kpc

Next month, I'm planning to hire a car and drive from Vancouver to the Boeing factory north of Seattle. My GPS suggests the trip is about 200km and should take around 2 hours. I'm not sure whether this takes into account the border crossing time so I need to allow for this but I have no idea how long to allow. I plan to travel on a weekday, and avoid peak hour at the crossing (? after 9am); can anyone give me a rough idea as to how much time I should allow for the crossing?

On the way back to Vancouver, when is the best time to cross to avoid the traffic? (hope to cross back before it gets dark as it is a route that I am not familiar with at all - relying on a GPS).

Also, with an Australian passport, do you know if there any any forms we need to fill in at the border? and if using a hire car, anything in particular I need to bring from the hire car company to ensure a hassle free crossing?

thanks in advance for your advice and help!

Wally Bird

The first thing to know is that you require an ESTA clearance to enter the US. This must be done 72 hours (or more) in advance.
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-c...y_Requirements

As for the time, unless you go real early there is no way you'll get from Vancouver to Everett in 2 hours. 3 is more like it, and it may well be even more as the border crossing is currently subject to a major construction project. Other than in the middle of the night there is no guaranteed way of predicting 'good' times for crossing, it really is hit-and-miss.

There's a website which monitors (live) the traffic:
http://www.borderlineups.com/cam.php?RegionID=1

There are some times (Fri and Sun afternoons, Sat mornings) when delays are very likely, and obviously holiday weekends should be avoided at all costs. The smaller crossings (Linden, Sumas) are usually less crowded, but I wouldn't recommend them for non-US/Canadian passports - the agents there don't see many 'foreigners' and will likely give you a more thorough umm... examination. Quite a way off the direct route anyway.

EDITED TO ADD: I'm told I'm mistaken about ESTA and that for land crossings it is not required. I don't know where this is specifically stated. Best to check for yourself (US consulate).

YVR Cockroach

Highway drive time, once you leave the City of Vancouver will be about 2 1/2 hrs excluding the border. You will have to get out of the car, fill out the I94W form and pay at least USD 6 in U.S. entry/clearance fees.

Crossing anytime during a weekday morning is usually quiet if it's not in summer (rapidly coming to a close). Not more than 20 minutes usually. In the afternoon, crossing is a crap shoot.

Drive is quite simple and you don't need a GPS: Just head down 99 in Canada continuing onto I-5 until you get to and pass Everett, take exit 189 for WA 526 / Payne Field, drive past the Boeing hangars until you get to the (2nd or 3rd light) at 84th St SW where you turn left for Future of Flight (marked by the Hilton Garden Inn). Pretty much the reverse coming back up.

gglave

Where in Vancouver are you staying?

kpc

I don't think we need an ESTA for land crossings but we have one as we are flying to YVR via LAX.

Thanks for that.

Is there any where we can get these forms in YVR (or ?LAX as we passing through) before we get to the border to save some time? Is there somewhere to park the car at the border whilst we do all this paperwork?

If the afternoon crossing is going to busy, should we just head to Seattle after the Boeing tour for a quick look around, have an early dinner and then head back from Seattle say around 6pm? or is this peak time?

Please tell me it is not more hassle than worth to do a day trip from Vancouver to see the Boeing factory +/- Seattle

A serviced apartment in W Georgia St.

gglave

Yes. You'll drive up to the US border officer and answer his questions. He'll direct you where to park - You follow his instructions and then go inside to fill out the paperwork. It will be straightforward.

If you want to receive brownie points, if you have power windows, when you pull up to the booth, wind down all the windows on the officer's side of the car so he can see in the back.

If you have a phone with a browser you can check this web site:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/times/menu-e.html

You can also listen to AM 730 on the radio. Although this is a Vancouver station, you should receive it by Bellingham, Washington. They'll have regular border updates.

Certainly do-able, and many Vancouverites regularly do day-trips to Seattle. It's just important to note that since 9/11 crossing the border can be a time-consuming exercise. It could be a breeze, or could take 90 minutes - At a minimum allow for three hours in each direction.

RCyyz

You can always join us on the *A MegaDo if you want to visit Boeing.

YVR Cockroach

If are you flying home via LAX, hang on to your I-94W (or whatever piece of paper they give you) - tell the airline staff who may want to take it from you that you will be re-entering the U.S. That form is valid for re-entry into the U.S. for the term of the stay (bear in mind the clock for your stay in the U.S. remains on even if you are transiting for a couple of hours to Mexico or Canada due to the contiguous territory rule of VWP.) Don't surrender it until the final point at which you leave the U.S. on your way home.

As long as it is not a Friday, I don't think the volume of northbound traffic in September will be too long. Getting out of Everett at rush hour is what can be a bear. As it appears there will be at least two of you, head for the left to get into the HOV lanes. Even though they end in a few miles, you avoid the traffic turning off for WA20 (or is it WA2?)

Pretty easy to do this w/o a GPS. To get onto 99S, just head south on Howe Street (intersects with Georgia) which joins onto Granville Street (works when driving east bound). Head down Granville Street until you get to 70th where you turn left, and then go a few blocks before heading south (right) on Oak which will take you to the border and onto I-5.

On your way up, take the Marine Drive West exit after the bridge, stay in your lane as you past the Coast hotel after the cloverleaf (left brings you to the airport and right takes you onto 73rd Avenue that you don't want to go on). Just head up Granville and veer onto Seymour as you cross the bridge, and turn left on Georgia.

There are other alternative routes (thanks to the grid system) but I hope this one is the easiest for you.

kpc

Thanks all for the helpful advice above. On a Tuesday around 10am, there was no wait to cross into the US. Later that evening around 7pm, there was a 5 minute wait to cross back into Canada. We did not have to get out of the car either time, just handed over our Aussie passports for inspection. Did get some aggressive questioning by the US officer but I guess this is the norm these days. All up from downtown Vancouver, it took a leisurely 2.5 hours to get to the Boeing factory at Everett. Driving back to Vancouver from Seattle, took just under 3 hours....no hassles whatsoever if anyone else is planning a similar trip@:-)