Which parks are you discussing? I don't know how you are going to get to them without a car.

If you drive, spend the day driving to the east side of Mt. St. Helens to the observation point over Spirit Lake. From there you continue south to the Columbia River gorge and west to Portland.

In this case, I say drive. The train is scenic and I have ridden it, the car gives you the option of setting your own schedule. Drive south on I-5 to Kelso/Longview and cross the Columbia River and come into Portland on US 30.
Day 2 see what you want to see in Portland and the Mount Hood area. Stay in the town of Hood River. Day 3 Cross the bridge at Hood River and head west on WA 14 to the small town of Carson.
From Carson there is a paved Forest Service road that takes you east of Mt St. Helens to the town of Randle on US 12.
Spend the night at Packwood east of Randle. Day 4 take a quick drive through Mt. Ranier NP on the way back to Seattle to turn in the rental car.

We are visiting friends in both locations. Both friends have cars. We just need to get from Seattle friend to Portland friend.

I left out that essential information in my original post. So sorry. You'd think I was a newbie but when you are asking about your own trip you forget that everyone doesn't know the details!

If your Seattle friends will take you to Mt. Rainier and your Portland friends to Mt. Hood and the Columbia River gorge (among other sites outside the city), just take a bus between the two cities, unless you are a train buff and do not mind spending extra.

I have googled for buses and consensus seems to be that there isn't one (def. no Greyhound)

Are you sure there's not a bus between Seattle and Portland? That doesn't sound correct.

If your friends are both willing to chauffeur you around in each location, sure take Amtrak. Some parts are scenic, some parts not so much.

The drive down I-5 is most definitely not very scenic but would be a little quicker (3 hrs) than the train.

What about this:

https://www.greyhound.com/farefinder/step2.aspx

OK, now that we're all clear on the details.


Opt for the train (or 'no car' at any rate) since you have friends in both spots, UNLESS the logistics of getting from one friend to the other are such that you'd like to speed-up the transition.

A ONE-way auto rental would be more costly than your average X-day pick-up-and-return at the same spot. You simply don't need a car for that jaunt.

Besides, the train simply must be more scenic than is the drive down I-5 in Washington and south of Seattle. (I mean, there is SOME/plenty-of nature when compared to many roads in America, but there is nothing for which you need the freedom of a car vs. taking the train).

If costs are a factor, then of course you'd measure the one-way auto rental against the train fares, AND include the cost of GAS in your comparison (7 or 8 gallons for a typical rental car sedan between Seattle & Portland, @ perhaps $3.75 a gallon by MAY???? ($3.50-ish NOW))

As to the bus - you surely don't want to cohabit in any way with the sorts of denizens of Greyhound these days. Even the Greyhound station in Seattle will intimidate the life out of you - and it is in a reasonable part of downtown.

A central factor is HOW QUICKLY you need to get from the Seattle friends to the Portland friends during a "4-day weekend". The drive is 3 hours tops (in light traffic), and you could do better than that fairly easily. So if expediting the process is important, then you'd want to drive yourselves.

We do the Seattle/Portland trip every week. We drive most of the time, but have taken Amtrak numerous times. If you can see Mt St Helens with one of your friends, then take the train. The train is actually pretty scenic and it is so relaxing.

The trip I laid out above would work if your Seattle friends would drive you to Kelso on I-5 where your Portland friends would meet you for the Oregon parts. The Seattle friends could pick you up in Packwood on the morning of day 4 to go through Mt. Ranier on the way back to Seattle.
The Portland friends would have to take you as far as Packwood and then backtrack on US 12 to I-5 on day 3.

Thanks everyone. Greyhound does look quite feasible and imminently more reasonably priced than the train (train is $104 each and bus is $40 each; car rental is $150 to have it from Sunday to Tuesday). WE've done the Greyhound from D.C. to NYC; after the D.C. station, it would have to be pretty horrendous to scare us off.

