Getting Around Seattle

There are drivers for hire in Seattle. There is the Express Shuttle to the Airport, affordable town car sedans, customized tours, town car pick ups at hotels.

For more information call the drivers for hire and ask for prices. These are professionals and they don't rip off visitors. The City of Seattle is a safe place to visit!

If you have concerns about your safety, always call the police authorities and they come and investigate right away. Or, call 911 and have it re-directed to the Seattle Police Department.

Go down to parking level at airport and get a shuttle bus which is cheaper than a cab and quick and easy. Usually less than $30 one way. Bus is possible but a hassle with luggage and you'll need to transfer.

Below is lots of information on bicycling in Seattle (including from the airport).

While the bikeways are not as well developed here as in Deutschland, there are lots of opportunities.

Seattle:
You can find lots of information and bicycle maps on the web at:
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemapsmore.htm
You can order a printed map to be mailed to you at:
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemapform.htm

A description of a bicycle route from the airport to downtown Seattle and the harbour is at:
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/seatacbikemap.htm
There is lots more information and many links on various pages at the above websites.

King County (the area around Seattle, including the airport, has a good bicycle website at:
http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/roads/bike/index.cfm
The following map from the website is the area near the airport:
http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/roads/bike/maps/12.pdf
And the following map is the area between that above and Seattle
http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/roads/bike/maps/7.pdf

Route through Kitsap and Clallam counties to Port Angeles:
The Port Townsend bike association has a good website at:
http://www.ptbikes.org/
They have lots of maps available on the web, or to order, at:
http://www.ptbikes.org/maps/index.html

Seattle’s Cascade Bicycle club is the largest in the US and may be a good resource
http://www.cascade.org/Home/

Gute Reise mit dem fahhrad!

Conveniently located 1.5 miles from Interstate 5 - Sea-TAC (SEA) is abbreviated by a acronym-like name based off of Sea(ttle) and Tac(oma) as the two main hubs it represents. A urban transportation city or suburb called "Seatac" is home to the international airport and gateway to the Pacific world. Its the main hub for Alaska and Northwest Airlines and serves as a international gateway for North America, Europe, and East Asia. In 2007 Sea-Tac served nearly 31.3 million passengers, making it the 17th busiest airport in the United States. The top five carriers at Sea-Tac in number of passengers carried in 2007 were Alaska Airlines (35.0%), Horizon Air (13.1%), Southwest Airlines (8.7%), United Airlines (8.6%), and Northwest Airlines (6.7%). In 1944 the Airport was constructed by the Port of Seattle to serve the citizens of Washington State since Boeing Field was taken over by the military during World War II. The first scheduled flights took place in 1947. It became an International airport shortly after with its first direct service to Tokyo. Today it's a hub of activity serving Seattle's very busy economic and business sector - especially after Seattle took over as a digital hub with Microsoft and Adobe setting up shop in the area. My visits to Sea-Tac have been numerous through the course of my life, and each and every visit has been a pleasant and efficient experience. Wifi, services, restaurants, and shops. Since 911, however, the security and check-through with the authority can get piled up and is not as efficient as alot of other airports. Getting to the car rentals for the most part are very efficient, and while public transportation can be tricky at SEA-TAC, it is efficient (but very costly) especially if trying to get to Seattle or Tacoma. Cabs can charge higher than a daily car rental. Be prepared for the additional expense. Enroute to Vancouver, British Columbia I didn't have to worry about ground transportation on this visit, but didn't particularly enjoy the out-onto-the-runway hopping onto a small jet trip on Canada air jazz, mainly because i don't like small planes, it was however a good flight. Rating : 4 stars out of 5. Last Visited 3/21/08.

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We drove from Seattle to Vancouver via Interstate 5, crossing the corder at the Douglas (Peace Arch) Crossing. This is the main thoroughfare on the West Coast between the two nations and is marked, by the large Peace Arch (built in 1921) and a surrounding state park in the US and provincial park in Canada. While entering Canada from this point, the lines were fairly short, and we waited perhaps 10-15 minutes until we got to the Canadian border inspector who just asked us a few questions and through the amusing phrase "Eh!" at us a few times. Just a quick stop and we were on our way.

Returning to the US on a holiday weekend, we heard on the radio that the Peace Arch Crossing had a two-hour wait, but the Pacific Highway Crossing, just a little further inland had shorter lines. So as we headed south on Canadian Hwy 99, we took one of the last exits before the border and headed east a few miles on 8th Street until we hit Hwy 15 to the border. Unfortunately, the lines here were just as long and it took us about 2 hours of waiting to get to the customs and immigration official. We thought the line were caused by the extra thorough security and questioning, but he barely said a word to us before waving us into the US.

While listening to the radio, the commentator kept saying the lines into Canada were 10 minutes and the lines to the US 2 hours, "as usual." Check the websites with current border wait times listed, and take a restroom break before you get stuck in traffic!

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Seattle is a remarkably walkable city for the US, with many of the great tourist attractions less than a mile from downtown, and easy walking routes throughout the city. If you choose a hotel in the center of the downtown business district, Pike Market is just 0.3 miles southeast, the waterfront less than a half mile in the same direction. To the Space Needle is 1 mile, and the International District is less than a mile in the opposite direction. Pioneer Square is just .75 miles, and even the walk from the center of downtown to Safeco Field is just 1.5 miles, easily done by most people in less than 30 minutes.

During our two days in the city we visited each of these neighborhoods, walking everywhere we went, except for one quick ride on the monorail just for the experience.

If you're in the north part of the Ballard / Sunset Hill neighborhood, heading west, trying to find your way to the beach, these friendly residents have posted a helpful sign on their fence. The signe is located at the intersection of NW 80th St., Loyay Way, and 28th Ave NW.

Lookout refers to Sunset Hill Park.
Beach refers to Golden Gardens. There's a nice windy road you can tak down to the beach if you follow this sign.
Dog Park is on the way to the beach, a little further up the hill.

An added bonus for taking the Beach / Dog Park route is that you can stop by Cafe Fiore for some excellent organic coffee and snacks.

In Summer time, Seattle is a great place to ride, but just as San Fran, we have our share of hills:) .
A few major streets have bike lanes, as a bike rider though, cars dont seem to see the lil bike lane so be aware.

One popular route to to ride across lake washington, across the I-90 bridge to Mercer island or to Bellevue. From Downtown, you would take 2nd Avenue until 2nd and Dearborne, turn on dearborne(left) until Rainer(right on rainer) to the I-90 bike path/park, from there u have a few hills to conquer and there is a overlook area above the bridge, which on a clear day will give a nice few of Mt.Rainer and the cascade mountains, lake, etc.