Judyrem

Hi all, just got my free companion tkt 520$ rt for 2 people...what a deal IMO, on Delta and will be heading to Seattle for 11 days. We have never been and I am so excited about going. Do you think including Portland is too much? I would like to do some hiking and winery stuff and would appreciate any help with this itinerary.

Scarlett

I absolutely think you should include Portland

You can do wineries, the Gorge and even a day out on the Coast ... 4-5 days would be full and quite enjoyable..
Stay in town, lots of hotel choices.
Rent a car and do the Gorge as a day/half day ( 30 min drive from downtown)and see all those waterfalls!
The Coast is 90 min from downtown, taking you through farms and forests, always with that mountain range in the distance!
and then the wineries are just a short drive, 30 min from downtown..not worth more than half a day imo.
Tons of great restaurants and tax free shopping.

voyager61

I think you could definitely do all three in 11 days. It would be easiest to do Victoria from downtown Seattle through a Victoria Clipper package, then you don't have to drive and mess with the border, etc. Check Victoria Clipper on the internet. Have fun.

Dayle

Hi Judyrem,

Last summer, we flew into Seattle and visited Port Townsend (loved and highly recommend), Victoria, and Tofino (highly recommend).

I did a trip report if you want to check it out.

We rented a car, our trip was just 9 days, but we had a great time.

happytrailstoyou

Since you want to hike, it would be possible to spend time in the Olympic NP and to visit Victoria on a day-trip from Port Angeles.

From Portland, the Columbia River Gorge can be visited as a day trip.

Also, the Oregon Coast is a fairly short drive from Portland. Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park are the usual destinations.

suze

Yes I think 11 days would be enough to include all three places.

I would suggest fly into Portland stay 5 days, drive to Seattle, stay 5 days and from Seattle take a 1 night trip to Victoria & back using the Victoria Clipper. Fly out of Seattle.

suze

With a rental car you can easily get to some wineries outside both Portland and Seattle.

Judyrem

Thanks so much everyone . I was thinking of 2 nights in Victoria...is this too much? I don't have my travel book yet, will get it later. Suze, Can you take a rental into Victoria..or even should we? We fly into Seattle. Yes, Dayle, I will check your report out. I just booked this today with a general idea of what's what. Now I need to make some decisions. We are going to be there JUne 16 -27 arriving in Sea around 1:30pm...leaving around 12:50pm.

suze

Sorry, don't know about getting to Victoria from Seattle by car. I've only gone on the Clipper.

Suze (in Seattle)

NWWanderer

Most rental car companies here in Seattle will permit you to take the car to Canada but check with the company you're renting with to be sure. However, with such a limited amount of time, I'd fly or take the Clipper rather than driving, as any option from Seattle to Victoria via car ferry is going to take at least 5 hours in each direction.

But if you want to visit the San Juans or the Olympic Peninsula on the way to or from Victoria, taking a car could make sense.

I think 2 nights for Victoria is plenty--depending on what time you get there and leave and what else you want to do, one night and the better part of 2 days could be enough to see at least the highlights such as Butchart Gardens and the Royal BC Museum, and go on a whale watch.

lennyba

I agree with NWWanderer - getting to Victoria by car is a pain in the neck. The Clipper is speedy and fun and if you get lucky you'll see orcas (not the poster, the creatures). I don't think two nights is too much there, but it depends a little on the time of year.

Judyrem

Thanks again for the help! The Clipper sounds great. Need to get my book! Cam I e-mail you Seattle residents?

Judyrem

HELP!!! I am staying 3 nights at the Inn at the the Harbor Steps and then taking the Clipper to Victoria for 2 nights.....NOW I am in a quandry.....I don't know what to do next!!!! Go to Olympic Park the Columbia Gorge or Rainier? We will not have a car in Seattle or Victoria, but will pick one up when we return to Seattle or )Port Angeles)...would that work? It will be my DH birthday and would like to do something nice. I just can not seem to figure this out!!!

voyager61

It depends on what you like to do and the landscape you prefer. Olympic National Park can be moist, even in the summer. It features the beautiful Hoh Rain Forest, and Crescent Lake, which reminds me of a Scottish loch in some ways. It's beautiful and quiet in an other-worldly way. Crescent Lake Lodge has nice accommodations and dining. Otherwise you need to drive into Port Angeles for food and hotels, although there are other lodges, Lake Quinault and Kallaloch, in the area. I know much less about them.

Mount Rainer is a mountain environment, with forests at the base and up the sides, but when you get higher, you are right next to the mountain and it is spectacular. Paradise Lodge is the best place to stay, but it books up SUPER fast and has been closed for 2 years for renovations, so call NOW. In late July and August, you get fields of mountain wildflowers, wildlife sightings and the peaceful beauty of the snowy summit while you hike around Paradise.

The Columbia Gorge I know much, much less about, although Hood River, OR is popular for wind-surfing. It is more of a high desert landscape, I think, totally different than the others spots.

Judyrem

Voyager, thanks for the input. I think taking the ferry to Port Angeles, picking up a rental(hope I can?) staying where and for how long,,doing the Olympic NP sounds good. The maybe going to Mt Rainier if I can get into the Paradise Inn.....still tweaking things ;-).

NWWanderer

You can pick up a rental car in Port Angeles, but for a one way rental, it's going to be expensive. So another option to consider would be to pick up the car in Seattle, go out to the Peninsula, park the car and take the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria for your 2 nights, then come back to the Peninsula and do whatever you want to do there and go on from there, returning the car to Seattle at the end of your trip. You may find that even with the extra days you have the car parked while you're in Victoria, it's still less expensive than the one way rental.

CDJD

I completely agree with NWWanderer re: the car rental. I am currently trying to plan a trip for next summer in this region and the car rental price was more than double for a one way rental from Port Angeles then from Seattle. It is worth paying the parking fees in Seattle and letting it sit in Port Angeles while we visit Victoria. Another great tip is to not pickup the rental from the airport (you will have to pay all kinds of taxes and fees) but instead pickup from a downtown Seattle location and return to the airport. No extra taxes or fees and the company I looked into (Avis) did not even charge extra for the airport dropoff vs. downtown.

Judyrem

Well after checking things out, I am thinking of just picking up a car when we return from Victoria in Seattle......THEN drive WHERE? Should we take the ferry to Bainbridge Island? Will it be too crowded on Sat the 21st? It is my DH's birthday and would like to stay in a special place....help! Should we drive around to the ONP?

NWWanderer

So you'll still have 6 days or so left at that point? You could do 2/2/2--Port Angeles area, Cannon Beach OR and Portland, and then stop at Mt Rainier on your way back from Portland to Seattle. You might have to wait a ferry on a Sat morning but no I wouldn't say it will be "too crowded" and I wouldn't drive around if you're starting from downtown.

Taking the Clipper back and then picking up the car would involve a bit of backtracking though so think about my suggestion for using the Port Angeles/Victoria ferry instead of the Clipper.

If you want something special for your DH's birthday, look into Colette's near Port Angeles. Very nice B&B but not inexpensive.

Judyrem

Well, we are changing plans again! Now DH decided he wants to stay in Portland and do day trips to the Gorge and MT hood.. He drived me batty!