Amtrak To Vancouver

[scotty2]

If we are arriving at SEATAC how far is the Amtrak Station from the airport? We can only use our FF miles to Seattle but cruise leaves from Vancouver. Thanks for all your help.

[Mary Ellen]

Off the top of my head, I'd guess about 15 miles. Be careful, only one train a day (if memory serves) the rest are actually bus service.

 

Have you considered a shuttle service?? I've used Quick coach that picks up at SeaTac and drops off AT the cruise piers in Vancouver. Shuttles are several times a day, with a few other stops along the way. During cruise season, there is usually a non-stop on weekends from SeaTac to the piers.

 

Quick Shuttle

[scotty2]

I thought about the shuttle but alot of people on these boards say it's a bigger hassle and you have to take your luggage off the bus and back on again going through customs. Do you know of any hotels close to the Amtrak station. I believe it's called QWest Station?

[Mary Ellen]

I'm originally from Seattle. The train station is just south of the main part of downtown - an 'interesting' part of town. Not really any hotels I can think of within walking distance (do you know of anyone who asks to be near the train tracks in any town/city?? ;) ). For the least money, I'd stay near the airport (priceline) and take a taxi in the morning for the train. There are tons of hotels downtown. Taxi shouldn't be very expensive and the train station is at the edge for the 'free' zone for the Metro (bus).

 

Yes, I did need the shelp my bags at the border (driver warned this might happen), it isn't a great distance and I don't travel with more than I can manage myself. Personally, I'd still MUCH rather do that - than transfer to the train and transfer again in Vancouver. I haven't done the train, so I don't know what kind of procedure they have for customs/immigration at the border.

[love2cruiseseattle]

I thought about the shuttle but alot of people on these boards say it's a bigger hassle and you have to take your luggage off the bus and back on again going through customs. Do you know of any hotels close to the Amtrak station. I believe it's called QWest Station?

 

The closest hotels to the Seattle Amtrak station is Best Western Pioneer Square and Silver Cloud, but you would probably still need to catch a taxi from the hotel to the station. Maybe consider staying near the airport and getting up extra early to catch a taxi from an airport hotel to the train station in the AM. As the PP said the train currently train only leaves once a day to Vancouver around 7am, all others are a Trailways Bus. I think if it were me I would really consider taking the Quick Shuttle from Seatac airport in Seattle to Vancouver. Yes you do have to claim your luggage at the border, but the driver loads it onto a conveyer belt and then you pull it off walk through the customs booth and then back to the bus. You have to do the same thing when you get off of the train in Vancouver and you would then catch a taxi to a hotel downtown somewhere near the cruise ship pier. I caught the Quick Shuttle from the Seattle Center area to Vancouver and I got dropped off across the street from Canada Place.

[scotty2]

I guess I will take both of your advice and take the shuttle. I guess for the savings I can deal with a couple of bags. Thanks for your opinions. It is exactly what I needed to hear.

[love2cruiseseattle]

I guess I will take both of your advice and take the shuttle. I guess for the savings I can deal with a couple of bags. Thanks for your opinions. It is exactly what I needed to hear.

 

Bring something to snack on and a good book, it can be a long ride depending on the time of day.:D

[bbappel]

When we did the Alaska cruise in 2002, the ship left from Vancouver, but Celebrity provided (for a cost I'm sure - not my responsibility) transfers from Seattle, so we were well-cared for - lunch/snack boxes and water. We checked in with Celebrity at Sea-tac and they took our checked luggage. We saw it again when we boarded the ship. We carried our hand luggage. I don't have a clue why this was.

[suncruiser]

We flew into Seattle in August 2001 for cruise leaving from Vancouver. We flew in on a Saturday and stayed in Seattle overnight. We took a taxi on Sunday to the train (train station was very busy). We all loved the train. We thought the scenery was beautiful. We took a bus back to Seattle following the cruise and did not like it at all. Very boring. We had to take our bags from the bus and go through customs. Much better doing it at train station and getting it over with and then enjoying the ride.

