Having had to change our plans due to needing medical care and being in Canada, we took the train with way too many bags to Seattle. Upon leaving the station, there were several taxis waiting. Several of these taxi drivers were grabbing at our bags and trying to fit my 6 foot tall husband (who has back issues as well and cannot move easily because of his medical condition) and the bags into the back of not one but at least two Prius vehicles--- we kept telling them that it was too small and to put our bags down and they refused to listen. Heated words broke out from them, and they would not listen to us. Finally, an Uber driver came with a large vehicle and we were able to be accommodated more comfortably. I totally am in support of the cab drivers, as I know, they have been squeezed out of the market by individual ridesharing, but these morons changed my mind, at least here in Seattle. UPDATE: 08:35Thursday, June 11... hubby has not received the promised call from customer service, which he was told he would re rice at 08:00 yesterday while in contact with the company ... good thing we didn't skip breakfast to re rice it..... read more

Amtrak Cascades - The train - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Place is very clean inside the station. The amtrak itself could use an update. The table we sat on was broken but we managed. The line here can get very long if you are checking in a luggage so arrive early. Staff was friendly and very helpful. The ride from Seattle to Vancouver was beautiful, plenty of scenery. read more

Great deal to use when getting away from Portland to Seattle! We had great WiFi going but no WiFi coming back. Good thing I downloaded a couple videos for the ride! But for the price, the comfort and way of boarding was much better than catching a plane or driving when the price of gas is so high! read more

The worst smelling bathrooms on the PLANET. I mean worse than a port-a-potty. I legit puked in the bathroom from the smell being so bad. The staff was aight, food and drinks were low key reasonably priced. But good Lord those bathrooms bro . there are power plugs in the bathroom - please for the love of God PLUG IT IN PLUG IT IN read more

Amtrak Cascades is a regional Amtrak line that runs from Eugene, Oregon up to Vancouver, Canada. Currently there are 6 trains each day that operate on the Seattle to Portland portion of the line. I took a train from Portland to Seattle on this train and found the legroom to be disappointing compared to the Coast Starlight train that operates the same route daily. While the Cascades train is faster by about a half hour, I would choose the Coast Starlight if you prefer comfort over speed. On the positive side, the train has Wi-Fi and a frequent train schedule which makes it worth considering in spite of the smaller amount of seat legroom. read more

First time Amtrak rider and it won't be the last. Super convenient and the business class car was pretty comfortable. Not terribly cheap but if money is more of a factor, there's coach class. Could have better signage in the stations for the newbies (Union/Portland, King/Seattle) but the station attendants are really helpful. read more

Kara at the station was extremely helpful . My wife couldn't find our reservation and Kara went out of her way to help us. Looking forward to our trip to Portland on Thursday! read more

Disappointing train service run by people who deserve far better logistical systems than they represent, an irritating and often-delayed experience. read more

I'm of mixed minds with my recent Amtrak experience. I traveled from Portland to Seattle and experienced delay after delay (probably not Amtrak's fault, but still, annoying). Also my seat had no chargers. On the way home, we had no delays and my seat had chargers. Price was fair - roughly $50 roundtrip. As a solo traveler, I'd do it again, but they should offer more reasonable pricing for families/groups so it makes sense to choose train over car. read more

Train was allegedly supposed to depart from Seattle to Portland and 7:50, yet it was late. read more

Amtrak Cascades - The departure time was supposed to be 7:50 - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Train going to Portland was only an hour late leaving on a Friday morning, which was the smoothest part of my trip. Train back to Seattle was cancelled at midnight, then not cancelled per 1 am update, then delayed indefinitely per 7 am text, then who knows. Text and email updates were confusing and vague. Ended up having to fly back to Seattle last minute so I could guarantee getting to work the next day. And I've never been so happy to be in an airport. Their customer service is light years ahead of Amtrak. The only way I'd recommend the train is if you have absolutely no need to get anywhere by a certain time or day. Next time I'll just drive. read more

