Getting from Seattle to Vancouver

[Ravenne]

What's the best way to get from Seattle to Vancouver, BC?

I was kind of hoping to take Amtrak since it's scenic, but it doesn't look like there are any midday departures from Seattle, is there? If you do go the Amtrak route, how do you get from SeaTac to the station then from the station in Vancouver to the pier aside from Uber/Lyft?

How troublesome is it to rent a car from Seattle, and return in Vancouver? Are there car rental places near the pier in Vancouver?

What are some other way, maybe better ways to get from SeaTac to Vancouver and back for the AK cruises?

 

[Quellman]

I took the light rail from SEA-TAC to the downtown station. Then it was like a block/block half to walk to the Amtrak station. Took the train from there to Vancouver. Got off in Vancouver, walked across the street to the monorail station, took that to the Hotel. From the Hotel I took a subway to the port. It was scenic, relaxing, and cost effective for us vs. flying into Vancouver directly.

Unless it has changed, the only train to Vancouver is an early morning departure. The rest of the day they run bus service. There are many different bus lines though that make that trip daily. The return trip to Seattle might be an option at the end of your cruise.

I wouldn't rent a car for a 1 way rental. You are renting in the US and returning it in Canada. I would expect that to be a very pricey drop off fee.

You might want to work with a travel agent who can help explore some of those options for you if you aren't comfortable doing it on your own. I'd hate for you to miss your cruise due to poor planning or a transportation issue.

 

[Ravenne]

Thank you, Quellman! May I ask which hotel you stayed at in Vancouver? I am considering the Pan Pacific just to save ourselves the hassle on embarkation day but if there are cheaper, convenient options, then I'm all for it.

I think the issue with Amtrak that I'm seeing is the whole early morning departure issue. I think there might be one that leaves at 6-7pm but that arrives awfully late, around 11pm. That just makes for an exhausting day of travel. I'd be comfortable doing ground transport on my own, as long as I know the route to take. Plus, it's Canada...language barrier isn't an issue, so I'm confident in that regard at least. We'd fly in at least a day or 2 before embarkation anyway, maybe even check out Vancouver for a quick day trip before getting on the ship if necessary.

 

[bumbershoot]

How troublesome is it to rent a car from Seattle, and return in Vancouver? Are there car rental places near the pier in Vancouver?

Not troublesome. And yes there is at least one rental place *right there* at Canada Place. I think it's Alamo, but you can google map/satellite view it to see the labeling.


So...I adore Amtrak up to Vancouver. It's so nice. But it's an early day or a late arrival. Unless you're willing to get on an Amtrak *bus*, there aren't other options for the train.

Therefore it adds time on. Arrive in Seattle after the train leaves at 7:45am, and you either stay overnight to catch the next morning's early train OR you wait around and take the 6:50pm train and arrive in Vancouver late and have an overnight in Vancouver. So either way you're adding at least one hotel night on.

At a certain point while looking at that, it's good to take a peek at the airfare directly into Vancouver (YVR), to see if the extra time and money is worth going into SEA.

I am considering the Pan Pacific just to save ourselves the hassle on embarkation day but if there are cheaper, convenient options, then I'm all for it.

What hassle do you anticipate for embarkation day? There are a ton of very nice hotels near the port, many of them nowhere near the usual expense of the Pan in summer. Downtown Vancouver, maybe staying away from the stadium/chinatown area, has a plethora of options.

We've stayed at Century Plaza, Holiday Inn (staying there this weekend, too), Sutton Place (our fave), Westin Grand, Westin Bayshore, La Grande Residence at Sutton Place (a condo type of place and you get to share amenities with Sutton Place), and Hyatt Regency (club level omg that was awesome). Oh and the Listel Hotel!

All are actually in walking distance to Canada Place; when we get to Vancouver we walk *everywhere*. And we see people carting luggage (we did so ourselves, last year when we flew up and took the skytrain in) around. Now, would we WANT to take cruise luggage from the hotel to the pier? Not unless we were staying at Pan or one of the two right-there-at-the-pier Fairmonts, but we COULD. That's how close it all is. Taxis are shockingly decent in price, very clean and nice, and of course right now the currency difference is working for us.

