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

[BLTOH]

DCL provides shampoo, conditioner and lotion in the cabins, also bar soap.

I checked NW's site and the policy is clear for those traveling in the US and to/from Canada. Yes, full fare Y coach fare gets 2 bags free as do elite members. All others will pay for their bags. If you are not an elite member or are not paying full fare Y Coach you need to look at the right hand column to determine your baggage fees.

yep i know they do but our experience with any shampoo and conditioner while traveling has been a bad one. both me and my daughter have long hair and have to use a specific kind of conditioner when traveling.

What is a Full fare Y coach? this is what i haven't been able to figure out. i am assuming its a full paid ticket. will have to email northwest when i get a chance i guess.

wish airlines and such were alot easier to book. just not the same as it used to be anymore.

 

[poohj80]

Ok at this point even though it would save us money to go into washington and then amtrak into vancouver i am considering just saying forget it and pay the extra cost to go into vancouver.
Reasons being
2: having an 8 yr old that may not tolerate the long time frames involved of it all

We'll be traveling with a 5 year old which is leading us to fly into Seattle for several reasons.

We plan to spend a night in Seattle to break up all the travel and let her experience a few sights.

The Amtrak ride will be a treat as she loves trains and will break-up the traveling over a couple days.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Depending on where in Oregon you are, the same train that goes Vancouver to Seattle goes as far south as Eugene, It is the Cascade something. It might be worth a train all the way home?

That's a great option to consider! Thank you!

 

[BLTOH]

We'll be traveling with a 5 year old which is leading us to fly into Seattle for several reasons.

We plan to spend a night in Seattle to break up all the travel and let her experience a few sights.

The Amtrak ride will be a treat as she loves trains and will break-up the traveling over a couple days.

I was thinking the same thoughts for flying into Seattle when i was first checking into things. however,with the added expenses and the constantly watching of the watch for time frames i feel we would be rushed and i prefer not to do that. maybe on the way home we might but just starting the trip i know she won't want that rushed thing and we don't either really. would like to see some stuff in seattle though. i have till next july or so to make my final decission and it will be based probalby on the flight information and the dates we want to go. not being able to see what the true prices are for 2011 on hotels or flights don't help much. may the next few months fly by.

 

[trimix]

What is a Full fare Y coach? this is what i haven't been able to figure out. i am assuming its a full paid ticket. will have to email northwest when i get a chance i guess.

As you may not be aware, with any airline you can pay a lot of different prices for the same seat. The Y fare is the full-price, most expensive, pay as much as you can price for a coach ticket.

I just took a look at the Northwest airlines website, and tried looking for tickets from Seattle to Orlando in coach. I found coach tickets in K, T, L, V, Q, H, M, B, and Y classes.

If you want, you can go to Northwest and do a search for your planned flights. For any given flight you'll see four columns; the top row of each column are date, airline and flight number, equipment, and fare class.

And, just for your comparison, the cheapest K class coach tickets I found were $622 after taxes; a Y class coach ticket on the same flight was $1162, and first class tickets start at $1362.

So the simple fact is that for you, and anybody else who doesn't fly enough for elite status, the cheap thing to do is get a discounted coach ticket and pay to check your luggage. Paying almost double the cost for a coach ticket in order to save a few dollars on checked luggage is not a good deal.

 

[BLTOH]

As you may not be aware, with any airline you can pay a lot of different prices for the same seat. The Y fare is the full-price, most expensive, pay as much as you can price for a coach ticket.

I just took a look at the Northwest airlines website, and tried looking for tickets from Seattle to Orlando in coach. I found coach tickets in K, T, L, V, Q, H, M, B, and Y classes.

If you want, you can go to Northwest and do a search for your planned flights. For any given flight you'll see four columns; the top row of each column are date, airline and flight number, equipment, and fare class.

And, just for your comparison, the cheapest K class coach tickets I found were $622 after taxes; a Y class coach ticket on the same flight was $1162, and first class tickets start at $1362.

So the simple fact is that for you, and anybody else who doesn't fly enough for elite status, the cheap thing to do is get a discounted coach ticket and pay to check your luggage. Paying almost double the cost for a coach ticket in order to save a few dollars on checked luggage is not a good deal.

ok will have to look closer i must have missed the Letters for the different prices before. thanx for the info though that helps me alot. i don't mind paying for checked luggage i just know when we take longer trips like this we always end up bringing home an extra suitcase or two of stuff

i just checked again and see what you mean now..that means i might as well bank on adding checked luggage fees to the price when pricing to vancouver.