If you are visiting Seattle, I recommend you visit Vancouver as well, as that is an equally charming city. To do that, I took the Amtrak Cascades train. The ride is about 4.5 hours and it is much easier to take the train than driving. The train is fairly old, but the convenience and views will win you over. Because the Cascades train runs along the water, so you get amazing views of the water along the Pacific Northwest. read more

Amtrak Cascades - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a good option for visiting Vancouver from Seattle. I would do it again if in a similar travel scenario. Train seats are comfortable and there is space for your bags and luggage. Don't count on the Wi-Fi as it's really spotty. The plugs work though. I visited the cafe and grabbed a parfait, coffee, and bottled waters. The prices are fair, but you could easily find these things at a convenience store before boarding I would say. Border patrol was a breeze getting into Canada, but somewhat cumbersome coming back through the U.S. despite arriving very early for departure. If you're not in a rush and want to save some money and time flying. This is a good choice. Rideshares can come and pick you up right at the station. read more

This train for its route between Seattle and Vancouver sells out fast and it would certainly be advisable to plan your trip further in advance than I did. I barely was able to get a round trip planned out on this train weeks out so I would suggest doing it months out (especially for the summer high season) as I did mine in the low season of November and it was still challenging with no business class seats being available and very few other seats. The biggest disappointment I had is this train doesn't offer the famous Ivar's chowder for their morning ride unfortunately but they do offer beer all the time so that is the breakfast of champions. Overall the route between Seattle to Vancouver and Vancouver to Seattle is VERY scenic and the train itself is mostly comfortable enough. The train LEFT on time but going to Vancouver I had a 30 minute delay due to freight trains and on the way back to Seattle it was nearly an hour delay due to a broken down freight train. While the route is scenic it is good enough to just see it once so I would suggest taking a plane or car for one leg of the trip between these two cities as it will give you more time to enjoy these two interesting cities instead of travelling. read more

Amtrak Cascades - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Update 9/20/23: they've outdone themselves again. I got a notification that the train was running 30 minutes behind and would be leaving at 7:30. I learned my lesson from last time and stayed in the terminal instead of looking for a quick bite. Thank god I did because the train miraculously began boarding at 6:40 and even the staff were baffled by the text notification of delay that most of received. Top notch work folks. Bottom line: don't leave the station for any reason, especially if they assure you the train is late. Bring food or water for your wait as there's nothing inside. read more

I took the Armtrack Cascade Train from Vancouver Pacific Central Station 5:45 pm to Seattle's King st Station arrived at 10:10 pm. On my first train trip, I was able to spend my time in a comfortable seat with the air conditioner working. When you get on the train, there is a toilet in each vehicle and a cafe is in the car ahead. If you want to see a good scenery, you should sit on the right side of the direction of travel. The train ran along the coastline and the journey while watching the beautiful sunset was very nice. Unfortunately, the window glass was dirty and I couldn't take good pictures and videos. Checking at the border was easy and the train only stopped for about 10 minutes. Just prepare your custom form and passport and wait for the agent to check. Border custom checks are recommended as trains are quicker than planes and buses. It took 4 hrs and 15 mins from Vancouver to Seattle, but it was a good trip. However, eating on the train is not recommended. I didn't have time to catch the train, so I had to get dinner at inside the cafe. There was no healthy food, just junk food. I bought sweets, angus burger and cranberry juice but The burger was warmed up in the microwave and was the worst. I recommend that you also prepare something to eat when you board the train. read more

It's definitely worth the experience--great views and even stops. Can't complain about much. Seats are reasonable to get good rest on too.

Amtrak going from Everett, Washington to Vancouver, BC is retarded. Food suck. The guy put the hot dog and the bun in the microwave, which turned the bun into rubber, paid $5.50. The dumb ass should be fired! Boring evening/nighttime ride, not much to see in the dark. read more

The views between Seattle and Vancouver BC were absolutely beautiful, at first. But the train was 1 hour and 20 mins late leaving and took an hour longer than it should have getting there. 10pm arrival turned into 1 am. At that point the drive would've saved us at least three hours. And since it was so late, the scenery was dark for most of it. You're taking your chances with this one. read more

if you want to get to Seattle/Portland on time, I suggest taking the bus. Amtrak is consistently late. it really does not make sense to me. it is not along journey,but they wait for every freight train which causes endless delays and all the conductor can do is getting over the intercom and apologize. As this lateness effects my plans and others. it's horrible and I will just take a bus or rent a car. read more

