**** Vancouver FAQ Thread **** A few updates in main post!

[queenbee99]

What month did you get this deal? I really would love to stay there. Does hotwire work like Priceline? I have never done it. Do you bid on a room or do you just find a deal on it?

Many of us were able to book the Pan Pacific last year through Hot Wire for about $140 US per night which I believe is an even better deal, but not guaranteed.

 

[mellers]

This thread is super long but I am hoping to get to reading it soon. We are doing the Alaskan out of Seattle but want to do Seattle for a few days and Vancouver too. So many questions, I saw the deal for the Pan Pacific and haven't booked our flights yet. We would fly into Seattle and then go to Vancouver. Which is most cost effective? Renting a car and driving or taking the train? I thought I had read somewhere that AAA gets business class upgrade on Amtrak but can't find anything. The parking is expensive at the hotels so I didn't know if we could rent and turn in the car, then rent after we return. I have heard that the public transportation is great in Vancouver. What is the best way to get from the train station in Vancouver to Pan Pacific hotel? Not sure if we will be staying here but possible. I have an 8 year old that would love to see snow. Is our only option for that in Whistler? It seems that the June calendar of events is not available for Whistler. This is very overwhelming to plan and hope to get some advice. Between hotels, transportation, flights, cruise...HELP!!

Your cheapest, easiest transportation to the Vancouver Pan Pacific would probably be to take the QuickShuttle (http://www.quickcoach.com/ ) from the Best Western Executive Inn, if you are staying downtown, or from the airport, if you are staying near the airport. The Best Western Executive Inn is near the Space Needle, and the QuickShuttle will drop you off directly at the Pan Pacific. If you're leaving for Vancouver directly from the airport, the QuickShuttle is definitely the best bet, although you will want to get snacks or take-out meals and bottled drinks, because they do not have food onboard and it is a long ride.

Amtrak is a beautiful ride, from everything I've heard, and, if you don't have much luggage to haul, you can probably take the light rail from downtown to the station. If you have a lot of luggage, don't even try it--take a taxi. You'll also need to take a taxi ride to the Pan Pacific when you reach Vancover, but as I recall, it's a relatively short trip.

However, if you have a person traveling with you in a wheelchair, I would strongly recommend the QuickShuttle over Amtrak. I have never had a good experience riding Amtrak in my wheelchair, and they will sometimes split up your family, if there are more than two of you. They won't do that on the QuickShuttle.

As to your 8-year-old, I'm not sure if there'll be snow in Whistler during the summer, but it is a beautiful area.

 

[queenbee99]

Thanks! It's myself, dh and dd. not sure how much luggage is alot since we are flying and limited to 2 per person plus carryons. Believe you me that is minimal for me! LOL We usually drive to PC as we are from LA. I am not yet sure since the flight we are looking at arrives late in Seattle. We might have to spend the night in Seattle and leave for Vancouver the next day. I was thinking my dd might like the train ride as we have never done that before. The tentative pricing for both Amtrak and QS is about the same. Has anyone done Amtrak and QS to Vancouver and have a preference for one over the other?

I was searching the Whistler site and it said something about tubing in the summer but nothing is available for the month of June yet. Crossing fingers as we live in Louisiana and hardly ever see snow.

Thanks for info.

Your cheapest, easiest transportation to the Vancouver Pan Pacific would probably be to take the QuickShuttle (http://www.quickcoach.com/ ) from the Best Western Executive Inn, if you are staying downtown, or from the airport, if you are staying near the airport. The Best Western Executive Inn is near the Space Needle, and the QuickShuttle will drop you off directly at the Pan Pacific. If you're leaving for Vancouver directly from the airport, the QuickShuttle is definitely the best bet, although you will want to get snacks or take-out meals and bottled drinks, because they do not have food onboard and it is a long ride.

Amtrak is a beautiful ride, from everything I've heard, and, if you don't have much luggage to haul, you can probably take the light rail from downtown to the station. If you have a lot of luggage, don't even try it--take a taxi. You'll also need to take a taxi ride to the Pan Pacific when you reach Vancover, but as I recall, it's a relatively short trip.

However, if you have a person traveling with you in a wheelchair, I would strongly recommend the QuickShuttle over Amtrak. I have never had a good experience riding Amtrak in my wheelchair, and they will sometimes split up your family, if there are more than two of you. They won't do that on the QuickShuttle.

As to your 8-year-old, I'm not sure if there'll be snow in Whistler during the summer, but it is a beautiful area.

