3 week holiday in NW US - advice please..

On 19 Feb, 19:10, "Graham Harrison"
wrote:
wrote in message

...
hi

I am thinking of going to NW for 3 weeks this summer. Will probably
stay beginning & end period with relative (WA, nr Portland OR).

So I'm thinking of flying direct to Seattle & taking short flight to
Portland (and visa versa on return). This is the shortest, most direct
route I can find (don't really want to mess about changing).

I have only done one long(ish) haul flight as adult - budget Barbados,
7-8 hrs grim, cramped flight (I'm 6"1.5").

Firstly, how much different would economy be on a BA/Virgin 747 flight
(compared to cramped, non-747 flight to Barbados) ? Similar or
better ?

A return economy (Seattle) would be around £600, but almost double for
premium-eco. Would it be worth paying the difference ?

Secondly, what could realistically do in 10 days or so, on West
coast ? Could I take in most of the important stuff (I'm more into
natural world than cities etc.) in this time frame ? Probably a mix of
flying & driving (or possibly coach/rail ?) ...

I was vaguely planning on a kind of loop which would somehow get me
back to my uncle's a few days before flying home ...

Maybe an alternative would be outward to NW, and back from further
south e.g. LA ? Would this be more expensive / more hassle ?

thanks

swayzak

You can fly to one city and return from another for half one fare and half
the other - no penalties. * Therefore, flying to Seattle and back from San
Francisco, for instance is perfectly feasible. * Not only that, but you can
combine premium economy one way with ordinary the other (I'd use PE for the
flight from the US back to London). * I've given up on regular economy. * I
save my pennies up and go premium economy every time. * I'm about the same
height as you. * I might manage London/Boston in economy but that's it.

Some years ago, my wife had an aunt who lived on the San Francisco
peninsular. * We flew into Seattle and went via Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens,
Portland, out to the coast at Tilamook, down through Newport (good aquarium
and nice restruarant down by the old fish dock) and Coos Bay, Crater Lake,
Klamath Falls (day trip to Lava Beds and the Nature Reserve), Redding,
Lassen, Chico, Santa Rosa (Snoopy!) and across the Golden Gate. * Had the
same car for all three weeks. * The one way fee (from memory) was USD250..
The trip took 10 days and we spent 10 more with the aunt. * Absolutely great
holiday. * The hard part was deciding where not to go. * I was tempted by
the area round Bend, I still regret not going to Olympic NP and the Northern
California Coast also beckons for a trip one day.

If you do end in San Francisco you don't need the car in the city (we were
staying down the peninsular). * San Francisco has good public transport
(google for Muni and BART) although the locals complain about it quite as
much as we do about our public transport! * Don't miss Alcatraz - book
before you leave the UK.

Great info again (everyone).

So many options - bit difficult to decide tbh !

Am quite tempted by the bmi/UA flights - 49" seat pitch is pretty
awesome for that price (even if it is only for 1/2 to 2/3 of the
journey). However, I'm not sure whether the UA Chicago-Seattle link is
also prem-eco ... have emailed to clarify.

Also this will take a bit longer than direct BA Seattle flight (and if
I go 30th June rather than 1st July, I can get this for £972 rather
than £1150). But this is only 38" pitch ...

So maybe I should rent car for 3 weeks from Seattle (although flights
don't get in until at least 17.00) and return to base.

But my uncle's got a car so this would be a bit of a waste of money -
maybe rent one-way for drive to Portland. Then when I want to go off
exploring, rent from Portland ... hmm but would they let me return car
to Seattle ?

My uncle knows the local stuff so I may do that early in the trip

wrote in message
...
On 19 Feb, 19:10, "Graham Harrison"
wrote:
wrote in message

...
hi

I am thinking of going to NW for 3 weeks this summer. Will probably
stay beginning & end period with relative (WA, nr Portland OR).

So I'm thinking of flying direct to Seattle & taking short flight to
Portland (and visa versa on return). This is the shortest, most direct
route I can find (don't really want to mess about changing).

I have only done one long(ish) haul flight as adult - budget Barbados,
7-8 hrs grim, cramped flight (I'm 6"1.5").

Firstly, how much different would economy be on a BA/Virgin 747 flight
(compared to cramped, non-747 flight to Barbados) ? Similar or
better ?

A return economy (Seattle) would be around £600, but almost double for
premium-eco. Would it be worth paying the difference ?

Secondly, what could realistically do in 10 days or so, on West
coast ? Could I take in most of the important stuff (I'm more into
natural world than cities etc.) in this time frame ? Probably a mix of
flying & driving (or possibly coach/rail ?) ...

I was vaguely planning on a kind of loop which would somehow get me
back to my uncle's a few days before flying home ...

Maybe an alternative would be outward to NW, and back from further
south e.g. LA ? Would this be more expensive / more hassle ?

thanks

swayzak

You can fly to one city and return from another for half one fare and half
the other - no penalties. Therefore, flying to Seattle and back from San
Francisco, for instance is perfectly feasible. Not only that, but you can
combine premium economy one way with ordinary the other (I'd use PE for
the
flight from the US back to London). I've given up on regular economy. I
save my pennies up and go premium economy every time. I'm about the same
height as you. I might manage London/Boston in economy but that's it.