Well, I got a response from my first complaint sent on June 30th, 2024 today and I am even more angry with their customer service. The employee that I did compliment I take it back as he didn't do anything to help my mother off the train. This is ridiculous! All they say is sorry! No fix, no solution! Is it ok for the Amtrac employees to treat everyone like they are a big inconvenience and give less than a **** about anything? How critical is customer service? Really!!! Wow AMTRAC do better than this and if the employees don't like their jobs I am sure someone would be happy to take over. "Thank you for your comments. We appreciate the kind comments you made about one of our employees, and we hope that you will accept our sincere apologies for the behavior of our other employee. At Amtrak, we recognize that customer service is critical to the Corporation's success as a transportation carrier. We expect every Amtrak employee to treat our customers with courtesy and respect and to perform their duties professionally. Customer comments are important to us, as they allow us to commend those who deserve it and focus our efforts on improving service where needed. We have entered your praise comments and concerns into our customer database. You can rest assured that information has been shared with the responsible managers for review, as well as any commendations or necessary corrective action. Once again, thank you for contacting us. We look forward to serving your travel needs in the future. Sincerely, " Karen T. read more

One of reasons I have been able to travel with my family is my frequent flier account. I charge everything I can so I can get airline points. The drawback to this plan is having to deal with a single airline which means I am a slave to their schedules, blackout dates and availability. This year, we hit Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver. We needed to get back to Seattle for our "free" flight and my wife suggested the scenic Cascades train offered by Amtrak. It was cheap and offered comfortable seats and amazing views, although it was a 5.5 hour trip. My son stayed on the train heading all the way back to school in Eugene, OR. That was the full distance of this route. The snacks in the dining car were fine but nothing gourmet. You are really paying for the view since it travels close to the coast most of the time. On this trip, we did car, plane, monorail, taxi, Uber, sea plane, ferry, bus, bicycle and train. Cascades is a fun and interesting way to travel. read more

Amtrak Cascades - Vacation, yay! - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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They say seating is first-come, first-serve, but then they boarded groups of three or more first, which left my 7th-grade daughter 20 feet ahead of me, sitting with a strange man. Will not take Amtrak again. read more

Took the Amtrak Cascades from Seattle to Vancouver and back. They assign your seats at the station when you check in. We had four people, but wanted to all face forward. Not a problem. They were not running a baggage car so you can just store your luggage in an area on the lower level of the train and then go up to the primary seating area. Lots of room to stretch out (including great reclining chairs that do not affect the people behind you. Power plugs available, and the sightseeing car has good and drinks below (including beer and wine). If you are not in a hurry, this is the way to go. First hour or so out of Seattle is along the water. Just a fantastic view. Customs is at the Vancouver station and not a big deal. On the way back to Seattle, U.S. Customs boards the train at the border and collects the declaration forms (Vancouver station does a quick check that you are able to get back into the US). Taxi cabs right outside of the station all accept credit cards (do your money exchange by using an ATM in Downtown Vancouver to get the best rates). read more

I learned a lesson...don't do the train from Vancouver to Seattle at the end of vacation when you are tired because the train doesn't leave until 5:30 and arrives around 10pm at which point you have to wait 15 minutes to get your bags (they check them to a baggage car). Also depending on the time of year half of your trip could be in darkness. My biggest disappointment is that I read the reviews about no seat assignments and stood in line 2 hours prior to departure to make sure that we would get a good view seat on the right side of the train going South. We were only 4th in line but the seat he gave me (while on the right) had a huge barricade obstructing the window. We would have seen more if we had sat on the left side! I am not sure if you can request an unobstructed right side view or not. Something to consider... Also we got a sandwich from the dining car and it was pretty bad...old dried out bread. I think a few reviews I read said the food is good. I highly recommend to bring your own! Oh and they do confiscate personal alcohol on board. It didn't happen to me but we saw it happen to someone in front of us and they were mad that they had to then pay the high beer prices. I can't complain too much though because we got a triple A rate of $65 total for two people! read more

