Pro and con.....rental car from Seattle to Vancouver

[Jayne10]

I have done three searches thru the boards here, and did find some information, but most of the posts were rather old, so I am going to ask again. Is it worth the hassle of renting a car in Seattle, driving 150 miles to Vancouver, going thru customs at a check point, I would assume, or just change planes in Seattle, which it seems all the airlines do, and fly into Vancouver? There are 26 of us and counting, and I don't know if all will agree to same transportation on the west coast....we are all from the south. But, I am collecting all the opinions I can from those who have done either or both, before.
Thank you
Jayne

[thinfool1]

You don't say where you will be flying from....Delta flies non-stop to YVR from ATL.

If Seattle is a necessity, your options are a rental car, a shuttle or the Amtrak train or bus.

Amtrak is likely the most cost effective but there are scheduling issues. The shuttle is most likely to accomodate large groups. A rental car will encounter lengthy delays at the border crossing.

Any of these has to be counted into your total cost against any possible difference in airfare directly to Vancouver.

[Sailer]

We did that last year as we wanted to stay in Seattle for a couple of days prior to the Vancouver cruise. We rented a car at the Hilton downtown Seattle and drove. The scenery was beautiful in fact the time when be very fast since it was so nice, and what a great way to see the state of Washington. We stopped and had a great lunch along the way and got to the boarder by 10:30. It took us 15 minutes to cross the boarder (they didn't even stop us after my husband showed him his passport through the drivers window), and from the boarder its about a 20 minute drive to the ship.

[Kamloops Cruiser]

I have looked at renting a car in Vancouver , so that I can fly from Seattle. The cost was more than two return tickets on the plane.
Time was also an issue . Between May and Sept ther can be up to a 2 hr wait to cross the border.

[Nurse Debra]

Originally Posted by Jayne10

I have done three searches thru the boards here, and did find some information, but most of the posts were rather old, so I am going to ask again. Is it worth the hassle of renting a car in Seattle, driving 150 miles to Vancouver, going thru customs at a check point, I would assume, or just change planes in Seattle, which it seems all the airlines do, and fly into Vancouver? There are 26 of us and counting, and I don't know if all will agree to same transportation on the west coast....we are all from the south. But, I am collecting all the opinions I can from those who have done either or both, before.
Thank you
Jayne

Jayne: We usually rent a car and drive to or from Vancouver. The price for us, here in the Midwest, is usually a lot cheaper to fly to or from Seattle than Vancouver. As another poster said the train is probably the most economical way to get to Vancouver. The wait in customs can be an hour or more, depending on traffic, when returning to the USA. The wait time is about the same if you are on a bus.

Have a great cruise.

Debra

[Karen16]

I have rented Vancouver/Seattle cars many times. But in no way, do I find I 5 "scenic". It's a freeway. NOW if you want to detour and drive Deception Pass with the ferry, now that's scenic.

I have rented from Avis, Alamo, Budget, and National. There is also Hertz. You want a DOWNTOWN Vancouver office, not the airport. I always walk to Canada Place, after dropping off/picking up passengers and bags. I frequently stay in Bellingham, then with an early start, I don't have the long lines at Blaine that the afternoon brings on cruise days. I also have crossed in Lynden, which is significantly less waits.

Car rentals have the bonus of being able to fit in some Vancouver touring.

Allow 4-5 hours for the drive. The border lines can not be predicted.