Planning Seattle Airport Hotel/Vancouver

Hi everyone,

Looking for some input or suggestions.

Next spring we will be going on an Alaska cruise leaving from Vancouver and returning to Seattle.

We will be flying in the day before and staying a day after the cruise to/from SEA. The incoming flight arrives at 7:30 p.m. the departure is an afternoon flight.

I was considering staying at a hotel near the airport and wanted to know my best option to get to the Vancouver cruise port the next day.

On our return I was considering taking a taxi from the port to an airport hotel. I was hoping to find one near the Light rail station at the airport, so that we could possibly leave our bags return to the downtown area to see a bit if the city. Is this a reasonable plan?

I have seen a lot of recommendations for downtown hotels but not many for hotels near the airport with shuttle.

All ideas are good, please let me know what you think

Thank in advance

Hi everyone,

 

Looking for some input or suggestions.

 

Next spring we will be going on an Alaska cruise leaving from Vancouver and returning to Seattle.

 

....

 

I was considering staying at a hotel near the airport and wanted to know my best option to get to the Vancouver cruise port the next day.

 

On our return I was considering taking a taxi from the port to an airport hotel. I was hoping to find one near the Light rail station at the airport, so that we could possibly leave our bags return to the downtown area to see a bit if the city. Is this a reasonable plan?

 

I have seen a lot of recommendations for downtown hotels but not many for hotels near the airport with shuttle.

 

All ideas are good, please let me know what you think

Thank in advance

The Hilton Seattle Airport Hotel is located closer to the light rail airport station than the airport baggage carousels. The hotel is about a two or three minute walk to the light rail station. In the past it also has offered a free airport shuttle, but since it has been about three years since we've stayed there please confirm if the shuttle is still offered.

Thanks I will check that one out.

I finally did find a thread that was talking about the Seattle/Vancouver leg of the journey.

It seems that there is an early morning Amtrak train, but some people brought up the concerns about the possibility of delays and someone else suggested a one way car rental. Sure enough Alamo does allow these rentals at a reasonable price. Although it will be 8p.m., I will still be relatively fresh since we are coming from East to West. The thought is that I can drive closer to the border before stopping for the night. The next day I will only have an hour or so to go after crossing the border. I think I am leaning to this option going to Vancouver.

any other suggestions would still be welcome

Thanks

Sure enough Alamo does allow these rentals at a reasonable price. Although it will be 8p.m., I will still be relatively fresh since we are coming from East to West.

From Seattle or the airport hotels.... My fav is the $50 shuttle from Seatac to downtown Vancouver. During cruise season, there are 6 to 7 departures to meet your schedule. No need to wait or pay for additional transfers from the Vancouver/Seattle bus depots.

http://www.quickcoach.com/schedule.htm

Check to see if this trip coincides with a US or Canada holiday weekend.

Personally I'd go for the car rental. Spend the night in Bellingham and get across the border before it gets too busy, and have several hours to explore Seattle. Check your luggage at the pier, return the car and go sightseeing. Don't be in a rush to board the ship ... enjoy Vancouver while you have the time. Fabulous city!

Most SeaTac hotels offer a free shuttle to/from the airport. Many major chains there if you have points to use. A budget friendly choice is Sleep Inn which is well reviewd on this forum. More $ but a beautiful place, Cedarbrook Lodge is also well reviewed.

Options between Seattle/Vancouver include .. Bolt Bus, Quick Coach, Greyhound, cruiseline transfer, Amtrak train or bus, Alaska Airlines. Keep in mind that some depots are downtown so will require a taxi. And some schedules make several stops and others are express.

I've used Quick Shuttle/Quick Coach several times, and found them to be reliable. I stay at the Doubletree near Seatac.

Roz

if you look on seattle forum for Tripadvisor.com on top right you will see a top question that gives you all options to get from Seattle to Vancovuer. Quick shuttle leaves from Seatac so is logistically the easiest but not my favorite as it takes a long time and makes a lot of stops. Amtrak train would be my first choice followed by Amtrak Bus (no stops) or Bolt Bus --a few quick stops.

Thanks for all your help/suggestions.

As much as I would like to take the early Amtrak train, I am still concerned if there were any delay.

I am leaning to Mapleleaves suggestion of the car rental and driving just a few hours north. Like you said, we could get an early start the next day. Being so close we could get to the port before rush hour (Mon. morning). It looks like the car location is right there and once we can get rid of our luggage we would have some time to spend in Vancouver.

I still have to figure out how to manage the day in Seattle when we debark, but there is a lot more info. here on Seattle so we should be able to come up with a plan.

Thanks again

happy cruising

Sure enough Alamo does allow these rentals at a reasonable price.

