Amtrak into Seattle. Transport and hotel?

[vswan]

Going out on a HAL cruise and coming in a day early. We are looking at Amtrak with prices rising on gas and airfare - and it's something we've never done and think it might be fun. Has anyone else done this? How far are you from the cruise port? Assuming we would need to take a cab somewhere. Concerned about trying public transportation with luggage.

 

Also looking for a reasonable priced hotel that is not too far from either the port or the Amtrak station. $300+ seems steep to me for a place to sleep for the night. Have been to Seattle several times, but am not familiar with Seattle and what the sections of town are and where I should look. Doesn't pay to stay too far away or the cost of transport back and forth will make the savings void.

[urbanhawk]

I have taken Amtrak from AZ to Seattle many times. (Tho you could be traveling east to west). It's a great way to travel-very scenic up the coast and thru the mountains. The last time was nearly 8 years ago, and I stayed at the Moore Hotel-close to Amtrak station, and close to Pike Place Market. Not very far from the cruise ports. The hotel does not have a.c., which could be an issue, as Seattle can get warm/hot, if you remember last years heat waves. The Moore is reasonnably priced, and has its followers, but it is not a Holiday Inn!  May be other affordable options. Happy travels!

[disneyochem]

We’ve taken Amtrak many times to and from Vancouver.  We’re from Northern California so we take the Coast Starlight.  A few times, we’ve gotten off in Seattle, spent the night at the Pioneer Square Embassy Suites and then taken the Cascade train to Vancouver.  There’s a taxi stand outside of the Vancouver train station for quick access to the port.  The morning train is nice—great scenery.  BUT, it’s not running this year.  Amtrak currently is only providing bus service to/from Seattle-Vancouver.

 

We’ve also continued on to Richmond or Vancouver from the Coast Starlight.  The portion of the journey from Seattle to Vancouver is on a bus and you arrive around midnight.  We’ve gotten off at the Richmond stop, stayed at a hotel there (much cheaper than downtown Vancouver) and then taken the Skytrain to Canada Place.  Also have gone directly to Vancouver, taxied to a hotel and then walked to the port.  We usually only have one suitcase and a backpack so it’s easy to get around.

 

This year, we’re taking the train/bus to Richmond, BC and staying the night before our cruise.  We’re taking our Covid test at the airport (hotel is providing transport to the airport) before hopping on the Skytrain to Canada Place.

 

Always budget at least $300/night for Vancouver and Seattle stays.  It just expensive to stay in desirable hotels close to the port.  I hate to spend that much when sometimes we don’t get to the hotel until 1 am but it is what it is.

[Gardyloo]

During the cruise season hotels in Seattle are very expensive; more so now it seems, due to the resurgence of demand following the pandemic.

 

King Street Station is located south of the downtown core in the Pioneer Square area.  The Embassy Suites hotel (mentioned above) is by far the most convenient hotel to the station - it's literally across the street.  https://goo.gl/maps/1xLedfQ2bG7hCiH69

 

Sailing on HAL, you'll be departing from the Pier 91 (Smith Cove) terminal, which is around four miles north of the station.  A cab to the terminal will cost around $20.   https://goo.gl/maps/9HmsD3ZwyiHzNwwg8

[Ferry_Watcher]

Is it Amtrak's Empire Builder that you are planning to take to Seattle?  Would you be reserving a sleeper room?

[vswan]

Yes it's the Empire Builder from Minneapolis to Seattle. No, we will not be reserving a sleeper room, they are sold out. Of course when I just looked the prices have gone up about $100 per person since yesterday. LOL

[vswan]

Thanks for all of your responses. I have booked the Amtrak from msp to Seattle and then went online and booked a hotel on the site that doesn't tell you which hotel you are getting for $145 plus taxes, etc. (There were a couple which were less expensive, but the ratings were questionable.) Staying at the Hotel Nexus BW Signature Collection about 6 miles from pier 91. Says it is across from the Northgate Transit Center. Looks like there is a tram that goes from King Street Station to Northgate Transit Center. If we can pack light enough may give this a try. Not sure how this will all go, but I'm a do your research and then go with the flow kind of person and we can always get a taxi if need be. Now I need to figure out covid testing. Can always order the emed tests which I have used last time and worked well. Leaving to early to do before we take off.

[Glaciers]

@vswan

As you research this look at the details of what it takes to get to the hotel and then to the cruise terminal. I believe the tram you mention is the light rail. There is a station a few blocks from the King Street Amtrak station which is close. The station in Northgate appears to be 1 mile from this hotel. You’ll then have to get transportation to the cruise terminal. It’s a great price for a Seattle area hotel but will be a bit inconvenient.

 

As for covid testing, Curative has a site at Northgate. We did our test from the Seattle Center location and had results back within 2 hours.

https://curative.com/covid-testing?fbclid=IwAR3m6hOWEoKPT4Z_H7GGp94LxDnvd-o09CUD5MSc0BGTkN6MSY7UiYwrc5Q

 

[psuboater]

13 hours ago, vswan said:

Thanks for all of your responses. I have booked the Amtrak from msp to Seattle and then went online and booked a hotel on the site that doesn't tell you which hotel you are getting for $145 plus taxes, etc. (There were a couple which were less expensive, but the ratings were questionable.) Staying at the Hotel Nexus BW Signature Collection about 6 miles from pier 91. Says it is across from the Northgate Transit Center. Looks like there is a tram that goes from King Street Station to Northgate Transit Center. If we can pack light enough may give this a try. Not sure how this will all go, but I'm a do your research and then go with the flow kind of person and we can always get a taxi if need be. Now I need to figure out covid testing. Can always order the emed tests which I have used last time and worked well. Leaving to early to do before we take off.

