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Get in

By plane

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, (Airport code: SEA), called "SeaTac" by locals, connects Seattle to all regions of the world, with especially frequent transpacific routes. Alaska Airlines provides something approximating discount air fare to and from the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California. There are several choices for getting from the airport to the city center:

 • Taxi - The trip is about 20 minutes by taxi ($25 - $35); catch one on the third floor of the parking garage.
 • Rental car - On a weekend, you might want to shop the internet for rental cars, since they can be less than $12/day (plus roughly 18% tax; also consider hotel parking fees, if any). Beware of the fact that taking a rental from the airport will incur an 11% "airport tax" surcharge. If you are able to rent a car from a downtown location you will not have to pay this and will save a considerable amount of money.
 • Commercial shuttle buses are about $5 - $12.75.
 • Metro(city bus) - Routes 194 (express, 30 minutes) and 174 (45 to 60 minutes) will also get you downtown for $2.00. Get exact change by buying a latte at the little Chinook coffee stand by the baggage claim downstairs, then exit the terminal, turn right and walk all the way to the south end of the building where you will find a couple of Metro bus stops with schedules posted.

By train

Amtrak provides service from all along the west coast. The Amtrak Cascades runs three trains a day between Seattle and Portland (two run between Seattle and Eugene, Oregon, via Portland) and one a day to Vancouver, British Columbia. The service is quicker and much more reliable than the regular Amtrak trains, which can be delayed for hours on the long (over a day) trip from California. Additionally, the Empire Builder provides daily service to Chicago via Minneapolis and Glacier National Park. Seattle's King Street Station is located south of downtown, near Safeco Field.

By car

Interstate Highway 5 (I-5) cuts through the middle of Seattle North to South. Interstate 90 (I-90) runs from the I-5 interchange in Seattle all the way to Boston, Massachusetts.

By bus

Seattle's Greyhound bus station is located at the northeast edge of the downtown core.

By boat

 • Washington State Ferries connect downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island, to Bremerton, and to Vashon Island, and connect West Seattle to Vashon Island and to South worth (Key Peninsula). All ferries are for both vehicles and passenger except the ferry between downtown Seattle and Vashon Island.
 • As of August 2004, the Kitsap Ferry Company runs a 250-passenger (no cars) catamaran between Bremerton and Seattle. Private ferry service is also to begin in October 2004 between Seattle and Kingston .
 • High Speed Catamaran Passenger ferries connect Seattle to Victoria, British Columbia (Canada)