Amtrak Cascades - Obstruction - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This summer, my partner and I went to Portland. As we don't drive and flights would have been quite expensive, we took Amtrak. The trip down to Portland, while long, wasn't too bad, and it was fairly comfortable -- better than a plane, as the seats are quite roomy. However, the trip back was HORRIBLE. Apparently, the air conditioner wasn't working in a couple of the cars on the train, a known problem before people began boarding. Yet, they put all the people travelling from Portland to Vancouver, the longest leg of the trip, in those cars, reserving the air conditioned cars for people travelling shorter trips between Tacoma/Seattle/Vancouver. SERIOUSLY?! WHY?! There was no air circulation, and the cars were so hot and stuffy. I felt feverish, and my face was flushed. The staff just told us they knew about the problem and that there was nothing that they could do, and said because it was a sold out train, they couldn't move us to another car (even though they would be empty until Tacoma or Seattle). No water was offered. The air conditioner magically started working around Washington state, around five or six hours later. Hmm. In addition to the lack of being able to breathe, the train was delayed by over half an hour, and the car with the checked luggage was put on "backwards", at the end of the train instead of the front, and there were no luggage carts at the Vancouver train station, so that took the staff extra time to unload the luggage. And there were only four customs officers for nearly 200 people arriving in Vancouver. Yeah. Fun times. Based on the trip to Portland, I would have given Amtrak 3, or maybe even 4 stars, as it's a good alternative for non-drivers (cheaper than flying, more comfortable than taking a bus), but the trip back was just awful. In addition, it's really annoying how the only options for trips between Vancouver and Portland are to leave super early in the morning at 6am (which is too early to get to Pacific Central Station in Vancouver via skytrain) or to arrive super late, at 11pm. Having a mid day train (leaving between 8 and 10am and arriving between 6 and 9pm) would be great, but maybe there are legitimate reasons why these trips are not offered... One last thought: no WiFi is better than horrible WiFi that takes ten+ minutes to connect and keeps cutting out (and there's no WiFi available while in Canada). Why offer WiFi if it doesn't work?! [Yelp collections: West Coast 2018; Planes, Trains, and Automobiles] read more

1) Sightseeing. 2) Faster (by train or Thruway Bus) through the border. 3) Decent food (and drinks?) for train offerings. 4) Louise(?) was a great Bistro Lady on this trip. She's nice company at the bar section and gave me great service and tips on beginner drinks. I tried some cocktail (gimme the name of it if you know it! =P) that had Canadian whiskey and Sierra Mist. Good and subtly refreshing. Ding: The coach seats suck. The arm rest is too low and the chair backs are not ergonomically friendly for my back. I need a GOOD lower back arc... read more

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Took the Seattle to Vancouver train ( business class). It was a good trip but had I unexpected delays that was outside the the control of the train. I know some cruise ship passengers and passengers that were going to the airport may have missed it. Delayed about two hours. Besides that it was a nice scenic ride and the staff was great. Please don't blame the train they have no control of broken cargo trains and faulty signal happening. They gave future voucher and apologized profusely. I will not use the voucher as it was not their fault but are going to use the service again. read more

On my day trip to Vancouver BC, I took the train and there were all leather seats in car Awesome!! I'm pleasantly pleased with my seating arrangements on this CLEAN train. Amtrak should make all their seats leather and bright. This is not a super liner so their is no observation area. Dining car is regular. The dining staff placed all the condiments out neatly! The staff was in a great mood and made us all feel at home starting with check-ins. No rush and very patient at the counter. It felt like the polar express!! I'm very pleased with the phone call reservationist and in-person check-in. Union station is clean, small and undergoing an update for an art museum installation coming January 2019. Smooth sailing. BEST TRAIN TRIP yet on AMTRAK! read more

