Jamie

Renting a car to drive from Seattle to Vancouver. Do we need a car to get around in either city? I've heard parking and driving in both cities can be a nightmare.

Thanks!
Jamie

John

Hardly a nightmare. Rush hours are busy, but no worse from most other big cities. Parking is plentiful in both downtown areas, but it's expensive, figure US$20 or its equivalent per day for high-end car parking. Do you NEED a car? Well, no, not if you want to figure out public transportation or limit yourself to walking or pay for taxis, just as you would anywhere else. Both cities have lots of interesting things to see and do in the centers, where a car will be a nuisance; however both have numerous attractions outside the city center which can only be accessed conveniently by car.

By the way, I assume you're aware that most rental car agencies will slap a hefty surcharge on your car rental for one-way international trips, either that or a big drop fee.

Wendy

I think this really also depends on where you are staying in each city and what your plans are. When I go up to Vancouver I rarely take my car out of the garage. In seattle I generally cab around on the weekend nights.

andrea

In Seattle, you won't need a car if you're only going to stay in the downtown area. But the vibrancy & life of Seattle is it's neighborhoods: Green Lake, Fremont, Greenwood, Wallingford, Capitol Hill, etc. Fabulous parks, restaurants, coffee shops and more! To enjoy this, and I highly recommended that you do, you will need a car.

andrea

Oooops, sorry, forgot to say: John is correct that rush hour is the same as any big city. And I feel parking on Capitol Hill is a nightmare. However, in all the other neighborhoods, parking really isn't too much of a problem.

And Queen Anne is another great neighborhood to walk around in; can take a bus straight up the hill from downtown.

ldsant

Queen Anne has horrible parking! I hate going up there. But it's a very fun neighborhood and easily accessible by bus from downtown. If you want to get out of the city from SEA e.g., Snoqualmie, Mt. Rainier, Bainbridge Island, then yes, you need a car. Parking is plentiful downtown - Pacific Place after 5:30 is $2 for 4 hours. Union parking is also cheap up to 6 hours.

Again, as far as Vancouver, if you want to go to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Stanley Park, Granville Island, etc. then it's easier to get there with a car. John is right though - you better check with your car rental company re: crossing the border. Seems like things have become much tighter post 9-11 and some agencies are not allowing you to go to Canada w/out a hefty fee.

Lisa

I spent one week in Seattle last year and did just fine without a car using cabs, city busses, monorail and my feet. I found it to be an easy city to find my way around. I did rent a car for one day to drive out to Snowqualmie Falls.