Karla

We're flying out to Seattle first week of September. I've always wanted to go to Vancouver. Is it worth a daytrip, or should we plan to stay overnight? <BR>Any suggestions appreciated! <BR>Thanks! <BR>Karla <BR>N Carolina

Sarah

I'd suggest planning on spending atleast one night. There's so much to see and do in Vancouver and one day definitely wouldn't be enough when you consider the driving distance from Seattle. One option you might want to consider is taking the train back and forth from Seattle.

gary

I don't know how much time you've allotted to Seattle but cut it in half at least and spend the time in Vancuver, Whistler & Victoria. Trust me - it's the right decision.

Tom

I don't necessarily agree with Gary about cutting your time in Seattle. Personally it's one of my favorite cities to visit.

April

It's just a matter of personal taste. Seattle is one of my least favourite places in the world, so I'd spend more time in Vancouver.

gary

Tom and I have disagreed about this before and he was sorely outvoted on a recent debate regarding the relative attrativeness of Seattle and Vancouver. Of course what can one expect of someone who said Vancouver Restaurant food is dull? It's like saying Las Vegas nightlife is boring. It doesn't compute.

Samantha

I've been to both cities and find both to be wonderful places to visit. I don't want to get slammed by Gary, but I personally prefer Seattle. My friends just returned from both cities and also agreed that Seattle would be their choice for a return visit. Both cities are pretty similar and you can't go wrong with either choice. For some reason, Gary has found this to be a competition between him and this Tom guy. Why compete when both are great places and people are willing to see both and judge for themselves?

don

I took a trip out to Seattle last year with my wife. We got into Seattle early enough that we drove up to Vancouver that day and spent a couple of nights, coming back and spending the rest of our time in Seattle. We both liked Seattle best, but did not for a moment regret our choice of going to Vancouver. It is a beautiful city, completely different from Seattle. We stayed at the Ramada near Gastown and found the hotel to be very conveniently located, within walking distance to Gastown,Chinatown and downtown shopping and a short drive to Stanley Park. As for us, I think we found a lot more that interested us in the Seattle area. Make sure you go to Pike Market Place, I never really thought that a fish market could be such a wonderful experience! If this is going to be a one time trip to this area, I woiuld say, by all means, plan a trip to Vancouver and plan spending at least one night, for one thing it will take you some time to get acrossthe border. You stated that you've always wanted to go to Vancouver, I think you could do both without shortchanging yourself. We did, but I admit I want to go back to spend more time in both areas.

Robyn

I think the "which city is best" is completely dependant on where you went in the city. Obviously if you only saw a fraction of Seattle and more of Vancouver, you'd probably enjoy Vancouver more. If you saw only a fraction of Vancouver and say more of Seattle, you'd probably enjoy Seattle more. <BR> <BR>Karla, try to spend an overnight trip in Vancouver because a daytrip might be a bit rushed. <BR> <BR>The top 2 attractions in the city are Stanley Park (one of the largest urban parks in North America), and Granville Island (large public market on the water, art galleries, restaurants, etc) <BR>Gastown is a bit touristy (it's the old part of the city), but I'd suggest the newer neighbourhood of Yaletown (south of Gastown). <BR> <BR>Try to walk around the seawall (around Stanley Park)! It's well worth it! And get out to Kitsilano Beach (off of Cornwall St), south of downtown.

gary

Mea Culpa Samantha. I admit to being a tad childish in my defense of Vancuver over Seattle and especially petulant over Tom's outrageous remark that he found 'Canadian restaurant food dull. After all how many ways can you prepare a piece of Salmon'. <BR> <BR>In fact I agree that Seattle has a lot to reccomend it but it is still very much an American city and I firmly believe that, especially for an American, Vancouver is just so much more interesting. Anyhow I will try to be less aggresive in the future.

maggie

Seattle or Vancouver? <BR>Personally, I opt for Vancouver. Canada IS a different country and counting in kilometers instead of miles and stuff like that is fun for me. Besides which, Vancouver is a bit like San Francisco with a lot of water and bridges. <BR>Vancouver is more compact, Seattle is more sprawled out. The traffic in Seattle was NO FUN. <BR>I guess if all one did was eat salmon in Vancouver, it'd be pretty dull, but Seattle has a lot of salmon places too and one could say the same of food in Seattle if one ate only salmon in Seattle. <BR>Both cities, fortunately, are a bit more cosmopolitan, but for food, especially Asian food I'd opt for Vancouver anytime. Try sushi if you like it anywhere along Robson Street or its offshoots. Or for a truly great Chinese lunch or dinner, try any of the 4 Kirin restaurants or 2 Sun Sui Wah restaurants. <BR>Have fun - whichever way you go - you couldn't go wrong! Both are good places. <BR> <BR>I'm a Californian with a "UDub" degree.