Pacific Central Station

We were in the Vancouver area and took a quick tour of the city and on the tour was a stop at Pacific Central Station. I found the station to be very clean, with plenty of seating, and signage that is easy to read. The bathrooms are maintained, and there is even an A&W root beer shop in case you wanted to get a quick breakfast or lunch sandwich, or just get a drink. I've attached some pictures and a short video to show the station off and what it looks like from the front. Most of the gates are towards the back. I hope that if you use the station, or visit it, your experience is as good as mine.

Vancouver Pacific Central Station is a well-organized and convenient transportation hub. The building is clean, with plenty of seating areas and helpful signage. Staff were friendly and informative, especially when helping us navigate the train schedules. The location is great—close to downtown and easily accessible by public transit. Whether you’re arriving or departing, the station offers a smooth and pleasant experience. A great starting point for VIA Rail journeys!

The station to get both Amtrak & buses to various towns & cities. Wifi is non-existent, so take screenshots of tickets in case you have the same problem & no access to data! Just be mindful that the area is run down and attracts a lot of homeless etc. Felt a bit vulnerable being a single woman in my 50s, travelling for the first time alone from the UK, but travelled in daylight & everything went to plan. There is an A&W, plus small coffee place inside, as well as washrooms.

Absolutely disgusting place, people openly smoking meth in front of the station, camping, dirt and filth everywhere. The walk from here to the skytrain station is not for the faint of heart. Also huge delays in train service due to cargo trains having priority, sometimes your train can't leave the station for an hour or two

Pacific Central Station it's one of the historic buildings in the city of Vancouver more than 100 years old It was built nicely and kept with stone architecture. Originally was built for Canadian railways and right now it's servicing via Ray Canada Amtrak rail from us Plus Greyhound and Bolt Buses so whether you traveling by train or with any bus company this is the location for getting in or dropping off at the end of your destination in Vancouver. It's a very clean place and the staff is very friendly and helpful to all visitors.

Came here for the early morning Amtrak Cascades train #517 heading south towards Seattle, WA and Portland, OR. Station is clean, spacious, and organized. Arrived an hour prior to departure with boarding starting about 45 minutes before departure. There didn't seem many stores open that early, but I didn't walk around. Personnel were nice and friendly. Going through customs was fast and easy. From time the boarding started, I was in my seat within 10 minutes. Was an easy and simple process boarding a train here.

Entering Canada through Amtrak terminates at this beautiful historic train station. They don’t build structures like those anymore. The currency office was never open and ATM never worked but the overall station is clean, efficient and ability to store your baggage for same day travel so you don’t have to lug it around on your last day, if your trainers in the evening. You can grab a bite to eat, there’s a nice park and mass transit nearby.

This is a nice spacious and open building where you go through Canadian Customs if you arrive from the US. You can also exchange currency. Staff are polite and helpful. You can call for a cab on a wall phone near the front door; but the phone does not actually connect you with a cab company, but instead just gives you a recorded message with different ways for you to then contact the cab company on your own phone or online. I don’t know why that phone does not just connect you with a cab company directly.

I love older buildings that have character - and this stately old railroad station has that in droves. The angular lines of the structure and the facade of white stone, along with the Neoclassic signage and symmetrical layout of the building, all harken back to a more glamorous age of travel. It's the type of building that you'd expect to see on one of those old graphic travel posters, with a train motif and some far-away touristy city featured. I love this building. The interior is rather stark and sterile, and it was a bit of a let-down for me, as I expected a more glamorous setting inside, in keeping with the grandeur of the exterior structure. The interior is fairly open - cavernous, actually, - with a huge, box-shaped old-fashioned clock (with a clock face on each of the four panes) suspended from the ceiling in the central lobby by the entrance. For those of us "old-timers" who've been around a while (!), you'll appreciate this kind of "throw-back", again, to an earlier age, when traveling - by ANY means, really - was a more glamorous, elegant experience (as opposed to the cattle call it now usually is). I remember seeing these types of large, fancy clocks in airports and train stations in the early 60's, and my folks remember them from the many decades prior. Looking around, I noticed quite a few features of olden times integrated into the design scheme of this interior: traditional, old, long, wooden benches (the real deal, too! Not newer benches made to look old. These are truly old, from the 50's I'd guess - maybe earlier), and pay telephones on stands (these have all been boarded up with decorative wooden casing, but you can tell, these all used to be functioning pay phones for public usage). There still are train conductors walking through the station, calling for "last call" for certain trains departing. I dig the whole old-time vibe of this place, for sure! Amtrak trains depart from here, of course, but this also is the depot for Greyhound buses, as well as other private buses (my kids and I and some friends sometimes take the Flix buses from here to Seattle or Portland). The bus bays are facing the Terminal Street side of the building and all are clearly marked. I should also note that, in this station, there's a cute little coffee shop and a gift shop, along with a Hertz rent-a-car office. Cabs are usually waiting in a queue outside, available for hire, and there's a decent amount of space by the long curb for drop-offs and pick-ups.