 

[wdhinn89]

Sorry if this has already been asked and answered but are there any car rental agencies near the cruise ship terminals to rent a car for a few days to see Vancouver before or after the cruise?

 

[mom_rules]

rentalcarmomma.com/cities/vancouver.htm

Hope this helps

 

[godalejunior]

I called Amtrak yesterday and at least for July you will be able to take the train to Seattle and will be transferred to a bus from Seattle to Vancouver BC. There are no trips in July on the train to Van BC. Not sure about other months.

 

[wdhinn89]

rentalcarmomma.com/cities/vancouver.htm

Hope this helps

Thank you!!! It does. I put it in my favorites.

I called Amtrak yesterday and at least for July you will be able to take the train to Seattle and will be transferred to a bus from Seattle to Vancouver BC. There are no trips in July on the train to Van BC. Not sure about other months.

Does this mean that there will be no Amtrack trains running between Seattle and Vancouver in July 2011?

 

[godalejunior]

I was told that there is a train that runs to Seattle and you are switched to a bus from Seattle to Van BC, so yes, that is what I am saying. I checked on August dates too and same story. From what Amtrak told me they only run the one train a day certain times of the year and July and August are not one of them.

 

[wdhinn89]

This is going to put a wrench into alot of plans.

Personally, we planned on either 1- flying into Vancouver 2- renting a car or 3- Quick Shuttle and last was the Amtrack option.

 

[wdhinn89]

Are you sure, Amtrack runs between Seattle and Vancouver in 2010

http://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak

 

[godalejunior]

Are you sure, Amtrack runs between Seattle and Vancouver in 2010

http://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak

I am just telling you what I found out after plugging in dates for this year and getting a train/bus combo. I called when it came up and was told there is one train that runs straight through but not in July or August. We are going in August so I am trying to figure out plans to get there and we wanted to take the train. Now, obviously things can change between now and then but as of right now it is a train/bus combo in July and August leaving from Seattle by bus.

 

[jilljill]

I plugged in dates on Amtrak's website for July/August and came up with an early morning train going to Vancouver and then some bus option and then for the reverse back to Seattle it gave me a dinner time train and several bus options.
Travel time is roughly the same 3½-4½ hours by train or bus.

 

[godalejunior]

It must be because I am plugging in from Kelso WA to Van BC and not Seattle to BC. Maybe I should split it up and try something different. The agent did tell me that they will not be running the trains in July and August straight through....

 

[jilljill]

It must be because I am plugging in from Kelso WA to Van BC and not Seattle to BC. Maybe I should split it up and try something different. The agent did tell me that they will not be running the trains in July and August straight through....

That is your problem. There is only one train up from Seattle and it leaves at 7:40am. The only train that leaves Vancouver back to Seattle leaves at 5:45pm. If you are looking at other times that is why you aren't seeing this option from the station you are looking at.
Sounds like you are from the area and know more stations than the rest of us out of the area that are only looking at the Seattle station.

 

[pjpoohbear]

It must be because I am plugging in from Kelso WA to Van BC and not Seattle to BC. Maybe I should split it up and try something different. The agent did tell me that they will not be running the trains in July and August straight through....

If you pick the Amtrack station that is closest to SEA TEC, you take the train to the main SEA station, then you get kicked off to a bus, and the train goes on to Vancouver without you, .

PJ

 

[trimix]

If you pick the Amtrack station that is closest to SEA TEC, you take the train to the main SEA station, then you get kicked off to a bus, and the train goes on to Vancouver without you, .

PJ

No, no no! It is really very simple!

The Amtrak Cascades route goes from Eugene, OR to Vancouver, BC - you probably know this. BUT NOT ONE SINGLE TRAIN GOES BETWEEN EUGENE AND VANCOUVER! NOT EVEN ONE!

MOST trains run between Portland and Seattle ONLY.

If you pick the Amtrak station closest to the Seattle airport, you take the train to the main SEA station, then you get kicked off to a bus, and the train GOES BACK TO PORTLAND.

Since ONLY TWO TRAINS PER DAY go to Vancouver, IF YOU WANT TO GO TO VANCOUVER YOU HAVE TO TAKE ONE OF THOSE TRAINS OR A BUS.

Now, if you look at the schedule, you will see there are two trains to Vancouver, BC per day. THE MORNING TRAIN ORIGINATES IN SEATTLE. Since it starts in Seattle, there is no place south of Seattle where you can get on!

 

[Duck Addict]

Thanks for all the information on this thread.
I am doing a RCL Inside passage cruise next year that starts in Vancouver and ends in Seattle, with two pre nights in Vancouver.
You are already adding magic to that trip.
.