Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
minor inconveniences, in large part by
spilling out into the streets and parks
whenever the sun shines. To visit Seat-
tle in the summer is to witness an exo-
dus; follow the lead of the locals and
head for the great outdoors. Should
you brave a visit in the rainy season,
don't despair: There are compensa-
tions for such misfortune, including a
roof on Pike Place Market and an
espresso bar on every block.
1 Orientation
ARRIVING
BY PLANE
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
(
&
800/544-1965
or 206/431-4444;
www.portseattle.org/seatac), most commonly referred to simply as Sea-Tac, is
located about 14 miles south of Seattle.
Inside the arrivals terminal, you'll find a
Visitor Information Desk
(
&
206/
433-5218
) in the baggage-claim area across from carousel no. 8. It is open daily
from 9am to 5pm. Please note that this desk cannot make hotel reservations
for you.
Also at the airport, you'll find a
Travelex
currency exchange desk (
&
206/248-
0401
) and branches of all the major car-rental companies (for further details see
“Getting Around,” later in this chapter).
GETTING INTO THE CITY BY CAR
There are two main exits from the
airport: From the loading/unloading area, take the first exit if you're staying near
the airport. Take the second exit (Wash. 518) if you're headed to downtown
Seattle. Driving east on Wash. 518 will connect you to I-5, where you'll then fol-
low the signs for Seattle. Generally, allow 30 minutes for the drive between the
airport and downtown—45 minutes to an hour during rush hour.
During rush hour, it's sometimes quicker to take Wash. 518 west to Wash.
509 north to Wash. 99 to Wash. 519 (which becomes the Alaskan Way Viaduct
along the Seattle waterfront).
GETTING INTO THE CITY BY TAXI, SHUTTLE, OR BUS
A
taxi
into
downtown Seattle will cost you about $32. There are usually plenty of taxis
around, but if not, call
Yellow Cab
(
&
206/622-6500
) or
Farwest Taxi
(
&
206/
622-1717
). The flag-drop charge is $1.80; after that, it's $1.80 per mile.
Gray Line Airport Express
(
&
800/426-7532
or 206/626-6088; www.gray
lineofseattle.com) provides service between the airport and downtown Seattle
daily from about 5am to 11pm and is your best bet for getting to downtown.
These shuttle vans pick up from two booths outside the baggage claim area—
one outside Door 24 and one outside Door 8. Shuttles operate every 20 min-
utes and stop at the following hotels: Madison Renaissance, Crowne Plaza, Four
Seasons Olympic, Seattle Hilton, Sheraton Seattle, Westin, and Warwick. Fares
are $8.50 one-way and $14 round-trip. Connector service to the above hotels is
also provided from numerous other downtown hotels, as well as from the
Amtrak station, the Washington State Ferries ferry terminal (Pier 52), and the
Greyhound station. Connector service is free from some downtown hotels, but
from other locations, it costs $2.50 one-way or $5 round-trip; call for details.
The biggest drawback of this shuttle service is that you may have to stop at sev-
eral hotels before getting dropped off, and it could take you 45 minutes to get
from the airport to your hotel. However, if you're traveling by yourself or with
one other person, this is your most economical choice other than the public bus.