Pretty clean for a train station. Cannot say much about the shops or fast food spots, because they were not open when I was leaving and I passed right by them when I landed. Security check is a breeze, only holdup was U.S. Border Patrol coming back, but that's not the stations fault. Doesn't feel too crowded or overwhelming for a transit hub. Getting a rideshare from Uber/Lyft is a breeze from here and they'll even deliver you food to the station, which I found to be pretty great while waiting for a train. I recommend it.

Somehow my review didn't post from October of of 2019 so here we go again. I took the Amtrack Cascades from King Street Station in Seattle for a holiday in Vancouver, B.C. This is both a train and bus station so it has a lot of people arriving and departing but when I arrived a lot of the inside venues were closed for whatever reason. Here is the video review of my adventures in Vancouver: https://youtu.be/8yUAvd58nD8

This review is about Amtrack bus service to Seattle. When you get to the Pacific Central station, get inside and turn right. I reccomend to come to 30 min before of your departure. We left 15 min earlier but left 15 min late at US boarder at Blain. The bus driver managed almost on time arrival. Bring a pen so that you can fill up US custom paper in the bus. On the bus, there is bathroom at rear but I didn't see power outlet and free wifi service on each seat. I hope they will add them soon.

We took the 9am Cantrail bus to Seattle from here since the Amtrak trains were not running yet. The station was clean, bathrooms were clean. There wasn't much staff or security but didn't see any homeless people loitering either, everyone at the station was a traveler. There was one coffee shop open nearby the Cantrail bus area didn't see any other food options so pick up food in advance if you need it. The Cantrail bus staff were kind and friendly, would recommend them. Overall the station was fine, no frills but a decent place to get to your destination.

I like train travel and traveled Europe and Japan by rails. I came to this station a few times so far to use Via Canada for cross country rail as well as Amtrak Cascade to cross the border to the United States. This particular station is located near the science world skylink train. A short walking distance from the train station, easy transfer from long distance train to local train. Wifi is available for a quick yelp check in. Not fast enough to do anything else. Train station is clean, I liked their design and they have clean bathroom or Canadian calls it washroom. To cross the border, arrive early for US customs inspection prior to boarding a train. Officer was friendly with nice smile, unexpected but nice to see officers smile. I particularly like crossing the border by train. Traveling within EU, you get to cross the border without any stops now. Here, they stop and officer gets on board to inspect your passport, just like a movie. It's a quick process as they already inspected prior to get on board but somehow exciting for me. Train travels is nice, good way to enjoy the slow travels

Home to trains and buses, and located just off the Skytrain station, Pacific Central Station is a huge, historic building which I can imagine travelers from days past wandering through on their way to (or from) beautiful Vancouver BC. I've been there a few times, both as a Bolt Bus and Amtrak passenger. There's seating inside while you wait for your chosen mode of transpo (note: if it's a cruise ship day there are approximately 1 million other people waiting with you so seating is sparse), plus a few shops and restaurants to grab something to go or to eat on the train. Outside near the bus area are lockers you can rent for the day - if you have luggage and your bus/train doesn't leave until later they're a great place to leave stuff while you explore the city. The gardens and neighborhood immediately surrounding the station can be a little shady. Not sure I would want to wander around here at night. But once inside the space appears well-secured. It's only about half a block from the Main Street Skytrain station so it's super convenient and easy to get to after a day in Vancouver.

We came here for a Volt bus that was on the way to Seattle. The Pacific Central Station was not bad and it looked big from the outside. We didn't wait that long because we timed it right and ended up waiting in line outside before we were on our way onto the bus. There were places to sit inside of the building and there were bathrooms. Overall, I thought this place was okay for the short time we were here before our bus ride.

