Travelling to Seattle on a Budget

01: Transportation

To get to a destination, the best way is knowing someone who lives in the city! If not, there's also different commuting methods to try out. I've gone to Seattle in a number of ways and here's a few:

1. Casino Bus: This is probably the least expensive, but also the most limiting way. With a small fee (<$10), they take you from Vancouver to Seattle. There's a number of casinos in Seattle that provides this service. Though its a half-day trip, it is a much cheaper alternative if you are looking into a day outta town without paying too much for gas. If you're lucky, you can visit the stores nearby after putting in some $$ in the casino. The Tulalip Casino is situated beside the Seattle premium outlets so shopping is about a 5 minute walk away.
Good for: Half-day outta town

2. AmTrak: The most expensive, yet the most comforting method! The train is rarely full (except the memorial weekend) so you can pretty much choose to sit elsewhere with an extra seat to put your belongings. They have comfy leather seats with power outlets for your electronic devices. There is a small lounge if you want to get some food/alcohol beverages. Wifi is available on the entire trip, connection is strong enough to run flash games. Going past the border is really convenient as you've gone through the inspection before you head on the train. So the border officers come on the train & asks a few simple questions. The pitfall is that the train has more stops than buses so it will take about 2-3 hours longer than a bus to get to Seattle. It is roughly $54 one way & runs twice per day.
Good for: >1 week vacation

3. Boltbus: This is the second least expensive for a weekend getaway. If you're looking to take a break & head outta town but don't want to drive, this is your best alternative. Boltbus is run by Greyhound company & offers a cheaper alternative for passengers going back and forth from Seattle/Portland from Vancouver. Their bus stops are located beside the train stations so getting to places from arriving is not a problem. Wifi is available half way (in the US). They have leather seats and the bus is usually full going to Seattle & less people coming back to Vancouver. There is a young crowd for this service & bus drivers are really helpful/knowledgable. It is roughly $19 per way.
Good for: weekend/outta town short trips

The above is all personal opinion & is not sponsor/affiliated in any way with those companies. 

Train Ride to Seattle

AMTrak Cascade Train Ride

I met a friend through internet and never thought we'd meet in person, till he came to Vancouver. There are  people have a "netglow", meaning they have a very charming personality on the internet, which makes them less than ordinary in real life. I was hesitant when he said i'd visit him in Seattle. My friend Chris came to Vancouver for a weekend and we decided to meetup. It was a short hangout but it was a pleasant experience. This changed my mind, and decide to buy a ticket to see him.

After knowing the option of taking the AMTrak train to Seattle, we decided on a weekend where i'd pack my bags and left Vancouver for the weekend. It was hard to plan a weekend when both of us would be free. Why? Because its December. I would pretty much say this month is the busiest time of the year for vacation trips, festive events, family gatherings, and etc. Though I have finals this week, the work load was less intensive than the previous semesters. For me, its still doable to get all the last minute assignments/projects done before heading out. So I stayed at his place for the weekend and did one of my finals there.

The train ride had me experience motion sickness, for the first time. There's little to do on the train so I spent hours surfing the internet on my ipad2. After focusing for a prolong period of time, my head was spinning for a day and a half after the 4 hour train ride. I went during the 5:45-10:50pm time interval, so its was dark out. However, the train's interior was so beautiful it made up for the missing scenic view.

The chairs were bigger than normal ones in the plane. They were made out of leather, in a light hazel color. The windows was dull red, with black swirly patterns. The train floor had a light colored carpet which made insulated the heat for everyone. Surprisingly, the whole train were not entirely filled with passengers so everyone had an extra seat beside them to put their belongings. For over-sized baggages, there's a metal rack at the end of each train stall available for passengers. The doors between each train stalls had an automatic glass door, with a silver-lining rim. The washrooms were the same size as ones you use on the plane.  

Its a good option if you don't like to drive on the highway in the States, like me. Or if you want to take a trip for a weekend getaway without spending too much on the airfares.