Arriving and Departing from Seattle—My Experience

I visit Seattle often because my daughter went to college there and moved back when the pandemic finally started to taper off (or so we thought in September). I decided to make a trip this month, and because visiting has been a consistently positive experience, I thought I’d share what a tourist might expect.

Like most airports, although not all certainly, the signage at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is very good making it easy to know which direction to head for your situation. I was headed to baggage claim with a watchful eye for a restroom. I chose the second restroom which was a bit more secluded for a quick stop. By the time I arrived in the baggage claim area, a quick check of the multiple boards let me know where I was to find my bag and low and behold it was arriving just in time with me. There are many airports that have a much slower bag delivery system so this was wonderful timing.

From there, I usually take the light rail into Seattle. There may be people that have apprehension about this, but the process is truly so easy and affordable. It is a brief walk from baggage claim to the boarding area, but I found it just fine and I have some knee and hip issues when I walk. There is also a shuttle at designated hours to take when you get to the top of the escalator and through the bridge walkway.

The cost of a one-way light rail ticket from the airport all the way up to the University of Washington is $3.25 for a 40-minute ride vs. a taxi, Lyft or Uber which can cost well over $50-75 for a 30-minute ride. The train is a delightful way to see the area during the daylight hours and it’s clearly announced and displayed which stop is next, so you won’t be wondering or confused.

I make this trip from the airport with my luggage. My last trip included two suitcases, a computer bag and a large backpack purse. I managed all of that easily by myself. There isn’t luggage storage, but it is manageable, and you won’t be the only doing it.

Hopefully this gives you a small peek into how easy it is to arrive and depart from Seattle on a very affordable budget.