Option 1: arrive in Seattle on the Empire Builder in the morning, see some of Seattle and stay over one night, take the clipper to Victoria in late morning and stay two nights, take the earliest bus-ferry to Vancouver and stay one night, go on my Alaska cruise and return to Vancouver in the morning, seeing more of Vancouver and staying one night, take the bus to Seattle in the early morning and see some more of Seattle before taking the Empire Builder home in late afternoon.
OR
Option 2: arrive in Seattle on the Empire Builder in the morning, see some of Seattle and stay over two nights, take the very early morning clipper to Victoria and stay one night, see a little more of Victoria in the morning and take a late morning or midday bus-ferry to Vancouver and stay one night, go on my Alaska cruise and return to Vancouver in the morning, seeing more of Vancouver and staying one night, take the bus to Seattle in the early morning and see some more of Seattle before taking the Empire Builder home in late afternoon.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Having done 28 cruises, 5 which were to Alaska, and having been to Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria on more than 2 dozen occasions, and also having done the Victoria Clipper, I would recommend OPTION 1.
The highlight of a visit to Victoria is the breathtaking Butchart Gardens and takes the better part of a full day. On your parital day visit the Butterfly Gardens, have afternoon High Tea at the charming Empress Hotel, do some evening shopping, dinner, followed by a horse carriage ride at night, all would be quite lovely.
Vancouver has the wonderful vistas from the Queen Elizabeth Gardens, the fun and touristy Gaslamp district, the Steam Clock, and beautiful watefront Stanley Park. Take an excursion out to wonderful capilano Bridge if you can. Or if you didnt get enough wildlife, go on a whale cruise from vancouver or Victoria, or a helicopter ride.
I love Seattle (Pike Street Market is fun, and the Space Needle offers amazing views on a clear day), but Victoria and Vancouver seem to have so much more to offer.
-------------------- The best part of life is the journey, not the destination. Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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Yes, Butchart gardens in Victoria should be on your to do list. Also try to make a reservation in advance for afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel. Because we were there only for the day we did not have time for the tea. On your Alaskan cruise make sure to book a helicopter tour of the glaciers. They land on the glacier. It is expensive. If your ship calls at Skagway don't miss the White Pass and Yukon Railway ride. There are different trips to choose from.
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Option 1, for sure. And while you are in Vancouver, stop into the restaurant that is at the top of the Queen Elizabeth Gardens. Go to the restroom and look at the picture of Clinton and the 2 waitresses. Look at all of their expressions. Look where Clinton's hands are... It is priceless!
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Here is an amendment that I might suggest.....
1) Arrive Seattle on the Empire Builder 2) Spend one night in Seattle 3) Take 'Cascade Talgo' to Vancouver the next morning 4) Take an afternoon bus/ferry to Victoria...the bus and trains use the same station in Vancouver
Resume your travel plans from this point.
The Talgo train from Seattle to Vancouver is modern, smooth, and extremely nice......possibly the best thing Amtrak has going.....and the scenery on this route just does not stop.
The ferry portion of the bus/ferry trip Vancouver to Victoria is remarkably scenic and you may enjoy doing it round-trip......you may also save a few dollars buying a round-trip ticket for that portion of your trip.
Lodging in Victoria I would recommend checking Days Inn and Best Western. Both chains have a reasonably priced hotel within a half block of the Inner Harbor. The two hotels are side-by-side virtually across the street from the Victoria Clipper dock (though the Best Western fronts the street a short block inland and you have to walk around to the front to enter). The British Columbia Parliment Building is just one block away. The Museum of British Columbia (where you can see totem poles and John Lennon's Psychadelic Rolls Royce) and the bus station are just three blocks away. Plan to spend at least two nights in Victoria....anything less is not nearly enough.
Best of all, you are only a couple of blocks from the Empress Hotel (much pricier than the chain hotels) where you can catch Grey Line tour buses to Butchart Gardens or several other area attractions. No need for a rental car in Victoria.
