Travel to Seattle
Updated January 30, 2014
As in years past, we will have workshops and dancing scheduled until Sunday evening. We recommend that you plan your travel to not leave until Sunday evening or Monday morning if you can, to take advantage of the full suite of events.
Getting to Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is served by all major air carriers, many with direct or single-hop flights. SeaTac is also the home base for Alaska Airlines, which flies direct between Seattle and many IAGLCWDC member club cities. If you will be spending additional time in the Northwest beyond the hoedown, you may also want to check options for Portland (3 hours south), Bellingham (90 minutes north), and Vancouver (3 hours north, possibly a good option with a car rental for Canadian attendees).
Check out Kayak or Hipmunk for good online and smartphone options for comparative air travel shopping. There are many other online travel option compilers as well.
Amtrak may also be an option for your travel needs, with about a 4-hour trip from Portland or Vancouver and 23 hours from San Francisco.
Bolt Bus is a recent option between Seattle and both Portland and Vancouver, promising direct routes, more leg room, WiFi, and some great rates ($25 or less), with similar trip times to Amtrak.
Getting to the Hotel from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
- Link Light Rail costs $2.75 each way and is available directly from SeaTac Airport, leaving every 10-15 minutes and takes about 35 minutes. Exit at University Street Station, and the Renaissance is 5 blocks away.
- Bus service costs $3.00 each way, takes 50 minutes, and requires one transfer and a 6-block walk. See the Metro Trip Planner.
- Downtown Airporter costs $18 per person each way (with a $5 discount for round trips), leaves the airport every 30 minutes, and takes about 50 minutes but goes directly to the hotel.
- Taxi service costs around $40. Follow signs from baggage claim — and don’t forget to buckle up!
- Driving from the South: take exit 164A (Dearborn St.) off I-5, but stay on the exit ramp to the I-90 bypass. Take the Madison St./Convention Place exit, and turn left on Madison. The hotel is at Madison and 6th Ave.
- Driving from the North: take exit 165A (James St.) off I-5 and merge onto 6th Ave. Turn left on Cherry St., left on 7th Ave., and then left on Madison St. The hotel is at Madison and 6th Ave.
More transportation info (PDF)
Getting Around Seattle
Limited on-site parking is available at the Renaissance Hotel, but can be expensive. Affordable surface pay lots are located just a couple blocks away, on the other side of the freeway at 7th & Marion, and some nearby parking garages also have reasonable daytime rates. To check out available parking options and prices, visit http://seattle.bestparking.com (or download the Best Parking app for your smartphone). For the evening dances, street parking within a couple blocks from the hotel should be reasonably available.
Parking in downtown Seattle’s shopping district and on Capitol Hill can be a challenge on a good night. But consider using the bus system, carpooling, or taking a taxi! (Or even walk, if the weather is nice!) Most locations you want to go to are only a few dollars ride away from each other.
For bus information in Seattle and King County, visit the Metro Transit website.