Some years ago, my wife had an aunt who lived on the San Francisco
peninsular. We flew into Seattle and went via Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens,
Portland, out to the coast at Tilamook, down through Newport (good
aquarium
and nice restruarant down by the old fish dock) and Coos Bay, Crater Lake,
Klamath Falls (day trip to Lava Beds and the Nature Reserve), Redding,
Lassen, Chico, Santa Rosa (Snoopy!) and across the Golden Gate. Had the
same car for all three weeks. The one way fee (from memory) was USD250.
The trip took 10 days and we spent 10 more with the aunt. Absolutely great
holiday. The hard part was deciding where not to go. I was tempted by
the area round Bend, I still regret not going to Olympic NP and the
Northern
California Coast also beckons for a trip one day.

If you do end in San Francisco you don't need the car in the city (we were
staying down the peninsular). San Francisco has good public transport
(google for Muni and BART) although the locals complain about it quite as
much as we do about our public transport! Don't miss Alcatraz - book
before you leave the UK.

Great info again (everyone).

So many options - bit difficult to decide tbh !

Am quite tempted by the bmi/UA flights - 49" seat pitch is pretty
awesome for that price (even if it is only for 1/2 to 2/3 of the
journey). However, I'm not sure whether the UA Chicago-Seattle link is
also prem-eco ... have emailed to clarify.

Also this will take a bit longer than direct BA Seattle flight (and if
I go 30th June rather than 1st July, I can get this for £972 rather
than £1150). But this is only 38" pitch ...

So maybe I should rent car for 3 weeks from Seattle (although flights
don't get in until at least 17.00) and return to base.

But my uncle's got a car so this would be a bit of a waste of money -
maybe rent one-way for drive to Portland. Then when I want to go off
exploring, rent from Portland ... hmm but would they let me return car
to Seattle ?

My uncle knows the local stuff so I may do that early in the trip

There are plenty of hotels in the immediate area of Seattle Airport. If
you've never driven in the US before then don't even think of hiring the car
immediately. Get into one of those hotels - they all run shuttle buses.
Sleep off the jet lag then pick up the car next day. I have a friend who
went to Orlando on his first long haul; got off the plane, picked up the car
and spent 2 hours doing a 15 minute drive. I'm used to it now but I always
limit my driving to no more than about 10/15 miles when straight off the
plane.

One way hire is an accepted methodology in the US. That's not to say all
the companies do it but most of the well known ones do. Yes, rent a car at
Seattle and drop it in Portland, use your uncle and then rent another for
touring to wherever. In fact, you may be able to turn this to your
advantage. Hiring a car at an airport can get quite expensive because they
add various fees related to the airport. So, hire at Seattle but only for
a day or two to drive to Portland and you'll limit those fees. I also
suspect you'll find the one way fee will be small or even zero between
Seattle and Portland. Pick the 2nd car up at a depot away from the airport
in Portland and you should find that (compared with Portland Airport) it's
slightly cheaper. But I have no idea whether it's going to be cheaper over
all you need to do some research. There are a number of variables - I was
amazed the difference in cost between hiring at JFK and Newark airports in
the New York area, partly to do with local taxes in different states (and
even different counties of states) and partly to do with insurance
requirements at the time in New York state.

"Graham Harrison" wrote in
message ...

wrote in message
...
On 19 Feb, 19:10, "Graham Harrison"
wrote:
wrote in message

...
hi

I am thinking of going to NW for 3 weeks this summer. Will probably
stay beginning & end period with relative (WA, nr Portland OR).

So I'm thinking of flying direct to Seattle & taking short flight to
Portland (and visa versa on return). This is the shortest, most direct
route I can find (don't really want to mess about changing).

I have only done one long(ish) haul flight as adult - budget Barbados,
7-8 hrs grim, cramped flight (I'm 6"1.5").

Firstly, how much different would economy be on a BA/Virgin 747 flight
(compared to cramped, non-747 flight to Barbados) ? Similar or
better ?

A return economy (Seattle) would be around £600, but almost double for
premium-eco. Would it be worth paying the difference ?

Secondly, what could realistically do in 10 days or so, on West
coast ? Could I take in most of the important stuff (I'm more into
natural world than cities etc.) in this time frame ? Probably a mix of
flying & driving (or possibly coach/rail ?) ...

I was vaguely planning on a kind of loop which would somehow get me
back to my uncle's a few days before flying home ...

Maybe an alternative would be outward to NW, and back from further
south e.g. LA ? Would this be more expensive / more hassle ?

thanks

swayzak

You can fly to one city and return from another for half one fare and
half
the other - no penalties. Therefore, flying to Seattle and back from San
Francisco, for instance is perfectly feasible. Not only that, but you can
combine premium economy one way with ordinary the other (I'd use PE for
the
flight from the US back to London). I've given up on regular economy. I
save my pennies up and go premium economy every time. I'm about the same
height as you. I might manage London/Boston in economy but that's it.