Getting from King St  to the light rail is very easy-it’s less than a block away. North gate station would be considered the suburbs of Seattle- its a safe neighborhood but is very suburban. I think you mentioned you’re only staying overnight so it’s not a big issue. An Uber to pier 91 will run you $20-30 depending on traffic.  Check out Family Donut Shop right near the mall- they’re great!

[Ferry_Watcher]

For an overnight stay before your cruise I think this hotel will be just fine.  If you did decide to take light rail from King Street Station, you would be getting off at Northgate which currently is the last stop (additional stations further north will be opening in the coming years).  The Northgate light rail station is located on the east side of I-5 (Freeway), and your hotel is on the west side of I-5.  it would be about .5 mile- .75 mile walk along very busy surface streets.  I think I saw that the hotel has a shuttle van so you could see if they could pick you up from the light rail station.  An Uber from King Street to the Northgate area (other than the late afternoon/dinner time commute) should be quite reasonable.

 

I have had lunch at the Saffron Restaurant and enjoyed it.  Back over by the Northgate mall area (closer than the light rail station), there is a restaurant called Stanford's https://stanfords.com/locations/northgate/   and their Happy Hour I think starts at 3PM.  

 

Something else to consider is rather than taking the Empire Builder all the way into Seattle, you could get off that the next to last stop which is Edmonds (if allowed).  You could call for an Uber and get to the Nexus Northgate Hotel from Edmonds.  Just a thought.

[vswan]

Thank you all for the input. Not being that familiar with Seattle all of the comments help. I think I need to call the hotel and find out what my options are on their end. Online it said they had a shuttle to the King Street Station, but that could be a very old post and in these times a lot of the things that used to be are no more. They also may have input into covid testing in the area. My biggest issue may be the luggage. We are light travelers, but when going to colder climates coats and warm clothes take a lot of space, and of course we'll probably pack a picnic - or at least some water and drinks - for the trip which would add to the stuff we need to bring. Would probably throw whatever isn't gone away, but would still have the cooler bag, etc. Just glad that I figured the extra day into the mix.

 

Is it possible to take the tram back south to the cruise port? What stop would we need and how far would we have to walk? Probably just be easier to taxi or uber - a more relaxing start to the trip.

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

It's light rail, and it would get you from the Northgate station to the Westlake station in DT Seattle, where it would be a 2+ mile distance on a very busy mostly industrial road to Pier 91.  If you were leaving on NCL at Pier 66, you could walk if you wanted to from the Westlake station.  Pier 91 is just too far to walk.

If you took an Uber from your hotel, chances are they would take the back way to Pier 91 (up 105th to Holman Rd, to 15th and across the Ballard Bridge for my fellow Puget Sound friends).

 

 

[Glaciers]

16 hours ago, vswan said:

Is it possible to take the tram back south to the cruise port? What stop would we need and how far would we have to walk? Probably just be easier to taxi or uber - a more relaxing start to the trip.

 

When the weather is decent I see people walking between Pier 70 and the Smith Cove terminal each cruise day.  Actually saw an older but hearty couple walking back to King St Station from Smith Cove to catch the train south one day. Taking the light rail back to the Westlake Station, you could walk from there to Smith Cove along the Elliott Bay Trail, about 4+ miles. Too far for most with luggage although a dandy walk along the waterfront after exiting Westlake and heading down towards Pier 70/Olympic Sculpture Park.

[Ferry_Watcher]

While I personally don't recommend walking, here is a Youtube video that someone filmed walking from the sculpture park to Pier 91.

 

 

 

[Gardyloo]

I'm just going to comment on the hotel's location and how to get there from the train station and from the hotel to the Pier 91 cruise terminal.

 

The hotel is over a mile walking from the Northgate light rail station, along either very busy arterial streets then under the I-5 freeway and slightly uphill past a gas station to the hotel's parking lot, OR over the freeway on a skybridge then around a mile on a slightly less busy, but not particularly pleasant street up to the intersection opposite the hotel.  Travel time on the train from the International District light rail station to the Northgate station is roughly half an hour, added to which should be the 15 minutes or so from the King Street Amtrak station to International District light rail station, then another 30 minutes schlep dragging bags along the street to the hotel.  

 

I don't want to say the walk at the Northgate end is unsafe; I have no reason to believe it would be, but would I do it dragging luggage behind me?  No, I would not.  I would book an Uber or a taxi or a towncar from King Street straight to the hotel (around 15 minutes, depending on traffic) and call it good.  You might end up saving thirty bucks by taking the train and walking, but what's your time worth, or your peace of mind?  Just asking.

 

As for getting to the cruise pier from the hotel, same story, except worse.  A mile to the Northgate station, say 20 minutes to get to downtown, then a $20+ cab ride to the terminal; probably totaling over an hour and maybe saving you $30 compared to a cab straight to the terminal.  Same questions as above.    

 

In my view, without a car the whole Northgate area is pretty unpleasant.  It wasn't designed for pedestrians, and the relative demise of the Northgate shopping mall (like many of its kind across the country) has left things "in transition," shall we say?  If you're locked into the Nexus through your booking, so be it, but if you can change hotels without penalty, personally, I'd do it.