 

[mellers]

Thanks! It's myself, dh and dd. not sure how much luggage is alot since we are flying and limited to 2 per person plus carryons. Believe you me that is minimal for me! LOL We usually drive to PC as we are from LA. I am not yet sure since the flight we are looking at arrives late in Seattle. We might have to spend the night in Seattle and leave for Vancouver the next day. I was thinking my dd might like the train ride as we have never done that before. The tentative pricing for both Amtrak and QS is about the same. Has anyone done Amtrak and QS to Vancouver and have a preference for one over the other?

I was searching the Whistler site and it said something about tubing in the summer but nothing is available for the month of June yet. Crossing fingers as we live in Louisiana and hardly ever see snow.

Thanks for info.

I would definitely take the taxi to Amtrak, then, if you choose to use it--you won't be able to haul your bags and an 8-year-old on the light rail. http://www.eastsideforhire.com/ has less expensive taxicabs, and they will take reservations--we've had good luck with them.

Without a wheelchair, you probably won't have any problems no matter which you take, but if the costs are about the same for transport, you will probably, overall, pay slightly less for the QuickShuttle because you won't need to pay for a taxi to your hotel.

However you get from here to there, have a wonderful time

 

[Caropooh]

FYI about Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver...
remember, the only 2 runs that actually use the train ar the 7:40AM and the 6:50PM runs, everything else you are on a bus. The bus is not nearly as scenic as you are going up I-5 and not up the coast.

 

[queenbee99]

Have you done the train ride? Is it worth it do that or would you rent a car and drive? We would be leaving for Vancouver when we get off the cruise so we will have to do the 650 run. It's still light up there then right? Other wise we might have to spend the night and do the 740 run the next day.

FYI about Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver...
remember, the only 2 runs that actually use the train ar the 7:40AM and the 6:50PM runs, everything else you are on a bus. The bus is not nearly as scenic as you are going up I-5 and not up the coast.

 

[mellers]

Have you done the train ride? Is it worth it do that or would you rent a car and drive? We would be leaving for Vancouver when we get off the cruise so we will have to do the 650 run. It's still light up there then right? Other wise we might have to spend the night and do the 740 run the next day.

In the summer, it will be light until after 9 p.m.

 

[poohj80]

Thanks! It's myself, dh and dd. not sure how much luggage is alot since we are flying and limited to 2 per person plus carryons. Believe you me that is minimal for me! LOL We usually drive to PC as we are from LA. I am not yet sure since the flight we are looking at arrives late in Seattle. We might have to spend the night in Seattle and leave for Vancouver the next day. I was thinking my dd might like the train ride as we have never done that before. The tentative pricing for both Amtrak and QS is about the same. Has anyone done Amtrak and QS to Vancouver and have a preference for one over the other?

I was searching the Whistler site and it said something about tubing in the summer but nothing is available for the month of June yet. Crossing fingers as we live in Louisiana and hardly ever see snow.

Thanks for info.

We took Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver last summer and it was a beautiful ride and our DD enjoyed it as her first real train ride. We splurged for Business class (which wasn't much more) which I highly recommend! Not only are the seats bigger and more comfortable, you get to get off first in Vancouver so it's not as much of a cattle call. We just grabbed a cab from there to the Pan pacific...it was all pretty easy.

 

[Pinocchio #1 Fan]

So much information in this thread! I think my brain is gonna explode!

I'm trying to figure out the best place to rent a car in Vancouver, as we are planning on staying a few days there at the end of our cruise. I'm trying to get through this whole thread, but I'm afraid I'll miss the one piece of information I'm looking for!

 

[richmo]

So much information in this thread! I think my brain is gonna explode!

I'm trying to figure out the best place to rent a car in Vancouver, as we are planning on staying a few days there at the end of our cruise. I'm trying to get through this whole thread, but I'm afraid I'll miss the one piece of information I'm looking for!

You can pick up a car right at or near the cruise terminal (see Alamo). However, you might find it less expensive (if you care) to pick up a car at the Vancouver airport (YVR). There's plenty of options to get you to the airport; one fun and inexpensive one is to take the SkyTrain...its about a half hour ride on the train and you pick up the train about a block and a half from the cruise terminal.

 

[Caropooh]

Have you done the train ride? Is it worth it do that or would you rent a car and drive? We would be leaving for Vancouver when we get off the cruise so we will have to do the 650 run. It's still light up there then right? Other wise we might have to spend the night and do the 740 run the next day.