My wife and I anda friend of ours rented a car from Alamo to take a Vancouver-LA cruise about a month ago and by paying in advance, the rental cost $46 and some change which was less than 1/3 the price of taking a bus from Seattle to Vancouver. We left SeaTac about 7am and got to Canada Place in Vancouver a bit before noon after a nice drive up, and that included a brief stop to search for a minimart in Vancouver to top off the gas tank. If you do that, you can drop the car off at Canada Place too. After you drop off luggage and everybody else, take the car down to the 2nd (lower) level parking area and leave the car there, then go up to the hotel lobby and turn in the keys and then go back down one floor to check in for the cruise.

BTW, maybe I misunderstood what you wrote but are you cruising to Alaska on a round-trip from Vancouver and driving between Vancouver & Seattle? The reason I ask is that there is no Princess cruise that goes from Vancouver-Alaska-Seattle that I could find on the Princess line or are you cruising on a different line? Just wondering.

Tom

My wife and I anda friend of ours rented a car from Alamo to take a Vancouver-LA cruise about a month ago and by paying in advance, the rental cost $46 and some change which was less than 1/3 the price of taking a bus from Seattle to Vancouver. We left SeaTac about 7am and got to Canada Place in Vancouver a bit before noon after a nice drive up, and that included a brief stop to search for a minimart in Vancouver to top off the gas tank. If you do that, you can drop the car off at Canada Place too. After you drop off luggage and everybody else, take the car down to the 2nd (lower) level parking area and leave the car there, then go up to the hotel lobby and turn in the keys and then go back down one floor to check in for the cruise.

 

BTW, maybe I misunderstood what you wrote but are you cruising to Alaska on a round-trip from Vancouver and driving between Vancouver & Seattle? The reason I ask is that there is no Princess cruise that goes from Vancouver-Alaska-Seattle that I could find on the Princess line or are you cruising on a different line? Just wondering.

 

Tom

Hi Tom

Yes. It is an 8 day cruise leaving from Vancouver and returning to Seattle with Carnival.

Because of the flights costs I am flying DTW/SEA return.

As was suggested I am considering driving closer to the border the night before the cruise (haven't decided which side yet) and driving into Vancouver early in the morning. That way I might be able to see a bit of the city before boarding.

How was your drive in the morning? My only concern would be the Monday morning rush hour traffic as I reach downtown Vancouver. That is another reason to arrive early in town, otherwise coming in around noon as you did would be my other option.

Thank you

Hi Tom

 

Yes. It is an 8 day cruise leaving from Vancouver and returning to Seattle with Carnival.

 

Because of the flights costs I am flying DTW/SEA return.

 

As was suggested I am considering driving closer to the border the night before the cruise (haven't decided which side yet) and driving into Vancouver early in the morning. That way I might be able to see a bit of the city before boarding.

 

How was your drive in the morning? My only concern would be the Monday morning rush hour traffic as I reach downtown Vancouver. That is another reason to arrive early in town, otherwise coming in around noon as you did would be my other option.

 

Thank you

The drive was really easy but that was on a Sunday. I don't know what the rush hour traffic is like in Vancouver, but someone here can probably tell you. You might want to drive from Seattle up to Bellingham on Sunday and then leave Bellingham around 9 or 10am on Monday, that might let you miss the early morning commute. Distance from Bellingham to the border is about 17 miles and about 33 miles from the border to Vancouver (Just checked that on google to see.) so it's about an hour or so from B'ham to Vancouver depending on traffic.

Tom

We just returned from taking Amtrak up to Vancouver and back yesterday. Don't rule it out over possible delays. The train is much nicer than driving. Cost was about 25 bucks one way from Everett which is about 25 miles north of Seattle. The scenery along Puget Sound is worth the trip alone. Vancouver is nicer than downtown Seattle.

I would be more concerned about getting stuck at the border and traffic delays through Seattle in a car than a train delay. Amtrak takes about 4 plus hours to get to Vancouver. We were there by noon. There is a train that leaves late afternoon but your flight time won't work for that one. Canadian Customs clears you at the train station and it doesn't take long. They have Skytrain right across from the Amtrak/VIA Rail station. Skytrain is a subway/overhead tram transportation system that was so easy to take right to our downtown hotel.

I still want to come back to the arrival night.

If your flight lands at 7:30 PM (10:30 PM Eastern) you probably won't be in a rental car until 8:30 at the earliest, following bag collection and taking the shuttle to the car rental facility, which is remote from the main terminal.

That would put you transiting Seattle around 9 PM (midnight Eastern.) There are two general areas north of Seattle - one around Lynnwood, around 30 min. north of downtown Seattle, and the second around Bellingham, roughly 90 min. north of Seattle - where there's a decent selection of roadside accommodations. There are a few places between these of course, but no real "clusters."

