We took the Cascade Line Amtrak to Vancouver Pacific Central Station. For discounts and reserved seats you should make your reservations at least 21 days ahead; especially in Summer. Some of Customs is done on board train and some when you arrive at the station. The train we took arrived at noon allowing you catch late afternoon and early evening flights. If you need to get to Vancouver YVR Airport you can catch an elevated train there by just crossing the street and small park in front of Train Station and proceeding to the Expo line station. Stop at Compass ticket vending machine outside door to the right. Use transaction card to purchase single day use TAP ticket at about 10+can, 8+us. Board train and ride to Waterfront station disembark, and change over to Canada line to Airport. The elevated trains run every few minutes.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
I've done this ride several times. Unfortunately, Amtrak runs only one train daily from Seattle to Vancouver, arriving late at night. The other connections are by express bus up the freeway, stopping at the border and then several locations in the Vancouver area before Pacific Central Station (where the trains run). For reasons I don't understand, the bus doesn't leave Seattle until a couple of hours after the train from here (south) arrives. So we cool our heels in Seattle. It's a good way to get up to Vancouver for a cruise or flight or sightseeing if you don't want a car there, but otherwise not very useful service. Like most long-distance Amtrak service outside the northeast corridor, it's geared more for hobbyists than commuters.
Posted by
OP
Camano Island, WA, usa
1518 posts
The train we took from Stanwood at 9 am arrived at noon in Vancouver. There are two trains north a day. We passed the other train going north when we went south before we arrived at Stanwood at 8:30pm on our return trip leaving Vancouver at 5:45 pm. This trip may be more appealing for those who live Everett and North. No big city driving hassle or border backup. It does have a scenic route by the salt water and the quaint resort town of White Rock in Canada. We met some Australians who had just flown Korean Air to Vancouver and had taken the Canada/Expo lines to take Amtrak. Their destination was Mt Vernon a few stops south. Their baggage check in Vancouver took just 10 minutes, although we had to arrive 1 hour early to not have to wait in line. Once checked thru we just waited in our reserved seats on the train where they gave us our customs forms that would be checked on the train by US Customs. TheAustralians planned to rent a car to tour the San Juan Islands and Mt Baker, and then take the Ferry to Alaska from the Fairhaven Terminal in Bellingham. We sat in the Lounge Car with them and had some beers and better views. You do have to be in your assigned seats when Custom Agents are on board.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
Yes, there are two daily trains now from Seattle - but only one from Olympia. I took Amtrak from Portland to Vancouver BC last October and back. Yes, my train didn't get in until just before midnight either.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
Yes, Kathleen is right, there's a train leaving Seattle at 7:45 AM and arriving Vancouver at 11:45. I didn't know that because it doesn't serve my town farther south, or Andrew's big city still farther south. To get to Vancouver entirely by train, Andrew and I would have to take one to Seattle, spend the night, then another in the morning -- or take the other which leaves our cities in daytime but reaches Vancouver late at night.
So if you live in Seattle and have a flight or cruise from Vancouver, or just want to see that great city without a car (which is quite doable), Amtrak has a couple of options for you. Or you can take the bus Amtrak provides, not so fun.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
Bolt Bus is a good alternative to Amtrak. Leaves from Portland and Seattle. I use it all the time between DC and NYC (it's about $14 each way or so). The light rail in Vancouver is great. Very simple to use, and it makes a car in Vancouver unnecessary as long as you don't want to drive out to other spots that are harder to get to (you can even get to Whistler by some kind of shuttle, although we drove there).