My husband and I have booked a cottage inPuget Sound for 5 nights in July before joining a cruise from Seattle. How long will it take us to drive from Seattle airport and any suggestions on best route plus any interesting places we should visit during our trip.

Er... Puget Sound is a very large body of water. If your cottage is in Puget Sound you better see if it comes with Scuba gear. If it's on Puget Sound then the name of the town it's in will allow us to figure drive times. Seattle airport to the nearest shore of Puget Sound is about five minutes, but there are other Sound frontage locations that can be from 3 to 4 hours - or more - from the airport or the cruise terminals in Seattle.

Wow, that's quite a question. First off, "Puget Sound" covers quite a bit of territory, and it's very, very wet...your cottage may be on the Sound, but it's doubtful that it's in it. Let us know where your cottage is and we can help.

Keeping this post to the top. We need the name of the town your cottage is located to answer.

Does Port Orchard mean anything? Sorry you can tell we are from overseas!

Port Orchard is located on the Kitsap Peninsula on the other side of Puget Sound from Seattle and the airport.

From Seattle, Port Orchard is most conveniently reached by taking the ferry from downtown Seattle to Bremerton, from which it's a 10-15 min. drive to Port Orchard.

From the airport, it's a toss-up whether to go into the city and take the ferry, or drive south through Tacoma, across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge(s) then back north. The drive will be cheaper as there are no ferry tolls; however depending on time of day the traffic may be a disincentive.

I would allow a good hour to 90 min. (less traffic time) by road from the airport, and more like two hours if via the Bremerton ferry.

There is also a ferry that runs from West Seattle via Vashon Island to Southworth, a small town on the Kitsap Peninsula not far from Port Orchard, However navigating to and from that ferry for out-of-towners is probably not advisable.

You might ask your hosts or booking agent what they recommend for travel into Seattle or the airport. The geography around Port Orchard and Bremerton is such that small distances on the map can equate to big time differentials, due to inlets, bays, etc.

Gardyloo has given you all the options.

We visit family in Port Orchard and find that the best way to get there is to drive via Tacoma and the Narrows Bridge. From SeaTac the drive is less than 50 miles and it will take a little over an hour if you aren't driving during rush hour.

Port Orchard is equidistant from Southworth (ferry to West Seattle) and Bremerton (ferry to Seattle).

If you drive you won't run the risk of missing a ferry because of heavy demand. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/


http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

Bernadette, where in Port Orchard is the cottage? Sometimes when people reference Port Orchard, they actually mean Manchester or Southworth or Olalla. The location and time of day you will be driving from the airport make a difference.

Hi

Just checked with the letting agency - and it is in Port Orchard itself. Any idea of what clothes to pack for mid to end of July? We are also then taking an Alaska cruise from Seattle and really unsure of what weather to expect.

Usually July in the Puget Sound area is lovely - sun and temperatures in the 70s. However, I can remember a few July days in the low 90s and a few in the upper 50s. I'd plan on the 70s and bring some layers - a short sleeve top and something you can throw over it if it's cold (and it does get chilly at night).

Many thanks thats a great help! Any idea about the Alaska cruise - is it likely to be colder on that?

Yes, Alaska will be colder. Your cruise line should be able to give you some info about what to pack. Don't forget binoculars.