seasonal route to Orlando IIRC). If you hop to SEA from YVR it might well be on a smaller regional jet, but most of the flights that split the trip more equally (via Denver, Chicago, Dallas etc.) will have large single aisle or even wide-bodies used depending on popularity of the routes.

 

How small is small in terms of hubby's hatred, and is it actual size of plane or size of seat? Many times the smaller jets have larger seats than the big ones - e.g. Embraers at 18" offer the biggest economy seats in the Air Canada fleet.

 

While airlines can and do change the plane at sometimes very short notice, you can get a good idea of what type is typically used by checking flight numbers on Flightaware and similar tracking sites - personally I'm pickier about the size of each seat rather than how many are on the plane, so do frequently choose between flight options based on Seatguru's info about seat width and legroom.

[martincath]

When I look at the fare table... it's $99 for a round trip from SeaTac to Vancouver. I just rounded up the roundtrip to one-way $49.50 fare.

http://www.quickcoach.com/fares.htm

OK - so for whatever proportion of people want picked up and returned to SEA, a valid price, though stating the one way fare plus available RT discount would be much clearer.

 

Especially since MANY cruisers are never going to consider a SEA to Canada Place round trip - it's pointless for all repos like Princess/HAL status cruisers & NCL Sea-Van 9/10 day pseudo-RTs; one-way Alaska-Vancouver cruises; anyone who wants to spend any time sightseeing in downtown Seattle; anyone who wants to fly in to one of the cities but out of the other as you have also recommended in this very thread; anyone who finds that the train schedule works for them in one of the directions but not the other; anyone who wants to take the Clipper/BC ferry or whalewatch combo one way.

 

Basically QS fares only ever offer savings for a solo traveler, even if they are doing a round trip by bus and it would work out to $99 for both legs. A couple can still spank even that price and get more flexibility by making their own way to and from downtown for Bolt/Greyhound/train using Uber/cabs etc.

[Dan G]

may I suggest you look on tripadvisor seattle forum. On top right is a whole section on getting to Vancouver. Quick Shuttle is ok to the airport but makes a lot of stops. The exception is one or two 'express' runs per day direct from YVR port to Seatac airport. All the others are quite slow.

The train is scenic hwy isn't too great.

[Smallfamily]

It's the plane size although he is tall big guy so a bigger seat is nice. He feels safer on a large plane and also asks are there 2 engines lol. He hates the take off and landing so anything nonstop would be the best option. I'll look up west jet I've never heard of it. We only fly every few years.

 

 

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[Langley Cruisers]

I'll look up west jet I've never heard of it. We only fly every few years.

 

Do you not have a travel agent who can do all this for you?

[Smallfamily]

No I actually like doing the research and handling it. I missed my calling as a travel agent. Not sure what I did before cruise critic I've had some amazing help planning activities etc :)

 

 

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[martincath]

It's the plane size although he is tall big guy so a bigger seat is nice. He feels safer on a large plane and also asks are there 2 engines lol. He hates the take off and landing so anything nonstop would be the best option. I'll look up west jet I've never heard of it. We only fly every few years.

It's WestJet, one word, though the phrase will probably get you to the right spot via Google. Double-checked the non-stop route and I was right, it's seasonal, unfortunately it's Winter rather than Summer! I guess more Vancouverites head to DisneyWorld over winter than summer... They codeshare with Delta, with all flights using a US connecting airport on the latter while Delta routes via Toronto tend to be WestJet planes.

 

If he's really that bothered by flying, a nonstop out of SEA with train or bus to there from Vancouver does make sense even if it's not a big financial saving - one take off and landing, always a big plane with at least two engines!

 

This does remind me of a rather awful airline joke - someone flying for the first time is on a Jumbo (4 engines). Mid-flight, the captain announces he's sorry but one engine has failed - no safety concerns, the plane can keep flying just fine but arrival will be an hour late. A few minutes later, engine number 2 fails - again, reassurance that the plane is flying safely, just slower, they'll now be two hours late. Third engine goes down, now they're going to be three hours late. The newbie says to his wife "I hope that last engine doesn't fail, or we'll be stuck up here all day!" (ba-dum-tish!)

[Robinsoncruiseso]

You could always visit Bellingham. From the pier, very short, one block walk to Skytrain. Just a few short stations and you can jump on a Bolt Bus to Bellingham, WA. Hotels are much less expensive than Vancouver or Seattle. Rent a car. You can travel up Mount Baker Highway to see snow or if snow has cleared, you can go all the way to Artist Point. Later that afternoon, you can find yourself in a restaurant at the marina watching the sunset. Next, hop on a ferry to the San Juan Islands. Perhaps see a pod of Orcas. Visit a few islands and stay overnight in a B&B. So much to do. You can even fly home right out of Bellingham airport (connects in Seattle).

