aubrey

In August my wife and I will visit Portland, Oregon then rent a car to attend a wedding in Mt. Hood Parkdale. From Mt. Hood we plan to visit Vancouver. We will return to NYC by air from Vancouver.

We are attempting to determine the best mode of transport to Vancouver.

1. Should we drive from Mt. Hood? If so would you recommend a place to stay about half way between Mt. Hood and Vancoouver. We do not like to drive at night -- and we do not plan to leave Mt. Hood before 2 pm.

2. I understand that there is/was a ferry service from Portland to Vancouver. Can you give me any information on this? ... do you have any recommendations regarding this service if it exists?

3. Is there an overnight train service from Portland to Vancouver?

I'd apprecitate any information you can share. I am new to "Travel Talk". How do I retrieve a message? My email address is [email protected].

taggie

aubrey tyhis thread you've started will show any replies.... to check on your posts, click on your screen name and all the posts you've made will appear in the lh side of the screen. or you can simply scroll down and look for your thread title.

I'm assuming you mean Vancouver, BC, Canada (you're on the Canada board after all) and not Vancouver Washington.

I don't know about any ferry service from Portland to Vancouver, BC. I'd be interested to hear if one exists.

Vancouver is serviced by Amtrak so you could check on that if you wanted the train... many people travel between Seattle and Vancouver via Amtrak. Some of the schedule is by bus, so make sure you're actually getting a train if that's what you choose. I don't believe the trains go overnight. Check with Amtrak.

I would drive it if I were you. Mount Hood is about an hour from Portland, which in turn is about 5 hours' drive from Vancouver.
There are a zillion (OK, maybe not quite...) places to stay between Portland and Vancouver. Seattle and environs would offer lots of choice and you'd be a little more than halfway.

ron

The best mode of travel between Portland and Vancouver, BC would be air. Both Air Canada and Alaskan Air operate on that route.

I don't think car rental companies will be much interested in renting you a car in the US to be dropped off in a foreign country.

There may well have been ferries operating across the Columbia between Portland and Vancouver, WA before the bridges were built, but it is hard to imagine an economic case for a 400 mile ferry journey between two mainland cities, when the alternatives are a 1h 15m flight or a 6 hour, 300 mile drive.

April

1. We liked the AmeriTel in Lacey, Washington for an overnight stop.
http://www.ameritelinns.com/

2. I've never heard of such a ferry service.

3. I don't know of an overnight train, but I'd rather take a daytime one anyway! We took an early morning train from Eugene to Seattle, arriving there about noon if I remember correctly.

Gardyloo

Most of the major car rental companies will permit one-ways to Vancouver. A bazillion cruise pax do it every year. Shop around for a booking that doesn't include a drop fee. Your best bet will be to drop the car at an agency in downtown Vancouver rather than the airport because of very high airport concession fees and taxes. Taxi to the airport will still save you money.

No ferries from the US/Canada mainland to Vancouver. Why would there be? There's a freeway instead.

Portland to Vancouver is 6 hours plus an undetermined period at the border. Add an hour from Mt. Hood to I-84/I-205/I-5, so seven hours.

Seattle is the best halfway point. If you don't want city, look at the Silver Cloud Inn on the waterfront at Mukilteo, 30 min. north of Seattle (go past the Boeing assembly plant - biggest building in the world - to get there from I-5.) Ferries and seagulls off your hotel room deck. Then 90 min the next day to the border, xxx minutes at the border, 30 more to central Van. Piece of cake.

BTW, if you can swing it, try Cathay Pacific's nonstop service from YVR to JFK. Seriously nice airline.