# Seattle King Street Station



## amamba (Jan 29, 2012)

Does anyone have experience renting a car in Seattle near King Street Station? I see that at hertz.com that you might be able to use the downtown Hertz Local Edition and that they might pick you up at the station. There also appears to be an enterprise down town. Just curious if anyone has actually done this and can give me any tips.

I am arriving to Seattle via air but departing via train. I need to rent a car because we are driving out to the Olympic Peninsula. I figured it would be better to rent the car near the train station because a) it is normally cheaper to rent a car off the airport property and b) I would rather deal with getting myself to the rental car from the airport than driving to the airport to drop off the car at the end of the trip. I know i can take the light rail from the airport to downtown (well, I think I can) so it seems like it should be pretty easy.

Anyone done this or can weigh on if this seems like a reasonable plan?


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## printman2000 (Jan 29, 2012)

We went to Seattle last summer. I never found any real convient places to rent downtown. Especially if you arrive late. We rode the light rail out to the airport and rented from there. That way, no matter what time we arrived, the places would be open. We also got a hotel out by the airport.

We had not problem, on our day of departure on the Coast Starlight, returning our car ,riding the car rental shuttle to the airport to catch the light rail to downtown.


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## Blackwolf (Jan 29, 2012)

Used the Enterprise in downtown Seattle before; GREAT service! And I mean absolutely GREAT! They are closed before the arrival of the Coast Starlight into Seattle unfortunately, but they are open for the Empire Builder arrival and departure, as well as the Starlight departure. They will pick you up and drop you off anywhere in downtown Seattle, no questions asked. And in my case, we were upgraded three car sizes for free because they thought my traveling companion (a very tall man) would be better suited in a big car instead of the economy car we'd reserved. Just gave us the keys with a smile, said we'd been upgraded for no extra charge, and wished us a pleasant trip.

They are very familiar with King Street Station, saying they get business from Amtrak every day.


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## amamba (Jan 29, 2012)

Blackwolf, thank you for that report. That is great to hear about the downtown location. I will be departing on the EB and I did not confirm that they are open around that time. I will be arriving at 11 amish (early morning flight from the east coast) so it looks like I should have plenty of time to get to the car rental place before it closes.

I should also note that it appears to be at least 50% less expensive to rent the car from the downtown enterprise than at the airport. I am not sure why I would want the hassle of taking the light rail back to amtrak from the airport - especially when it looks like it will cost $200+ more to rent the car at SEA-TAC.


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## Blackwolf (Jan 29, 2012)

amamba said:


> Blackwolf, thank you for that report. That is great to hear about the downtown location. I will be departing on the EB and I did not confirm that they are open around that time. I will be arriving at 11 amish (early morning flight from the east coast) so it looks like I should have plenty of time to get to the car rental place before it closes.
> 
> 
> 
> I should also note that it appears to be at least 50% less expensive to rent the car from the downtown enterprise than at the airport. I am not sure why I would want the hassle of taking the light rail back to amtrak from the airport - especially when it looks like it will cost $200+ more to rent the car at SEA-TAC.


 

And why take the lightrail from the airport when it runs right of front of the Downtown Enterprise as well? Not that you'd need to, they will run you directly to the train station for free (I still tipped!) Since you are flying in, maybe the lightrail to the car rental place could work if you want to expand your 'total train-time'?  

 

 

Sea-Tac Airport17801 International Boulevard

Seattle, WA 98158

Walk to St Light Rail & Seatac ACS About 12 mins (0.6 mi)

*Light Rail & Seatac ACS* Light rail LOCAL toward Seattle (38 mins, 12 stops)

*Westlake Station* Walk to Westlake Ave & Olive Way About 3 mins (0.1 mi)

*Westlake Ave & Olive Way* Light rail LOCAL towards Lake Union/Fred Hutchison Cancer Ctr (3 mins, 2 stops)

*Westlake Ave & 9th Ave* Walk to 2116 Westlake Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 About 1 min (305 ft)

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

2116 Westlake Ave

Seattle, WA 98121


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## NomDePlume (Jan 29, 2012)

I just rented from Budget's Financial District online and did the Pay Now feature (discount). It's a few blocks from the station but I can also call them and have them deliver the car to the station as long as I give at least 24 hours notice.


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## D T Nelson (Jan 29, 2012)

I don't know about every rental car company, but I know that Hertz and Avis are much, much cheaper in downtown Seattle than at Sea-Tac Airport (as you have found to be the case with Enterprise). Besides any difference in the rental cost itself, rentals at the airport get hit with more and greater taxes and "facility charges."

One interesting fact that not everyone knows is that, at least for Hertz and Avis, you can rent downtown and return at Sea-Tac and you will not be hit with a one-way rental charge. They consider that to be a return to the same location. So I always recommend to friends who are flying in and flying out to ride the Link downtown on arrival and rent there and save a bundle, and then just drive back to the airport at the end of the trip. (This only works if they are arriving before the downtown locations close, of course.)

I have never checked the reverse, rent at the airport and drop downtown, but I'll bet it's the same, that no one-way charge applies. So you would not have to drive out the the airport to return the car, if you rented at the airport. Still, the savings to be had by renting downtown make that the way to go.


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## D T Nelson (Jan 29, 2012)

NomDePlume said:


> I just rented from Budget's Financial District online and did the Pay Now feature (discount). It's a few blocks from the station but I can also call them and have them deliver the car to the station as long as I give at least 24 hours notice.


It's a few blocks from the station but it's about 150 feet higher. I'm in reasonable shape and I don't think I'd make that walk toting luggage. Even pulling a wheeled bag up the hill would be quite a bit of exertion. I think I'd either have them deliver the car, or leave my bags at the station, walk to Budget, and drive back to the station to collect my bags.


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## NomDePlume (Jan 29, 2012)

D T Nelson said:


> NomDePlume said:
> 
> 
> > I just rented from Budget's Financial District online and did the Pay Now feature (discount). It's a few blocks from the station but I can also call them and have them deliver the car to the station as long as I give at least 24 hours notice.
> ...


Good to know, thanks! I'd plan to have them deliver and pick up the car there as it is, now I'm sure of it!


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## henryj (Jan 29, 2012)

I rented a car from Alamo in 2010 when I attended the Garden Ry convention in Tacoma. I rented in Seattle because I was leaving from there after the convention. The address downtown was Alamo Rent a Car

Car Rental Location: SEA 1301 6th Ave. The location was convenient to the light rail and the bus to the airport picked up right outside the hotel there which is the downtown Hilton. The rent car station is in the Hotel lobby and the cars are in the garage. I rented the car through Amtrak when I bought my ticket here in Houston. The rate was far less than renting the same car at the airport.


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## gswager (Jan 29, 2012)

Sometimes some car rental places for those who are not served to airline passengers have rates with limited mileage. So read the fine print!


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