Hmmm…flying into YVR & renting a car there ≈ $650.
Flying into SEA & renting a car there ≈ $250-300, but, egads! It’s a 2.5 hr drive.
Maybe I can go see that space noodle thingy.
Here’s some thoughts on the matter:
Basically, high taxes & fees + low competition = high airfares.
That’s interesting. Last time I flew to London the cheapest ticket was on Air Canada, changing planes in Toronto.
As far as flying into Seattle: people definitely have this notion that Seattle is in the Northwest corner of Washington state, when the reality is that it’s fairly close to the halfway point north-south.
Alternatives to driving from Seattle to Vancouver:
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Take the train: Amtrak Cascades will take you from Seattle to Vancouver.
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Fly Kenmore Air: now’s your chance to try flying in a seaplane.
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Take the Victoria Clipper from Seattle to Victoria and then another ferry from Victoria to Vancouver. Might as well spend a day or two in Victoria while you’re there. Definitely check out Butchart Gardens if you do.
If you’ll have a car in Seattle there are also several car ferries to Victoria that are slower than the Clipper, but significantly cheaper. They don’t leave out of Seattle though. One leaves out of Port Angeles and the other leaves out of either Bellingham or Anacortes, I believe.
Also my info is about 15 years old, so double check all that… maybe contact a Seattle/Tacoma area travel agent if you don’t know anyone who lives there locally.
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I’ve crossed the border by land probably hundreds of times, both personally and commercially. I much prefer that over clearing customs at airports. that, and as already posted, Canadian airfare is expensive so if I’m flying in the US I’ll often jump over to Buffalo or Detroit and fly out of there.
Customs is mostly nbd. 95% of the time I’m right through, 4% of the time there’s more questions, and 1% of the time it’s a deep dive. I answer everything, declare everything, no shenanigans ever. You still have to go through the process 5% of the time randomly, but when you do if you’ve been honest then there’s no repercussions - they play authoritarian for a bit, then tell you you’re free to go. the process can be a bit intimidating, but when you’re straight up, I think there’s almost no probability of actually running into anything other than a delay.
I did watch an American get swarmed and cuffed at the border once. I think they probably drove in and didn’t declare firearms. You can’t import firearms like that, you certainly can’t drive around with handguns in Canada (curiously, and little known fact, you can drive around with unloaded long guns in your car in Canada). Handguns are technically legal in Canada, but practically there’s no real way to own one. Long guns, you can buy and sell from other people through the mail.
I actually got pulled over by US customs once while LEAVING the US. ordered out of the car, barked at to ‘don’t stand there. STAND OVER THERE’ and then they walked around the car with a dog.
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You can also fly into BLI which is quite a lot closer. There are quite a few airlines flying there and Southwest will start servicing BLI in… November I think.
Isn’t Canada still essentially closed to Americans (although news might be coming in the next few days…)?
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Good point. Right now only essential travel through 06/21.
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For July 4th? Unless something changes I think leisure travel is still verboten, unless you’re talking 2022
Since I pousted the poust abouve your poust, I have discouvered the following:
Also, 7/4 was somewhat arbitrary. I only chose it because Monday is a holiday for me.
Uh-oh…the Canadians are getting angry:
Keep in mind that Canada (or at least parts of Canada) has been quite a bit stricter with their pandemic measures than most of the US.
Waterloo ont. is still under some pretty decent lockdowns.
One media outlet’s reaction to cross border differences:
I finally booked it. I’m flying into SEA on 09/02 & flying out on 09/04, heading into Vancouver for a show on 09/03.
Any recommendations for lodging (something “nice”) in SEA (preferably near the airport since the 09/04 flight is quite early in the morning)?
Any recommendations for things to do Saturday evening in Seattle? …Sunday morning/evening in Vancouver/New Westminster?
Alternatively, I could drive to ~Vancouver on Saturday, stay over through Sunday. On Sunday, after the show, drive to Seattle & stay overnight at the Radisson hotel & walk to the airport the next morning.
Also, places to eat recommendations… nothing too high faultin’…but nice enough… something like wildfire
The drive from Seattle to Vancouver is close to 3 hours each way, plus you have to consider the border.
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Have any of you ever taken the train from Seattle to Vancouver? That seems like it could be a nice option if you don’t really need a car.
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I’ve variously taken the train, driven, and flown to NYC. Far and away the nicest is the train. And it’s overall the same time as flying from Canada.
Isn’t the train ride something like 12 hours? 
12 hours 30 minutes according to Amtrak. I like train rides, but not that much!!!
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Yeah, just looked this up. Seems to be 13 hours.
Get there two hours ahead, customs at one point or the other, 1.5 hour flight. In NYC you’ll have to get from JFK or LGA to downtown or wherever your Final Destination is, while the train drops you off at Penn.
So, waaaaaaay off, eh?