Transportation around Seattle - Cruise PreTrip

[scrapperkimmydee]

I need some help from Seattle peeps...

As I was looking to get tickets to the Chihuly museum and Space needle, I noticed that there is a combo ticket that also includes the monorail.

This got me to thinking...A dangerous pastime...I know...

It looks like there is light rail from Sea-Tac to Seattle Center, and mono rail from Seattle Center to the space needle.

We're staying on aurora Ave North.

We need to get from the airport to where we're staying.
While we're there, we want to go to the original Starbucks, maybe do the underground city tour (the seedy one at night!) and the needle and Chihuly.

Will the monorail work for us? Will light rail work for us? I was just gonna use Lyft/Uber, but if there's a monorail, that'd be great! And I'm not opposed to Light rail if that works.

 

[bumbershoot]

mono rail from Seattle Center to the space needle

Link light rail goes from the airport and has a stop in the Westlake area, with the station being at 4th Ave & Pine St. https://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-Guide/Westlake-Station

Monorail is at Seattle Center. The monorail goes from Westlake Center (shopping downtown) to Seattle Center. http://www.seattlemonorail.com/about/#route



If you had no bags you could get the link from the airport then get to the monorail station at Westlake (inside the mall) and get to Seattle Center. But you have to get to your hotel and then back into the downtown core so I'm not sure that combo will work for you.

 

[Westcoastwild]

so what I would do is take the light rail from the airport to west lake center and then uber or taxi to your hotel from there. You can walk from your hotel to the monorail station and take the monorail to westlake- it's a fun way to downtown (for your Starbucks and Pike place market) and back to Seattle center.

To clarify- because I think a lot of tourists don't quite get this- the link light rail is modern transit with multiple stops. But monorail is a remnant of the worlds fair- it's a futuristic (I mean, it was then) raised track train that has two ends. Seattle center (which is basically a park) and the downtown core at a shopping mall. So while it is transit, it's mostly a sightseeing thing. so you usually pay separately for it, only in cash. That combo pass may not give you unlimited rides- I suspect it's one round trip.

That said, I use the monorail for that purpose all the time because I'd rather walk to my destination near Seattle center than spend the money on a taxi. You can take luggage on it- I have- but it's not set up to handle it, it would be like taking luggage on the WDW monorail between Epcot and MK, if that makes sense.

If you're a Starbucks fan, try to go to the reserve roastery on Capitol Hill- its way cooler than the original Starbucks and has better coffee.

 

[scrapperkimmydee]

So

Link light rail goes from the airport and has a stop in the Westlake area, with the station being at 4th Ave & Pine St. https://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-Guide/Westlake-Station

Monorail is at Seattle Center. The monorail goes from Westlake Center (shopping downtown) to Seattle Center. http://www.seattlemonorail.com/about/#route



If you had no bags you could get the link from the airport then get to the monorail station at Westlake (inside the mall) and get to Seattle Center. But you have to get to your hotel and then back into the downtown core so I'm not sure that combo will work for you.

you can't take bags on the link (that's light rail, right?) from the airport? Don't most people have bags when leaving the airport?

 

[Pooh2]

So


you can't take bags on the link (that's light rail, right?) from the airport? Don't most people have bags when leaving the airport?

We took our bags on the light rail from the airport to downtown. We just tucked them under our feet and in our laps.

 

[Westcoastwild]

So


you can't take bags on the link (that's light rail, right?) from the airport? Don't most people have bags when leaving the airport?

No you CAN take bags on the link. No problem. Its chief original purpose was to connect downtown with the airport. I think what bumbershoot is trying to say is what I said above. It's a hassle to take bags on the monorail, and plus, the link+walking to the monorail+riding the monorail+walking to your hotel will take over an hour. When you could just get an uber to your hotel- half hour tops, probably, door to door service. As long as it's not rush hour, at least.

Google map space needle to your hotel. The Seattle center is a large park and a lot of "Seattle center" hotels are not real close to the space needle. So basically the distance between those two locations is how far you'd be walking. On top of dragging your luggage on the link, then to the monorail.

I've done it because I'm cheap. But most people would not consider the time wasted and the walking to be worth the money.

 

[scrapperkimmydee]

I don't think the monorail will work for the hotel. That's just to get from Center (wherever that is) to the needle. We'll need to Lyft it to and from the hotel. I'm assuming Center is near Pikes Starbucks. Which is considered downtown, right?


So, I'm thinking light rail to downtown, then Lyft to the airport. Or for ease, Lyft only to the hotel. The Lyft when we go do touristy stuff, with possibly monorail while doing the touristy stuff. Then Lyft back to hotel.

Then the next day, Lyft to the ferry.

 

[bumbershoot]

So


you can't take bags on the link (that's light rail, right?) from the airport? Don't most people have bags when leaving the airport?

Of course you can take bags on the link. But I was saying link to west lake then monorail to Seattle center wouldn't be something to do with bags. Because what would you do with the bags?

I'm not sure any of it works for your plans. You want to go from the airport to the hotel then downtown. I'd just use a taxi or whatever to the hotel then to downtown. If by chance you're at westlake and want to take the monorail to Seattle center, do it. I'd just walk but the monorail can be fun too.

Then again I don't know the exact location of your hotel. I only know aurora from running on it lol.

 

[monkeybird]

Just to clarify, the Space Needle IS at the Seattle Center. The monorail is sorta fun, but pricey for what it is - a short trip between Seattle Center and an unexciting indoor mall.

If your hotel is on Aurora, you should easily get there from downtown (and vice versa) on the E bus. You need to have the exact change and Google maps will gladly tell you if you're in peak or regular pricing.

All the things you mention are within walking distance of each other.

From the airport to your hotel, Link is an option but you'll have to also take a bus,and it might not be particularly time efficient or even cost saving if there are several of you. You can easily do Uber, Lyft or ReachNow (that's like Car to go by with Mercedes). Something to consider. Again, Google maps should be able to give you time and cost estimates. Be aware that you'll have to walk over to a specific area of the parking garage to get picked up by those car services. It's not curbside at the airport. Drop-off is.

 

[scrapperkimmydee]

Just to clarify, the Space Needle IS at the Seattle Center. The monorail is sorta fun, but pricey for what it is - a short trip between Seattle Center and an unexciting indoor mall.

If your hotel is on Aurora, you should easily get there from downtown (and vice versa) on the E bus. You need to have the exact change and Google maps will gladly tell you if you're in peak or regular pricing.

All the things you mention are within walking distance of each other.

From the airport to your hotel, Link is an option but you'll have to also take a bus,and it might not be particularly time efficient or even cost saving if there are several of you. You can easily do Uber, Lyft or ReachNow (that's like Car to go by with Mercedes). Something to consider. Again, Google maps should be able to give you time and cost estimates. Be aware that you'll have to walk over to a specific area of the parking garage to get picked up by those car services. It's not curbside at the airport. Drop-off is.

Thank you!!

 

[monkeybird]

You're welcome!