Enjoy your trip and be sure to tell us all about it when you get home!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Thanks for the advice, everyone. I will definitely go with option one. David, I saw the little train when I was in Portland station--in fact, an Amtrak agent saw my interest and let me look inside a little!--and I'd certainly love to travel on it. So I'll certainly consider that variation. However, as Option 1 is designed to give me more time in Victoria, maybe I have to stick with the Clipper option, since the train ride seems to take about as much time as the Clipper. Isn't the Clipper a very pretty ride as well? What is the bus like from Vancouver back to Seattle? I sure wish they had the train in the morning when I leave Vancouver.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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[QUOTE] posted by SOJOURNER: I saw the little train when I was in Portland station--in fact, an Amtrak agent saw my interest and let me look inside a little!--and I'd certainly love to travel on it. Isn't the Clipper a very pretty ride as well? What is the bus like from Vancouver back to Seattle? I sure wish they had the train in the morning when I leave Vancouver.[/QUOTE/]
The Amtrak bus ride from VAN-SEA was not amazing, as a matter of fact I hated it, and the customs stop at the border took FOREVER. Everyone had to get off the bus, process thru customs just like at an arriving airport (two at a time), then get back on the bus and wait for everyone else to clear. Wouldnt want to do that again, EVER!!!
If you really want to ride the beautiful 'Cascades' there is a 6pm departure out of Vancouver that you could get, but it gets back into Seattle around 10pm forcing another overnight. You could still see all of the remaining sights in Vancouver and still make the 6pm departure. I believe customs check-in for that train is 2 hours prior. I dont know how much scenery you would see after the sun goes down but the ride is amazing, the Bistro remarkable, and the movies in Business Class (plus the food voucher) are worth the upgrade from Coach.
Heres is an idea: the morning of cruise disembarkation head over to the Amtrak station in Vancouver and store/check-in your luggage. There is a monorail station across the street and you can ride back downtown is just minutes. Tour the rest of downtown for 3-5 hours, get back to the station around 4pm using the metro rail again, and take the 6pm 'Cascades'. Overnight in Seattle and take the 'Empire Builder' the next day.
The Victoria Clipper was a stable ride, but there was no access I remember to any outter deck, and the windows were slightly blown over with saltwater spray making visibility less than desirable. Still a chance to say "I've done THAT".
Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by sojourner: Thanks for the advice, everyone. I will definitely go with option one. David, I saw the little train when I was in Portland station--in fact, an Amtrak agent saw my interest and let me look inside a little!--and I'd certainly love to travel on it. So I'll certainly consider that variation. However, as Option 1 is designed to give me more time in Victoria, maybe I have to stick with the Clipper option, since the train ride seems to take about as much time as the Clipper. Isn't the Clipper a very pretty ride as well? What is the bus like from Vancouver back to Seattle? I sure wish they had the train in the morning when I leave Vancouver.
DMWNC is the voice of experience having done both the Victoria Clipper and the Amtrak bus.
I agree that the Clipper up will enable you to spend more time in Victoria.....a major consideration. The bus/ferry Victoria to Vancouver is a nice ride.
I second DMWNC's suggestion of taking the 'Talgo' south from Vancouver. The train makes no passenger stop until it is back in the United States and there is no incredibly long stop at the border as on the bus. Amtrak uses a dedicated track in the Vancouver station and That track has a green chicken-wire fence around it and the platform. Passengers clear customs from the station lobby to gain access to the train and a gate at the departure end of the platform is kept locked until just before the train leaves.
If you do decide to try the 'Talgo' south from Vancouver, why not look into a hotel in Bellingham or Everett, WA. There is another Talgo on into Seattle (originating in Bellingham) the next morning. This might be a more reasonable hotel option than staying this extra night in Seattle.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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DMWNC, this idea sounds excellent, since it would avoid so much of the problems of going through customs. However, my friend taking the cruise with me is catching an after-dinner plane out of Vancouver airport the night the cruise gets in, and we are planning on seeing more of Vancouver together after the ship docks. Would the train station in Vancouver store my friend's luggage too after we get off the cruise, so that we can then both go back downtown to see more of Vancouver, or will the train station only store the luggage of people taking the train that evening? If the latter, do you know what we can do with my friend's luggage? I asked the cruise ship if they had luggage storage facilities and the woman on the phone said no. (I found this odd, actually; I would have thought the cruise terminal would have lockers or something like that.)
David P, when I looked into hotels in Bellingham, I found they cost the same or more than those I looked into in Seattle! So, if I take the Talgo the night before, I think it will probably be simplest just to get back to Seattle and see what I can before my Empire Builder leaves.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Last time I flew out of Vancouver, those passengers that had air arranged through the cruise lines (not sure about those arranged independently) had their luggage checked thru to their destinations at the ship by the airlines who had arranged trucks to be at the piers when the ship arrived. This was both at Canada Place and Ballantyne Piers. Neither piers had storage facilites for luggage since both can handle multiple ships (Canada Place can handle 4 large cruise ships at the same time) and the shear numbers of luggage lockers would be staggering.