Some years ago, my wife had an aunt who lived on the San Francisco
peninsular. We flew into Seattle and went via Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens,
Portland, out to the coast at Tilamook, down through Newport (good
aquarium
and nice restruarant down by the old fish dock) and Coos Bay, Crater
Lake,
Klamath Falls (day trip to Lava Beds and the Nature Reserve), Redding,
Lassen, Chico, Santa Rosa (Snoopy!) and across the Golden Gate. Had the
same car for all three weeks. The one way fee (from memory) was USD250.
The trip took 10 days and we spent 10 more with the aunt. Absolutely
great
holiday. The hard part was deciding where not to go. I was tempted by
the area round Bend, I still regret not going to Olympic NP and the
Northern
California Coast also beckons for a trip one day.

If you do end in San Francisco you don't need the car in the city (we
were
staying down the peninsular). San Francisco has good public transport
(google for Muni and BART) although the locals complain about it quite as
much as we do about our public transport! Don't miss Alcatraz - book
before you leave the UK.

Great info again (everyone).

So many options - bit difficult to decide tbh !

Am quite tempted by the bmi/UA flights - 49" seat pitch is pretty
awesome for that price (even if it is only for 1/2 to 2/3 of the
journey). However, I'm not sure whether the UA Chicago-Seattle link is
also prem-eco ... have emailed to clarify.

Also this will take a bit longer than direct BA Seattle flight (and if
I go 30th June rather than 1st July, I can get this for £972 rather
than £1150). But this is only 38" pitch ...

So maybe I should rent car for 3 weeks from Seattle (although flights
don't get in until at least 17.00) and return to base.

But my uncle's got a car so this would be a bit of a waste of money -
maybe rent one-way for drive to Portland. Then when I want to go off
exploring, rent from Portland ... hmm but would they let me return car
to Seattle ?

My uncle knows the local stuff so I may do that early in the trip

There are plenty of hotels in the immediate area of Seattle Airport. If
you've never driven in the US before then don't even think of hiring the
car immediately. Get into one of those hotels - they all run shuttle
buses. Sleep off the jet lag then pick up the car next day. I have a
friend who went to Orlando on his first long haul; got off the plane,
picked up the car and spent 2 hours doing a 15 minute drive. I'm used to
it now but I always limit my driving to no more than about 10/15 miles
when straight off the plane.

One way hire is an accepted methodology in the US. That's not to say
all the companies do it but most of the well known ones do. Yes, rent a
car at Seattle and drop it in Portland, use your uncle and then rent
another for touring to wherever. In fact, you may be able to turn this
to your advantage. Hiring a car at an airport can get quite expensive
because they add various fees related to the airport. So, hire at
Seattle but only for a day or two to drive to Portland and you'll limit
those fees. I also suspect you'll find the one way fee will be small or
even zero between Seattle and Portland. Pick the 2nd car up at a depot
away from the airport in Portland and you should find that (compared with
Portland Airport) it's slightly cheaper. But I have no idea whether it's
going to be cheaper over all you need to do some research. There are a
number of variables - I was amazed the difference in cost between hiring
at JFK and Newark airports in the New York area, partly to do with local
taxes in different states (and even different counties of states) and
partly to do with insurance requirements at the time in New York state.


And, you might want to read this
http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/driverguide.pdf Each state has its'
own.

On 2/19/08 4:05 AM, in article
,
"
wrote:

On 19 Feb, 11:47, george wrote:
On Feb 19, 11:47 am, wrote:



hi

I am thinking of going to NW for 3 weeks this summer. Will probably
stay beginning & end period with relative (WA, nr Portland OR).

So I'm thinking of flying direct to Seattle & taking short flight to
Portland (and visa versa on return). This is the shortest, most direct
route I can find (don't really want to mess about changing).

I have only done one long(ish) haul flight as adult - budget Barbados,
7-8 hrs grim, cramped flight (I'm 6"1.5").

Firstly, how much different would economy be on a BA/Virgin 747 flight
(compared to cramped, non-747 flight to Barbados) ? Similar or
better ?

A return economy (Seattle) would be around £600, but almost double for
premium-eco. Would it be worth paying the difference ?

Secondly, what could realistically do in 10 days or so, on West
coast ? Could I take in most of the important stuff (I'm more into
natural world than cities etc.) in this time frame ? Probably a mix of
flying & driving (or possibly coach/rail ?) ...

I was vaguely planning on a kind of loop which would somehow get me
back to my uncle's a few days before flying home ...

Maybe an alternative would be outward to NW, and back from further
south e.g. LA ? Would this be more expensive / more hassle ?

thanks

swayzak

For outdoor NW, Olympic National Park and its rain forest, Mt. Ranier
NP, Mt. St. Helens, and the San Juan Islands all in Washington would
be nice. For Oregon, many people like the coast, Mt. Hood, and Crater
Lake NP. For northern California, Redwoods NP and Mt. Lassen Volcanic
NP, and my favorite California place Lava Beds National Monument.
That's more than 10 days already, or you could just concentrate in a
fewer number of places. Look into the places I've named and see what
they have to offer you. I enjoy them all.