I think the issue with Amtrak that I'm seeing is the whole early morning departure issue. I think there might be one that leaves at 6-7pm but that arrives awfully late, around 11pm. That just makes for an exhausting day of travel.

Yep. Or it makes for a longer stay in the NW before your cruise.

We'd fly in at least a day or 2 before embarkation anyway, maybe even check out Vancouver for a quick day trip before getting on the ship if necessary.

If you're already planning on that, it does make things nicer.

If you're going to stay in Seattle (and get the early flight into Vancouver the next day) remember that the airport is a solid half hour of travel on a good day (or a good hour LOL) up to the Amtrak station.

 

[Ravenne]

Not troublesome. And yes there is at least one rental place *right there* at Canada Place. I think it's Alamo, but you can google map/satellite view it to see the labeling.


So...I adore Amtrak up to Vancouver. It's so nice. But it's an early day or a late arrival. Unless you're willing to get on an Amtrak *bus*, there aren't other options for the train.

Therefore it adds time on. Arrive in Seattle after the train leaves at 7:45am, and you either stay overnight to catch the next morning's early train OR you wait around and take the 6:50pm train and arrive in Vancouver late and have an overnight in Vancouver. So either way you're adding at least one hotel night on.

At a certain point while looking at that, it's good to take a peek at the airfare directly into Vancouver (YVR), to see if the extra time and money is worth going into SEA.

Flying into YVR is around $2100 for us, vs SeaTac for $800.

Is staying a night in Seattle and catching the 7:45 am train on embarkation day a bad idea? Is it cutting it too close? I was looking at that option, SkyTrain to Canada Place to catch the ship. Can you pay cash for SkyTrain? CDN or USD for that? It looks to be just under $3, but I'd like to be prepared with the appropriate currency.

Another thing I was looking at is the return trip back to Seattle. It doesn't look like there's a midday train from Vancouver to Seattle either. It's either early morning, which I don't think we'll disembark in time to catch, or mull around until the 545pm train. What are some common options to get home? What's there to do in Vancouver for a few hours while dragging luggage around?

What hassle do you anticipate for embarkation day? There are a ton of very nice hotels near the port, many of them nowhere near the usual expense of the Pan in summer. Downtown Vancouver, maybe staying away from the stadium/chinatown area, has a plethora of options.

We've stayed at Century Plaza, Holiday Inn (staying there this weekend, too), Sutton Place (our fave), Westin Grand, Westin Bayshore, La Grande Residence at Sutton Place (a condo type of place and you get to share amenities with Sutton Place), and Hyatt Regency (club level omg that was awesome). Oh and the Listel Hotel!

All are actually in walking distance to Canada Place; when we get to Vancouver we walk *everywhere*. And we see people carting luggage (we did so ourselves, last year when we flew up and took the skytrain in) around. Now, would we WANT to take cruise luggage from the hotel to the pier? Not unless we were staying at Pan or one of the two right-there-at-the-pier Fairmonts, but we COULD. That's how close it all is. Taxis are shockingly decent in price, very clean and nice, and of course right now the currency difference is working for us.

The whole dragging luggage thing was the big thing on my mind. We also have kids, so kids + dragging their luggage + whining & drama = omg!!! I hadn't thought of the taxi option. I don't even know what the hotel options were aside from Pan until you listed them. Thank you!

Yep. Or it makes for a longer stay in the NW before your cruise.


If you're already planning on that, it does make things nicer.

If you're going to stay in Seattle (and get the early flight into Vancouver the next day) remember that the airport is a solid half hour of travel on a good day (or a good hour LOL) up to the Amtrak station.

It really wouldn't be more than one or 2 absolutely necessary days to pad traveling.

 

[MUN]

What's the best way to get from Seattle to Vancouver, BC?

I was kind of hoping to take Amtrak since it's scenic, but it doesn't look like there are any midday departures from Seattle, is there? If you do go the Amtrak route, how do you get from SeaTac to the station then from the station in Vancouver to the pier aside from Uber/Lyft?

