Seattle - Vancouver info

[ScrappyCruiser]

We are cruising from Vancouver in mid August 2007, and are trying to decide which would be better - fly to Seattle, ferry to Victoria and then to Vancouver (to maximize our sightseeing!) or fly straight into Vancouver and miss the sightseeing. Does anyone have any idea of how hard it is to get from the Seattle airport to the ferries to Victoria, and from Victoria to Vancouver and then to the cruise terminal? We have a few days to do this, and would love to see more of the country, but haven't done a trip like this before and would hate to get in over our heads.

Any suggestions for hotels in the Seattle/Victoria/Vancouver areas would be very much appreciated too!

[NancyIL]

Three summers ago we visited Seattle and Vancouver, staying 3 nights in Seattle at the Marriott Waterfront and 5 nights in Vancouver at the Westin Bayshore. We had a rental car, so in the middle of the Vancouver portion, we drove to Tsawassen and took the ferry to Swartz Bay to spend the day in Victoria, then reversed the process in the evening. All three cities offer great sightseeing, but it's a lot if you're trying to do it all in just a few days. I recommend flying into Vancouver and renting a car, then doing a daytrip to Victoria via the ferry if you have the time.

 

One other option is to fly into Victoria (Horizon Air from Seattle), rent a car, and then when you're ready to go to Vancouver...take the car on the ferry and drop it off in Vancouver just before you board your ship. I don't know how expensive it is to fly to Victoria vs Seattle or Vancouver.

[Budget Queen]

Vancouver Island is definately worthwhile, but I alway take a car over, and ferry from Ancortes, or Port Angeles. Then Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen to Vancouver. You need 3 days, at least, and a wonderful add on to any cruise.

 

Victoria is never a day trip in my opinion. Allow an overnight.

[LeftcoastBC]

The trip by car from Seattle by Wa. State Ferry over/up the Olympic Pennisula to Port Angeles across to Victoria on the Blackball Ferry and then a BC ferry is one that we try to do often.

 

BQ is correct on the number of days needed (more than one that's for sure.)

[ScrappyCruiser]

Thank you all for your help - some excellent suggestions here we haven't thought of. Will check out our actual # of days and plan accordingly...can't wait!

[cruisergrandma]

We flew into Seattle and spent a few days sightseeing there. Then we took Amtrak to Vancouver. 4 hours along the coast - beautiful scenery. Cost in 2004 was only $23 per person.

[creddick]

We took Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver a couple of weeks ago. IMHO the only way to go. Hotels: I highly recommend 2. In Seattle we stayed at the Crowne Plaza. An excellent hotel with very big rooms and VERY comfortable beds; maybe the best we have ever had in a hotel. In Vancouver, I cannot say enough about the Times Square Suites. However, if your looking for a big hotel with all the extras, do not stay here. There is no pool, bar, restaurant, etc. What there is is a small hotel (42 suites) with every kind of restaurant you can think of within a block. The hotel is clean, comfortable, secure, has a seperate bedroom with an actual door that closes, a washer and dryer in every room (you supply the soap etc.) a supermarket across the street, 2 blocks to Stanley Park, a full kitchen including dishwaher, a dining table, couch, arm chair, gas fireplace, and all for a price less than a hotel room. There is an excellent little coffee shop/cafe (Bojangles) downstairs that is not part of the hotel. We ate 3 meals there. Post office half a block away. If we go to Vancouver again, it will definitely be our hotel. Hope this helps. Good luck.