Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
red light if you're in the far-left lane of
a one-way street and are turning into
another one-way street. Seat belts are
required, as are car seats for children.
Breakdowns/Assistance
In the event
of a breakdown, stay with your car, lift
the hood, turn on your emergency
flashers, and wait for a police patrol car.
BY PLANE
Washington is a large state, and if
you're trying to see every corner of it
in a short time, you may want to con-
sider flying. There are airports with
regularly scheduled commercial flights
at Bellingham, Whidbey Island, Port
Angeles, Yakima, and Spokane. Fares
vary but at press time, a one-way flight
between Bellingham and Spokane
(with a stop in Seattle) on Alaska Air-
lines was quoted at $193 with a 7-day
advance purchase, and $225 with no
advance purchase. Airlines operating
short hops between many of these
towns and cities include
Alaska
Airlines
(
&
800/426-0333;
www.
alaskaair.com),
Horizon Air
(
&
800/
547-9308;
www.horizonair.com), and
Southwest
(
&
800/435-9792;
www.
southwest.com).
Seaplane service between Seattle
and the San Juan Islands and Victoria,
British Columbia, is offered by
Ken-
more Air
(
&
800/543-9595
or 425/
486-1257; www.kenmoreair.com),
which has its Seattle terminals at the
south end of Lake Union and at the
north end of Lake Washington.
San
Juan Airlines
(
&
800/690-0086;
www.sanjuanairlines.com) flies to
the San Juans from Seattle's Boeing
Field, while the affiliated
West Isle
Air
(
&
800/874-4434;
www.westisle
air.com) flies from Bellingham and
Anacortes.
BY TRAIN
There is
Amtrak
service from Seattle to
Spokane and points east, and service
between Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, Port-
land, and points south, but otherwise
the train isn't a viable way of getting
around Washington state. If you do
decide to take the train, booking early
will save you money.
BY FERRY
Washington State Ferries
(
&
800/
843-3779
or 888/808-7977 within
Washington state, or 206/464-6400;
www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries) is the most
extensive ferry system in the United
States. Car ferries travel between
downtown Seattle and both Bain-
bridge Island and Bremerton (on the
Kitsap Peninsula) from Pier 52, Col-
man dock. Ferries also sail between
Fauntleroy (in West Seattle) and both
Vashon Island and the Kitsap Penin-
sula at Southworth; between Tahle-
quah at the south end of Vashon
Island and Point Defiance in Tacoma;
between Edmonds and Kingston (on
the Kitsap Peninsula); between Mukil-
teo and Whidbey Island; between
Whidbey Island at Keystone and Port
Townsend; and between Anacortes
and the San Juan Islands and Sidney,
British Columbia (on Vancouver
Island near Victoria). See specific des-
tinations in chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 for
fare information.
There are also a number of smaller
county or private ferries. The most
important of these are the
Black Ball
Transport
(
&
360/457-4491,
or
250/386-2202 in Victoria; www.
cohoferry.com) and
Victoria Express
(
&
800/633-1589
in Washington, or
360/452-8088; www.victoriaexpress.
com) ferries that operate between Port
Angeles and Victoria, British Colum-
bia. Victoria Express runs only from
Memorial Day weekend to the end of
September. There's also passenger-
ferry service between Seattle and San
Juan Island and Orcas Island (summer
only), and between Seattle and Victo-
ria, British Columbia, on the
Victoria
Clipper
ferries (
&
800/888-2535
from outside Seattle and Victoria,
206/448-5000 or 250/382-8100 in
Victoria; www.victoriaclipper.com).
