Transportation

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.
-Greyhound Coach
Greyhound operates from the Greyhound Bus Station. The facilities are minimal but include 24-hour ticketing, left-luggage and a snack bar. The Bus Station is located in downtown Seattle so it is easy to get to the hotels.
-Train
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. (most buses will announce when they are exiting the free ride area) Buses operate every 10 to 20 minutes (less between midnight and 4:00 am). Tickets are $1.50 or $1.75, depending on distance of trip and time of day (peak hours). Day passes are available for $3.50 on weekends and holidays.
-Taxis
Taxis can be hailed from designated locations in front of hotels. A tip of 10-15% is expected. Seattle wait time on a called taxi is about 10 minutes, though you can also flag one down. Cost for two passengers is $2.50 at meter drop, plus $2.00 per mile thereafter and $0.50 per extra passenger. Depending on the current price of gas, there may be a surcharge of $1 or more per trip. We will be posting numbers for taxi cab companies so you can add them to your phones.
-Driving in Seattle
C15 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.