How troublesome is it to rent a car from Seattle, and return in Vancouver? Are there car rental places near the pier in Vancouver?

What are some other way, maybe better ways to get from SeaTac to Vancouver and back for the AK cruises?

The best way is to do 2 one-way rentals. Yes, there are car rental agencies available near the cruise ship terminal in Vancouver.

 

[ebradley23]

Did you check to see if you could fly Westjet? I was looking at flying to Seattle and either driving or taking the train to Vancouver until I found them. Their flights are extremely affordable. There are mixed reviews online, but they seem no worse than any other airline.

 

[Ravenne]

Did you check to see if you could fly Westjet? I was looking at flying to Seattle and either driving or taking the train to Vancouver until I found them. Their flights are extremely affordable. There are mixed reviews online, but they seem no worse than any other airline.

I hadn't thought of them, but I just checked. Westjet is $480/person to Vancouver, double the travel time due to layover. Southwest is $190/person non stop to Seattle. There are 4 of us. Huge difference.

 

[bumbershoot]

Is staying a night in Seattle and catching the 7:45 am train on embarkation day a bad idea? Is it cutting it too close?

Thank you for bringing up that issue. It's one I generally cover but I totally forgot this time. The BEST scenario is to get into Seattle, stay the night there. Take the early train, stay the night in Vancouver. Wake up, embark. Money and time become expensive.

Not 2100 vs 800 expensive, though.

Have you looked at a separate flight like ebradley mentioned with westjet? It might end up being somewhere in between flying straight into YVR and staying a night or two, and the time savings would make up for some of that cost. Alaska Air is also a nice option. 50 minute flight.



Back to the question of taking the train to Vancouver same day....

If everything goes fine, it's fine.

If it doesn't, it's nerve-wracking. The issue is that Amtrak doesn't own the rails; freight does. So freight trains have priority. And if a freight train is in front of you and breaks down, you sit until it's moved. We had a nice hour's delay going home once, when DS was 2 and had gotten sick on our trip. Our budget was to the bone back then, with no CCs, and we had no choice but to go home, and it was utterly miserable for everyone. Including me when I caught what he had later, and I"m sure for those poor souls around us who caught it from exposure on the train.

And you will want to monitor the Amtrak site. We once got to the Vancouver station to go home, not having had breakfast because we anticipated going to the "dining" car, and getting the waters included in our business class seats, to find out there had been a landslide on the tracks 2 1/4 days before, and the tracks were closed. So they had buses. Not even nice Amtrak buses. No water. Multiple rest area stops. And it was raining. And people were smoking on those breaks. Anyone who doesn't love the smell of smoke knows that that is a highly unpleasant combination. No food, either. As we got into Seattle they told us that for those going home that night, the trains would be running again because it would have been the prescribed amount of post-slide time. If they had told us that at the Vancouver station I would have stayed the day and gone home that night.

We hadn't monitored the situation, and so we were surprised.

The buses, however, seem to be faster than the train. If you just want A way to get up there, look into that option.

Also look into Bolt Bus. That seems to be a real option for getting between Vancouver and Seattle (and vice versa).


I'm sure that the ride goes smoothly the VAST majority of the time. If it's what you gotta do, do it. Monitor the site, make sure you can change things up at the last minute (grab a rental car for instance), stay aware. And ENJOY the train ride.

 

[Ravenne]

bumbershoot - right, but if it can happen it will, ya know? It sounds like such a beautiful train ride up that I figure it could be like an added excursion, if you will. Not sure I want to do the hotel in Seattle and Vancouver route though, even though that's probably the safest in terms of anxiety lol.

Ugh why the heck did DCL move from Seattle to Vancouver for the AK cruises anyway? Didn't they sail out of Seattle just a few years ago?

 

[Dug720]

I would be hesitant to take a train up the morning of embarkation just because things can happen. I was going the opposite direction after a cruise and we were stopped for about an hour (could have ended up being a lot more) because the train hit someone chilling on the tracks. And from what I gathered, that is not unheard of.

 

[Disneyteachers]

What's the best way to get from Seattle to Vancouver, BC?