Pacific Central Station is Vancouver's bus and train station, where one can catch a Greyhound bus (until October 31st anyway, as Greyhound is discontinuing service in Western Canada) or an Amtrak train. It's located in downtown Vancouver, conveniently near Main Street-Science World Skytrain Station (although if you have to be there before 5:30am to catch a 6am Amtrak train, the skytrain doesn't run early enough to get you there). There's nothing really outstanding about Pacific Central Station, but it does its job: a place where you catch a bus or train. I was there in June/July for my trip to Portland, and the last time I had been there was in 2016 when I took a Greyhound bus to Banff. At that time, the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting, but since that time, they have been renovated, and I was pleasantly surprised when I was there this summer. So yay for that! Other than the upgraded bathrooms, there isn't a lot going on for this station. It exists. [Yelp collections: West Coast 2018; Planes, Trains, and Automobiles]

The Amtrak ride from Vancouver to Seattle is a must! You think you're just in for a boring train ride, but it's a surprisingly very comfortable and scenic one! There's an option of business class, but the seating throughout is much all the same! If the train is not packed, you get a whole 4 leather chairs to yourself! Throughout your ride, you get a very nice ride along the water; probably 30% of the ride you travel along the beach and ocean. Amtrak provides free wireless, which works after you cross the border into the US. There is a nice bar in the middle of the train with windows all around. I highly recommended it vs taking an airplane flight if you are on vacation. Just make sure you don't have to be somewhere on time as trains are often late! I would give this review 4 stars because there were always delays, but they were usually not within Amtraks control, we were on vacation, and the guy talking over the speaker phone always had something smooth to say!

Pacific Central Station is where we boarded our Amtrak Cascades to Seattle. Easily accessible as it is just across from Skytrain Main Street Station. It does looks grand from the outside and good as a photo stop. But there is NOTHING inside. Maybe I am just spoiled by all the other amazing train stations I had visited around the World but as a "central' station for a big city like Vancouver I did expect a lot more. Being small and have nothing inside, it is really easy to find everything. Queue for US Immigration, Security Screening and the Platform. It was not even busy. So I think I should not be complaining for a Station that is not busy. But luckily, there are tons of restaurants and bars within walking distance.

The parking lot is run by Municipal Parking Services, a private company designed to scam unsuspecting motorists of your money. Upon parking at one of the metered spots to pick up your loved one, you will be secretly photographed by the meter. Once 5 mins elapses, you will then be automatically issued a $75 ticket in the mail. When you email their dispute centre, they will usually tell you the the signage was clear and then lower the fine in half. On top of that, if you bring this up to Pacific Central Station, they will tell you that it is none of their business. Bye bye future business.

It's empty, abandoned. Maybe has one store open and that's it. No front desk, no staff other than security (2 people), rats running in the waiting room, annoyed drivers who can be late up to two hours without notice, no internet nor electric connection for you to use while you wait for so long. There's nothing good about this place.

239.36 I paid aug 22 for tickets for me an my child To go to Olympia Washington from Vancouver? I was charged 2 times 239.36 the Second charge was my money to pay for Ramada in Olympia an my food. I called Amtrak they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about. I had to make a report to my bank for Fraud to get my cash back Never going on the Train again

In August 2015, we took the Amtrak Cascades from Vancouver's Pacific Central Station to Seattle. The staff (Via Rail and Amtrak) at the station were all very friendly and helpful. The station itself is fairly centrally located, an affordable taxi ride from most points in downtown Vancouver, and boarding the Cascades train is easy. We paid a few bucks extra for business class on Amtrak, which is well worth it (only around US$110 for two people from Vancouver to Seattle), as business class provides priority boarding,seating assignments and baggage check-in. Plus, business class seats are roomier, and you're close to the bistro car and computer/work car. In high season (summer) be sure to book well ahead. The Pacific Central Station has clean restrooms and doesn't feel sketchy. You should plan to arrive at least an hour before departure time and preferably even earlier, especially if you don't have business class tickets. People line up early. You go through a preliminary baggage screening at the station, but U.S. customs and immigration agents board the train at the border about an hour and a half after leaving Vancouver. The arrival station in Seattle, in the Pioneer district, has been totally renovated and is attractive. There are plenty of cabs available to meet passengers on arriving trains. Scenery on the trip is pleasant but don't expect to be overwhelmed. The four-hour train trip from Vancouver to Seattle sure beats flying or driving.

