Amtrak Cascades

Last Thursday, I told you a story about riding the Amtrak Cascades train from Seattle to Vancouver. Now some helpful information & more photos to complete the picture.

About the Route
The Amtrak Cascades route runs from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia. The whole route takes about 10.5 hours; the stretch I took a leisurely 3 hours, 45 minutes. The day I traveled, we cruised along at a good rate of speed, with few delays, a rather rare occurrence from what I understand from those who ride the route regularly. Two trains daily run from Seattle to Vancouver, four trains daily run from Portland to Seattle. If the train time aren’t convenient for you, check the schedule, as Amtrak also runs bus service a few times a day between Seattle & Vancouver.

Customs
U.S. citizens are required to have a passport to cross the U.S.-Canadian border.

If you are going northbound on the train, from the U.S. to Vancouver, you will clear immigration & customs once you get to the station in Vancouver. Be prepared for what could be a long wait, especially at off peak times.  My “welcome” to Canada was waiting in a 30 minute line, in rather chilly nighttime air, to be grilled by the border patrol agent on duty. She asked me more questions about the nature of my trip than I’ve ever been asked at a border crossing into any country before!

If you’re heading from Vancouver back into the U.S., plan on arriving at the train station plenty early, as you clear U.S. customs & immigration in Canada, prior to boarding the train.

A few people have asked me if there was any fanfare when we crossed the actual border on the train. No, there wasn’t. But it was also 11:00pm & dark out, so I might have missed the big, flashy “Welcome to Canada” sign.

Amenities
You already heard me gush last week about the superiority of this train route to the one I’m used to taking between DC & NYC. What I didn’t mention was an added bonus: quality, fast free WiFi on-board the train. It not only worked throughout the entire duration of our journey, but it was fast. You can connect your laptop, iPod, iPad, iPhone, ieverything & type away.

Or you can forget every electronic device sprawled around you, & just stare out the window. Which brings me to…

The View
The view was fantastic. Rocky coastline. Islands dotting the sound. Farmland. Wood chopping factories. Small towns lit up at night by the glow of neon over the neighborhood bar. Despite the fact that I was all WiFi connected & ready to work, I spent most of the journey with my camera in my lap, just enjoying the view.

Stop & think for a moment: when was the last time you totally unplugged & just enjoyed the view?

Also…
If you’re going to Canada, make sure you book your train ticket to Vancouver, British Columbia (VAC), not Vancouver, Washington (VAN). This lesson would be a hard one to learn.

And another thing…

At the station, they may assign you a seat, something else we’re not accustomed to on the east coast Amtrak. If you’re going northbound, ask for a window seat on the left side of the train; southbound, a window seat on the right. The conductor was more than happy to oblige & I think got a kick out of the fact I was so excited about the journey.

Lastly…
Try the local wine or local craft beer in the cafe car. It really will make your journey that much better!