Good point..even better if the Dinner Train was still running.

Public transport to downtown Seattle
 

I have a question regarding transportation from the airport to Seattle downtown . The metro express bus 194 seems to be very convienient for where I am going to stay in Seattle. And faster in fact than the Gray Line Airporter as well as a bargain at $1.50 - €2.00., versus the Gray Line that charges $17 for a round trip.
But how about carrying luggage on the public bus? Would one be OK with a suitcase on the metro busses ?

Great thread by the way - chuck full of info ^

I take luggage on the 194 from downtown to SEA all the time. They are kind of use to it. This city actually wants you to take the bus unlike places like HNL that want to keep the bus for the locals and expect you to cab it. At $17 I can't imagine why someone would take the shuttle? Try to time it so you can take the 194 which is the Express. I have not heard they take €2.00 but it sounds like a great money making system if they do. They are building a train that will take you from the airport to downtown via rail line and yet it will be slower than the 194 bus. If you arrive during rush hour don't worry since it will use the carpool lane and than goes into the bus tunnel when it gets to downtown.

Thanks a lot , bus 194 it is ! And the ride downtown takes only some 30 minutes. The €2.00 was a typo of course :) I did mean $2.00 , and that seems to be the price for a two zone rush hour ticket.

http://transit.metrokc.gov/tops/bus/...html#peak_zone

But I was wondering what the deal is with the bustunnel. It seems to be open at some times and closed at others ! Is ithat because of construction work ?

Bus fares will increase $.25 on March 1st... so it could be $2.25 if you come after next saturday.

It's open 99.9% of the time now. There were some mysterious 24 hour closings last month, but they have seemed to have disappeared.

I hope you have fun during your stay in Seattle!

The bus tunnel is closed on weekends and in the evenings after 7PM. If you're riding the bus at other times, you'll catch the bus at a stop on the street (the timetables will show which streets those stops are at).

Ah, yes, the mysterious closures during the middle of winter. My favorite explanation on KOMO was after the "electrical difficulties" were resolved. They said, "the tunnels would remain closed through... because of the holiday." I cannot remember whether it was MLK day or New Year's day, but they were talking about keeping the tunnel closed for 2 business days and the holiday "because of the holiday." And no one questions this type of logic anymore with Seattle public transportation.

Always take the Express bus if time is not your primary concern. They are accustomed to the luggage requirements of passengers and you can't beat the cost!

This is brilliant! I was going to post a "what should I do" in Seattle, but this just tells it all - I don't know why I should be surprised, FT just always comes through ^

I'm glad we could help.

I updated the front page to include our new MLS team- Seattle Sounders FC. First Game- March 2009!

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D052; Blazer/4.5) 16;320x320)

Coming into town from the north for a noon flight ex-SeaTac on a Thursday, preferred ETA around 10AM. What's the better choice traffic-wise, the 5 or the 405?

From where up north? My guess would be I-5.

Anacortes -- trip's in a few weeks, I'm just planning early. I figure Google Maps's time estimate is probably OK until I get near Everett, then I need to start worrying about traffic. I just couldn't tell whether going through Seattle or the Eastside would be heavier, since both are major employment centers.

I'm guessing 0730 departure to give myself a little bit of leeway.

EDIT: For future reference, if you're eligible for HOV-2, I-5 south is smooth sailing right through morning rush -- the only place you will sit for a minute or two is at the second-deck to left-lane transition in downtown Seattle. The solo lanes looked pretty tight from the 5/405 separation all the way through downtown, but I don't know how the 405 would be by comparison.

Which One - Seattle Westin, W, or Renaissance?
 

I will be staying in Seattle for one night next week. I want to see the Space Needle, Pikes Place Market, the original Starbucks and have a nice dinner. Any thoughts on whether the Marriott Renaissance or the Starwood Westin or W are better assuming the room rates are very similar? Thanks for your advice. I don't plan to spend much time in the hotel.

In terms of distance they're all fairly close. for a walking person, the Westin is a bit closer to the Needle, the Market (& 1st Starbucks).

I just mapped out those 6 places for you here. Blue pins are the hotels. Red are the landmarks.

What kind of food are you in the mood for?

Chexfan - thank you very much. You are wonderful. I am absolutely a walking person and that's how I plan to get around. It looked like the Westin was the closest to the attractions but I like my Marriott points too. As for food, I am looking to have salmon. I heard about a place called Etta's but am open to any and all suggestions. I love hole in the wall places. Thanks again.