mma

Hello everyone,
We definitely want to tour the Boeing plant during our visit to Seattle. I am trying to decide whether to take the Grayline trip there or rent a car and visit on our own. Does the Grayline tour allow you enough time after the plant tour in the Future of Flight center? This is one of the main reasons for our visit - my son is very into aviation, wants to be a pilot, and I do not want to rush him through this. The other alternative would be to rent a car from a downtown location for the day - how would the driving be --- the entire area is totally new to us.
Can anyone give me information about daily or weekly passes for local buses - when I went on the metro site, I thought I read that they were discontinuing visitor passes. I thought a pass would be much easier than always having the exact change ready for four people. Need your input, please. Thanks for your help.
Maureen

DebitNM

We used the regular [public transportation], local bus to go from our hotel near Pike Place Market to get to the Boeing tour. It was very easy to do, we did not have to transfer or anything. It was a long ride, but it was certainly doable and a very easy [no driving, no navigating routes] and inexpensive way.

I would not pay for a Gray Tour or even renting a car.

Deb

DebitNM

Sorry, we went August 2005 and I see that as of December it is a new facility and tour.

There is info on their website -- http://www.futureofflight.org/index.html

about public transportation:

Some public transportation is available from Seattle, Everett and other communities.
Contact:
King County Metro Transit at (206) 553-3000; transit.metrokc.gov
Everett Transit at (425) 257-7777; www.everettwa.org
Community Transit at (425) 353-RIDE or (800) 562-1375; www.commtrans.org
Sound Transit (train) at (206) 398-5000 or (888) 889-6368; www.soundtransit.org

Deb

happytrailstoyou

According to Boeings web site, it is a 90-minute tour. Therefore, if you go by Gray Line, your son will see what everybody else sees when they take the tour: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/tours/index.html

I note Gray Line charges $48 and Boeing charges $15, making the cost of transportation $33 round trip $33 with no hassle. If the alternative is to rent a car, the Gray Line Tour is definitely your best option. (I don't want to think about how complicated, annoying, it would be to get to the plant on public transportation.)

The only bus pass for out-of-town visitors, is a one-day pass for $4 which is offered only on Saturday and Sunday (and on holidays on which buses run on the Sunday schedule) . Buy the pass on any bus. Regular fare is $1.75 and $2.00 at rush hour.

DebitNM

$33 per person difference, which will be at least $66 for the poster and son, more if there is another person with them.

Car rental looks like it could easily be less expensive, so it is a matter of what the 1 day rental will cost and how comfortable you are driving to site.

Deb

DebitNM

Another things to consider -- When we visited the old facility, you could wander around the exhibits as long as you wanted. If this is still the case, you son might want to linger longer than is possible with a Gray Tour.
Deb

mma

Thank you both for your replies. There will be four of us going. Although the plant tour is strictly 90 minutes, I didn't want to have to rush my son through the other exhibit area outside the plant. I don't mind driving if it isn't a major hassle.
Thank you also for the info on the bus passes. We will be coming in late on a Sunday and leaving the following Saturday morning, so I guess I will just have to plan to have plenty of change!