Seattle to Vancouver transportation

[ilovedolphins]

If you were taking a trip to Vancouver would you fly to Seattle and then take a shuttle bus to Vancouver or just fly into Vancouver?  If you took a shuttle bus where do you do customs at?  I have never been out of the country so I am just trying to find out a few facts.

[Deleted]

If it were me and I weren't in a hurry I'd take the ferry.  DH and I did that from Seattle to Victoria and enjoyed it.  I believe we cleared Customs at Seattle when we left; can't remember where we cleared Customs when we got back to Seattle.

Make sure you have whatever documentation you need.  I believe you need a passport to enter Canada by plane now, or else some sort of enhanced driver's license that some states such as Washington offer.  If you take a bus, Customs officers probably get on the bus at the border and check documents.

Is this in connection with a cruise leaving from Vancouver?  If it is, the ferry might make more sense because it would get you right to the port of Vancouver. 

[ilovedolphins]

I have been looking at a cruise but also a land trip.  I didn't even think of the ferry.  Thanks.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

There are a couple of places off of I5 where you clear to go into Canada, or back again.  I see shuttle buses there all the time when we go across the border.

Like Athena said, I would also take the ferry to Victoria.  

You do need either a passport or enhanced driver's license to go across the border.

Flying into Vancouver tends to be more expensive than Seattle, but I have discovered if you are flying on miles, it is easier to get a ticket into Vancouver than Seattle, especially at the last minute.  Number of miles needed is the same, and Vancouver is actually a bit closer for us.

ironically, there was just an ad on TV advertising the ferry to Vancouver....$89.

[Gardening Grandma]

If you want to get to Victoria from Seattle, the Clipper (fast ferry) is both scenic and pretty fast.  But there is no ferry from Seattle to Vancouver.

I suppose you could take the Clipper to Victoria, sightsee (Victoria's waterfront area is very colorful), then take a bus to the ferry terminal (other side of the island) to take another ferry to Vancouver.  You'd have to check schedules and you might not have enough time to do all that.  There's a lot to see in Victoria...

To get directly to Vancouver from Seattle, you can take the bus or go by train.  From the Seatac airport, you can take the light rail to downtown, get off at the International District (Chinatown) and walk accross the street to the train station.  
The train is not as fast as the bus, but probably more fun (about 4 hrs  compared to about 3 hrs)

Whether to fly into Vancouver depends - I'd price it out.

This might help.
seattletimes.com/html/travel/2017459476_trnorthwesthowtogo12.html

ETA - you do immigration at the border.  Coming back you do customs there as well.  As long as you have a passport it's not a big deal.  But there might be a fair amount of waiting in line.

[Deleted]

Bellingham international airport is closer to the border than SeaTac and has many international flights as well as shuttles that will take you to Vancouver.

[ilovedolphins]

Maybe I should check out Victoria.  I am just trying to come up with a shorter scenic trip I can do on my own before I try a major one alone.

[NoNamePerson]

Nothing to add but I did learn something from this thread. I had to google enhanced drivers license. That was a new one on me  I try to learn something new each day and you just filled my quota  Off to learn something else now!!

[Baby Fawkes]

If you're happy to travel by train, another option (as GG pointed out) is to check out the Amtrak route. I've done it before and it runs all along the coast. I would say that it compares well with the clipper for scenic views and it gets you directly to Vancouver. 

www.amtrakcascades.com/

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 4, 2013 11:13:40 GMT -5 @joey said:

Bellingham international airport is closer to the border than SeaTac and has many international flights as well as shuttles that will take you to Vancouver.

Flying into BLI will add quite a bit to the cost of the airfare....about 25% or so, and is usually higher than flying into Vancouver.

If I was looking at getting my feet wet, I'd fly into Seattle and tour there.  Then I'd shuttle or ferry up to BC, tour there and then retun home from Vancouver.

[sapphire12]

I flew into Seattle on my way to Anchorage. We did a weekend trip before heading to Anchorage. I was scheduled to see Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria, BC.


I rode the shuttle bus from Vancouver to Seattle. It was pretty inexpensive.

I've done the Clipper Ferry between Seattle and Victoria. It's quick and relatively inexpensive as well.

Vancouver is more like a typical US big city, from what I saw. I didn't get to see much because of a mix up, but oh well.

Victoria is more of a quaint city. It reminded me of Quebec, which I happen to be going back to later this month. The Butchart Gardens were nice, but I also enjoyed just walking around "downtown" Victoria and eating lunch.

