Need help getting from Vanc to Sea after cruise

[cajun-crazy]

Ship arrives in Vancouver. We plan to spend one or two nights in Seattle.

 

I considered the Amtrak, but would need to spend the day in Vancouver waiting for train to depart. Possibly doing the hop-on-off trolley.

 

I also considered a one-way car rental. If I do the rental, would it be convenient to stop at the Boeing Factory or the Ballard Locks on our way into Seattle?

 

Looking for opinions and comments from others.

 

Thanks

[GORDONCHICK]

There are several different shuttles, but your cruise line may offer one as well.

[momthecruisedirector]

If you do a one way car rental you can stop in Everett (north of Seattle) for the Boeing tour. The Ballard Locks are a nice way to spend a few hours as well.

 

Taking the Amtrak bus back from Vancouver is a good option. What hotel are you staying in in Seattle? There is an Argosy Harbor Cruise that will take you through the locks.

[Leela]

I've just spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to get to Vancouver from Seattle and back so I could save $350 per person on airfare (that's the difference between going to Seattle or Vancouver from New Hampshire). In the end, I found that, a bus between Seattle and Vancouver is the best option.

 

As the OP pointed out, Amtrak runs late in the day. Airfare SEA-->YVR was $218 round trip (and to only go about 117 miles!). The hydrofoil that used to run in the 1980's is long gone, and the ferry only goes to Victoria (but you could catch another ferry between Vancouver and Victoria).

 

All in all, taking into account cost, times, and dealing with cruise luggage, the bus is the cheapest and easiest.

 

(The logistics involved in avoiding the bus were so complex in my particular case that I finally just changed my cruise from departing from Vancouver to one that departs the same week on the same line from Seattle.)

[Cruise Gypsy]

I've just spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to get to Vancouver from Seattle and back so I could save $350 per person on airfare (that's the difference between going to Seattle or Vancouver from New Hampshire). In the end, I found that, a bus between Seattle and Vancouver is the best option.

 

As the OP pointed out, Amtrak runs late in the day. Airfare SEA-->YVR was $218 round trip (and to only go about 117 miles!). The hydrofoil that used to run in the 1980's is long gone, and the ferry only goes to Victoria (but you could catch another ferry between Vancouver and Victoria).

 

All in all, taking into account cost, times, and dealing with cruise luggage, the bus is the cheapest and easiest.

 

(The logistics involved in avoiding the bus were so complex in my particular case that I finally just changed my cruise from departing from Vancouver to one that departs the same week on the same line from Seattle.)

 

Leela,

Good research summary. We live in Seattle and take a lot of cruises from Vancouver, we usually take the Amtrak train but I agree the one from Vancouver to Seattle leaves around 6:00pm which isn't real convenient for cruise passengers.

 

We have taken the Amtrak bus which is pretty nice and advantage to that is the border crossing with customs went pretty fast. I have heard a lot of stories about trying to cross the border in a car and lines can get pretty long.

[cajun-crazy]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I'd love to take the train, but the ideal of spending the day in Vancouver touring, then getting to the train station just to arrive in Seattle at 10:00 p.m. would get the best out of DH and DS(age 10). They just do don't well in that type of travel.

 

The bus is an earlier option - then once in Seattle we could unload bags and tour around - knowing our hotel would not be far off.

 

I guess that you would take a taxi from Ballentine Pier to the Amtrak station if using Amtrak's bus service??

[Cruise Gypsy]

Thanks for the replies.

 

The bus is an earlier option - then once in Seattle we could unload bags and tour around - knowing our hotel would not be far off.

 

I guess that you would take a taxi from Ballentine Pier to the Amtrak station if using Amtrak's bus service??

 

I think the bus is a good option. I would think you would want to take a taxi to the Amtrak Station.:)

[cajun-crazy]

Would the Amtrak bus be subject to the same border crossing procedures as other buses? Say - QuickShuttle? I just hated the thought of having to get off the bus, gather luggage, go through customs and then get back on the bus. That was why Amtrak train looked so good. If only it departed earlier in the day!

[weathermom]

I'd do a one way rental! most of the major car rental companies have special drop-off rates between seattle & vancouver as it's so common. National/Alamo is the only company that actually keeps cars at the canada place cruise terminal in Vancouver - the other companies shuttle you offsite to do the rental/pick up your car. from there you can take your time getting to Seattle - exploring as you go...it's quite a pretty drive & takes about 3 hours (not including border wait times (highly variable) & city traffic delays on both ends (ie avoid rush hour at both ends)

National/Alamo charges about $130/day for this before taxes - no extra drop charge, so if you do it all in 24 hours, it's quite reasonable.

[Cruise Gypsy]

Would the Amtrak bus be subject to the same border crossing procedures as other buses? Say - QuickShuttle? I just hated the thought of having to get off the bus, gather luggage, go through customs and then get back on the bus. That was why Amtrak train looked so good. If only it departed earlier in the day!

 

When we took the bus - we had to do the bus crossing procedure. It went pretty fast but I am pretty sure you will have to do it. As the previous poster said you don't have to do that with a rental car but you may be in a long line at the border. With the Amtrak train you do customs when you arrive.:)

[FOGGY DAZE]

We have been looking at cruise's that either start or end in Vancouver and could not figure how to get transportation between the two excluding air.

The car rental appeals to us and depending which day your cruise ends probably has a great deal to do with the amount of traffic encountered at the border.

This certainly enables us to search a wider selection of cruise's and prices..thanks again...FOGGY