mlynnhvt

I will be in Seattle at the end of May, early June. I am looking to get a good deal on a hotel stay and have found deals on biddingfortravel.com that look great however many are not in downtown Seattle. How is the public transport in Seattle? If I were to stay in Bellevue is there transport to downtown? If I were to rent a car, how easy and expensive/inexpensive is it to find parking downtown?

Thanks!!!

Gardyloo

Public transport is good. From Bellevue, a pain. Parking is pricey.

If you're trying Priceline, my advice is to go for 4-stars in downtown. If and when you use up your 4-star re-bids, don't drop to 3 stars downtown. Instead, do a new bid for 2 1/2 stars at Lake Union only. Reason being, some of the 3-stars and below in the downtown zone are not especially nice nor especially downtown.

suze

Not Bellevue! I commuted that for 10 years. Public transportation is pretty great generally in Seattle, but the routes across the lake (floating bridges) to the Eastside are not. It is both expensive and difficult to park downtown.

Be aware there are some downright very ugly properties that you might end up from a bidding site that fall technically into the category of "downtown" and "2 or 3-star" Sixth Avenue Inn comes to mind.

mlynnhvt

Is Lake Union a good area?

Andrew

Re: worrying about Priceline hotels just outside of downtown: I have gotten two of them, the Best Western Executive and the Holiday Inn. Both are modest but decent hotels, slightly north of downtown though I was able to walk downtown with no problem. You can walk to buses from these hotels, too. The upside is, parking was either free or cheap at either of these hotels compared with hotels that truly are downtown.

Lake Union isn't much further north - the area may be slightly more appealing but you will be further from downtown and probably not able to walk as easily as I could.

I probably would not want to stay in Bellevue if my real destination was Seattle.

Andrew

Gardyloo

Lake Union is a great area. Houseboats, waterfront restaurants, excellent bus service to downtown, funky shopping nearby. Cheap-to-free parking and breakfast thrown in at the Silver Cloud and Residence Inn. Note that during Memorial Day weekend there's a big folk/music festival at Seattle Center so things get pretty congested north of the city center.

lavaflow

I've never taken public transportation from Bellevue to Seattle, but I can tell you, in the car, it takes about 10-15 minutes. It's not really convenient to stay in Bellevue if you want to see the sights of Seattle.

If the hotels in your price range include Lake Union - that would be a better bet. I know the Silver Cloud Inn is a GREAT, affordable hotel on Lake Union. The hotel offers a free shuttle downtown, which is very nice.

Parking is not easy downtown and it's not cheap either. Hope that helps!

christy1

In the middle of the night it might take 15 minutes. At many times throughout the day it could take 45 min-an hour between Bellevue and Downtown.

suze

Hey that was my question too. I want to know how exactly 'lavaflow' made it from Bellevue to downtown Seattle in 10-15 mins. In a dream maybe -LOL.

I commuted for 10 years and a more accurate guesstimate ~20 mins. Typically 1/2 hour, or possibly 45 mins. should anyone have an accident on the bridge.

kureiff

I commuted last year between Kirkland/Bellevue and UW and it usually took at least 30 minutes to drive and 45 minutes during rush hour.

There are express buses that run across Lake Washington, but I'd stay downtown or at least in Seattle. Try the Marqueen Hotel at the bottom of Queen Anne hill. I've gotten great rates there through Priceline. Plus it is within walking distance to the Seattle Center and you can take the monorail downtown.

Orcas

suze, can't speak for lavaflow, but we live in Bellevue near I-90 and can get to downtown Seattle easily in 12 to 15 minutes when it is not rush hour.

suze

Maybe it's the difference in bridges or exactly where in Bellevue and where in Seattle? and definitely depending on the time of day.

That said, Capitol Hill (3 miles east of downtown Seattle) to downtown Bellevue (near Bell Square) is an 8 mile commute. It takes anywhere from 20 mins. to 45 mins. using the 520 bridge at rush hour.

gail

We stayed at Residence Inn Lake Union. Liked the area - as described above. Short drive or bus to downtown.

lovingheart

When we travel, we like to have the amenities of a city outside our hotel door. Hotels on Lake Union and the waterfront do not provide this convenience in Seattle. That is why we like to stay in one of the several hotels within a block or two of 5th and Pine.

Kostroma

I live in Redmond sans car and have been doing the bus thing to and from Seattle for over a decade now. Cross lake bus service is only a pain during rush hour. From Bellevue Transit Center to Westlake Station in the downtown Seattle bus tunnel is about 25 minutes on Sound Transit Route 550 outside of commute times and the route runs every 8 minutes. It's easier and faster to get to Seattle from Bellevue than it is to get to my apartment in Redmond.

That being said, the OP should stay in Seattle for the sake of convenience.