Anyone Been to Seattle or Vancouver?

[suecee]

Originally Posted by sam_b

Many times, we have friends there. Fabulous area, easy border crossing into Vancouver if you drive. Olympic NationalPark is beautiful - rainforest, amazing hikes etc. In fact, the whole area is full of amazing hikes...

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Thanks. Can you tell me a little more about the rainforest?

Are you also able to recommend a few places to eat? I guess downtown is the place to stay so places around there. We like most foods but not big fish eaters & nothing too fancy.

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Originally Posted by Posiesmum

Vancouver yes, we have relatives there. It’s lovely.

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Thanks. Do you have any must sees or places to eat? Nothing too fancy.

[suecee]

Originally Posted by tspill

Been to Vancouver and a three week trip around the Rockies.

Planning to go back and doing a cruise up to Alaska, and a few days there. Maybe 10/11 days today then fly to Florida for a couple of weeks.

Amazing part of the world. But really need 3-4 weeks to do it justice.

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Wow sounds like you have some awesome plans. Would lobe to do the Rockies but that'll have to wait. An Alaskan cruise is already on the bucket list!

[suecee]

Originally Posted by Melbatb

We have done both on the same trip (plus VI and Whistler).

Loved Seattle - plenty to do. My favourite was the Chiluly museum though also enjoyed the Boeing tour, air museum and the boat trip. The market was great too.

Was a little less impressed by Vancouver but would still recommend it. Loved Vancouver Island though!

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Thanks. The air museum is already on the list, hubby super excited! The glass museum looks awesome too - gonna need a longer holiday!

How did you get to Vancouver Island? Did you go on an organised tour? We'd only have the one day to do it but there's seems so much to see there. The only tours I can find mostly stick to Victoria.

[suecee]

Originally Posted by Libby

We stayed in Vancouver for 7 nights in a hotel but visiting relatives nearby. I'd say it was about 4 days too long.

We loved the things we did from there; Vancouver Island day trip (wish it had been longer), Grouse Mountain (fun but commercialised), went to Gas Town (but didn't feel safe), anthropology museum (easy parking in August but maybe not in term time), Flight over Canada (Soarin').

But found it a let down after a week in the Rockies and despite being used to London, I was shocked by the number of homeless on the streets.

We only had 2 weeks (DH couldn't get more leave) but still found we had enough time to enjoy ourselves and an excuse to go back again another year .

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Thanks Libby. We;ll probably do about 4 days & I think that will be enough. Very keen to go to Vancouver Island on a day trip - did you go on an organised tour? We won't be driving.

[suecee]

Originally Posted by paulaandhappy

Not been to either yet but we are flying into Seattle next year and then going on a cruise from Vancouver.
We have booked Amtrak to Vancouver from Seattle supposed to be a scenic journey along the coast for most part with some people having seen whales from the train.

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Sounds similar to what we are planning but no cruise for us this time. We'll also do the Amtrak. Just in the early planning stages at the mo. Hope you have a fab time

[amy56]

Originally Posted by KarenG

If your day one is arriving from the U.K. I think your plan that day is massively over ambitious!

Remember the time difference is 8 hours and if you’re clearing customs etc and getting bags that will take a while. We got the train from SeaTac into town which was very very clean, not busy, but still took about 40 minutes. The roads were blocked up with lots of traffic so I’m not sure a taxi would have been quicker (and train was v cheap).

We arrived in SeaTac I think at about 3.30 Seattle time and made it to our hotel at about 5.30. After checking in, changing and getting out again the fish market had basically closed but we got the queue for the Starbucks mug out of the way at least!

We wandered along the waterside and around the shops for a couple of hours then had food, and literally crawled into bed. We really struggled with jet lag and were wide awake and looking for breakfast at 4am. Could have bought drugs a few times had I wanted to as well, saw a lot of that.

Not sure where the Cheesecake Factory is (your hotel) compared to your plans but ours walking walking distance to downtown and the Space Needle and no way could we have done all that on arrival (albeit we arrived at 3.30 and you might be earlier).

Final point, we hadn’t had an early start and we’d travelled Upper so we were able to face jet lag much better than if we’d traveled economy...

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The flight we were looking at arrives at 1pm. We were hoping to be at the hotel around 3.30pm?

Then a 10 min walk to the Pike Place Market (doing this first as it closes earlier than the Space Needle) & then a 6 min walk to the monorail station. We’d catch the monorail to and from the Space Needle. And then the Cheesecake Factory is another 5 min walk from the monorail station.

I thought that seemed a reasonable afternoon, which would still hopefully give us a reasonably early night after eating? But maybe Google maps makes it sound easier than it is?

We haven’t got any real burning ambition to see much else in Seattle, but in fairness, I’m not overly sure what else is there?

[suecee]

Originally Posted by macdonald

Yes been to both!... My sister has lived in Vancouver for 40 years so i have had great times there!..Like others have said Vancouver Island (Victoria) is a must do,Grouse mountain, fish&chips in the beautiful Stanley park ,Whistler and down town Vancouver!,Capilano suspension bridge ,so,so much to do & see..Vancouver is beautiful!,Seattle is a few hours drive away and well worth a visit!,esp going up the "space needle!..You will LOVE..

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Thanks Can you recommend places to stay or eat in down town Vancouver? We are not big fish eaters & nothing too fancy.

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Originally Posted by amy56

We are thinking of having just one nights stop over in Seattle on our way to Hawaii next summer. The plan would be the arrive at lunchtime, have the afternoon visiting the space needle via the monorail, and the fish market and we have opted for a hotel across from the Cheesecake Factory! (Our fav!) - what else would you say we’d need to see?

I randomly watched a customer service video about 20 years ago that was filmed in the fish market and for some reason I’ve always wanted to visit there - haven’t really got a burning desire to see Seattle other than that, except to ‘tick off’ another state! What would I be missing?

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Hotel opposite the Cheesecake Factory sounds awesome - we missed this on our last trip to Orlando. Can I ask what hotel you have booked?

[suecee]

Originally Posted by Vikkicat

Yes to both, last year we flew int Seattle, had 4 nights there, lovely city. loved the fish market, just strolling about that area and people watching. the whole city has a nice vibe, but be warned the small of marijuana come about 4pm is noticeable!

then we went up to alaska for a land and sea tour that finished in Vancouver, had 3 days there and i must admit i was expecting more from the city that seems to win awards for the nicest / best city... like another OP said we did not feel save near Gas town - my son (aged 15) got offered cocaine! saying that this is only one small area of the city, and stanly park area is lovely.

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Wow, that sounds like an awesome trip! Where did you book the Alaska land & sea tour? This may interest us too

Thanks for the heads up about Gastown, we've been to Amsterdam & they always offer cocaine there It's good to know we'll need to keep our wits about us there though.