"Living in a haze, staying in the shade. All I do is sit around and wait for better days. I could use a break, can I get an amen? All I do is sit around and wait for better days" - Mae Muller. "phoo wah phoooooooooo waaaaa" - Amtrak Cascades horn. I am from the 206 and no longer have any family living there anymore but either way if I want to go from PDX to my hometown without losing a lot of money, this is the train to go. It's a great relief from all the trouble my ex causes me in the state of California. Normally this train goes to the 604 but I don't recommend spending so much time. It's very costly. However, if you are in between WA and OR this is the train to go. It's very quick and easy. A little better than the Coast Starlight which takes up a heft amount of money. I must declare the service onboard this train is very good. Got some nice stuff to eat. If you use Amtrak Guest Rewards, you get some very good points. read more

We decided to take this 8-hour train ride from Vancouver BC to Portland OR, because it was advertised to have: Food car + amazing views + WIFI There was no views, because of the weather. On a rainy day there was practically very low visibility of anything. Amtrak is not to blame of course, but there's also a quite high chance of rainy weather in Pacific Northwest. Wifi did not work, AT ALL. Not weak, not spotty... Completely dead. There goes, streaming plans, watching a movie, or get some work done. Cell phone reception is also low to non-existent most of the trip. Again, that's not Amtrak's fault. Food was the worst part. One sad car with a most miserable employee to cover line of 20-30 people any given time. Most of the food (from what I've seen, and tried) was a microwaved food in a paper bag. Looked and tasted like a wharf-bag. How can you make a grilled chess, or a hamburger in a microwave inside a paper bag? Ask Amrtrak's genius culinary staff, they'll show you. Do yourself a favor and bring your own food, and pay attention to customs regulations and restrictions. read more

Beautiful scenery along the way, but we experienced a lot of delays getting into Vancouver. Also the train itself needs a major update! The seats are very worn and the train did not seem all that clean. The Immigration process is very slow once you arrive Vancouver. They only allow passengers to depart one car at a time (business class first). Once your assigned car is allowed to detrain, the queue outside of the train to be processed through customs is very long and takes a while. Total time from Seattle to Vancouver took us close to 6 hours. Next time I travel from Seattle to Vancouver I will drive, fly or take a ferry. I'm one and done with this Amtrak Cascades experience! read more

BEWARE - the route from Seattle to Vancouver booked on the Amtrak site is a gross BUS not a train. The Cascades train line has not operated since the start of COVID and may not resume in 2022. The bus is horrible, cramped, old, no outlets, no WiFi. The worst bus I have been on since the 1980s. read more

When I decided to take a jaunt from Seattle to Portland, I looked into all the methods of getting between the cities. And I chose this line. My advance ticket was under $30 with taxes, etc. The train stations at either end were convenient. And I was looking forward to some scenery rather than interstate traffic. Yes there is some scenery with woods and mountains and other restful things to look at. But there's also a bunch of railyards and other city stuff that's not as cute. My bags were with me in my car, not in a separate baggage car. That seemed to be the case for everyone who got on the train in Seattle. The train car I was on was a bit rundown, with cracked seats and old curtains...that partially blocked the view. We were assigned seats by the station agent, and those of us who were traveling alone didn't have to share so that was nice. Would definitely take the train again. Departed and arrived on time. And was a super, easy and relaxing way to travel. read more

I took the train from Seattle to Vancouver, WA and believe that I experienced racism from one of the train's staff members. When I boarded the train, one of the conductors/staff members told me I could sit in ANY empty seat, but as the train got more crowded, he told me to get out of the window seat I was sitting in because a caucasian woman wanted to sit there. The seat was not a designated disability seat and there were still other seats around (just non-window ones). He then told me to move to a different seat that was clearly very dirty (crumbs, weird sticky looking stains on it). Even if it was not due to racism, the way the conductor treated me when confronting me was so demeaning and rude that I promised myself that I would not take the train again. I reached out to customer service about the incident via e-mail but did not hear a response back. While the incident may seem unimportant, whenever I think about it I feel very upset. read more

We were able to catch the "Seahawks" train out & was not overly impressed. The seats were very worn, highlight was seats facing each other. Leg room is stiff for 4 ppl & if you have a wide bottom you'll definitely need to lift up the arm rest. There's 1 charging port for 4 facing seats, which sucks. But, if you've got a good charger it'll work. We got into Portalnd from Seattle about 35 minutes early. read more

