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Conference kaosws::canada

Title:True North Strong & Free
Notice:Introduction in Note 535, For Sale/Wanted in 524
Moderator:POLAR::RICHARDSON
Created:Fri Jun 19 1987
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1040
Total number of notes:13668

584.0. "Seattle to Vancouver" by PAULUS::PAUL (Oliver Paul, ISE LC Frankfurt/Germany (FRO)) Mon Jun 22 1992 20:37

Hi there,

I'll visit the USA and Canada in July/August. For the first weeks I've 
booked a van (from Alamo Rental Cars) which I will pick up in Los Angeles and
return in Seattle. After that, I've booked a Motorhome (from Go Vacations)
in Vancouver which I also will return in Vancouver.

Therefore I'm looking for the best way to get from Seattle to Vancouver
(on Tuesday July 21st or Wednesday July 22nd).

The return address for the van is 

        Alamo
        20636 Pacific Highway South
              Seattle Airport
              
        (is that the Seattle-Tacoma Int'l Airport ?)
        
The pick up address for the Motorhome is

        Go Vacations Vancouver
        747 Cliveden Place
        Annacis Business Park
        New Westminster, B.C.
        
The ideas I had so far:

1. by plane
   How much is that with one of the larger airlines (e.g. Delta etc.) ?
   Which one of the airlines is the cheapest ?)
   (I don't feel too comfortable in those small planes.
   How many days do you have to book in advance ?
   
2. by bus
   Same questions : prize ? how many times a day ?
   Are there busses leaving from the Airport ? Where are they going to in
   Vancouver ?
   I assume they won't go directly to New Westminster.
   
3. by train
   dto.
   
Please answer soon as I'm leaving this Friday.

Thanx in advance.

Ciao,

oli

(crossposted in conference SEATTLE)
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
584.1I used three rental cars: #1 in SEA, #2 to YVR, #3 in CanadaCOVERT::COVERTJohn R. CovertWed Jun 24 1992 00:5410
A few years ago the best way to get from the Seattle-Tacoma airport to
Vancouver was by National Car Rental.

They had the lowest one-way price -- it was less than the bus fare for
two people (about US$60), and so much more convenient.

Most if not all flights will be on small planes operated by local
commuter airlines affiliated with larger carriers.

/john
584.2Local rental car companiesPAULUS::PAULOliver Paul, ISE LC Frankfurt/Germany (FRO)Thu Jun 25 1992 06:0528
    Hi John,
    
    when I booked the van at Alamo Rental Cars I asked them if it is
    possible to return the car in Vancouver. They told me that this isn't
    possible since it is in another state. So I assume these offerings are
    more or less restricted to the local rental car companies.
    
    Do you have by any chance some more names (besides the National Car
    Rental) where I could ask for a one-way rental car ?
    Do we (DEC) have any special rates/discounts at these companies ? 
    
    I also thought about renting another car, but after reading in this
    conference that you probably have to wait a long time at the
    American-Canadian border I thought that this wouldn't be a very good idea.
    
    Is it a problem to drive to Vancouver Airport with a 27 ft. motorhome 
    (oops, sorry, Think Metric: 8,2 m ;-)) ? I was thinking about a meeting
    point where I can meet with my family after I returned the car to
    Seattle. I think somewhere downtown wouldn't be a very good idea.
    Somewhere at the airport would be good in any case (flight, bus or car).
    (I don't want to even think about driving to the airport of Frankfurt
    with a motorhome of that size.)
     
    Thank you.
    
    Ciao,
    
    oli
584.3KAOFS::S_BROOKThu Jun 25 1992 14:5518
    Alamo is a US rental company (predominantly) with very few Canadian
    offices.  One of the International companies, like Avis and Hertz
    might permit cross border returns.  There are always two big hitches
    to "return elsewhere" rentals in that the rental agency offices are
    invariably two different franchises who must negotiate some kind of
    deal between them to return the car and the car is out of the rental
    agency's fleet for much longer than the time of your rental.  Out of 
    state / province drop offs are also more difficult because there are legal
    limitations on renting a car with foreign plates to allow the return
    to car rental agency via another rental ... these must be returned by
    a company employee ... which costs considerable time and money.
    
    For companies like U-Haul for trucks and trailers, this is usually
    easier because U-Haul actually own the fleet and they move their
    vehicles around the rental offices routinely and have systems in
    place to cope with this.
    
    Stuart
584.4Misc infoVAOU09::BOTMANpieterFri Jun 26 1992 05:1921
    re .0
    
    Yes, busses leave Sea-Tac (the international airport) hourly
    for Vancouver.  Price is around US $25.  I'm not sure whether
    the address you mentioned corresponds to the Sea-Tac airport.
    
    
    The bus goes into Vancouver downtown.  To go to New Westinster
    by Taxi would cost $20-$25 depending upon where the pickup point is.
    One can take Sky-train (our light rail transit system) to New West from
    downtown, so if you do that the local taxi fare in New West might be 
    only $5.
    
    re: .3 
    
    It is possible to drive a 27' motorhome to the Vanc airport.   There
    are outdoor parking areas, and the ramps to the terminal are quite
    wide.  Traffic is a bit slow at times, but never horrible.
    
    Pieter
    
584.5COVERT::COVERTJohn R. CovertMon Jul 13 1992 15:207
As I said in .1, National (known as Tilden in Canada) allowed a one way rental
of a car, and was cheaper than the bus fare for two people, even with the
one-way fee and the need to have three cars, one in the U.S., one to cross
the border, and one in Canada.  Actually, that trip I had a fourth car; I
rented another car on Vancouver Island rather than take it across the ferry.

/john