My husband is traveling to Redmond several times this year on business. I'm thinking of going along in April and/or July. How would I best get myself to downtown Seattle from Redmond. I'd prefer not to drive.

I've looked at the transit website. Is the 253 a bus?

The 253 takes the looong way to Bellevue. You want the Sound Transit route 545 express. It's $2 each way and takes about 25 minutes from the downtown Redmond Park & Ride.

If you know where you'll be staying, I could give you more specifics. I live in Redmond without a car, so I'm a veritable encyclopedia about the buses.

Wow, thanks for the assistance Kostroma.

Husband's company uses Redmond Inn. But, he doesn't have to stay there.

I'm wondering if it would be better to book a hotel in downtown Seattle, or would the commute (he'll have a rental car) to Redmond for him be "difficult"?

Nothing difficult about that commute (I did it for a number of years). There is a LOT of traffic and you might need to allow some extra time (~1/2 hour or so). The trick is you have to go over the 520 or I-90 bridge (there's a lake between Seattle and the "eastside"), so when there's an accident things can get snarled up pretty bad. As long as there's not (an accident) it's no big deal, a straight shot.

If your husband is willing, and having a rental car, staying downtown would certainly make it easier for you to do some siteseeing. Although there's also nothing wrong with using the express bus as mentioned already above.

The Redmond Inn is not a good place to stay without a car. There are no bus stops close by and there is a road widening project going on right in front of it that is scheduled to be completed in 2007. It's also not the prettiest location.

If you want to be in Seattle everyday, you would be better off staying there. However, rush hour traffic between Redmond and Seattle is not fun to say the least. Bellevue is a happy medium between the two. You could easily get to DT Seattle from Bellevue on an express bus (@ 30 minutes) and your husband could easily get to Redmond without dealing with the horrendous cross lake traffic.

Thank you ever so much for the information.

Any special recommendations for a hotel in Bellevue or one in Redmond within a reasonable walk of the bus?

So far I have the Access and Top 10 guides and can hardly wait to start planning the seeing and doing.

The people who built hotels on the Eastside put them in locations that had people with cars in mind. For simple bus travel (one bus, fast time), there are few alternatives for hotels this side of the lake.

In Bellevue, there is the Hyatt Regency which is by far the best located hotel for someone without a car. It's 1 1/2 blocks away from the bus stop to Seattle and it's right at the beginning of the line, so you'd have your pick of seats when you got on. The route starts at 5 in the morning and runs every 10-15 minutes until around midnight. That's the good.

Here's the bad. The Hyatt itself from what I've heard, gets very mixed reviews. Unfortunately, I've never stayed there, so I can't give any first hand experiences. It's too bad that the Westin across the street from the Hyatt isn't opening until the fall.

Redmond is a great place to live, but it's not much for hotels. There's a brand new Marriott at Redmond Town Center that's about a 6-8 minute walk from the express bus to Seattle. Unlike the Hyatt, I've only heard good things about this hotel so far. The schedule for the bus is similar to Bellevue's express (5a-12a). Also, you would be getting on at the second stop on the line, so again, choice of seats.

I think it comes down to this. If it's more important to be in Seattle everyday and your husband can handle the commute, then it would be best to stay downtown. If it's more important for your husband to have a quick commute to his business meetings and you don't mind the bus ride, then the two options above are about the only ones.

Living in Belltown, with a wife who works on Woodinvilee (the town immediately north of Redmond), here are my 2 cents.

Stay in Bellevue, if you want your husband to avoid the commute...and when I say "commute", I mean that it makes no difference whether you are going into Seattle or reverse...traffic sucks either way. Staying in Bellevue will be easier on your husband, and the 550 bus is accessible from just about anywhere in commercial Bellevue and will get you to Seattle in 25-30 minutes.

Hotels? Go to Hotwire.com...you get to see the star ratings of the hotel(s) and the rates BEFORE you buy, unlike Priceline, where you are at their mercy. You can choose the geographic area for the search too. I have used it 20 times, and 19 of them have been great (example: got the Hyatt Bellevue...7.5 out of 10 in my opinion...for 60 bucks on Seafarer weekend last year).

Enjoy!

I wouldn't have thought of it but staying in Bellevue is a great compromise. Especially if you are near to the Bellevue Transit Center on 108th (a place where many bus routes go thru). Not to mention Bell Square nearby (which although I am not usually a "mall" shopper is a one of the best!).

After thinking it over last night, I would choose the Bellevue option for your situation. It's a fair medium between both your and your husband's needs.

It's true that the 550 is a handy bus for getting around downtown Bellevue, but since you want a hotel within reasonable walking distance to the direct line to Seattle, then the Hyatt is it. Besides that hotel, the Bellevue Travelodge is the only hotel that the 550 serves directly.

If you stay at any of the hotels on the 112th Ave corridor (Sheraton, Doubletree, Bellevue Club), you would need to catch a bus(route 560) either to the Bellevue Transit Center or South Bellevue Park & Ride, and transfer to the 550 there. Either one is about a 5 minute ride and it's definitely doable, but it will take slighty more effort than staying on the direct line.

On a side note, if you don't have a lot of luggage, route 560 is the express between Bellevue and Sea-Tac airport. That trip takes about 35 minutes. Just an FYI.

djk,
If it was me, I'd drive my wife over to downtown Redmond and have breakfast with her. It's a short walk to the Transit station for her to sightsee/shop in Seattle and easy access to 520 for him to commute to his business. He could pick her up there when he is done with his day and take her over to the Barking Frog at Willows for dinner.