Starting from Denver, we're planning to take our grandson (10 years old) on a trip to Seattle and Vancouver (not necessarily in that order). We've been to both several times (he hasn't), but we've always driven between the cities. This time, we're going to skip the driving, and would like to take a scenic train ride between them (no problem for us with public transportation in either city).

Can you please provide some first-hand information that would help me plan the rail part of the trip, such as options, cost, schedule, preferable direction (Seattle or Vancouver as the first stop), etc.

Thanks.

I answered in the US forum but if you wanted to go all the way on Amtrak you could take the California Zephyr out of Denver in the morning (about 8AM) to Sacramento the afternoon of Day 2. The Coast Starlight leaves Sacramento at about midnight every day. Seattle is the end of the line for the Coast Starlight.
You would probably want a bedroom instead of coach seats on each train even though the bedrooms are about 3 times what coach seats cost.
For 2 people, a roomette is a good alternative to the bedroom.
All of the sleepers include meals in the dining car.

Thanks, Tom. I attempted to tag this thread for both U.S. (Washington State) and Canada (British Columbia) in the hopes that the responses would show on both threads. However, I couldn't figure out how to do that. Hence separate threads with independent replies. Sorry.

We're planning on flying to Seattle from Denver, and flying back to Denver from Vancouver. Time is limited to when my grandson can get free from school, parents, etc. (about 10 days max.). So the California Zephyr is out.

Google Amtrak; insert Seattle King Street as your departure and Vancouver Pacific Central as your destination. In that direction it shows one early-morning train daily. You know your dates, which will help the search. It says the ride is 4 1/2 hours; from long ago I remember it as fairly scenic although it does not hug the coast. Be prepared, of course, for the border-crossing requirements.

>>I attempted to tag this thread for both U.S. (Washington State) and Canada (British Columbia) in the hopes that the responses would show on both threads. However, I couldn't figure out how to do that.<<

There is no way to link threads on different forums. You did it correctly - one thread on Canada and one on US (tom likes to push the CA Zephyr and Coast Starlight every chance he gets )

Most things you are asking (cost, schedule) are on the Amtrak website.

I haven't taken the Seattle > Vancouver train but my parents took their grand daughter a couple of times (and yes -- did take the Coast Starlight . . . but only because they lived in Sacramento). That makes no sense for you (at all). You'd have two trains that often run late to VERY late before even getting to Seattle.

Just be sure to book the trains that are actually trains - AFAIK only two a day are scheduled trains - the rest are buses. I honestly don't think it really matters if you travel north or south . . . except the AM Vancouver to Seattle trip is VERY early in the morning.

Thanks, Janis. The Amtrack website actually shows which times are trains and which are buses, so, no problem there (I hope).