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Approximate Flight Times
From London to Seattle is 9 hours, and from San Francisco is 1 hour 50 minutes.
Main Airports
Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) (website: www.portseattle.org/seatac) is 22km (14 miles) south of the city (journey time - 20 minutes). To/from the airport: Shuttles and buses link the airport to points throughout the city, running continuously 24 hours; a door-to-door service is available from Shuttle Express, serving a variety of destinations, including Seattle and Tacoma. The Airport Express Gray Line departs to downtown Seattle hotels. Metro Transit offers a public bus service to Seattle, while Sound Transit has regional services. Taxis are available. Facilities: Car hire, currency exchange and Internet access.
Getting There by Water
Washington State Ferries (tel: (206) 464 6400; website: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries) links Seattle with the Olympic Peninsula, Bainbridge Island and other points in the region. The Victoria Clipper (tel: 1 800 888 2535, in the USA only; website: www.victoriaclipper.com) links Victoria and Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) to Seattle via high-speed catamarans. Water taxi services are available on Elliott Bay from spring to autumn (website: http://transit.metrokc.gov).
Getting There by Rail
Three Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245, in the USA only; website: www.amtrak.com) lines cross the state. The ‘Empire Builder' from Chicago splits at Spokane, with onward services to Seattle and Portland (Oregon). There are trains from Seattle to Portland; the ‘Coast Starlight' continues on to Los Angeles, while the ‘Amtrak Cascades' service comes from Eugene-Springfield (Oregon) and heads north to Vancouver, British Columbia via Tacoma (journey time - 4 hours). The Seattle station is located at 303 South Jackson Street; most major car hire firms are available.
Getting There by Road
Greyhound (tel: 1 800 231 2222, in the USA only; website: www.greyhound.com) is the main service provider.
Approximate driving times:
From Seattle to Portland is 3 hours, to Los Angeles is 44 hours, and to Miami is 69 hours.
Approximate bus journey times:
From Seattle to Spokane is 7 hours.
Approximate driving times:
From Seattle to Portland is 3 hours, to Los Angeles is 44 hours, and to Miami is 69 hours.
Approximate bus journey times:
From Seattle to Spokane is 7 hours.
Getting Around Towns and Cities
Seattle has an excellent bus system. An underground bus tunnel operates through central Seattle from the International District to the Convention Center, with stops at Pioneer Square, the financial district and the Westlake Center. A high-speed monorail links the city centre with the Seattle Center. Public transport is free in the centre of downtown. Taxis and car hire are also available.