As I'm taller than you, I know how cramped an airplane can be. Try to
get an emergency exit row. You could break up your flight into two
more equal lengths if you stopped somewhere in the eastern or
midwestern US and made a connection from there to fly on to Portland.

George

Thanks

Is this itinary via road or any shorthaul flights involved ?

As for my flight dilemma, I'm weighing up pros & cons of getting it
over as quick as possible (I hate faffing about with stopover /
changing) ... best is direct 9 1/2 hr BA to Seattle, then short 45min
local flight to Portland. But economy is £600ish and prem-eco about
£1200 !!

Trying to justify the extra expense with the accomodation saving of
staying with my uncle for some of the trip !

The places mentioned to you are all very worthwhile visiting, but you need a
car to see them. The time you are coming can make a difference too, as the
coast has heavy fogs at certain times of the year.

--
Martha T2 Canada
1500mg. Metformin, 4mg. Avandia

wrote in message
...
hi

I am thinking of going to NW for 3 weeks this summer. Will probably
stay beginning & end period with relative (WA, nr Portland OR).

So I'm thinking of flying direct to Seattle & taking short flight to
Portland (and visa versa on return). This is the shortest, most direct
route I can find (don't really want to mess about changing).

I have only done one long(ish) haul flight as adult - budget Barbados,
7-8 hrs grim, cramped flight (I'm 6"1.5").

Firstly, how much different would economy be on a BA/Virgin 747 flight
(compared to cramped, non-747 flight to Barbados) ? Similar or
better ?

A return economy (Seattle) would be around £600, but almost double for
premium-eco. Would it be worth paying the difference ?

Secondly, what could realistically do in 10 days or so, on West
coast ? Could I take in most of the important stuff (I'm more into
natural world than cities etc.) in this time frame ? Probably a mix of
flying & driving (or possibly coach/rail ?) ...

I was vaguely planning on a kind of loop which would somehow get me
back to my uncle's a few days before flying home ...

Maybe an alternative would be outward to NW, and back from further
south e.g. LA ? Would this be more expensive / more hassle ?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Anybody know how I can get back my indenting 's for the replied to
message?)

Anyway lots of good responses. I'd think twice about driving for 3 hours --
on the wrong side of the road -- after a long flight, even flying west. The
drive down Interstate-5 from the Seattle airport to Portland is not
particularly scenic. Some views of Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens, clouds
permitting.

Best time of the year for reliable weather is late July and August, followed
by September. This is important for the best views of the mountains. Summer
weather in the Pacific Northwest is similar to southern England but less
humid than I've found it in London.

With only 2 weeks I'd rule out California. With 3 weeks you can do some of
northern California. But the fast route down I-5 is less scenic than the
slower coast route.

As an alternative to California, have you thought of British Columbia?
Vancouver and Victoria and/or points in between?

In general I think the natural setting is the thing to see in this area.
Both Seattle and Vancouver have superb locations on/between water and with
mountain views. Outside the cities, visiting the mountains, the ocean, and
the islands are the highlights.

Marianne, in Seattle

On Feb 19, 7:11*pm, wrote:
On 19 Feb, 17:03, george wrote:





On Feb 19, 1:05 pm, wrote:

On 19 Feb, 11:47, george wrote:

On Feb 19, 11:47 am, wrote:

hi

I am thinking of going to NW for 3 weeks this summer. Will probably
stay beginning & end period with relative (WA, nr Portland OR).

So I'm thinking of flying direct to Seattle & taking short flight to
Portland (and visa versa on return). This is the shortest, most direct
route I can find (don't really want to mess about changing).

I have only done one long(ish) haul flight as adult - budget Barbados,
7-8 hrs grim, cramped flight (I'm 6"1.5").

Firstly, how much different would economy be on a BA/Virgin 747 flight
(compared to cramped, non-747 flight to Barbados) ? Similar or
better ?

A return economy (Seattle) would be around £600, but almost double for
premium-eco. Would it be worth paying the difference ?

Secondly, what could realistically do in 10 days or so, on West
coast ? Could I take in most of the important stuff (I'm more into
natural world than cities etc.) in this time frame ? Probably a mix of
flying & driving (or possibly coach/rail ?) ...

I was vaguely planning on a kind of loop which would somehow get me
back to my uncle's a few days before flying home ...

Maybe an alternative would be outward to NW, and back from further
south e.g. LA ? Would this be more expensive / more hassle ?

thanks

swayzak

For outdoor NW, Olympic National Park and its rain forest, Mt. Ranier
NP, Mt. St. Helens, and the San Juan Islands all in Washington would
be nice. *For Oregon, many people like the coast, Mt. Hood, and Crater
Lake NP. *For northern California, Redwoods NP and Mt. Lassen Volcanic
NP, and my favorite California place Lava Beds National Monument.
That's more than 10 days already, or you could just concentrate in a
fewer number of places. *Look into the places I've named and see what
they have to offer you. *I enjoy them all.

As I'm taller than you, I know how cramped an airplane can be. *Try to
get an emergency exit row. *You could break up your flight into two
more equal lengths if you stopped somewhere in the eastern or
midwestern US and made a connection from there to fly on to Portland..