This is a pretty decent trip to do by yourself.

[Deleted]

Jul 4, 2013 11:14:32 GMT -5 ilovedolphins said:

Maybe I should check out Victoria.  I am just trying to come up with a shorter scenic trip I can do on my own before I try a major one alone.

DH and I went there with DSS and his wife.  (DSDIL?  This gets complicated!)  It's a very walkable city with an aquarium, a lot of shops, a good museum and a museum shop carrying items made by natives instead of the usual junk from China.  We stayed at the Fairmount Empress- didn't have afternoon tea there, which is famous, but I did have a nice swim in their indoor pool. 

[tallguy]

If you're happy to travel by train, another option (as GG pointed out) is to check out the Amtrak route. I've done it before and it runs all along the coast. I would say that it compares well with the clipper for scenic views and it gets you directly to Vancouver.

Just a caution, however.  We have had several mudslides that closed the tracks for a while.  Couple days here, couple more there....  I think Amtrak was busing people up during the closures.  Something to keep in mind.

[Gardening Grandma]

If you just want a scenic city to visit, I'd recommend Victoria.  The waterfront area (where the Clipper enters the harbor)
 is quite scenic (the Parliament building, the Empress hotel, an outstand natural history museum.  And you can take a double decker busride to Butchart Gardens.  The ride is about 45 mins each way and I'd allow at least 2 hours to tour the gardens.

If you want to have high tea at the Empress, be sure to make reservations - it is quite popular.  A less expensive option is Murchie's Tea Shoppe.  The tearoom has incredible pastries, as well as teas (and coffee)

I always visit the Christmas Store (open year round) to buy Christmas ornaments for the g'kids.

As others pointed out, Victoria is easy to get to from Seattle via the Victoria Clipper.

[lynnerself]

The last 2 times I drove into Vancouver from Seattle, we spent over an hour waiting to cross the border.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 4, 2013 21:25:11 GMT -5 lynnerself said:

The last 2 times I drove into Vancouver from Seattle, we spent over an hour waiting to cross the border.

This is when having a NEXUS card is a huge advantage.  Pain in the ass to get, but really expedites the wait.  With this, we rarely wait 5 min.

it also helps if you try to go against traffic.  For instance, going into Canada late Sat or Sun afternoon really sucks.  You don't want to be leaving Canada Sat or Sun am either.

[Deleted]

Jul 4, 2013 12:16:14 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jul 4, 2013 11:13:40 GMT -5 @joey said:

Bellingham international airport is closer to the border than SeaTac and has many international flights as well as shuttles that will take you to Vancouver.

Flying into BLI will add quite a bit to the cost of the airfare....about 25% or so, and is usually higher than flying into Vancouver.

If I was looking at getting my feet wet, I'd fly into Seattle and tour there.  Then I'd shuttle or ferry up to BC, tour there and then retun home from Vancouver.

That is strange because when I fly from Bellingham to Palm Springs it is always cheaper than from Vancouver or Seattle to Palm Springs and reverse.

[shanendoah]

Take the TRAIN. The Seattle to Vancouver Amtrack ride is lovely. Plus, it costs like $10 more to upgrade to first class. If you don't need to drive in Vancouver, take the train.
I did it for the Olympics, and still customs was nice and easy

[Deleted]

Jul 5, 2013 10:28:59 GMT -5 shanendoah said:

Take the TRAIN. The Seattle to Vancouver Amtrack ride is lovely. Plus, it costs like $10 more to upgrade to first class. If you don't need to drive in Vancouver, take the train.
I did it for the Olympics, and still customs was nice and easy

Excellent idea!

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 5, 2013 10:23:44 GMT -5 @joey said:

Jul 4, 2013 12:16:14 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Flying into BLI will add quite a bit to the cost of the airfare....about 25% or so, and is usually higher than flying into Vancouver.

If I was looking at getting my feet wet, I'd fly into Seattle and tour there.  Then I'd shuttle or ferry up to BC, tour there and then retun home from Vancouver.

That is strange because when I fly from Bellingham to Palm Springs it is always cheaper than from Vancouver or Seattle to Palm Springs and reverse.

I'm trying to get flights to Memphis right now.  Cheapest flight out of Seattle is $686, Bellingham $945 and Vancouver is $761. Flying out of BLI would be easiest for us, but definitely not cheapest!