Amtrak Cascades - Public Transportation Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We booked a train from Everett Station to Vancouver, BC and it was awesome! I know the neighborhood in Everett is a bit rough but the station is really nice and clean. Cute little cafe inside was perfect for coffee and snacks while we waited. Train was on time, service was efficient and friendly. We booked economy and we had more room than flying economy. Ha! The train moves at a nice steady pace through all the cute little towns but then once we get to Bellingham it shifts over to the coast and the view is spectacular! We arrived at Vancouver, BC on time, picked up our luggage and went through customs. The Sky Train is right across the street from the Amtrak station and we rode the Sky Train all over the city during our stay. Coming back home to Everett we were delayed by a couple of freight trains but otherwise it was awesome! Comfortable seats, delicious sandwiches and great service. We'll take the train to Vancouver, BC again! read more

I was shocked to find that renting a car in Portland and dropping off in Seattle would cost $200 more than average. Taking into account the additional cost of gas, and the fact there would most definitely be infuriating traffic for the holiday weekend (Fourth of July), I decided to travel by AmTrak for the first time in the U.S. Book at least four weeks in advance of your trip for the best rates. I just missed out on the lowest, cheaper by $10, but it was still a good price for $45/person. There are also various discounts for military, seniors, students, etc. A lot of people recommend paying extra for business class, but I found the coach to be perfectly comfortable with just enough amenities for the four-hour ride. Wifi was especially impresssive; I was able to easily connect, and only lost connection two or three times in the obviously remote areas. I'm grateful I was forced off of my laptop, as this is one of those experiences that reminds you to just relax, look around, and appreciate the natural beauty. We went past fields, quaint houses, creeks, and my favorite part, around along the coastline of a lake (or sound? PNW newb). I loved looking at the colorful countryside and awesome bridges. We made good time: the train departed at precisely noon, and despite stopping a couple of times on the tracks in between cities, we came into Seattle 20 minutes ahead of schedule. If I ever have to make the trip between the two cities, or an even longer itinerary along PNW, I will happily take Amtrak again. Save yourself the grief of driving and treat yourself to the view. read more

Rode the Amtrak Cascades Train #505 today from Seattle to Portland. Hot mess. I'm literally hot in Car #7 as the AC is not working and the power outlets weren't working either. The Talgo maintenance person that was supposed to be on board called in sick today from what I'm hearing so staff were unable to fix this issue. I could tell the difference moving from one car to the other. The Seattle train station was quite disorganized with no public address announcements. The station agent did her best but with everyone crowding around her, it was difficult yo hear announcements. However, the scenery was amazing, there is an abundance of leg room and the train was close to on time. The Portland train station is right downtown so it's easily accessible to Max Light Rail and buses. A fair trip overall read more

Amtrak Cascades 517 Vancouver BC TO Seattle Washington to King STATION everything was great CS from Checking in at Customs to boarding the train. Requesting to sit with travel friend. Food excellent & reasonably priced. ARRIVING ON TIME. On Sat Jly 22, 2023. The return trip from King station Seattle Cascades 518 to Vancouver BC Jly 22 , 2023. Service was not as good. The good part was Janel in the cafe gave A+ CS for an excellent evening meal. We arrived in Vancouver after just over 4 hrs at 11:30 PM. When we arrived & were ready to disembark the staff gave no announcement why the delay. Then when he came no apology for the 11 min wait & made light of it that we would have to wait in line for customs. we got right in line & got through customs quickly. After a full day & long ride it was very disappointing to end with POOOR CS. When we boarded the train it was negative as he made no effort to help as we were attempting to find seats together with my travelling friend. on the 517 going to Seattle the service to help get our seats was good. The staff on 518 made a big deal of my going to the cafe about checking our tickets as we had missed our restaurant reservation because the cab reserved did not stop as we hailed it. It was a long walk in the heat & we were very hungry. He was very unhelpful & delayed me getting a meal. This trip 518 was below standard as the male staff made it more difficult read more