It looks like you are going around the beginning of June. Sunset will be around 9:00 then, so it would still be light most of the way up the coast. I think watching the sun set over the ocean could be awesome! Once you cross the border into Canada, it's not as much on the coast.
We did the train up to Vancouver this past August and loved it! It's really pretty going along the coast and this is coming from someone who has lived up here almost 18 years!

 

[TLPL]

I have a question: how do you get to/from the Seattle airport from/to Amtrak station?

 

[mellers]

I have a question: how do you get to/from the Seattle airport from/to Amtrak station?

If you don't have much luggage, you can walk to the light rail, but it's a bit of a hike, and I wouldn't do it after dark. In the daytime it's fine, but at night, the neighborhood can be a little sketchy.

In most cases, you're best off taking a taxi. You have to know how to get from "here" to "there", and it could be very frustrating if you're trying to make a train and navigate the maze. If you know somebody from the area who could walk you over, or if you've scouted it out yourself in the past, it would be easier.

 

[poohj80]

What month did you get this deal? I really would love to stay there. Does hotwire work like Priceline? I have never done it. Do you bid on a room or do you just find a deal on it?

We cruised in August. Hotwire is similar to Priceline but they give you more info about the hotel before you book so you can sometimes figure out what it is. I recommend www.biddingfortravel.com for tips.

 

[poohj80]

I have a question: how do you get to/from the Seattle airport from/to Amtrak station?

We used a private car service since we had 5 people plus luggage (would have taken 2 taxis).

 

[richmo]

If you don't have much luggage, you can walk to the light rail, but it's a bit of a hike, and I wouldn't do it after dark. In the daytime it's fine, but at night, the neighborhood can be a little sketchy.

In most cases, you're best off taking a taxi. You have to know how to get from "here" to "there", and it could be very frustrating if you're trying to make a train and navigate the maze. If you know somebody from the area who could walk you over, or if you've scouted it out yourself in the past, it would be easier.

As one who usually tries to save a few bucks to take good mass transit (see my SkyTrain post above), I have to agree with mellers on this one. Your best bet from SEA to Amtrak is a taxi.

 

[tink1963]

I have a question: how do you get to/from the Seattle airport from/to Amtrak station?

We used a car service. Quick and easy.

 

[890537]

As one who usually tries to save a few bucks to take good mass transit (see my SkyTrain post above), I have to agree with mellers on this one. Your best bet from SEA to Amtrak is a taxi.

I'm glad you posted this - we took the train from Vancouver last year had booked a hotel near the airport that provided transport to the train station. When I realized that the train station where we'd be arriving wasn't the same one that was next to the airport, I thought we could use the light rail between the two and was really disappointed when we took a limo. Thanks for helping me feel better about that choice!

 

[poohj80]

I have a question: how do you get to/from the Seattle airport from/to Amtrak station?

It depends on how many people are in your group and home much luggage you have. We had 5 people plus luggage so it would have taken two taxis to get around so we opted for a private car as it was cheaper.

 

[RedSox68]

Thanks! It's myself, dh and dd. not sure how much luggage is alot since we are flying and limited to 2 per person plus carryons. Believe you me that is minimal for me! LOL We usually drive to PC as we are from LA. I am not yet sure since the flight we are looking at arrives late in Seattle. We might have to spend the night in Seattle and leave for Vancouver the next day. I was thinking my dd might like the train ride as we have never done that before. The tentative pricing for both Amtrak and QS is about the same. Has anyone done Amtrak and QS to Vancouver and have a preference for one over the other?

I was searching the Whistler site and it said something about tubing in the summer but nothing is available for the month of June yet. Crossing fingers as we live in Louisiana and hardly ever see snow.

Thanks for info.

We opted to fly into Seattle instead of Vancouver for our cruise on HAL in May. Saved us big bucks. We are flying in the day before and staying one night at Inn at the Market. Chose it because it is right across the street from Pike Place Market and figured we could spend the afternoon. (FYI -- they close EARLY -- like 6 p.m., which really surprised me).

We are booked on the Amtrak train the next morning at 7:40 a.m. and plan on getting to the station by 6 a.m. to get our luggage checked and our seat assignments. Debating on whether to upgrade to business class.

Post-cruise we are taking Amtrak back to Seattle and spending four nights then flying home from there. I absolutely love trains and this was an easy decision between renting a car or car service or taking Amtrak.

We are also staying at Pan Pacific, but booked it with AAA discount and got a terrific package deal that includes the breakfast buffet every morning (normally $30/pp) and porter service to the terminal downstairs. We booked it in early January and I don't see that offer any more on their website. HOWEVER, they do have an offer right now for a decent price for harbor view rooms, but you have to pay in full and it does not include breakfast.