George

Thanks

Is this itinary via road or any shorthaul flights involved ?

As for my flight dilemma, I'm weighing up pros & cons of getting it
over as quick as possible (I hate faffing about with stopover /
changing) ... best is direct 9 1/2 hr BA to Seattle, then short 45min
local flight to Portland. But economy is £600ish and prem-eco about
£1200 !!

Trying to justify the extra expense with the accomodation saving of
staying with my uncle for some of the trip !- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It's really not an itinerary but a suggestion of some of the best
sights in western Washington, western Oregon, and nothern California,
and all done by driving (or ferry in the case of the San Juan
Islands).

Where the stopover is really makes no difference, whether it is
Seattle or elsewhere, as you will still have to deal with the same
things. *I do like the non-stop flights to the west coast of the US as
I love the scenery out the plane window (especially the middle of
Greenland) which you usually don't get if you land in the eastern or
central US. *Also, at Seattle it may be possible to have some good
salmon in a restaurant at the airport.

You could also just rent your car in Seattle, visit some of the sights
in Washington state, before heading to *Portland for your visit, then
drive around Oregon and Northern California, and pick up some more
sights in Washington heading back to the airport in Seattle. *This
would save you the money on the Seattle-Portland flights.

George

thanks again

That's a good idea about driving down from Seattle (I could do it OK,
my uncle is in his 70s so I didn't want him to drive that distance.

Would like to take some of the sights in with him, so may drive
straight to Portland to spend the first few days there - presumably
it's a scenic drive ?).- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The short quick way is all freeway, I-5. Depending on the weather, if
it is nice you will certainly see Mt. Ranier from a distance looming
like an iceberg, and also Mt. St. Helens. However, I would
immediately visit either Olympic NP (and possibly San Juan Islands)
going to Portland or Mt. Ranier and Mt. St. Helens going to Portland
to Seattle and pick up the others on the way back. Mt. St. Helens,
Mt. Ranier, the Columbia River Gorge, and Mt. Hood and parts of the
Oregon coast can be easily done as day trips from Portland if desired.
(Mt. Ranier is particularly nice if you can catch it when the setting
sun turns it bright pink!!!!)

Others have suggested a one way drive heading south to California.
Basically, there is nothing wrong with this, however, you will be hit
with one way drop off charges that can be hefty, and there's more than
enough to see without doing this.

I'm not certain how entry to Canada would work out for you, but the
ferry trip through the San Juan Islands to Vancouver Island, Canada is
nice. However, one of the reasons to visit there is Victoria, for its
Englishness, which wouldn't probably appeal to you. You then can
return to Port Angeles in Washington for nearby Olympic NP.

Whatever you decide to do, you can hardly go wrong. There's
magnificent outdoor scenery everywhere!!!!

George

On 19 Feb, 22:09, "Mimi" wrote:
wrote in message

...
hi

I am thinking of going to NW for 3 weeks this summer. Will probably
stay beginning & end period with relative (WA, nr Portland OR).

So I'm thinking of flying direct to Seattle & taking short flight to
Portland (and visa versa on return). This is the shortest, most direct
route I can find (don't really want to mess about changing).

I have only done one long(ish) haul flight as adult - budget Barbados,
7-8 hrs grim, cramped flight (I'm 6"1.5").

Firstly, how much different would economy be on a BA/Virgin 747 flight
(compared to cramped, non-747 flight to Barbados) ? Similar or
better ?

A return economy (Seattle) would be around £600, but almost double for
premium-eco. Would it be worth paying the difference ?

Secondly, what could realistically do in 10 days or so, on West
coast ? Could I take in most of the important stuff (I'm more into
natural world than cities etc.) in this time frame ? Probably a mix of
flying & driving (or possibly coach/rail ?) ...

I was vaguely planning on a kind of loop which would somehow get me
back to my uncle's a few days before flying home ...

Maybe an alternative would be outward to NW, and back from further
south e.g. LA ? Would this be more expensive / more hassle ?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Anybody know how I can get back my indenting 's for the replied to
message?)

Anyway lots of good responses. I'd think twice about driving for 3 hours --
on the wrong side of the road -- after a long flight, even flying west. The
drive down Interstate-5 from the Seattle airport to Portland is not
particularly scenic. Some views of Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens, clouds
permitting.

Best time of the year for reliable weather is late July and August, followed
by September. This is important for the best views of the mountains. Summer
weather in the Pacific Northwest is similar to southern England but less
humid than I've found it in London.

With only 2 weeks I'd rule out California. With 3 weeks you can do some of
northern California. But the fast route down I-5 is less scenic than the
slower coast route.

As an alternative to California, have you thought of British Columbia?
Vancouver and Victoria and/or points in between?

In general I think the natural setting is the thing to see in this area.
Both Seattle and Vancouver have superb locations on/between water and with
mountain views. Outside the cities, visiting the mountains, the ocean, and
the islands are the highlights.

Marianne, in Seattle

thanks again (everyone)

Late july - august for best weather ? That's a shame as it rather
bumps up the flight cost (BA PE goes from £972 for outward 30th June
to £1202 for 28th July !!)

"Graham Harrison" wrote in
message ...

