Seattle to Vancouver

[mimmiepnp]

When flying in to Vancouver for the Alaska cruises everyone talks about flying in to Seattle then taking the train over to Vancouver.
Is it not possible to fly into Seattle and then book a separate Seattle to Vancouver flight? What are the cons to that since no one seems to mention that option?

 

[mrsxsparrow]

When flying in to Vancouver for the Alaska cruises everyone talks about flying in to Seattle then taking the train over to Vancouver.
Is it not possible to fly into Seattle and then book a separate Seattle to Vancouver flight? What are the cons to that since no one seems to mention that option?

It's definitely possible to fly from Seattle to Vancouver. Or from wherever you are to Vancouver (perhaps with another stop or two along the way).

We're heading to the Wonder Alaska cruise next week, and we chose to fly into Seattle on Friday, explore the city Saturday, and take the train to Vancouver on Sunday before boarding the ship Monday. We did this for a few reasons. The train can be cheaper than a plane. They also run buses that could be more cost efficient. Mostly though, the train from Seattle to Vancouver is supposed to be gorgeous. Train travel also just seems more relaxing to us than air travel. We've never really taken a train in that sense before. In the end, the train wasn't so much transportation choice as a destination in and of itself.

After the cruise, we just want to get home. So we are flying from Vancouver into Seattle and then onwards to our final destination.

It's really just personal preference.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Just personal preference. The train ride was sublime. And as with air travel, we arrived a bit late. I really enjoyed it, but I don't particularly care for flying and the hassle that surrounds it.

 

[MillauFr]

You shouldn't book a separate flight. You could book a flight that connects in Seattle to Vancouver. You won't want to have to exit security and recheck your bags with a different airline. The security lines in Seattle are horrible. Over Memorial Day weekend they had to use the parking garage for extra queuing space for the security lines.

 

[Tasmen]

The bonus of the train beyond the beauty of the ride is not having to deal with TSA. Overall, you'll spend less time traveling and in a less stressful and possibly cheaper way.

 

[mrp4352]

Even with the extra night hotel in Seattle, we saved money by flying into Seattle and taking the train than by flying directly into Vancouver. It's a beautiful ride and a lovely start to your trip! Upon your arrival in Vancouver you get to stay comfortably seated until the Customs officer is ready for you. Just all around a great experience.

 

[otten]

Booking a flight from Seattle to Vancouver is most likely going to eliminate any cost savings of flying into Seattle instead of Vancouver and you might as well just book a flight to Vancouver.

I haven’t found that the savings between flying into/out of Seatac to be as dramatic as they once were though.

 

[AgentMama]

There was no savings for us when we explored the option of flying into Seattle and taking the train. As other posters said, I think a lot of the appeal is the additional experience.

 

[Sue M]

We always have flights that connect in Seattle to Vancouver. If Alaska Airlines fly out of your airport I find they are one of the best airlines. Great customer service.
There used to be a huge difference in price between flying out of Vancouver or Seattle. YVR is our home airport. We used to drive to Seattle for flights. But now the difference isn’t that much.
I’m confused about the post of sitting waiting for customs. When we fly into YVR there are machines for customs declarations and you take the receipt from machine and hand it to customs. Maybe if you’re a US citizen the process is different. I never noticed any seating areas.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I’m confused about the post of sitting waiting for customs. When we fly into YVR there are machines for customs declarations and you take the receipt from machine and hand it to customs. Maybe if you’re a US citizen the process is different. I never noticed any seating areas.

I think the poster who mentioned staying comfortably seated was discussing how going through customs works on the train - ie you aren't herded through some massive lineup toward machines.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

When flying in to Vancouver for the Alaska cruises everyone talks about flying in to Seattle then taking the train over to Vancouver.
Is it not possible to fly into Seattle and then book a separate Seattle to Vancouver flight? What are the cons to that since no one seems to mention that option?

Our experience in 2014 was;
1.) The train tickets are super cheap if you book far enough in advance (we paid about $100 total for 3 people).
2.) It basically whisks you from downtown to downtown, no travel to/from airports necessary.
3.) Much larger seats on the train and the scenery out the window is often stunningly beautiful.

Considering all of these, I can't imagine that I would consider flying under the same circumstances.

