Flying to Vancouver: YVR or SEA?

[Vaca2006]

I've been pricing flights from Washington DC for my July 25 Zaandam roundtrip from Vancouver. We plan to arrive three days before embarkation and to leave the day of disembarkation. It appears that flying into Seattle makes more sense, costing nearly $1000 less for my party of five than would flights to YVR (Bellingham is not a viable option). Moreover, the cheapest YVR options require me to fly from distant BWI and to arrive in Canada at 9pm, after connecting in Dallas. I can get a direct flight from DCA to SEA that arrives at 10:30am.

 

Returning via SEA requires that we extend our vacation a night. Fortunately we have the time and I can get a free night at an airport hotel with my Marriott reward points. Even after figuring in the cost of two one-way rentals from National (SUV northbound, minivan south) and additional food and entertainment for the extra day, the SEA option figures to save me some $600. And we might even have a good time during that extra night in Seattle.

 

So it all comes down to the drive, 3 hours plus border crossing. Is it a pleasant drive? Am I missing other important considerations?

 

Lee

[JJ2sail]

I checked into this also for our trip in September. But was able to get a good price from SFO into YVR. Some of the cruiselines have transfers by bus from Seattle, and also Amtrak leaves Seattle very early in the am and gets into Vancouver around noon. I have read past posts that say the train ride has nice scenery, I don't know about driving. Maybe someone else will have that viewpoint.

[TCF]

The drive from SEA to Vancouver is not what I would call onerous...nor is it a particularly scenic drive. It's a freeway. The border crossing can be slow depending on the day you come up and go down....line-ups both ways on weekends run to one hour and longer:eek: ...weekdays is much shorter.

I have not done the train trip...but have heard it is comfortable and the track runs right along the water for most of the way so the scenery is better. Don't know costs.

Both methods take about 3 hours.

Train station is ten minutes from all the major downtown hotels.

If you have any more questions...fire away...I'll see if I can answer them for you.:D

Tom&Deb:)

Obviously it makes sense to drive the car if you are spending a few days in Vancouver...makes it cheaper to get around.

Either way is good...just depends on preference more than anything I guess.

[mollyeilis]

I don't find the drive to Vancouver to be pleasant enough to do more than, um, once. And that's as many times as I have done it.

 

There is almost always traffic (obnoxious traffic, too...some going fast, some going slow, some driving defensively, some driving offensively, it's a conglomeration and a mess, IMO), the speed limit goes up and down, you drive through an area that *seems* safe to go fast but this last year has had far too many wrecks (IMO because everyone is going 70 and staring at the signs for the huge casino and the waterfall thing outside said casino)...

 

Rather than driving, I FAR prefer Amtrak. Yeah, you have to get up early to catch it northbound. Yeah it gets back to Seattle rather late.

 

But it goes along the water, it's lovely, relaxing...as far as I remember they have a movie (we watched Finding Nemo on our way to our honeymoon cruise)...there is a food car, you can have some booze legally assuming you're 21+ (can't say THAT for driving!) and can think of drinking before noon LOL...

 

If you have AAA and you book several weeks in advance, there's a 10% discount off an already reasonable price...taxi into Vancouver proper isn't too expensive. Their public transportation is really spectacular.

 

Driving in Vancouver was, um, rotten. And now I hear it's worse because they are so busy preparing for the Olympics. The city is SO lovely and you jsut want to look around, but the driver and navigator can't, because you're driving and navigating, LOL. We found taxis to be just fine, or walking, or the skytrain thing, or even busses...we've done all those modes of transport, and we prefer those to actually having a car in Vancouver! :) PLus, if you have a car, you might be tempted to drive onto Granville Island rather than take a water taxi, and a water taxi is too fun to miss. :D

 

 

Obviously I would recommend flying to/from Seattle, and rather than renting cars, just grabbing the train. :D

[Vaca2006]

The train seems intriguing. Certainly, I take Amtrak here on the East Coast whenever possible. The only problem is that there's just one departure in each direction daily, 745am from Seattle and 600pm from Vancouver. That would mean seriously readjusting my itinerary to accommodate the choo-choo. Interestingly, Amtrak runs four coach buses in each direction daily. The one-way cost of both train and coach is comparable to the cost of a one-way car rental from National, although the Amtrak option would require a cab ride at both ends.