"Graham Harrison" wrote
in message ...

wrote in message
...
On 19 Feb, 19:10, "Graham Harrison"
wrote:
wrote in message

...
hi

I am thinking of going to NW for 3 weeks this summer. Will probably
stay beginning & end period with relative (WA, nr Portland OR).

So I'm thinking of flying direct to Seattle & taking short flight to
Portland (and visa versa on return). This is the shortest, most direct
route I can find (don't really want to mess about changing).

I have only done one long(ish) haul flight as adult - budget Barbados,
7-8 hrs grim, cramped flight (I'm 6"1.5").

Firstly, how much different would economy be on a BA/Virgin 747 flight
(compared to cramped, non-747 flight to Barbados) ? Similar or
better ?

A return economy (Seattle) would be around £600, but almost double for
premium-eco. Would it be worth paying the difference ?

Secondly, what could realistically do in 10 days or so, on West
coast ? Could I take in most of the important stuff (I'm more into
natural world than cities etc.) in this time frame ? Probably a mix of
flying & driving (or possibly coach/rail ?) ...

I was vaguely planning on a kind of loop which would somehow get me
back to my uncle's a few days before flying home ...

Maybe an alternative would be outward to NW, and back from further
south e.g. LA ? Would this be more expensive / more hassle ?

thanks

swayzak

You can fly to one city and return from another for half one fare and
half
the other - no penalties. Therefore, flying to Seattle and back from San
Francisco, for instance is perfectly feasible. Not only that, but you
can
combine premium economy one way with ordinary the other (I'd use PE for
the
flight from the US back to London). I've given up on regular economy. I
save my pennies up and go premium economy every time. I'm about the same
height as you. I might manage London/Boston in economy but that's it.

Some years ago, my wife had an aunt who lived on the San Francisco
peninsular. We flew into Seattle and went via Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens,
Portland, out to the coast at Tilamook, down through Newport (good
aquarium
and nice restruarant down by the old fish dock) and Coos Bay, Crater
Lake,
Klamath Falls (day trip to Lava Beds and the Nature Reserve), Redding,
Lassen, Chico, Santa Rosa (Snoopy!) and across the Golden Gate. Had the
same car for all three weeks. The one way fee (from memory) was USD250.
The trip took 10 days and we spent 10 more with the aunt. Absolutely
great
holiday. The hard part was deciding where not to go. I was tempted by
the area round Bend, I still regret not going to Olympic NP and the
Northern
California Coast also beckons for a trip one day.

If you do end in San Francisco you don't need the car in the city (we
were
staying down the peninsular). San Francisco has good public transport
(google for Muni and BART) although the locals complain about it quite
as
much as we do about our public transport! Don't miss Alcatraz - book
before you leave the UK.

Great info again (everyone).

So many options - bit difficult to decide tbh !

Am quite tempted by the bmi/UA flights - 49" seat pitch is pretty
awesome for that price (even if it is only for 1/2 to 2/3 of the
journey). However, I'm not sure whether the UA Chicago-Seattle link is
also prem-eco ... have emailed to clarify.

Also this will take a bit longer than direct BA Seattle flight (and if
I go 30th June rather than 1st July, I can get this for £972 rather
than £1150). But this is only 38" pitch ...

So maybe I should rent car for 3 weeks from Seattle (although flights
don't get in until at least 17.00) and return to base.

But my uncle's got a car so this would be a bit of a waste of money -
maybe rent one-way for drive to Portland. Then when I want to go off
exploring, rent from Portland ... hmm but would they let me return car
to Seattle ?

My uncle knows the local stuff so I may do that early in the trip

There are plenty of hotels in the immediate area of Seattle Airport. If
you've never driven in the US before then don't even think of hiring the
car immediately. Get into one of those hotels - they all run shuttle
buses. Sleep off the jet lag then pick up the car next day. I have a
friend who went to Orlando on his first long haul; got off the plane,
picked up the car and spent 2 hours doing a 15 minute drive. I'm used
to it now but I always limit my driving to no more than about 10/15 miles
when straight off the plane.

One way hire is an accepted methodology in the US. That's not to say
all the companies do it but most of the well known ones do. Yes, rent a
car at Seattle and drop it in Portland, use your uncle and then rent
another for touring to wherever. In fact, you may be able to turn this
to your advantage. Hiring a car at an airport can get quite expensive
because they add various fees related to the airport. So, hire at
Seattle but only for a day or two to drive to Portland and you'll limit
those fees. I also suspect you'll find the one way fee will be small or
even zero between Seattle and Portland. Pick the 2nd car up at a depot
away from the airport in Portland and you should find that (compared with
Portland Airport) it's slightly cheaper. But I have no idea whether
it's going to be cheaper over all you need to do some research. There
are a number of variables - I was amazed the difference in cost between
hiring at JFK and Newark airports in the New York area, partly to do with
local taxes in different states (and even different counties of states)
and partly to do with insurance requirements at the time in New York
state.


And, you might want to read this
http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/driverguide.pdf Each state has its'
own.


