Bellingham to Vancouver

[darnallj]

Flying into Bellingham around 8 pm on June 3rd for a june 4th cruise out of Vancouver,  Looking for a cheap easy way to get from Bellingham on the 4th to Vancouver then back to Bellingham on the 11th for a return flight 

[smokeybandit]

Quick Bus goes back and forth from Seattle to Vancouver, including a stop at Bellingham

[PNW Traveler]

Quick Bus is also referred to as Quick Shuttle or Quick Coach.  There are connections to several locations in Vancouver including the cruise ship port.

Here's their website:

https://quickcoach.com/

 

The Bellingham Airport is small and is located some distance from town.  Scheduled flights between Bellingham and Vancouver are not easy to find.  Most cruisers fly into Seattle and then connect to Vancouver.  Alaska Airlines has numerous flights to Vancouver daily.  We usually fly Alaska into Vancouver.

There are additional bus connections from downtown Bellingham to Vancouver, including the Bolt Bus, but I'm not aware of a pickup point at the Bellingham Airport.

 

Bellingham is a lovely small city and worth some time.  It has a great waterfront and old town and is near both the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades.

 

[martincath]

QuickShuttle are the only 'direct to the airport' service, but given their a**holery this year - cancelling services 2 days a week with minimal notice which left at least one fellow-cruiser in the lurch  - I would not personally reply upon them, but with no taxi to downtown needed they are probably the cheapest option unless you're a big group who can find a cheap rate on a one-way car rental...

 

Amtrak might be back to 2 daily trains by next year, and will definitely still be running their bus service whether or not the second train returns; Greyhound stops in Bellingham; and while Bolt has ceased to exist their operations were taken over by Flixbus. All of these go from downtown Bellingham, so a cab would be needed.

 

Towncars which cross the border run about $300 each way, but that's per car - a one-way car rental from BLI to Vancouver I have no idea of a likely price for next year but it's worth checking into.

[GTJ]

58 minutes ago, martincath said:

QuickShuttle are the only 'direct to the airport' service, but given their [inadequate service] this year * * * I would not personally reply upon them. * * *

 

Amtrak might be back to 2 daily trains by next year, and will definitely still be running their bus service whether or not the second train returns; Greyhound stops in Bellingham; and while Bolt has ceased to exist their operations were taken over by Flixbus. All of these go from downtown Bellingham, so a cab would be needed.

As to Quick Coach Lines, their schedule does not presently allow for same day travel from Bellingham to Canada Place for a cruise departure . . . their first arrival into Vancouver on the current schedule is after all the vessels have departed for the day. The actual schedule is, departing Bellingham airport, Thursday through Monday (no departures Tuesdays and Wednesdays) at 5:10 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m., arriving in Vancouver at 7:55 p.m., 9:45 p.m., and 11:45 p.m. By next June I expect the schedule to be changed, probably (based on prior year schedules) to include daily departures from Bellingham airport at 10:25 a.m. and 12:50 p.m., arriving at Canada Place directly at 12:35 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

 

Amtrak presently has one train daily from Bellingham to Vancouver. The train departs from the Bellingham Cruise Terminal at 9:52 a.m., arriving in Vancouver at 11:45 a.m., permitting a same-day connection to a departing cruise vessel. By next June there should be an additional train later in the day, though it would likely not allow for a same day connection with a departing cruise vessel (in prior years that second train arrived in Vancouver at 11:00 p.m.).

 

BoltBus, which was an operating division of Greyhound Lines, did previously operate from Bellingham to Vancouver. Those operations have since been rebranded as Greyhound Lines itself. (Greyhound Lines is a corporate subsidiary of Flix, but is not operated as FlixBus.) The schedule is not particularly attractive, with buses departing the Bellingham Cruise Terminal at 3:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., arriving in Vancouver at 5:20 a.m. and 9:25 p.m., respectively.

 

FlixBus (also a corporate subsidiary of Flix) is a broker that has arranged for bus service being provided by MTR Western from Bellington to Vancouver. These buses depart from Western Washington University at 9:30 a.m. (with additional departures later in the day on certain days of the week), arriving in Vancouver at 11:55 a.m. Their stop in Vancouver, near the Waterfront Station, is only five blocks from Canada Place, and would the closest arrival point of all the options offering same-day connections with departing cruise vessels. However, FlixBus is still a new operation, and it has been changing schedules with some frequency. It is likely that, by next June, the schedule of this trip will be changed, though I would anticipate any change to be relatively minor and not disrupt the ability to make a same-day connection with a departing cruise vessel from Vancouver.

 

As to return schedules from Vancouver to Bellingham:

 

Quick Coach Lines presently departing Vancouver Thursday through Monday 6:45 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:25 a.m.; likely schedule next June, daily, 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m., 10:45 a.m.

 

Amtrak presently departing Vancouver 5:45 p.m.; likely additional train at 6:35 a.m.

 

Greyhound Lines departing Vancouver 7:10 a.m., 10:00 p.m.

 

MTR Western (FlixBus) departing Vancouver 12:40 p.m. (additional departures at 7:30 a.m. Mon through Wed, 9:30 a.m. Mon Thu Sat, and 3:00 p.m. Fri through Tue)

 

Of course, one need not use the same carrier to return that one used initially (e.g., okay to use Amtrak from Bellingham to Vancouver, but MTR Western for Vancouver to Bellingham). All of the current timings are from the November 2022 issue of Canada and Alaska Timetable.