A lot depends on where you fly. BLI has a few direct flights that are cheaper (i have heard they also have a cheap, direct flight to Hawaii too) but IME most are not.

[ilovedolphins]

Would I take a taxi from the airport to the train station or do they have shuttles going there?

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Where do you want to go and what do you want to do?  Do you want to see Seattle, Vancouver or both?

The reason why I ask is that it makes no sense to fly into Seattle if you want go to Vancouver.  If you want to see both, then there are shuttles that can take you into Seattle hotels from the airport.  Then it would be a cab ride to either the ferry or train after you've seen what you want to in Seattle to take you to Canada.   You can see what you want in BC, then catch a flight out of Vancouver.

This is called an open jawed airline ticket.

Otherwise, it just makes more sense to fly into Vancouver directly if you only want to go to Vancouver.  I seem to remember picking up a shuttle to downtown hotels from the Vancouver airport too.

[Gardening Grandma]

Jul 5, 2013 11:19:40 GMT -5 ilovedolphins said:

Would I take a taxi from the airport to the train station or do they have shuttles going there?

Take the light rail (PM me if you want specific instructions).  It is right at the airport and goes downtown.  Costs a couple of bucks.  About a 30 min ride.  Get off at the International District Station/China town.  The stop is adjacent to the train station.

Or plan to stay overnight in Seattle (lots of hotels downtown near the light rail stops).  Do some sightseeing and then take the train next day.

[ilovedolphins]

Has any one done a Clipper vacation?  I think there is one that has one night in Seattle, one night on the San Juan Islands and then head to Victoria.  That would cover all my bases because I have been wanting to go to the San Juan Islands and Victoria would give me experience outside of the country.

[Gardening Grandma]

Is this the package you are talking about?


www.clippervacations.com/multi-package/harbors-towns-cities-seattle-friday-harbor-victoria-vancouver/

I've taken the Clipper to Victoria, but not one of their packages.  I can see the advantage in that they have your lodging booked and tours set up.  Everything considered, the price looks reasonable.  You definitely want at least one night in Victoria.  It's exhausting to go and come back in one day.

Friday Harbor is nice to walk about and you'll enjoy the whale watching outing.

[Gardening Grandma]

I just noticed that the suggestion of tea at the Empress is not covered by the cost of the tour.  It is pricey (about $45 for tea and pastries in a nice atmosphere).  I'd skip the tea, walk through the lobby and then take one of the red double decker buses to Butchart Gardens.  I cannot imagine going to Victoria and missing the Gardens.... (even non gardeners are blown away)

[Gardening Grandma]

Sheesh - the Clipper package for Butchart Gardens is $170!!!   That is a rip off.

Admission to the gardens is only $30/adult.  And those red double decker buses are way less expensive - don't spend the money on the Clipper add on.  It's easy to do it yourself...

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 6, 2013 10:47:00 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

Is this the package you are talking about?


www.clippervacations.com/multi-package/harbors-towns-cities-seattle-friday-harbor-victoria-vancouver/

I've taken the Clipper to Victoria, but not one of their packages.  I can see the advantage in that they have your lodging booked and tours set up.  Everything considered, the price looks reasonable.  You definitely want at least one night in Victoria.  It's exhausting to go and come back in one day.

Friday Harbor is nice to walk about and you'll enjoy the whale watching outing.

I think $600 is kind of high for this.  We've been to Friday Harbor twice in the last year.  Car ferry from Anacortes is around $60.  We stayed at a wonderful B&B for $160/night, but the hotel in town (I think it is a BW) was cheaper.  If you do go to San Juan, find a way to get out to Duck Soup Inn (you'll need reservations).  Not cheap (nothing is on this island) but the food is outstanding.

if I was going to do this, I'd consider renting a car and going out on my own.

[Deleted]

We booked our overnight in Victoria (ferry from Seattle round trip plus a night at the Fairmount Empress) through Clipper and it was fine.  As the others have said, you may be better off doing excursions on your own.  That's how DH and I like to travel:  have the basic travel and lodging set up well in advance but decide each morning what we want to do for the day.  It also means you can make your own schedule instead of having to be down in the lobby at 6:30 AM for  a bus somewhere.  Everything I read, though, did say that you have to reserve the tea well in advance.  The rest you can probably do when and if you want.

[Gardening Grandma]

While I agree with Mitch that you could do this for less on your own, the major advantage of the package is that it takes the hassle out for a novice traveller.  I'd definitely do the excursions on my own though. Easy and less expensive.