Timing Port Angeles ferry from SeaTac
Apr 27th, 2012, 07:11 PM
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Timing Port Angeles ferry from SeaTac
We'll arrive at Seatac at noon and have our luggage and rental car (hopefully) by 1:30 pm. Is there enough time for catching the 5:20 pm ferry leaving from Port Angeles?
Apr 27th, 2012, 07:27 PM
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Maybe....depends on what time of year you are traveling and if you will take the downtown Seattle Ferry to Bainbridge Island (my preferred route) which on weekends, holidays and Summer can mean waiting for 2 or 3 ferrys.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/info_desk/route-maps/
http://www.cohoferry.com/main/
Also whether you take the Seattle Ferry or drive around, you can get stuck at the Hood Canal Bridge which opens for certain boat traffic and causes delays.
If you drive around thru Tacoma, you will hit rush hour traffic and there is always the possiblity of a car accidnet stopping traffic.
Port Angeles ferry site says 2 & 1/2 hours from Seattle...
I think you should have a back up plan in case you don't make it.
Port Ludlow is a nice place to stay:it is just North of the Hood Canal Bridge.
http://www.portludlowresort.com/inn
Or in Port Angeles
http://www.olympiclodge.com/
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/info_desk/route-maps/
http://www.cohoferry.com/main/
Also whether you take the Seattle Ferry or drive around, you can get stuck at the Hood Canal Bridge which opens for certain boat traffic and causes delays.
If you drive around thru Tacoma, you will hit rush hour traffic and there is always the possiblity of a car accidnet stopping traffic.
Port Angeles ferry site says 2 & 1/2 hours from Seattle...
I think you should have a back up plan in case you don't make it.
Port Ludlow is a nice place to stay:it is just North of the Hood Canal Bridge.
http://www.portludlowresort.com/inn
Or in Port Angeles
http://www.olympiclodge.com/
Apr 27th, 2012, 07:43 PM
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The drive from SeaTac via Tacoma and the Narrows Bridge takes is 130 miles and takes about 2 1/2 hours. (We have never had a delay problem at the Hood Canal Bridge, but we have often experienced delays traveling by ferry.)
I wouldn't worry about the connection if I were in my rental car by 1:30 p.m. and I had a reservation on the ferry.
In case you miss your boat, a room with water view at Red Lion Inn is another good place to stay in Port Angeles.
HTTY
I wouldn't worry about the connection if I were in my rental car by 1:30 p.m. and I had a reservation on the ferry.
In case you miss your boat, a room with water view at Red Lion Inn is another good place to stay in Port Angeles.
HTTY
Apr 27th, 2012, 08:44 PM
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Thanks, 1Jar and HTTY-This would be a Saturday in the summer....so which route would be better?
If we had reservations ahead of time and missed the boat, would it be applied to the next days passage or is it unrefundable?
If we had reservations ahead of time and missed the boat, would it be applied to the next days passage or is it unrefundable?
Apr 28th, 2012, 01:19 PM
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FACS, your itinerary reminds me somewhat of a similar trip we made some time back. We found that it was overly ambitious, and here is what we ran into:
Although our flight came in just after 1pm, it took about an hour to get our luggage and car - more than I had anticipated. Then there was the traffic. SeaTac airport, to me, has a lot of congestion in the surrounding area; we ate up another hour getting away from Seattle.
Now, we had already concluded that it would be perhaps too tight to get to Port Angeles. One needs to consider the lead time for getting into line for the ferry as well. We struck out for Anacortes but that really wouldn't have worked out so well even if we had been there early enough. We had flown from Florida and were getting pretty fatigued by this point, and hungry as well. We did not stop to eat, which would have taken more time, but that means we were pretty cranky.
We went on across the border and took the Tsawwassen ferry. It was uneventful, although we did have to wait for the next ferry due to the number of cars ahead of us. Once on Vancouver Island, there is of course a traffic jam as cars debarq and make their way to Victoria and elsewhere. It was about 45-60 minutes to make that drive, although I had planned on 30.
So. It can be done, but little delays do add up. This September we are just going to add a night and make a leisurely drive over to Port Angeles and catch the ferry. We'll even have time for Hurricane Ridge. We will come in at night and stay at a (Priceline) airport hotel. You might consider spending the night in Port Angeles given your flight time.
Just my two cents, as my original itinerary almost resulted in one of us throwing the other off into the Puget Sound....
Although our flight came in just after 1pm, it took about an hour to get our luggage and car - more than I had anticipated. Then there was the traffic. SeaTac airport, to me, has a lot of congestion in the surrounding area; we ate up another hour getting away from Seattle.
Now, we had already concluded that it would be perhaps too tight to get to Port Angeles. One needs to consider the lead time for getting into line for the ferry as well. We struck out for Anacortes but that really wouldn't have worked out so well even if we had been there early enough. We had flown from Florida and were getting pretty fatigued by this point, and hungry as well. We did not stop to eat, which would have taken more time, but that means we were pretty cranky.
We went on across the border and took the Tsawwassen ferry. It was uneventful, although we did have to wait for the next ferry due to the number of cars ahead of us. Once on Vancouver Island, there is of course a traffic jam as cars debarq and make their way to Victoria and elsewhere. It was about 45-60 minutes to make that drive, although I had planned on 30.
So. It can be done, but little delays do add up. This September we are just going to add a night and make a leisurely drive over to Port Angeles and catch the ferry. We'll even have time for Hurricane Ridge. We will come in at night and stay at a (Priceline) airport hotel. You might consider spending the night in Port Angeles given your flight time.
Just my two cents, as my original itinerary almost resulted in one of us throwing the other off into the Puget Sound....
Apr 28th, 2012, 01:54 PM
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Thanks Sludick, sometimes it's easy to forget the little things that can add up and create stress.
We should be on the ground by 12:30. Is it doable to head to Hurricaine Ridge that day (Saturday), spend the night (?) and catch an early ferry Sunday? We have to be in Tofino Monday night.
We should be on the ground by 12:30. Is it doable to head to Hurricaine Ridge that day (Saturday), spend the night (?) and catch an early ferry Sunday? We have to be in Tofino Monday night.
Apr 28th, 2012, 04:17 PM
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Now THAT sounds better. There's a ferry at 8:15am that will get you there in good time.
When you head up to Tofino, you can stop at Coombs Market, take some pictures of the goats on the roof, and pick up some picnic supplies. You'll find a couple of scenic spots to stop enroute to Tofino to relax and eat the treats you pick up. I don't recall any particularly appealing restaurants between Nanaimo and Tofino.
Where are you staying in Tofino?
Enjoy!
When you head up to Tofino, you can stop at Coombs Market, take some pictures of the goats on the roof, and pick up some picnic supplies. You'll find a couple of scenic spots to stop enroute to Tofino to relax and eat the treats you pick up. I don't recall any particularly appealing restaurants between Nanaimo and Tofino.
Where are you staying in Tofino?
Enjoy!