[martincath]

10 minutes ago, GTJ said:

...All of the current timings are from the November 2022 issue of Canada and Alaska Timetable.

That's a very detailed book! Thanks for the clarifications re: Flixhound operations too.

[darnallj]

19 minutes ago, GTJ said:

As to Quick Coach Lines, their schedule does not presently allow for same day travel from Bellingham to Canada Place for a cruise departure . . . their first arrival into Vancouver on the current schedule is after all the vessels have departed for the day. The actual schedule is, departing Bellingham airport, Thursday through Monday (no departures Tuesdays and Wednesdays) at 5:10 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m., arriving in Vancouver at 7:55 p.m., 9:45 p.m., and 11:45 p.m. By next June I expect the schedule to be changed, probably (based on prior year schedules) to include daily departures from Bellingham airport at 10:25 a.m. and 12:50 p.m., arriving at Canada Place directly at 12:35 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

 

Amtrak presently has one train daily from Bellingham to Vancouver. The train departs from the Bellingham Cruise Terminal at 9:52 a.m., arriving in Vancouver at 11:45 a.m., permitting a same-day connection to a departing cruise vessel. By next June there should be an additional train later in the day, though it would likely not allow for a same day connection with a departing cruise vessel (in prior years that second train arrived in Vancouver at 11:00 p.m.).

 

BoltBus, which was an operating division of Greyhound Lines, did previously operate from Bellingham to Vancouver. Those operations have since been rebranded as Greyhound Lines itself. (Greyhound Lines is a corporate subsidiary of Flix, but is not operated as FlixBus.) The schedule is not particularly attractive, with buses departing the Bellingham Cruise Terminal at 3:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., arriving in Vancouver at 5:20 a.m. and 9:25 p.m., respectively.

 

FlixBus (also a corporate subsidiary of Flix) is a broker that has arranged for bus service being provided by MTR Western from Bellington to Vancouver. These buses depart from Western Washington University at 9:30 a.m. (with additional departures later in the day on certain days of the week), arriving in Vancouver at 11:55 a.m. Their stop in Vancouver, near the Waterfront Station, is only five blocks from Canada Place, and would the closest arrival point of all the options offering same-day connections with departing cruise vessels. However, FlixBus is still a new operation, and it has been changing schedules with some frequency. It is likely that, by next June, the schedule of this trip will be changed, though I would anticipate any change to be relatively minor and not disrupt the ability to make a same-day connection with a departing cruise vessel from Vancouver.

 

As to return schedules from Vancouver to Bellingham:

 

Quick Coach Lines presently departing Vancouver Thursday through Monday 6:45 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:25 a.m.; likely schedule next June, daily, 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m., 10:45 a.m.

 

Amtrak presently departing Vancouver 5:45 p.m.; likely additional train at 6:35 a.m.

 

Greyhound Lines departing Vancouver 7:10 a.m., 10:00 p.m.

 

MTR Western (FlixBus) departing Vancouver 12:40 p.m. (additional departures at 7:30 a.m. Mon through Wed, 9:30 a.m. Mon Thu Sat, and 3:00 p.m. Fri through Tue)

 

Of course, one need not use the same carrier to return that one used initially (e.g., okay to use Amtrak from Bellingham to Vancouver, but MTR Western for Vancouver to Bellingham). All of the current timings are from the November 2022 issue of Canada and Alaska Timetable.

 

Thanks for the Info,  Hoping the Quick shuttle or amtrak schedule changes for the better,  we are flying into bellingham the day before the cruise so that will make it easier,  the return home i would prefer to do same day but it might not be possible 

[GTJ]

4 hours ago, martincath said:

That's a very detailed book! Thanks for the clarifications re: Flixhound operations too.

The corporate structures and relationships of FlixBus and Greyhound are a bit complicated, to say the least!

4 hours ago, darnallj said:

Hoping the Quick shuttle or amtrak schedule changes for the better * * * the return home i would prefer to do same day but it might not be possible 

I don't think that the Amtrak train addition would do much to better the possibilities for your particular case, as the existing train schedule will accommodate your needs as if (even though the return Amtrak schedule from Vancouver to Bellingham is not as attractive). I would be fairly confident of Quick Coach Lines adjusting their schedules to be comparable, if not exact, as their schedules in summer 2019, at least to the extent that there does not arise any new health or travel concerns. Quick Coach Lines has had a fairly comprehensive timetable, and provides service exactly where you would want it: at the Bellingham airport and at Canada Place in Vancouver. True, you're spending the night before in a hotel, so you could pretty much pick anyplace in or around Bellingham to stay, and have convenient access to whatever Bellingham departure point you desired. Nonetheless, using Quick Coach Lines would provide the convenience of using an airport hotel and its courtesy shuttle, both post-flight on arrival day and pre-bus on departure day.

 

On the return, it could be possible to fly on the same day. Assuming that Quick Coach Lines resumes its prior schedule, its first departure from Canada Place is at 9:00 a.m., with a scheduled arrival at the Bellingham airport at 11:40 a.m. So flights after, say, 2:00 p.m. could be practicable. The risks, of course, include (1) the implementation of the prior schedule, and (2) potential delays by U.S. immigration and customs at the border in Blaine. Buying non-refundable airline tickets out of Bellingham might not be a risk you're looking to undertake at this point in time. In 2019, the summer schedules went into effect in the first week of May, and were available at least as early as late February. Given this history, Quick Coach Lines might have its summer 2023 schedule available as early as January or February of next year.