I was kind of hoping to take Amtrak since it's scenic, but it doesn't look like there are any midday departures from Seattle, is there? If you do go the Amtrak route, how do you get from SeaTac to the station then from the station in Vancouver to the pier aside from Uber/Lyft?

How troublesome is it to rent a car from Seattle, and return in Vancouver? Are there car rental places near the pier in Vancouver?

What are some other way, maybe better ways to get from SeaTac to Vancouver and back for the AK cruises?

We took the Amtrak train and would do it again. The N.Washington coastline was beautiful!

 

[lunaland]

I live about half an hour north of Seattle. A few notes about our trains. First, the trains tend to run pretty consistently from Seattle to Edmonds. After Edmonds, mud slides can be an issue. Probably not in the summer, but for May and September cruises I would be aware that its possible that you could be on a bus instead. My mom commutes via train from Mukilteo to Seattle, and mudslides close those tracks more than a few times a year. Second, plan for your train to be late. Freight trains come first, always. Amtrak usually runs late. If you are prepared for this and make the best of it you'll be fine. You will get there eventually. Personally, I enjoy Amtrak and think its a fun way to go.

Renting a car could be a fun option if you want to make some stops or do a side trip along the way. You might encounter some serious traffic depending on what time you are driving, though. If you aren't going to stop anywhere and just drive straight through it's not worth it.

Other options- you might be able to take a sea plane. I know they go into Victoria, not sure about Vancouver. You could also rent a car and take the ferry to Victoria for a day or two before heading to Vancouver and returning your car.

 

[bcwife76]

Definitely don't take the train up from Seattle the morning of your cruise, that would be too nerve wracking. Any slight delay and you might be out of luck when it comes to catching The Wonder!
There are car rental places right at Canada Place (Alamo) so doing a one way rental might be a better option for you. If you were to take the train up to Vancouver just get a cab from the train station to your hotel. If you take Skytrain, they do not accept US currency.

I live in the Vancouver area so I'm thrilled DCL sails from here for Alaska, we'll be on the last August cruise (sorry lol)

 

[xlxo]

Thoughts....

• @Raveene: What hotel dates do you need for Vancouver? Vancouver has lots of hotels for various budgets. There are season price spikes. We can give you hotel recommendations based on availability.
• There is no mid-day trains North or South. Train means travelling super early or arriving super late at night.
• I like the Quick Shuttle $59 one way/$99 return convenience. Quick Shuttle does not require additional bus/train transfers in Vancouver/Seattle. Quick Shuttle offers 6 to 7 daily trips a day. Train may force you to get a hotel to fit it's schedule.
• 7:45am train to Vancouver? What time do you need to be at the train station? What time do you need to be there for those coveted West oceanview window seats? How much is business class premium? What time do I need to be up in the morning to get to the train station?
• yep Vancouver airport costs more.... however you save 3 to 6 hours travel time each way.
• some like to fly into Vancouver for convenience and train/bus out to Seattle post-cruise for savings.

 

[sharksfinatic17]

We took the train from Seattle to Vancouver two summers ago. It was a great way to travel. We traveled in the business car, first to board and first to get off. We then taxis (there were 10 of us) to our hotel. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[DizMagic]

We did a private car service. BEST DECISION EVER. For 3 people (adults) it was just as cheap as Amtrak, or bus, etc. I will have to look back and see if i can find the name of the company as they were amazing. Will do that every time in the future. No stress.

 

[Ravenne]

We did a private car service. BEST DECISION EVER. For 3 people (adults) it was just as cheap as Amtrak, or bus, etc. I will have to look back and see if i can find the name of the company as they were amazing. Will do that every time in the future. No stress.

Please do let me know if you find it. Thank you!

 

[lorimay]

We have done Quick Shuttle twice, landing in Seattle and going to Vancouver and it took over 7 hours with all the stops, it was longer than our plane ride from Ft. Lauderdale, never again.
But going from Vancouver to Seattle was less than half that time, there were less stops and customs was faster.
Next time I bite the bullet and take the Alaska Air flight on the small plane for sure.

 

[MPS516]

You may want to check with car rental, I was told can not do one way from one country to another