Is that an ice cream bar?

A Nanaimo Bar is not icecream - it has a chocolate base, then a creamy yellow center and more chocolate on top - Its one of my favorite Canadian desserts.

I have found Clipper Vacation which consists of transportation from Seattle to Victoria and Vancouver and back to Seattle. You can either book your own hotel in Seattle or they will do it for you with shuttle picking you up for the ferry. I tried to check out rooming in all areas, ferries, shuttle or cab to hotel, etc. It appears to me that this is a good deal, I figure about 200 more if they do it for you and this was figuring three people's travel. Does this sound like a better deal for each individual? I tend to think it would be worth the $200 to not have to worry with any of it, what is your take?

Toll Free: 800-888-2535 Seattle: 206-448-5000 Victoria: 250-382-8100

Clipper Vacations

There is "tea time" at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. I don't think you have to be a guest of the hotel but I think reservations are needed. Has a nice British ambiance.
Also, there was a gorge just outside Vancouver that has a swinging bridge. Not for the faint hearted, but if you like adventure and not afraid of heights--I think it was called Grosse Gorge.

Does anyone have a take on the Clipper Vacations versus self planning? It appears to be close in cost and I am thinking it will be better because of less stress on schedules and time.

I have used the Amtrak Cascade roundtrip from Seattle to Vancouver. It was a four hour trip that was delayed by two hours on the return trip. Going through customs was a breeze. Driving a car across can be a drag. The train was scenic and relaxing. They have a dining car as well as a snack bar. Once in Vancouver, you can catch the sky train (or whatever it's called) across the street from the station.

You can take a sky train in Vancouver, then catch a bus to the ferry, then a bus to Victoria. Much cheaper, but can be a logistical headache.

Both times I've been in Vancouver, I used Priceline to book hotels and was able to stay in very nice downtown hotels for about $50 U.S. If you dare to use Priceline you can save a lot of money in Vancouver. (Seattle isn't a great city for Priceline.)

I am planning an almost identical trip in May...with some time constraints...you might want to check out my "Vancouver/Victoria" posting under a British Columbia/Canada destination...I got many helpful tips (and am still working on the trip).

The Nanaimo Bar is a yummy dessert. Here's a recipe http://www.dorchesternanaimo.com/Nan...imo%20bar'
The suspension bridge is called Capilano suspension bridge, not Grosse gorge http://www.capbridge.com/

Sounds like "sfg" has a good plan. Agree that you should post on BC/Canada for more info on Vancouver & Victoria. 2 sites to find lots of info http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/ and http://www.vancouver.hm/vanframe.html

Yikes! I just opened the link to that Capilano--I can't believe I crossed the bridge. That was before I had kids.

I am always partial to having a car at my disposal - so I would do that rather than taking a train or bus. You never truly get the feel of a place unless you drive it yourself and you have the freedom to change you schedule or stop at interesting places along the way. We found scheduling for the ferries easy, some allow reservations, and we breezed through customs without much of a wait, both trips. Do go to the Capilano suspension bridge in Vancouver, it's so much more than just a bridge - really beautiful place and fun for all ages.

We are doing something similar this summer. We are flying into Seattle from Detroit and arriving at 4:40 and then taking the Amtrak the next morning into Vancouver and renting a car and then driving to Calgary.

Remarkably this was our cheapest route and we are Canadians! Flying into Vancouver is unreal for price!

I have already booked our Amtrak tickets and they were only $100 for my family of 6.

For those of you that know the Seattle area - are we best to get a hotel downtown for the night so we are close to the trainstation? And if so, do you have any recommendations for any hotels that offer suites?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

At the risk of making enemies among Seattle hoteliers, the train station is located in an area where I would not like to spend the night. On the bright side, there is a free bus zone that encompasses the nice hotel district and extends to Jackson Street, which is a hop, skip, and jump from the train.

I've never spent a night in a Seattle hotel so I can't recommend any....isn't this true of most of us? How many have stayed in a hotel in their home town?

Most of the hotels are downtown, which is very close to the train station-that would be much better than staying near the airport. There are also some less expensive properties on south Lake Union, and that is still only about a mile from downtown and a very quick cab ride to the station.

Just to follow-up from christy1, we stayed at a Courtyard by Marriott last summer that was right by Lake Union and a short walk to the Space Needle and the monorail, or they offered a free shuttle to downtown. The Courtyard was nice and they had reasonable rates as compared to downtown hotels. (I would catch a taxi to the train station rather than take a bus.)