Thus you're looking at - approximately - 9:30 PM/12:30 AM or 10:30 PM/1:30 AM by the time you're in some motel along the highway. Assuming you haven't eaten on the plane, you'd need to fit a meal into this timing too.

You know your own energy levels and all that, but if it were me I'd probably get the car on arrival, but stay someplace close to the airport that night. Then set the alarm for early the next morning (6 AM Pacific will be 9 AM Eastern for your bodies) and head north in the early morning. Traffic might be a little sluggish through Seattle, but not bad, and as it's a Monday I don't expect you'd be overly delayed at the Canadian border - maybe a half hour or so tops.

Depending on when you leave and actually cross the border, you might catch the back end of the morning commute into Vancouver, but, like Seattle, you'd be going in the direction of the commute, so things like the possible delay at the Massey Tunnel under the Fraser River will be less an issue, as the reversible lanes will be open northbound due to the commute.

Just a note, it used to be very difficult for Canadians to take US-plated rental cars into Canada (big tax issues) but that policy was reversed by the Canadian federal government a few years ago.

I still want to come back to the arrival night.

 

If your flight lands at 7:30 PM (10:30 PM Eastern) you probably won't be in a rental car until 8:30 at the earliest, following bag collection and taking the shuttle to the car rental facility, which is remote from the main terminal.

 

That would put you transiting Seattle around 9 PM (midnight Eastern.) There are two general areas north of Seattle - one around Lynnwood, around 30 min. north of downtown Seattle, and the second around Bellingham, roughly 90 min. north of Seattle - where there's a decent selection of roadside accommodations. There are a few places between these of course, but no real "clusters."

 

Thus you're looking at - approximately - 9:30 PM/12:30 AM or 10:30 PM/1:30 AM by the time you're in some motel along the highway. Assuming you haven't eaten on the plane, you'd need to fit a meal into this timing too.

 

You know your own energy levels and all that, but if it were me I'd probably get the car on arrival, but stay someplace close to the airport that night. Then set the alarm for early the next morning (6 AM Pacific will be 9 AM Eastern for your bodies) and head north in the early morning. Traffic might be a little sluggish through Seattle, but not bad, and as it's a Monday I don't expect you'd be overly delayed at the Canadian border - maybe a half hour or so tops.

 

Depending on when you leave and actually cross the border, you might catch the back end of the morning commute into Vancouver, but, like Seattle, you'd be going in the direction of the commute, so things like the possible delay at the Massey Tunnel under the Fraser River will be less an issue, as the reversible lanes will be open northbound due to the commute.

 

Just a note, it used to be very difficult for Canadians to take US-plated rental cars into Canada (big tax issues) but that policy was reversed by the Canadian federal government a few years ago.

A couple of comments on points you've brought up.

1. Yep, arrival at 7:30pm will, depending on how long it takes to get her bags will probably mean 8:30pm till she picks up her car. If she uses Alamo and pay in advance, when she gets to the car rental garage, whe will just pick out which car she wants, puts her bags in the car, gets in and drives away. If she has her reservation form and her driver's license in her hand when she gets to the gate and she'll be on your way 5 minutes from the time she got into the car!

2. If she spends the night there by the airport and gets up at 6 she'll probably be on the road by 7:30am by the time she gets dressed and eat something which will put her right in the middle of morning rush traffic all the way from SeaTac through downtown Seattle. Most of the traffic will be heading south once she gets past downtown so that probably won't be of much worry to her, but that first part will be a slow go. I think the best thing to do would be to get north of Seattle and spend the night there.

3. Going in the direction of a commute, in my experience, is NOT the way to be going because that is where traffic jams occur. Going in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic has always seemed to be the best way to go because the vast majority of the vehicles are on the other side of the road and you have a relatively less crowded road. Your experience may be different.

In any event, at least she has some more info now and can make her decision as to what works best for her! :)

Tom

A couple of comments on points you've brought up.

 

1. Yep, arrival at 7:30pm will, depending on how long it takes to get her bags will probably mean 8:30pm till she picks up her car. If she uses Alamo and pay in advance, when she gets to the car rental garage, whe will just pick out which car she wants, puts her bags in the car, gets in and drives away. If she has her reservation form and her driver's license in her hand when she gets to the gate and she'll be on your way 5 minutes from the time she got into the car!

 

2. If she spends the night there by the airport and gets up at 6 she'll probably be on the road by 7:30am by the time she gets dressed and eat something which will put her right in the middle of morning rush traffic all the way from SeaTac through downtown Seattle. Most of the traffic will be heading south once she gets past downtown so that probably won't be of much worry to her, but that first part will be a slow go. I think the best thing to do would be to get north of Seattle and spend the night there.