I think we'll take the bus unless we can get our friends on board with tomfuller's plan (which may work out even better because we fly back out of Portland so there's no backtracking).

Muchas Gracias, Fodorites.

horrors! I meant "eminently" more reasonable.

That's a crazy price for Amtrak between Seattle and Portland. We have taken it numerous times and it has been substantially less money. The train route is very similar to I-5, so I wouldn't say it is that much more scenic. It is a lot more pleasant a trip than in a car or bus because you can get up and walk around. The train is fun! But we're only talking 3 hours, so it doesn't really matter. Just so you know, traffic between Seattle and Portland can be a big problem. Be wary of Friday afternoon - avoid if possible.

Sit on the left side of the bus to enjoy views of Mt. Rainier.

Orcas--Amtrak rates have really risen in the last year or so. Plus, if at peak times it is higher. I wish DH could commute mid week when it is only about $31 each way, lol.

Round trip for 2 adults SEA-POR-SEA starting May 4 and returning May 7 is $124 on Amtrak. The view of the Boeing factory is good from the train. If you are members of AAA you can get a 10% discount.

Checking back because we decided to rent a car for our trip due some changes in plans (Portland friend can't see us because of work).

We will now plan to drive from Mason Lake, WA to Mt. Hood, OR. We are debating whether to do the whole 4 1/2 hour drive on Monday and spend all our time there or break the trip up and do Monday in one place and Tuesday at Mt. Hood.

I would appreciate both an opinion on which is advisable and, if we break up the trip, where you suggest we stop on Monday for beautiful scenery and hiking?

I haven't thought about Mason Lake in decades... but I have fond memories - and even childhood home movies...

Hmmmmmmmmmph...

(hold on, we must pause again to contemplate my gas guesstimates (mentioned above)... we're already above $3.75, but perhaps on the way down - though I DOUBT we get down to that number by Memorial Day weekend - laugh)

Nowthen... the (freeway) path between, say, Olympia, WA and Portland, OR is strangely void of great spots for stopping.

One thought worthy of SOME consideration, is the idea of taking a path inward to first see Mount Rainier, and then venture southward NOT on Interstate 5, but on Hwy #131 going southward from Randle, WA. (use MSN Maps from, say, "Paradise, WA" to "Mount Hood, OR") and you'll see the not-so-widely-used path. (I've recommended it to others via this board and they reported back with positive reviews of that path)

It is worth stating that the Interstate 5 path between Olympia, WA and the Oregon border isn't particularly thrilling. Laugh - my all-time favorite sight along that path used to be a Nuclear Power Plant across the river on the Oregon side, and even that has been dismantled.

I don't know the full checklist of what you intend to do and see while in the area, but IF Mt. Rainier hadn't been on the list, then maybe put it on the list and see it on the path toward Mount Hood.

If cost is little object, then maybe stay at Paradise, otherwise check out Randle or Morton for possible lodging. (alas, you're talking about Memorial Day weekend, so I'm sure you're going to be challenged for lodging).


If the Mount Rainier/hwy #131 path is of no interest to you, then I'd just stay IN Portland... take the expedited path down Interstate 5 and give yourselves as much time in Portland as you can.

Winter weather is still quite likely for Paradise and surrounds... that is why it is known as "the snowiest place on earth (where regular measurements are taken all year".

Barring some freak storm, the roads will be plowed and there will be giant snowbanks at the sides as you travel toward higher ground there.

IF interested, do some research about the going on Hwy #131, but by late May one hopes there will be limited cause for concern along that path.

Hope you have fun!!

Northwest male, Can't thank you enough for the quick and helpful response. I now have a place to start! I really appreciate it. Rainier is certainly of interest.

The Forest Service road #25 that goes from Randle to Carson will be closed until July 2. They are replacing a bridge a few miles south of Randle. The Cheyenne and Cayuse passes in Mt. Rainier were closed due to snow when I was there 3 weeks ago.

Look up www.boltbus.com....it is a new bus service between Seattle and Portland.