"Mimi"s idea of Canada is good. I'd rather got caught up with everyone
else in the US. The year after our Seattle/San Francisco trip we flew back
to Seattle and went over the border to Vancouver then Jasper, Banff,
Revelstoke, Kaslo, into the US at Bonners Ferry and then to Spokane before
hopping a plane to San Francisco (again). I seem to remember that the one
way fee that time was USD50.

In your case, if your relative agrees, you could fly to Seattle, hire a car
for a couple of days to drive to Portland. Now borrow the local car and go
north doing a loop into Canada and bcak to Portland then hire a car again
for a quick trip back to Seattle.

It's 10 years since we did this trip and one thing that has changed is the
border crossing. The impression I get is that the major crossings north of
Seattle can get VERY congested. But starting from Portland you could cut
North East. The crossing we used coming back into Northern Idaho was very
quiet - we hit it in the late afternoon and cruised through. I suspect it
won't have changed much.

Back on the subject of the flights I'd caution against changing planes at a
US point. Leaving aside the time you need to allow for immigration,
customs, rechecking baggage, going through security and finding your way
around a big US airport (you think Heathrow is big?) the flight
Manchester/Chicago is about 8 hours and the flight on to Seattle another 3.
Add a minimum of 90 minutes for the change (and I think that's not enough, I
would allow at least 2 hours and probably even more) and your journey time
is 12/13 hours against 9 hours non stop from London. Not only that but the
Chicago/Seattle flight will be on a US domestic cattle truck -if your flight
to Barbados was bad you ain't seen nothing yet.

Go non-stop!

On 20 Feb, 09:32, "Graham Harrison"
wrote:
"Graham Harrison" wrote in
m...





"Graham Harrison" wrote
in m...

wrote in message
....
On 19 Feb, 19:10, "Graham Harrison"
wrote:
wrote in message

....
hi

I am thinking of going to NW for 3 weeks this summer. Will probably
stay beginning & end period with relative (WA, nr Portland OR).

So I'm thinking of flying direct to Seattle & taking short flight to
Portland (and visa versa on return). This is the shortest, most direct
route I can find (don't really want to mess about changing).

I have only done one long(ish) haul flight as adult - budget Barbados,
7-8 hrs grim, cramped flight (I'm 6"1.5").

Firstly, how much different would economy be on a BA/Virgin 747 flight
(compared to cramped, non-747 flight to Barbados) ? Similar or
better ?

A return economy (Seattle) would be around £600, but almost double for
premium-eco. Would it be worth paying the difference ?

Secondly, what could realistically do in 10 days or so, on West
coast ? Could I take in most of the important stuff (I'm more into
natural world than cities etc.) in this time frame ? Probably a mix of
flying & driving (or possibly coach/rail ?) ...

I was vaguely planning on a kind of loop which would somehow get me
back to my uncle's a few days before flying home ...

Maybe an alternative would be outward to NW, and back from further
south e.g. LA ? Would this be more expensive / more hassle ?

thanks

swayzak

You can fly to one city and return from another for half one fare and
half
the other - no penalties. Therefore, flying to Seattle and back from San
Francisco, for instance is perfectly feasible. Not only that, but you
can
combine premium economy one way with ordinary the other (I'd use PE for
the
flight from the US back to London). I've given up on regular economy. I
save my pennies up and go premium economy every time. I'm about the same
height as you. I might manage London/Boston in economy but that's it.

Some years ago, my wife had an aunt who lived on the San Francisco
peninsular. We flew into Seattle and went via Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens,
Portland, out to the coast at Tilamook, down through Newport (good
aquarium
and nice restruarant down by the old fish dock) and Coos Bay, Crater
Lake,
Klamath Falls (day trip to Lava Beds and the Nature Reserve), Redding,
Lassen, Chico, Santa Rosa (Snoopy!) and across the Golden Gate. Had the
same car for all three weeks. The one way fee (from memory) was USD250..
The trip took 10 days and we spent 10 more with the aunt. Absolutely
great
holiday. The hard part was deciding where not to go. I was tempted by
the area round Bend, I still regret not going to Olympic NP and the
Northern
California Coast also beckons for a trip one day.

If you do end in San Francisco you don't need the car in the city (we
were
staying down the peninsular). San Francisco has good public transport
(google for Muni and BART) although the locals complain about it quite
as
much as we do about our public transport! Don't miss Alcatraz - book
before you leave the UK.

Great info again (everyone).

So many options - bit difficult to decide tbh !

Am quite tempted by the bmi/UA flights - 49" seat pitch is pretty
awesome for that price (even if it is only for 1/2 to 2/3 of the
journey). However, I'm not sure whether the UA Chicago-Seattle link is
also prem-eco ... have emailed to clarify.

Also this will take a bit longer than direct BA Seattle flight (and if
I go 30th June rather than 1st July, I can get this for £972 rather
than £1150). But this is only 38" pitch ...

So maybe I should rent car for 3 weeks from Seattle (although flights
don't get in until at least 17.00) and return to base.

But my uncle's got a car so this would be a bit of a waste of money -
maybe rent one-way for drive to Portland. Then when I want to go off
exploring, rent from Portland ... hmm but would they let me return car
to Seattle ?