I am sure the train station will not store/accomodate luggage for anyone other than Amtrak/VIA rail passengers. The Amtrak/VIA rail station in Vancouver is about the same size as San Diego's if you have been there. It has a McDonalds inside and a gift shop, a place for currency change and not much more.
It is a 45 minute ride through downtown and residential stop-light plagued Vancouver to the airport. Once their there is no going back downtown. It is just too impractical. Check-in is 2 hours prior to flight departure and it is a long process also. Their are also airport departure fees to paid IN CASH at the airport in the amount of approx $10. Be ready for that too.
If you have not already booked flights it may be a good idea to change them to accomodate an altered post-cruise schedule.
-------------------- The best part of life is the journey, not the destination. Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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.... P.S. Dont book hotels near the airport in Seattle, as it is way too far from downtown for sightseeing and there is no real convenient way to get back downtown for sightseeing unless you have a rental car or dont mind riding city buses that run about every hour.
-------------------- The best part of life is the journey, not the destination. Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by dmwnc1959: The train station will not store/accomodate luggage for anyone other than Amtrak/VIA rail passengers. The Amtrak/VIA rail station in Vancouver is about the same size as San Diego's if you have been there. It has a McDonalds inside and a gift shop, a place for currency change and not much more.
DMW.......the station in Vancouver also serves the buses (Pacific Coach Lines?) from Victoria. Do you recall whether or not they had self-serve luggage lockers down on the bus station end? Seems I may have seen some there but I certainly wouldn't swear to it.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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If you are able to take train 517 (6PM departure from VAC to SEA), do it! The scenery is the nicest part of the trip. If you happen to be riding on a Wednesday, say hello to me, as I am one of the conductors on the run. It looks like the other posters to your topic have covered most of the things you should know. Please feel free to e-mail me, should you have any other questions. My e-mail is: e_meadows@wavecable.com.
Tom
Posts: 2 | From: Southworth, Washington | Registered: Feb 2005
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Man this is bringing back memories. OK, NOW if I remember correctly (jogging the memories) the Pacific Coast Line buses used the far right end of the station (as you are facing it) and bus passengers mostly gathered on that end away from the rail passengers. I remember the ticket counter on the center back wall, but not much past it on the bus end. I dont remember seeing lockers but that doesnt mean they werent there either, I just did not spend that much time there. I arrived on the n/b 'Cascades', went through Customs (Business-Class passengers get to disembark off the train first), changed some money, ate at McD's and caught a cab to my Hostel (Cambie Gastown, spent TWO weeks here, what a blast!). On the s/b I used the Amtrak bus which parked out front to the left side of the Amtrak Station, opposite end than the other bus services. I just never went to the far end of the bus side. Sorry I cant be much more help than that.
-------------------- The best part of life is the journey, not the destination. Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by dmwnc1959: Man this is bringing back memories. If I remember correctly the Pacific Coast Line buses used the far right end of the station (as you are facing it) and bus passengers mostly gathered on that end away from the rail passengers. I remember the ticket counter on the center back wall, but not much past it on the bus end. I dont remember seeing lockers but that doesnt mean they werent there either, I just did not spend that much time there. I never went to the far end of the bus side. Sorry I cant be much more help than that.
No problem.....it's been a couple of years now and lockers like that are getting harder to find anyway.
On that British Columbia trip my wife and I flew Charlotte-Seattle, spent one night, took the Talgo to Vancouver, exchanged currency, ate lunch, and caught the bus (via ferry) to Victoria where we spent three nights. Upon return (again on Pacific Coach Lines......and those buses run nearly full) to Vancouver we caught the 'Canadian' to Winnipeg and flew home from there. The trains and the time we spent in Victoria were the absolute highlights and remain one of the best vacations we've ever taken.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I love the Pacific NW part of our country. I spent 2 months over there (Feb-Apr 2003) going back and forth b/t Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland. Cheap hostels like the Cambie Gastown were US$110 a WEEK (private room) incl. breakfast (but a shared bath). It was one block from the Steam Clock.
Seattle (Green Tortoise) was $19 a night (shared room) and included breakfast daily and dinner 3x a week plus free internet and 5$ discounted movie tickets. It was one block from the Pike St Market.
I splurged in Portland and stayed at the Embassy Suites downtown.
In Vancouver I often took the ferry over the the north side or the metro rail to the end of its line and back just to see the outskirts of town, away from the touristy part of town. I remember a huge mall and going to see movies there too. And long walks from the hostel to Stanley Park took the entire day, but what a way to kill a day.
There were plenty of cheap eats everywhere but you had to go were the locals went. And that was some of the best times!
-------------------- The best part of life is the journey, not the destination. Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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