Beautiful historic station building. A travel hub. The main depot for greyhound busses and the starting point for Amtrak rail. The Amtrak rail staff are particularly friendly and made the wait time to access the train more enjoyable.

Riders (I would assume foreigners like me - Asian) BEWARE! Tickets agents will over bill you! You can tell them all you want how many people are in your family, and ages and they will still charge adults on all of them, then they will tell you "they can't read minds" regarding the ages of the kids or another agent told my other families within my group " would you like to do my job " when questioned about the over billings ... terrible ticket agents ...maybe it's the socialistic system they have over there that got people becoming knuckle draggers when they don't have to be .. 5 stars for the nice drivers they have

So I went on a trip in the summer, and the review is about the Greyhound staff posted at this location to be specific. Out of the 5 staff I encountered, 3 who represent Greyhound lines are very uptight, unfriendly, and unwilling to help. Considering it was my first and 100% last time I'm ever using the Greyhound services. The younger caucasian lady (like in her late 20s or early 30s) was helpful, and I think an Asian guy who was also nice. The rest of the staff who represent this company should go take a lesson in FRIENDLY customer service, not bitchy attitude customer service. Life happens and not providing refunds for trips that are not taken, even in extenuating circumstances are not even valid reasons for refunds. This company rates low in my books and I will recommend to all my friends to just rent a car even though they are too exhausted to drive.

This place is busy during weekend and day time. I find the building quite interesting. As a tip the benches inside are sticky at times. I don't think they really wipe it down. Also becareful when parking in their parking lot. Once you drive your car into the stall, the meter lights will turn green and you have a 5 mins grace period to pay. If you don't pay right away then you get ding with a ticket already and that ticket is being mailed to your house on the same day. Yes very high tech. The meter has a camera in front. So becareful. Other than that, its a bus stop and train stop. I have taken the bolt bus couple times and this is one of the stop. Its in a very convenient location. I like the fact that its close to a sky train and buses

Station customer service review: Up arriving at the train station, my wife spoke to the desk service person regarding sleeping quarters. When finished talking she proceeded into the lounge. When I arrived, she waived me into the lounge, letting me know where she was sitting. Once inside, I attempted to ask another staff member if our tickets would include a cabin for sleeping. Before I could complete my sentence I was cut off and told I would board from a gate father away. I poured a coffee and sat back down with my wife. At this point a 3rd staff member (Gary) stepped in and told the 2nd staff member that my wife and I needed to leave. There lounge was very crowded and I was quite embarrassed, feeling as though I had snuck in or stolen something. The staff member stood extremely close blocking us from I don't know what. I do not appreciate being made to feel that I have broken some law or caused someone harm. A sign or some sort of screening, indication at all to let us know we were not allowed would have been welcome. At least then we would have had the opportunity and keep ourselves out of the room knowingly.

Vancouver Pacific Central station serves as a transportation hub for VIA Rail Canada and Amtrak rail. It also serves as a bus depot for Greyhound/Cantrail Coach and Pacific Coach Lines. For train and bus passengers there are a number of benches to warm your behinds while you wait for your ride. Though sleepy as heck, we couldn't help but admire the beautiful architecture of this old building...

HAPPY CANADA DAY TO ALL OF MY CANADIAN FRIENDS! Last year, I was on a business trip that ended Week 1 on Edmonton and started up again the next Monday in Vancouver. After doing some calculations, I convinced my colleague that it was cheaper and a lot more fun to take VIA Rail's Canadian train instead of flying. And that included a berth and meals. I'm a bit of a passenger train buff and so far my train travels within the Great White North had been limited to a GO Train between Toronto and Scarborough(!) and the Hudson Bay between Winnipeg and Churchill Manitoba. My colleague (whose family loves cruises) thoroughly enjoyed his first passenger train trip. Of course I enjoyed my land cruise too, especially all the gorgeous mountain scenery starting just before Jasper and beyond. We even spotted the Skeena returning from its scenic trip from Prince Rupert. What I like most about trains is that it slows down time and allows you (without electronics) to relax, read, nap, enjoy, and chat with lots of interesting people. You also spend a lot of time in either the Parlour or Observation cars just hanging out and taking it all in. The food and service on the Canadian route was also excellent. But eventually, all good things do come to an end as our train rolled into Pacific Central Station in Vancouver on Sunday morning. The Station itself is a bit out of the way and definitely a finely preserved throw back of what once was more elegant about passenger train travel. As we were waiting for our bags, I enjoyed the end row of parked trains, the central hall, the news stand, the wood benches, and the overall relaxed ambiance. My colleague and I then took a cab into central Vancouver and started our new day with a whole different set of fun things to see and do. But looking back on this handsome Neoclassical Revival building, I hope to return. Maybe I'll take one of the Cascade (Talgo) trains to Seattle, or perhaps I'll take the Canadian back east all the way to Toronto (or catch the Skeena at Jasper). A cool train station definitely helps me dream of future travels.