[sarbah77]

We flew into Seattle in August 2001 for cruise leaving from Vancouver. We flew in on a Saturday and stayed in Seattle overnight. We took a taxi on Sunday to the train (train station was very busy). We all loved the train. We thought the scenery was beautiful. We took a bus back to Seattle following the cruise and did not like it at all. Very boring. We had to take our bags from the bus and go through customs. Much better doing it at train station and getting it over with and then enjoying the ride.

 

What was going through Customs like with the train? I've only ever driven to Canada (hey, I'm in Michigan) but for our cruise next year... I got a can't be beat fare into Seattle when the ship leaves from Vancouver so we're taking the train up. I guess that's the long way of saying "I've never done it, would you tell me what your experience was like?" :D

 

(And we do have passports already for the trip!)

 

-Sarah

[Creeks]

What was going through Customs like with the train? I've only ever driven to Canada (hey, I'm in Michigan) but for our cruise next year... I got a can't be beat fare into Seattle when the ship leaves from Vancouver so we're taking the train up. I guess that's the long way of saying "I've never done it, would you tell me what your experience was like?" :D

(And we do have passports already for the trip!)

-Sarah

 

We flew to Seattle 2 years ago, got a hotel, cab to train,

train to Vancouver, cab to ship.

 

The cab from hotel was VERY early in the morning, but traffic was very heavy going to downtown Seattle. The old train station is interesting. Had to stand in line to check luggage, and again to get seat tickets. The train trip was fun and scenic (since we are from the desert); we went to the dining car for a breakfast (plastic packaged, not like it was many years ago). In Vancouver another long line with our luggage for customs.

Then the cab was quick - drove us through Chinatown to the ship.

A different way to go - we enjoyed it. This year we got a nonstop

direct to Vancouver, so are overnighting near the airport and will cab to the Seranade Sept 22.:)

[suncruiser]

Going through customs was very easy at the train station, BUT we were there prior to 9/11 (by just 3 weeks). I am sure it is very different now. It was a very simple process of checking our documents and our bags and then waiting (that was the worst) to board. The train station is very crowded (must worse than airports). All in all I enjoyed the scenery so much on the train, I would do it again.

 

We tend to do our own arrangements for cruises (I think that is part of the fun is the planning). We are in MD and there were 4 of us in my group and we had $200 pp flights to Seattle (would have been over $600 pp to Vancouver). We stayed in a so-so hotel in downtown Seattle (wouldn't recommend) right behind the needle. We were right near a monorail station that takes you down to the waterfront. We made our own arrangements for Amtrak (very cheap - around $25 pp each way) and stayed at The Sylvia Hotel on English Bay beside Stanley Park. The hotel didn't have air conditioning (but you didn't need it - even in August). We all loved it. It is a very old hotel. We walked to the ferry to Granville Island that evening and took taxi's to/from hotel/train station. We had 13 people total on this trip and all the arrangements worked out great.

[sarbah77]

We flew to Seattle 2 years ago, got a hotel, cab to train,

train to Vancouver, cab to ship.

 

The cab from hotel was VERY early in the morning, but traffic was very heavy going to downtown Seattle. The old train station is interesting. Had to stand in line to check luggage, and again to get seat tickets. The train trip was fun and scenic (since we are from the desert); we went to the dining car for a breakfast (plastic packaged, not like it was many years ago). In Vancouver another long line with our luggage for customs.

Then the cab was quick - drove us through Chinatown to the ship.

A different way to go - we enjoyed it. This year we got a nonstop

direct to Vancouver, so are overnighting near the airport and will cab to the Seranade Sept 22.:)

 

Well, I got tickets for $185 total for both of us if we flew to Seattle. So, Seattle it is!

 

How early do you recommend getting to the train station? Our hotel is about a mile away (and last year, we walked from our hotel to the Thrifty which was about the same distance) so we'll probably hoof it down. Also, is checking luggage manditory? Amtrak allows some amount of carry on and we're pretty light packers (but, as YET ANOTHER aside, if we do have our Big Luggage, I'm sure we'll check it).

 

Thanks!!

[suncruiser]

Wowm, that is a good rate for your flight. The train leaves Seattle at 7:40 a.m. and I think we were there at least a half hour early (but, it was prior to 9/11 and things take longer now). It looks like luggage can be checked or carried on, but there is a limit on carry on size and weight. You can check 3 bags. We checked ours as we had so much with 4 people.