Seattle, WA

Seattle’s major airport is called Sea-Tac by the locals. That’s short for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Sea-Tac is approximately 20 minutes south of downtown Seattle. It’s a comfortably sized airport that is easy to get around in. Rental car counters are located in the lower level by baggage claim. Should you find yourself in need of some emergency supplies, Sea-Tac Mall is right down the road. There are also Taxi providers outside the baggage claim area as well as shuttle services or you can catch the Metro Bus for just a couple of bucks. Seattle has excellent local transportation with a large Free Ride area downtown from 6am to 7pm daily. Here is a handy little trip planner. First and Union is in the “Free Ride” bus-zone which runs until 7pm, after that you pay. Most of downtown is on that route.

It’s quite easy to get around in Seattle and if you’re planning to stay downtown and you enjoy walking you may not want to bother with renting a car. Seattle is consistently ranked one of the top 10 walking cities in the U.S. Parking downtown can be quite expensive. On a recent trip to Seattle I discovered this the hard way. My hotel, The Westin Downtown, charged $32-35 a day. Can you say, Ouch! We rarely drove the car because we love walking around downtown Seattle and catching a bus downtown is just so easy. The bus drivers are extremely friendly and patient. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I heard them cheerfully give advise to tourists.

Seattle streets that run north-south are labeled “Avenues”, and east-west running streets are labeled “Streets”. There are twelve of the “Streets” named in letter pairs. As you traverse the streets of Seattle, you may find this mnemonic useful:

Jefferson & James (J), Cherry & Columbia (C), Marion & Madison (M), Spring & Seneca (S), University & Union (U) and Pike & Pine (P)

All hotels in Seattle seem to have these handy tour maps. It’s a very useful map so be sure to grab one! The map even has super handy little icons to make things easier to find.

If you’re staying downtown and you want to see the Space Needle (of course you do!) then you may want to take the Seattle Monorail. You can catch the monorail from Westlake Center to Seattle Center and back. It has no other stops but it’s fun. While you’re there have some delicious Seattle Fudge and if you’re a serious music geek, take a tour of the Experience Music Project.

HOURS: Monday-Friday 7:30am-11pm, Saturday & Sunday 9am-11pm

You can also take a Washington State Ferry ride across Elliott Bay to one of the islands. I’m always happy to just grab a bucket of steamer clams and get on the ferry and ride to Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, or Vashon Island.

For more information, maps and directions, click here.

Seattle Visitor’s Guide: Part 1 ~ Where to Eat
Seattle Visitor’s Guide: Part 2 ~ What to Do

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