It is a slice of Vancouver proper's contrast. The facility itself is alright but that also gives it a ding. If it gets a facelift or restoration similar to Seattle's King Street Station down here, it would be more along the lines of modern day Vancouver. The location IS rather decent, though. You have the SkyTrain station across the front lawn park, some buses and slightly farther away north is Chinatown. Perhaps also due to the front lawn space you will encounter bums and unpleasant aromas, occasionally - maybe even the bicyclist with the 3-cart trailer of cans behind him, as well. Bless you, dude. As a regular rare occasion traveler through here via Amtrak Cascades in recent years, it is pretty good and customs goes fairly well. I hope VPCS gets some due TLC in the near future. Ironically, the SkyTrain station is getting one.

Pacific Central Station is where the Amtrak, Greyhound and BoltBus stations are located in Vancouver. It is near Science World and a few blocks from Chinatown and BC Place. There is a SkyTrain station in short proximity to here as well. The interior of the station is very similar to the Union Stations in Portland and Seattle. Howerver, Pacific Central Station has some retailers and a few eateries which obliterates the other two in offerings. However having the bus station in the same location as Amtrak makes it a little more confusing for a traveller from the US. There is a door headed for the bus gates, but I wasn't sure if I needed to go through any security screenings here or not. I do like that trains and buses are under one roof, but I would have like to have seen better signage of where to go and what to do. Other than that, Pacific Central Station is a decent transit hub.

Pacific Central Station is the main bus and train station in Vancouver. You can take the Amtrak down to Seattle and further, VIA Rail east across Canada, or the Greyhound to pretty much anywhere in North America. The building is big and was obviously built to be an impressive transit hub, but it never really fulfilled the promise of be building. It's often half empty, and has very few shops and services compared to what you'd be used to at a central train station of a major city. I come here on my semi-regular family visit vacation to catch the bus to visit family in the interior, but otherwise I wouldn't really ever come down here. One tip: the park outside between the station and the Skytrain/city bus is a bit sketchy at night so just be aware of your surroundings, maybe follow the lit street instead of cutting through the park. During the day it's ok but at night it can be a little scary if you're on your own.

The structure is beautiful on the outside and clearly dated on the inside. Although the inside is fairly clean and organized it dark and dismal. I used the bathroom to wash my hands and I wasn't totally offended by it's general appearance. The staff on duty the day my bus arrived was very friendly and helpful. I was provided detailed information of how to use public transportation. When you leave the building you will trip over what appears to be a very serious homeless population and problem in Vancouver as well as throughout the city. Across from the station there is a very nice but small park. Some of the homeless population appear to live in the park however it was mostly filled with vendors and music. This would be a nice added feature to the overall when viewing the station. However, it is easy to locate the local transportation such as buses and the elevated train to take you throughout the city. Pacific Central Station is a nice 'central' location to help make travel easy in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Unlike other Amtrak and bus stations the stores were minimal and it lacked the necessary food stores or restaurants of today's stations. There is money to be made here, this is a missed revenue opportunity! My bus back to Seattle was on time and there did not appear to be any other delays on my date of travel.

It is an odd one of sorts, as I have been to many train/bus combo stations in my life outside of my own city, and they seem to offer more of things you would expect when you are a visitor to the city, or in need of something last minute if you are departing. The only real food your getting in here is the McDonald's which feels hidden where it is located. The lights have that yellow tinge that I've talked about in places that are old (or Walmart) and it just makes you feel tired. From the front, this place looks like it has been around, and it has, and you expect some grand spectacle once you walk in, but you're left with a small empty hall, in my opinion. Nothing spectacular in here, no cool coffee shop, or small diner in here to pick up a unique snack. Even the McDonald's in here is so-so, and you can walk to a better one a block away. What is good about this station is that it is central. Not too far from downtown, and also the Main St. Skytrain station which makes things real convenient. One odd thing is the parking situation, if you are coming here, there are free spots across the street.... marked clearly... and then you have the paid meters. So don't be lazy, and save some change in your pockets, or end up paying, it's not worth it, but it is weird at the same time.