My uncle knows the local stuff so I may do that early in the trip

There are plenty of hotels in the immediate area of Seattle Airport. If
you've never driven in the US before then don't even think of hiring the
car immediately. Get into one of those hotels - they all run shuttle
buses. Sleep off the jet lag then pick up the car next day. I have a
friend who went to Orlando on his first long haul; got off the plane,
picked up the car and spent 2 hours doing a 15 minute drive. I'm used
to it now but I always limit my driving to no more than about 10/15 miles
when straight off the plane.

One way hire is an accepted methodology in the US. That's not to say
all the companies do it but most of the well known ones do. Yes, rent a
car at Seattle and drop it in Portland, use your uncle and then rent
another for touring to wherever. In fact, you may be able to turn this
to your advantage. Hiring a car at an airport can get quite expensive
because they add various fees related to the airport. So, hire at
Seattle but only for a day or two to drive to Portland and you'll limit
those fees. I also suspect you'll find the one way fee will be small or
even zero between Seattle and Portland. Pick the 2nd car up at a depot
away from the airport in Portland and you should find that (compared with
Portland Airport) it's slightly cheaper. But I have no idea whether
it's going to be cheaper over all you need to do some research. There
are a number of variables - I was amazed the difference in cost between
hiring at JFK and Newark airports in the New York area, partly to do with
local taxes in different states (and even different counties of states)
and partly to do with insurance requirements at the time in New York
state.

And, you might want to read this
http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/driverguide.pdf Each state has its'
own.

"Mimi"s idea of Canada is good. I'd rather got caught up with everyone
else in the US. The year after our Seattle/San Francisco trip we flew back
to Seattle and went over the border to Vancouver then Jasper, Banff,
Revelstoke, Kaslo, into the US at Bonners Ferry and then to Spokane before
hopping a plane to San Francisco (again). I seem to remember that the one
way fee that time was USD50.

In your case, if your relative agrees, you could fly to Seattle, hire a car
for a couple of days to drive to Portland. Now borrow the local car and go
north doing a loop into Canada and bcak to Portland then hire a car again
for a quick trip back to Seattle.

It's 10 years since we did this trip and one thing that has changed is the
border crossing. The impression I get is that the major crossings north of
Seattle can get VERY congested. But starting from Portland you could cut
North East. The crossing we used coming back into Northern Idaho was very
quiet - we hit it in the late afternoon and cruised through. I suspect it
won't have changed much.

Back on the subject of the flights I'd caution against changing planes at a
US point. Leaving aside the time you need to allow for immigration,
customs, rechecking baggage, going through security and finding your way
around a big US airport (you think Heathrow is big?) the flight
Manchester/Chicago is about 8 hours and the flight on to Seattle another 3..
Add a minimum of 90 minutes for the change (and I think that's not enough, I
would allow at least 2 hours and probably even more) and your journey time
is 12/13 hours against 9 hours non stop from London. Not only that but the
Chicago/Seattle flight will be on a US domestic cattle truck -if your flight
to Barbados was bad you ain't seen nothing yet.

Go non-stop!

OK - you talked me into it !

What about the weather - would I really see a big difference going
30th June as opposed to 28th July ?

On Feb 19, 7:07*pm, wrote:
On 19 Feb, 16:55, PeterL wrote:





On Feb 19, 2:47 am, wrote:

hi

I am thinking of going to NW for 3 weeks this summer. Will probably
stay beginning & end period with relative (WA, nr Portland OR).

So I'm thinking of flying direct to Seattle & taking short flight to
Portland (and visa versa on return). This is the shortest, most direct
route I can find (don't really want to mess about changing).

I have only done one long(ish) haul flight as adult - budget Barbados,
7-8 hrs grim, cramped flight (I'm 6"1.5").

Firstly, how much different would economy be on a BA/Virgin 747 flight
(compared to cramped, non-747 flight to Barbados) ? Similar or
better ?

A return economy (Seattle) would be around £600, but almost double for
premium-eco. Would it be worth paying the difference ?

Secondly, what could realistically do in 10 days or so, on West
coast ? Could I take in most of the important stuff (I'm more into
natural world than cities etc.) in this time frame ? Probably a mix of
flying & driving (or possibly coach/rail ?) ...

I was vaguely planning on a kind of loop which would somehow get me
back to my uncle's a few days before flying home ...

Maybe an alternative would be outward to NW, and back from further
south e.g. LA ? Would this be more expensive / more hassle ?

thanks

swayzak

You'd probably need to rent a car and drive around. *Driving between
Seattle and Portland is about 3 hours. *You can do a loop between the
two cities and see plenty of great outdoors scenic views. *Olympia
Nationa Park is a must. *Mt. St Helens certainly warrants a day. *The
coast line is spectacular. *Columbia River Gorge is very scenic.

I am guessing you are flying from England. *You'll need to be more
specific as to where you are flying from.

Yep - UK (Heathrow, Birmingham or Manchester).

Actually that bmi flight is not direct - have to change to a UA flight
in Chicago.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If you change in Chicago, there is no need to fly to Seattle from
there, just fly direct to Portland.

George