Originally Posted by
houserulz77
I see from the posts in this thread that it is generally possible to check bags well before a train leaves. Is this always the case.
I will be getting off a ship in Vancouver at around 9am, but our train does not leave until after 5pm. Can we go directly from the ship to the train station, check our bags, get tickets, and then come back for the train later?
We are going to be going to Seattle, so we will need to clear us customs before departure.
Thanks
Not in Vancouver, BC. What other posters said about checking in advance goes for almost station offering baggage service in the Amtrak system, but it does not apply in Vancouver.
The Vancouver station is not staffed by Amtrak, but by Via Rail Canada. On the Cascades trains at Vancouver you check your bag with the Amtrak train crew right on the platform outside the baggage car, after having gone through US Immigration in the station.
However, the Via station staff will day-check your bags for a fee (I think $4 CAD per bag). Note that you MUST retrieve them from the Via counter before checking in for the Cascades.
I have ridden this service frequently for some years, and am very familiar with the process in Vancouver.