Old-timey on the outside and renovated on the inside, Pacific Central was once the major transportation center in Vancouver, back when cars had horses instead of seatbelts. The city has deemed it to be one of Vancouver's heritage sites, and visitors to the city will want to at least stray down here to better educate themselves to a piece of what Vancouver looked like before condos, Skytrain, and crackheads. This is also where all of the trans-city bus companies begin and end their routes, and the people working behind the ticket booth are very friendly about accurately informing the traveler about which company would best suit their budget and schedule. There's a couple quick fast food places inside, and of course a convenience store that sells expensive last minute kitsch Canadianna souvenirs like maple syrup and post cards of Stanley Park. If you need to get somewhere with your luggage there's always a few taxis waiting outside, and a beautiful park out front to sit and wait for your bus to come in. Just don't stray too far, because it's cracktown to the North and industrial wasteland to the South.

Having been in a long distance relationship for four years, I've spent a hell of a lot of time here. It's beautiful from the outside, although the inside is a little less fancy! The bathrooms could do with some serious renos (at least the women's - I can't speak to the men's) but the benches and the giant clock in the main station area are pretty cool and sort of make up for the dingy bathrooms, maybe? The staff are generally nice - the drivers are usually pretty upbeat and fun, and the security staff and I go way back now (don't worry, they still check I'm me every time). I travel Express mostly, and they have a nice little red carpet area for us to line up on. They used to have a person checking everyone's ticket number to ensure they were in the right line, but lately they seem to have given up on that... It's super infuriating and I would strongly encourage them to get back on that horse. This is one of those necessary evil type places, and they do a decent job of making it a good experience.

The building is so grand from the outside that I kind of thought there'd be more amenities inside. Nope. It's your basic, overstated, cavernous old-world train station. I guess they want to keep it simple. "Keep moving, nothing to see here..." It also feels under-utilized. I expected a crowd where there was none. I snapped a couple of pix before a security guy told me you're not supposed to take pix inside. Haah! -whatev's. Union Stn. in Toronto is a much more interesting place. I can still hear the echoing announcements in my head from old memories.

Worst way to go to Vancouver from Seattle. Slow slow slow .., never again ... Amtrak suck everywhere I guess. The staff were very nice though

Must have taken the Amtrak to Seattle another 6+ times since my last review. Station still needs some work. No bathrooms now, they're closed and theres an outdoor bathroom set up I wasn't willing to go see. Security and staff checking tickets are great, and the customs agents are quick and professional. Once on the train the staff are so friendly and helpful! Really the downfall is still this old gross building. A couple little shops for magazines and snacks, hubs had no issue finding quick parking to pick me up.

Traveling by Amtrak Superliner (no WI-fi on this ) took 1 hr 20 to crawl to the US border from Vancouver. Speed varied from about 65 mph at the upper end to what felt like an eternity of 20 mph slow stretches. While it took off on time, and it had lots of room for my legs and even fold out leg support for my wife's shorter legs, I was hoping for a faster travel-speed but did not get it much. So it took a total of 4 hours to finally get into Seattle, and while I loved the comfort and the well-stocked dining car (had salads and burgers, hot dogs and even beer and cocktails along with other snacks and reasonably priced food). I would have traded some time for some comfort. The price was OK, but again, I would have paid more for a zippier experience. If you keep your expectations low, you can just relax for the duration of the trip--just don't take this to get anywhere fast. Oh: and I must comment on the service at the station. Walking Zombies. Living Dead. Take your pick. OK: they do not look quite as bad as a Zombie, nor do they eat your brains, but they certainly care for you with the emotions of the Living Dead (look for bite marks to make sure). No sense of urgency. No sense of duty to move any faster than a blade of grass as it grows up to the sun. Easy. Does. It. One. At. A. Time. Any. Day. Now. So this should pre-set your expectations about how fast you should expect an Amtrak train to move from this location. So very different from their Acela train on the East Coast!