[Roz]

I use Quick Shuttle, and have been pleased with their service over the years. An advantage to using them is you can reserve a seat ahead of time and they pick you up right in Canada Place where all the other buses are located. My destination is SeaTac. From there I get the hotel shuttle (flights back east are in the morning) and then shuttle back to the airport in the morning.

 

Roz

[kpd21880]

Additional thoughts...

 

[*]research the train schedule. Morning train requires additional cost of Seattle hotel. Evening train means arriving close to midnight to your hotel. Buses allow you convenience to travel mid day. If you want those West side oceanview seats, how early do you need to be at the train station? Especially if you don't want to pay for the business class premium.

 

 

We are sailing Seward- Vancouver. I am looking into the option to fly home from Seattle as well, since we can fly RT to ANC and home from SEA in business class, for the same amount a economy fare would be flying home from Vancouver. Given that we would likely take an evening train, where/ how do you store your luggage for the day? Just at Canada Place? Or, can you check it into Amtrak?

[Gardyloo]

We are sailing Seward- Vancouver. I am looking into the option to fly home from Seattle as well, since we can fly RT to ANC and home from SEA in business class, for the same amount a economy fare would be flying home from Vancouver. Given that we would likely take an evening train, where/ how do you store your luggage for the day? Just at Canada Place? Or, can you check it into Amtrak?

There's luggage storage available at the train station.

 

You might also do a cost analysis on renting a one-way car to Seattle. Counting transportation costs at either end (ship to train station, train station to airport) and the ability to use the car to stay someplace cheaper than expensive downtown Seattle hotels, you might find that the car is competitive, maybe even cheaper, than the train. You could stow your luggage in the car (duh) and if you wanted, you could take a scenic route from Vancouver to Seattle, such as via Chuckanut Drive (a coastline-hugging road south of Bellingham) and gorgeous Whidbey Island with its picturesque little towns, amazing Deception Pass state park, and other highlights. (The scenic drive takes a couple of hours longer than the straight shot down the freeway, but you'd have all day.)

[martincath]

...Given that we would likely take an evening train, where/ how do you store your luggage for the day? Just at Canada Place? Or, can you check it into Amtrak?

You can't check it aboard Amtrak in advance - you have to carry it through US immigration & Customs. As mentioned there is a luggage storage facility at Pacific Central station, but since this is run by VIA (Canadian railway) it works around the schedule of our trains, not the Amtrak Cascades - it tends to open too late or close too early for it to be useful for Amtrak evening passengers. Timing varies, but the most recent schedule should always be on this page and there's also a contact phone number you can call to double-check.

 

Given the timing of the evening train though, luggage storage at Canada Place is actually perfect - you have to be back to collect it before they close, but you also need to be at the train station an hour before departure so it fits together quite nicely. You should be back at Canada Place by 4pm, giving you approx a half hour to get bags and then get to the station - easily done since cab queues are minimal at that time of day, unlike mornings with thousands of pax disembarking.

[kpd21880]

.

 

You might also do a cost analysis on renting a one-way car to Seattle. Counting transportation costs at either end (ship to train station, train station to airport) and the ability to use the car to stay someplace cheaper than expensive downtown Seattle hotels, you might find that the car is competitive, maybe even cheaper, than the train.

 

 

Thank you all for the info. I am going to look into a car as well. I have checked the Amtrak website - it looks to me like there are 4 trains during the day, the earliest at 8:35am, the latest around 7pm. If we did carry-off luggage at the pier and went straight to the train station - any chance we could make that 8:35am train? The train is an attractive option for us because we'll have spent a week in Denali and a week on the cruise. A 4+ hour drive at the end doesn't seem as relaxing as a train ride. Plus, my hubs is a veteran and the Amtrak Vet Advantage fares are very inexpensive. Thoughts?

 

 

 

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[Gardyloo]

have checked the Amtrak website - it looks to me like there are 4 trains during the day, the earliest at 8:35am, the latest around 7pm.

No, there are two Vancouver-Seattle trains per day, currently departing at 6:30 AM and 5:35 PM. The other services are buses chartered by Amtrak.

[kpd21880]

No, there are two Vancouver-Seattle trains per day, currently departing at 6:30 AM and 5:35 PM. The other services are buses chartered by Amtrak.

 

 

 

Oh my goodness. Thank you for pointing that out. I was accidentally using Vancouver, WA as my origin, rather than BC. Yikes!

 

 

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