The one drawback was when we got to Vancouver it was raining. They then unloaded all the bags onto the platform, which was uncovered for some reason. Then each car was disembarked separately and we had to retrieve our then wet luggage ourselves.

 

[Sue M]

I think the poster who mentioned staying comfortably seated was discussing how going through customs works on the train - ie you aren't herded through some massive lineup toward machines.

Ah! Thanks!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

I'm sure you can. We are another that did the train. It was simply AMAZING! It was our first time on a train. It was such a cool first experience and the views are beautiful! Played cards, had snacks. I'm so glad we did it.

 

[ryankski]

The train ride is beautiful and was a great addition to our AK cruise. Not sure about price difference flying to Seattle can Vancouver as we we're going to to that no matter what as a way to see to great cities.

I will say the landscape from the train beautiful and there was a stretch with as many or more eagles then we saw the entire time in AK. There's something about look out a window seeing perched eagles on the beach while others are swooping along side the train.

 

[bumbershoot]

Is it not possible to fly into Seattle and then book a separate Seattle to Vancouver flight? What are the cons to that since no one seems to mention that option?

Of course it is possible.

But why? If you’re flying to Seattle to see seattle, you leave the airport and head about an hour’s drive up to downtown to do your Seattle stuff. Then for the flight to Vancouver you drive back south to the airport to go north on the plane.

The security lines in Seattle are horrible.

Not always. Rarely, actually, in my experience.

There was no savings for us when we explored the option of flying into Seattle and taking the train. As other posters said, I think a lot of the appeal is the additional experience.

Agreed.

It basically whisks you from downtown to downtown, no travel to/from airports necessary.

You have to get from SeaTac to the south end of downtown to the train station. Then from the train station to where you’re going.

********
Taking a plane to Seattle then train to Vancouver requires at least one hotel night.

At minimum: Get into Seattle, play, take the afternoon train, get to Vancouver in the late evening, stay overnight. OR arrive on Seattle, play and stay overnight, get on the EARLY train and head to Vancouver and get on the ship.


The other thing you have to watch for with the train is...landslides. If there is even a small slide on the track in the 3 days before your train trip, you’ll be on a bus. The bus is distinctly less fun than the train. If you actually booked the Amtrak bus then I’m sure it’s nice, but the charter bus they pull out when there’s a slide is ugh. We stopped at every rest area. We had to stop and get out at the peace arch for customs. Sigh.

 

[WDWLODGE]

We were on the 5/20/19 Alaskan Cruise and we flew into Seattle. We did so to use our Southwest points and they don't fly into Vancouver. We spent Saturday in Seattle checking out the sites. We took the Amtrak Cascades up to Vancouver Sunday morning and it only cost us $112 total for 4 of us. The train ride was scenic and took 4 1/2 hours. Getting through customs was a cinch. After getting out of the train station we walked across the street and caught the Skytrain to the Waterfront Station where we had another short walk to the Pan Pacific.

 

[Tasmen]

We had to stop and get out at the peace arch for customs. Sigh.

Ugh... the peace arch. My least favorite crossing point ever. Shame they couldn't just go through Lynden and the graveyard border crossing.

 

[RAD]

We did the train in 2016 the morning trip. All I can add is I'd STRONGLY consider doing a night after the train in Vancouver. The train we were on was a couple hours late getting in, and there have been a few posts from folks saying how they were lucky to make it to the ship on time. Plus Vancouver is a very nice city to spend an extra day in exploring.

 

[ryankski]

If doing the train from Seattle to Vancouver I would highly recommend spending the night in Seattle taking the morning train and spending the night in Vancouver. A night in each city and no stress of getting into town the day the ship leaves

 

[xlxo]

If you fly into Vancouver... you get convenience. Depending on where home is... you may find savings. Do the math. Keep in mind....

• how long does it take to drive or bus from Vancouver to SeaTac?
• Are you crossing the border during a busy period? Can you afford a 1 hour wait? Long weekends can sometimes have 4 plus hour border waits.
• Quick Shuttle offers the most direct port to SeaTac service http://www.quickcoach.com/schedule.htm
• some like to do mix travel modes with the Amtrak train. However there are two trains that has you leaving around 5:30am or arriving near midnight. Not the most convenient schedule.
• do you need a Seattle hotel to make your connections that eats into your savings?
• are you missing out in a great bonus port called Vancouver? Vancouver deserves extra days to explore all the activities.