Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
have car trouble during your trip. You
also get maps and detailed Trip-Tiks
that give precise directions to a desti-
nation, including up-to-date informa-
tion about areas of construction. In
Seattle, AAA is located at 330 Sixth
Ave. N. (
&
206/448-5353
).
See “Getting Around” in chapter 4
for details on driving, parking, and car
rentals in Seattle.
BY TRAIN
Amtrak
(
&
800/872-7245;
www.
amtrak.com) service runs from Van-
couver, B.C., to Seattle and from Port-
land and as far south as Eugene,
Oregon, on the
Cascades
(a high-speed
Talgo train). The train takes about 4
hours from Vancouver to Seattle and
3
1
⁄
2
to 4 hours from Portland to Seat-
tle. One-way fares from Vancouver to
Seattle or from Portland to Seattle are
usually between $25 and $30. There is
also Amtrak service to Seattle from
San Diego, Los Angeles, San Fran-
cisco, and Portland on the
Coast
Starlight,
and from Spokane and
points east on the
Empire Builder.
Amtrak also operates a bus between
Vancouver and Seattle.
Like the airlines, Amtrak offers sev-
eral discounted fares; although they're
not all based on advance purchase, you
have more discount options by reserv-
ing early. The discount fares can be
used only on certain days and hours of
the day; be sure to find out exactly
what restrictions apply. Tickets for chil-
dren ages 2 to 15 cost half the price of
a regular coach fare when the children
are accompanied by a fare-paying
adult. Amtrak's website features a
bargain fares service, “Rail Sale,” which
allows you to purchase tickets for
one-way designated coach seats at great
discounts. This program is only avail-
able on
www.amtrak.com
when you
charge your tickets by credit card.
Also inquire about money-saving
packages that include hotel accommo-
dations, car rentals, tours, and so on
with your train fare. Call
&
800/321-
8684
for details.
BY FERRY
If you are traveling between Victoria,
British Columbia, and Seattle, several
options are available from
Victoria
Clipper,
Pier 69, 2701 Alaskan Way
(
&
800/888-2535,
206/448-5000, or
250/382-8100 in Victoria; www.
victoriaclipper.com). Throughout the
year, a ferry taking either 2 or 3 hours
makes the trip ($61-$127 round-trip
for adults). The lower fare is for
advance-purchase tickets. Some sched-
uled trips also stop in the San Juan
Islands.
Bellingham, north of Seattle, is the
port for Alaska ferries and cruise ships.
PACKAGE TOURS
Gray Line of Seattle
(
&
800/426-
7505
or 206/626-5208; www.gray
lineofseattle.com) offers 2- to 7-day bus
and cruise tours that include Seattle,
Mount Rainier, Vancouver, and Victo-
ria. Prices range from about $135 for a
2-day trip to $785 for a 7-day trip.
If you prefer traveling on your own,
but would like to have a custom itiner-
ary planned for your trip to Washington
or the Northwest, consider consulting
Pacific Northwest Journeys
(
&
800/
935-9730
or 206/935-9730; www.pnw
journeys.com). This company can tailor
a trip that suits your personal traveling
style.
12 Getting Around
BY CAR
A car is by far the best way to see the
state of Washington. There just isn't
any other way to get to the more
remote natural spectacles or to fully
appreciate such regions as the
Olympic Peninsula.
All the major car-rental agencies
have offices in Seattle and at or near
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
