I'm going on holiday to Seattle in July and I need some help...?

Question

I've got no idea about what I need, where I should stay or how much everything is going to cost.

I live in Glasgow, Scotland so I will most likely need to take from a flight from up here to London then from there to Philadelphia before arriving in Seattle.
What are the best airlines to use and what flight "class" would you recommend for the journey?

I'm meeting a friend of mine there, she lives in Port Angeles, so it's unlikely that we'll stay in Seattle for more than a few nights. What hotels would you recommend in Seattle and in Port Angeles?

All in all, my budget is probably just over £1000 and I'd want to stay for two weeks. I could probably increase this by £500 but I'm looking to make it as inexpensive as possible.

Aside from the new electronic form I need to fill out, are there any other requirements for a British citizen entering the US on holiday?

Cheers

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

I think you already got a good answer about travel to Seattle, but I'm not sure about the hotel advice. And you didn't get any Port Angeles advice, and since I live in Port Angeles I might be helpful on that count.

First, I don't think you'd want to stay in the Green Tortoise hostel or the Moore Hotel unless you're absolutely destitute (or very young and adventurous!). If you do want to stay in an older hotel downtown, I would check out the Mayflower (or the Sorrento on the hill above downtown). But to save money, I'd look into staying in a motel somewhere on the outskirts. The Holiday Inn near the airport is very reasonable, and there are many even cheaper motels (basic but do-able; think Motel 6) scattered throughout the outlying Seattle neighborhoods.

Port Angeles doesn't really have "hotels." All the lodging is motels and bed and breakfasts. (There are many of both of these, in Port Angeles itself and in nearby Sequim as well). The cheapest neat and clean accomodations are 1)The GreatHouse Motel (in Sequim, 15 miles from Port Angeles; a 10 minute drive or 20 minute bus ride) [phone]; 2) The Chinook Motel (in Port Angeles), [phone]; 3) Air Crest Motel (in Port Angeles), [phone]; 4) Sportsmen Motel (in Port Angeles) [phone]; 5) Traveler's Motel (in Port Angeles) [phone].

If you don't mind going possibly just a bit more expensive than the five I've listed above, the following have websites you can check out to get an idea of prices: Econolodge in Sequim (www.sequimeconolodge.com); Ramada Inn in Sequim (www. sequimramada.com); Port Angeles Inn in Port Angeles (www.portangelesinn.com).

Good luck and have a great time!

Answer 2

There are direct flights from London/Heathrow to Seattle, and I heartily recommend them. They take the north pole route, and it cuts the flight time down to about 10 hours. This flight is on BA.

Other flights from Europe to Seattle are direct from Amsterdam, Paris (CDG), Frankfurt and starting this summer Reykjavik Iceland. If you can get a decent rate from one of those cities, it may be worthwhile to fly there from Glasgow instead of to London.

You'll almost certainly want to fly coach class. The others are definitely more comfortable, but the cost gets a lot higher.

Does your budget include your airline ticket? Because if it does, that's not much. You'll need to stay in budget places (cheaper, but obviously not as nice). In Seattle you can look into the Green Tortoise hostel and the Moore Hotel. A bed in a shared room at the Green Tortoise is about $35 per night. A private room with shared bath at the Moore is about $80 per night. And that's about as cheap as you'll find in the Seattle area I think.

You'll have the new electronic form to fill out in advance. You'll need a passport. And on the airplane they'll give you another form to fill out before you arrive.