Transportation

Getting Here - By Air

The following price quotes are for round-trip, economy fares if booked on April 1st for travel May 25-29 2006. Please plan on 6-10% increase in fare for 2007.

Atlanta / $325

Austin / $265

Boston / $225

Chicago / $236

Columbus / $225

Denver / $236

Detroit / $254

Honolulu / $446

Las Vegas / $204

Los Angeles / $198

Nashville / $246

NYC/Newark / $238

New Orleans / $218

Phoenix / $224

Salt Lake City / $184

San Francisco / $178

Tampa / $218

Toronto / $435

Washington DC / $217

Airport shuttles and taxi service to the downtown hotel district is available 24 hours a day. Shuttle rates run between $8US and $12US per person, each way, depending on carrier and whether you have a reservation, and taxis run about $30US (not including gratuity) for up to four passengers.

There is an express bus from the airport to downtown every 30 minutes for $2, however, this is not available 24 hours a day and there is only one stop at the airport.

Getting Here - By Water

Seattle is accessible year round for residents of Vancouver Island, Canada on the passenger ferry, the Victoria Clipper or car ferries in to Port Angeles, WA and Anacortes, WA.

Getting Here - By Land

Car

Seattle is served by two major interstate highways. The I-5 goes south to Portland, OR and San Francisco, CA and north to the Canadian border and Vancouver, BC. The I-90 links Seattle with central and eastern Washington State.Approximate driving times to Seattle: From Portland - 3 hours; Vancouver, Canada - 3 hours; Spokane - 6 hours.

Greyhound Coach

Greyhound operates from the Greyhound Bus Station. The facilities are minimal but include 24-hour ticketing, left-luggage and a snack bar.

Seattle is on the main Amtrak network and operates out of the King Street Station, located in the historic Pioneer Square district. The recommended route is the Cascades, which features a restaurant car and televisions on the route. The Cascades runs parallel with the I-5 corridor from Vancouver, BC to Eugene, OR and all points in between.

Getting Around Within Seattle

Public Transportation

Seattle has an excellent bus system operated by King County Metro (www.metrokc.gov).

Transit with wheelchair and bicycle lifts and drivers trained to announce significant stops and help with directions. Free transit buses run through the downtown business and retail core.

Buses operate every 10 to 20 minutes (less between midnight and 4:00 am). Tickets are $1.25 or $1.50, depending on distance of trip and time of day. Day passes are available for $2 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Taxis

Taxis can be hailed from designated locations in front of hotels. A tip of 10-15% is expected. Seattle taxi drivers are almost always polite and reliable, although one can expect to wait up to 10 minutes for a cab. Cost for two passengers is $2.50 at 'flag drop', plus $2.00 per mile thereafter and $0.50 per extra passenger. Currently Seattle has a $1 per trip fuel surcharge we hope will be lifted by 2007.

Driving in Seattle

C13 will be planned in a way that encourages walking, shuttles, public transportation, or short cab rides as the recommended forms of transportation. However, for those of you who will have cars the city is fairly easy for newcomers to navigate based on a simple grid system; numbered roads are north-south avenues and named roads are east-west streets. Visitors should be aware parking could get expensive downtown. If you wish to use 'in and out privileges' to drive your car to events while here it is best to utilize the hotel's parking service.

All major rental car companies are available for vehicle rental both downtown and at the airport.