 

I'll probably end up driving just to minimize the transfers and have (hopefully) more control over my schedule. Someone on the Canada ports of call board suggested I depart a bit from I-5 for a scenic drive on Route 11 between Burlington and Bellingham. I did a little research and found that this byway is also known as the Chuckanut Drive. Has anyone driven that stretch?

 

Someday, I'd like to take that Amtrak train all the way from San Diego up ...

 

Thanks,

Lee

[mollyeilis]

re: the San Diego...it might work going north. But I went from Seattle to San Jose once, and there were some very well-seasoned Amtrak travelers (interestingly, they were flight attendants in their work-life) who took that train often. They said that going South, once they got to LA they always had to take a bus to San Diego, because the delays going South added up so much that they ALWAYS missed the train to San Diego.

 

I don't know if it would be the same going north, though, since I think San Diego to LA is the only different train you get on. :)

 

But going Seattle to San Jose took over 24 hours (I don't remember how long it was going back). Food was good though! If you book a room you are considered first class, and food is included. :)

 

 

Have a good trip!

[labmom]

I just booked a flight from phx to yvr for $335 r/t. American airlines has a deal going on. I was going to fly Southwest but this was cheaper in the long run. Plus my husband HATES buses! Check this out!

I need to find something to do for about 3 hours after the cruise though, not many tours for that short of time. I need to be at the air port by 12. I'll keep checking!

[chipfromwash]

The drive between Seattle to Vancouver isn't as bad as mollyeilis makes it out to be. I've done it many times without major issues. Just don't do it during rush hour and it'll be fine.

 

Another option is to go from Seattle to Vancouver is to take Quick Shuttle. Their web site is http://www.quickcoach.com/.

 

Dale

[Vaca2006]

Thanks for the tip, Chip. Don't worry about me getting scared away from driving; I live in the DC area and grew up in New York. No traffic outside LA or maybe SF can intimidate me.

 

But the Quickcoach option is interesting. Pro: nearly door-to-door service with no driving effort and the freedom to read, snooze, etc. Con: roundtrip tix for five cost $100 more than two car rentals, with no freedom to take the scenic route and explore along the way. I'll be cogitating on this one.

 

Lee

[jaynak]

Hello Lee - having lived in Portland OR with parents and in-laws who live in Vancouver, I have travelled the SEA - YVR corridor many, many times and can heartily second what Dale says - it isn't bad at all and I think it is a rather interesting stretch of road. Living where you have lived you won't find the traffic bad at it's worst.

 

We have found the border crossings to be quite unpredictable - however it seems to me there are signs well ahead of time that indicate which crossings have the least wait time, Peach Arch, Douglas or Lynden/Aldergrove.

 

If you are staying 3 days in Vancouver, you'll want a vehicle while you're there so it would make sense to me to pick it up in SEA.

 

Enjoy your trip - you are starting off from a lovely city.

 

Jayna K

[celticheart47]

We live in Redmond (east side of Lake Washington from Seattle) and oldest son and family live in Bellingham so we make this trip all the time. He lives just off Chuckanut and the drive is beautiful. If you want a bit of an adventure, after Chuckanut continue on the back roads towards Anacortes on Hwy20, and then head south down Whidbey Island. The drive over Deception Pass is fantastic. Lots of neat waterfront restaurants in Coupville and Langley, then catch the ferry at the south end from Clinton to Mulkiteo, then back on I-5 just north of downtown Seattle. Great drive and I would think more fun than the train ride. I love trains and am an avid rider but I do love this drive. It will take you a bit of time but even only if you do the Chuckanut portion it is well worth it.