Airport
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
IATA Code: SEALocation: The airport is situated 12 miles (19km) south of Seattle and 20 miles (32km) north of Tacoma.
Time: GMT ?8 (GMT ?7 from March to November).
Contacts: Tel: +1 206 433 5388.
Transfer to the city: The airport's Ground Transportation Information Booth is on the third floor of the parking garage (fully staffed) and in Baggage Claim, across from Carousel Nine. The recently opened SeaTac/Airport Station provides passengers a direct connection to/from the airport and downtown Seattle. The trip costs no more than $2.50 and takes around 35 minutes. The station is on the fourth floor of the airport's main parking garage. Shuttle Express (425 981 7000) offer door-to-door shuttle services leaving regularly for the nearby towns and cities, and Gray Line Express buses depart every half hour connecting to major Seattle hotels. Public Metro Transit buses run according to a 24-hour schedule to destinations in and around Seattle. STILA limousines depart from the third floor of the Parking Garage, dial #55 from a Travelers Information Board or go to a Ground Transportation Booth for bookings. There are also rental cars and taxis available.
Taxis: Taxis meet travellers on the third floor of the Parking Garage. To arrange for a taxi, use one of the curbside phones or visit one of the Information Booths. Expect to pay around $32 for the 20 minute taxi journey into the city.
Car rental: Numerous car hire companies have counters in the baggage reclaim area at the airport. These include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz and National. Off-site car rental companies include Advantage, Dollar, Enterprise, Thrifty and Ace-Extra.
Facilities: Facilities at the airport are extensive including a variety of fast-food and full-service restaurants, several bars and retail outlets. The airport has ATMs and currency exchange desks, and also offers a pet relief area, a massage bar, shoeshine services, art exhibitions, smoking areas and a baggage storage service. Laptop Lane in the North Satellite provides online access for computers, phones, fax machines, photocopying and more. The Main Terminal is enhanced by the presence of over 100 pieces of contemporary art. Disabled facilities are good.
Parking: Short and long-term parking is available at the parking garage, which is connected to the main terminal via skybridges on the 4th floor.
Departure tax:
Website: www.portseattle.org/seatac/
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Seattle
Seattle is known as the 'Emerald City', and just like the home of the Wizard of Oz in the fairy tale, it is a magical place. Rated as one of the world's most liveable cities, after Melbourne and Montreal, it boasts among its citizens three out of the world's ten richest men, including Bill Gates, head of the mighty Microsoft Empire. The city's emergence as a trend-setting and fashionable metropolis with sky-high property prices has occurred in less than 200 years, since it was founded in 1869.
Sitting at the extremity of the United States' northwest, at the gateway to Canada, Seattle reaches for the sky with its landmark soaring 'space needle', built in the 1960s, a modern monument that epitomises the city's image as a high-tech, dynamic and young community.
Seattle is not a place that fosters couch potatoes. Visitors and locals alike revel in the outdoor activities the city's situation provides for. Seattle sits on the shores of two large lakes and Puget Sound, with remote wilderness less than an hour away, and it is flanked by two major mountain ranges (Olympics and Cascades), with Mount Rainier in full view from the city. It is also within easy reach of the San Juan Islands, Pacific Ocean beaches and major rivers.
This active city lends itself to walking tours, particularly around the two main tourist areas, the waterfront and Pike Place Market. In addition, 80 percent of the city limits are surrounded by water, so tour boats also abound. To fully enjoy Seattle be prepared to go boating, and bring a comfortable pair of shoes.
