Hi, we have a flight coming back from Paris that lands in Vancouver at 12noon. We got an update on our itinerary that our flight to Seattle won't leave Vancouver until 5:30pm.

It seems silly to wait 5 plus hours for a flight when it only takes 3 plus hours to drive home. I wonder if we just bagged the flight what would be the quickest way to get home?

Train or bus maybe? Is there anything that leaves right from the airport to Seattle?

Thanks!

lesfaye,

Have you checked out this website? I was just curious since it seemed like such a sensible service to have, and I found QuickCoach right away. Perhaps someone on this board has had experience using it.

Ann

Lesfaye -
We've looked in to taking the train from Seattle to Vancouver (and back) but the drawback is that there are only two trips a day: one early a.m. and one evening. Check out AppalAnnie's suggested site - you'll probably find something. So close to home, yet so far!
Laura

Are you coming on Horizon? If so, maybe you can go standby on an earlier flight. Looking at the bus schedule, I don't see that you gain much and you have to go thru Canadian customs at the airport and US customs on the bus. Usually you go thru US customs in Vancouver and don't have to do it again at SeaTac.

I don't know if you can still do this, but I once rented a car at YVR and dropped it at SeaTac so I could catch my early morning flight from Seattle back to Texas. I had been in Williams Lake that afternoon and somebody on a backhoe at YVR had dug up the landing light power cable that afternoon. By the time they had it repaired and I got from Williams Lake to YVR, the last flight of the evening to Seattle had left.

You might look into a one way car rental....if you can still do that.....it worked for me that night.

Bill

I have used all possible services, I think:
QuickCoach (also called QuickShuttle)
Greyhound
Amtrak train
Amtrak bus

However, none of these will take less than three hours to the downtown area from Vancouver, unless you are quite lucky.

The border will take 30 minutes or so if there are no lineups. If there are lineups, or if there is a troublesome passenger that the US is not sure it wants to admit, the total time at the border can be two hours or so (I think that is my personal maximum).

Your schedule also has to match up to these various services, and that may or may not be the case. If it's anytime near rush hour going to Seattle, the traffic is horrific.

I suggest taking a taxi and looking around Richmond's Asian malls, rather than taking the bus back.

I would think a one-way car rental is quite expensive, but I haven't priced it.

Thanks for the suggestions, we are coming in on Air Canada and then to Seattle its Air Canada Jazz? Your probably right about by the time you get on a bus then there's the border...I think the best best is to see if we can get on another flight, standby as you say, maybe someone on an earlier flight will not show up.

Would do the one way car rental but we don't need to go to Sea Tac, we live near DT Seattle so we would need to drop it off in town...bet that's more money.

quote:

Would do the one way car rental but we don't need to go to Sea Tac, we live near DT Seattle so we would need to drop it off in town...bet that's more money

I've picked up a car in DT Seattle and it was no more or less than at the airport.

Bill

Have you tried Enterprise? They tend to service cities more than other agencies do. They do have a location at the Vancouver airport and several locations within Seattle. (I just checked.)

Ann

I know Entreprise brings to car to you...do they also pick up? Taxis from SeaTac downtown are about $25.

quote:

Taxis from SeaTac downtown are about $25.

But that probbly wouldn't be necessary as the good thing about Enterprise is that they tend to have several in-town locations in major cities, where you can both pick up and leave rentals. I believe this is true of Seattle as well.

Ann

If you take Quick Shuttle, they don't have a scheduled trip until 2:05pm, arriving downtown Seattle 5:15pm and Seatac 5:50pm. You're not going to arrive there any sooner than if you waited for your connecting flight.

If I were you, I would have a relaxing dim sum lunch at a good Chinese restaurant in Richmond, like Sun Sui Wah or Kirin. After, go shopping or go for a relaxing massage at an acupressure massage place.

Enjoy your holiday,
Chiqui