 

3. Going in the direction of a commute, in my experience, is NOT the way to be going because that is where traffic jams occur. Going in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic has always seemed to be the best way to go because the vast majority of the vehicles are on the other side of the road and you have a relatively less crowded road. Your experience may be different.

 

In any event, at least she has some more info now and can make her decision as to what works best for her! :)

 

Tom

With two or more pax, the OP could use the HOV lanes into Seattle. There might be a little congestion where the HOV lanes end near the I-5/I-90 junction, but probably a few minutes at most. North from downtown Seattle, morning traffic is medium-light, and the HOV lanes resume around Northgate, where the reversible "express lanes" (which will be carrying southbound traffic in the morning) end.

Getting north of downtown in the evening would be fine, but if they stop around Lynnwood, we're really only talking about 30-40 min. of time saving the next morning. Either way they could be in downtown Vancouver long before noon.

And I wasn't suggesting they get up at 6; if they were on the road by 6 (9 AM) the whole issue would be moot.

With two or more pax, the OP could use the HOV lanes into Seattle. There might be a little congestion where the HOV lanes end near the I-5/I-90 junction, but probably a few minutes at most. North from downtown Seattle, morning traffic is medium-light, and the HOV lanes resume around Northgate, where the reversible "express lanes" (which will be carrying southbound traffic in the morning) end.

 

Getting north of downtown in the evening would be fine, but if they stop around Lynnwood, we're really only talking about 30-40 min. of time saving the next morning. Either way they could be in downtown Vancouver long before noon.

 

And I wasn't suggesting they get up at 6; if they were on the road by 6 (9 AM) the whole issue would be moot.

hi

I was in fact considering getting into Vancouver even before the morning rush hour. That was why I am also looking at the possibility of going as far as Surrey, B.C. the night before and getting up early the next morning. This would give us the chance of exploring Vancouver a bit (at least till 1-2pm.)

If we were going to stay closer to or at SEA for the night, I would be more inclined to take the Amtrak train in the morning, since it is supposed to be a very scenic ride and is scheduled to arrive in Vancouver at 11:45a.m. I looked at the bus schedules and they don't appear to be convenient (unless there are earlier departures scheduled at that time of year).

I think these are both good choices, I just have to pick one.

Once again thanks for your help:)

I want to go back to the Amtrak train suggestion. First as you've discovered it is very scenic and totally avoids the issues with the border. Second there are seldom delays as the train starts in Seattle however lets assume the absolute worse case scenario and the train was cxl'd. They put you on a bus which takes 2 hrs to the border and perhaps another 90 minutes to downtown Vanc with a stop at the border. Either way you get to Vanc in plenty of time. The train station to Canada Place is maybe a $10-15 cab ride.

Bus vs train thoughts...

• there are 2 train trips a day.... bus has over a dozen trips to meet your schedule if you look at all the schedules.
  
• Quick shuttle offers service to the hotel and Seatac. Other options requires a transfer where you pay extra and need to wait. Quick shuttle has you waiting only once.
  
• Quick shuttle has fewer stops than the train.
  

very scenic and totally avoids the issues with the border.

If you want to see good photos of the train trip, jump to the Alaska forum, to the 2014 STICKY for trip reports, and look at AryMay's trip report from late May. There are photos of the train, seating, depots, etc.

If you want to see good photos of the train trip, jump to the Alaska forum, to the 2014 STICKY for trip reports, and look at AryMay's trip report from late May. There are photos of the train, seating, depots, etc.

Rather than searching for my trip report, I will make it even easier for you and give you the link to the post on my blog which has all of the same photos and information. Click on this link:

My Souvenir Memories Blog

I thoroughly enjoyed taking Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver. To me it was more like a sightseeing tour rather than just transportation!

just to add some discussion to the train. Business class always gets off first so that will speed you thru immigration quickly. While the train makes a few stops the station stops are less than 4-5 minutes. On Quick shuttle when they make a stop its always off the freeway. They stop load luggage then scan each passengers passport. Doesn't sound like much but it adds 15 minutes or so to each stop, plus the border wait. In busy times its not the most pleasant of experiences. Some stops like the Casino stop or the Bellingham airport the bus leaves the freeway and drives thru traffic to the next stop, does all the loading then winds back to the freeway. It gets a bit cumbersome.

Where would be the best place to sit on the Amtrak train going north from Seattle to Vancouver BC?

Thank you.

Where would be the best place to sit on the Amtrak train going north from Seattle to Vancouver BC?

 

Thank you.

Ask for a seat on the left side of the train so you have a view of the coast.