Cascades from SEA to VAC (and back again)

[dbfrese]

Next month my wife and I are taking 516 to VAC from SEA. It leaves at 7:45 am. 517 on the trip back leaves at 6:35 am. How early do we need to be at the station before departure? Do we need to be there an hour ahead of time? Will 30 minutes early suffice?

I'd like to benefit from anyone's personal experience, and I'd also like to avoid having to roust my non-morning person wife out of bed at 4 in the morning if at all possible!

 

[Seaboard92]

I’ve never done the train out of Vancouver. However my ex has taken the evening train back to Seattle when we were dating and on a day trip. I believe you need to be there about an hour or so prior to departure. Others might know better than me however.

 

[OBS]

What day of the week? They do advance seat assignments in the station and start 45 min or so before departure. Also coming south do they do US Customs before boarding?

 

[greatwestern]

Amtrak themselves suggest you are at Vancouver station an hour before departure.

I used train 517 from Vancouver BC to Seattle in June last year (will be doing the same in just a couple of weeks time) and lines were already forming at the gate over an hour before departure. Theoretically there was a separate line for Business class ticket holders.

The process was reasonably speedy, except that I and some other non USA/Canadian citizens were set aside into a side room initially without any explanation. Eventually it transpired that we were required to pay a $6 USA processing fee (in cash) because we were entering USA other than by air.

 

[ehbowen]

First, go in business class if at all possible. Less crowded, more comfortable seats, priority processing through Customs.

If you don't, expect to be shoehorned with all of the other Vancouver passengers (i.e., most of them) into one end of the last coach on the train. Don't expect to be able to spread out, even if the rest of the train is 90% empty.

If you're not concerned about seat assignments, don't worry about being overly early for the northbound train. It's basically like any other Amtrak departure. Coming southbound, US Customs pre-checks your bags in Vancouver so be early enough for processing before departure. Expect to fill out your declaration and hand it to an Immigration officer on board as you cross the border. Caveat: My two trips were in 2014 and 2016; procedures are subject to change without notice, of course.

 

[pennyk]

I have done both trains and got to the station early enough where I was among the first in line to get a good assigned seat. I was in BC both ways. I was at each station approximately an hour early each time.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[dbfrese]

Great info, thank you all. We have our business class tickets already, so we are glad to hear that will work to our advantage. @ehbowen -- are there business class seats that we would want to avoid, or are they all pretty decent?

 

[ehbowen]

They're all about the same. Three across; 2+1. Many folks feel that you get a better ride in the center of the car, but I've never really noticed the difference. Try to get a seat on the ocean (west) side if you can.

Edit To Add: A power strip may come in handy; there are outlets but they are at floor level.

 

[dbfrese]

What day of the week?

Mid-week. Tuesday going to Vancouver and Wednesday returning.

 

[OBS]

Mid-week. Tuesday going to Vancouver and Wednesday returning.

That helps. The two least busy days of the week, generally...