We took Amtrak back to Seattle from Vancouver a few months ago, and compared to flying, the process was painless! Buying tickets only is easy. And unlike flying, if you accidentally purchase tickets for the wrong day (whoops), getting the problem fixed is easy and fee-free. At this particular station, the layout was straightforward. There was a bit of a cluster waiting to get checked in for the early morning train, but then we got through security and customs quickly. Everyone was friendly, especially considering it was 5 AM. The location was just a cheap cab ride from downtown, and would have been even cheaper if we'd taken the initiative to figure out public transportation. The building itself is surprisingly pretty, although pretty bare-bones in regards to amenities. When a big chunk of your customers are there before sunrise, coffee would be a nice thing to offer and would probably make you a lot of money. Taking the train from Seattle is a great way to get to and from Vancouver, so I'm sure I'll be back!

A 3-star rating is just right. I'd give it a 2 for aesthetics and a 4 for functionality. Neither wonderful nor terrible, this structure really deserves a loving historic rehab. The building needs cleaning and facade lighting. A super cheaped-out approach to details like interior lighting, information kiosks, stanchions and trash cans look SO cheap and diminish what could be a lovely building. Restrooms are cheap and ugly, and not very well maintained. At lunchtime, they were already pretty trashed. I didn't see any maintenance staff anywhere in the station during the two hours I was here. Big, clunky, ugly, talking parking paystations outside seem to be the newest thing on the grounds, but seem out of character with the historic building. They'll start talking to you if you walk by them. Use the sidewalk adjacent to them and be serenaded by the row of them. Weird. Functionally, the station works pretty well, and this is the saving grace. Amtrak Cascades comes in (just once a day, I believe) and the bus bays are pretty straightforward (outdoors.) I did observe that many of the buses seemed to ignore the signs limiting the amount of time the buses could idle with their engines on. My bus sat there for more than 20 minutes with the engine running. Yay for the environment! :) Access to Skytrain within a block would be a big plus if that station weren't currently undergoing a rehab (September 2014.) The immediate surrounding area is decidedly underwhelming and uninteresting except for an adjacent park that could be very pleasant - it just needs a little more maintenance and a little less homeless camping.

This station is cool from the outside but the inside is depressing and dated. I was taking the train from Vancouver to Edmonton and the one anal train worker that weights your luggage was such a downer. He made me pay extra for being 6 pounds overweight. I asked if I could transfer some stuff to my other piece of luggage and he was such a dick that he said if I did that then he would charge me for my other piece of luggage that was 2 pounds over. If you ever go to this station make sure you watch the movie "Hugo" before and you will see the similarities between the baggage attendant and the character that is played by Sacha Baron Cohen. It's quite hilarious actually. Anyways, besides that one employee the trip was quite memorable and well priced. I'd use it again if I had 23 hours to waste.

I am writing this review now just in case we don't make it to our final destination in Whistler. We left on time from YVR (good for one star) but hit a bit of traffic on the way. The driver has been doing 20km over the speed limit a good portion of the way, and it is a white knuckle ride. We haven't even hit the real mountain portion yet. To put in perspective, I'm considering taking a float plane back to Vancouver rather than risk riding with this driver again. And I hate to fly.

We loved our ride on the Amtrack Cascades from Vancouver to Seattle. The train is definitely the way to go when making this trek. The views from the train cannot be beat by a bus or plane. The seats are comfortable and you are able to walk around on the four-hour journey. Another perk is the customs process. The train stops at the border and customs officers board the train to check all of the passports. Meanwhile you can see the line up of cars on the road waiting to get through the border crossing. We purchased tickets in business class which allowed us to bypass the line and board first. Woohoo! This alone made the up-charge worth it. Upon checking in, we selected our seats. We chose seats next to one another, but we also had the option of seats facing each other. We were happy with our seat selection, but word to all the tall folks out there- there was a tall couple who selected the seats facing one another and were very frustrated and inconvenienced because there's less leg room in the seats facing one another. Side by side is the way to go. The view on the way down the coast is beautiful (see attached video). About two hours into the journey, we headed to the dining car for a snack. This is the only part of the train ride that I thought could have been improved. The food selection is not great and the line is long with one person working the counter. I definitely recommend the train ride supplemented with snacks from the outside. :)

Good choice for travelling between Seattle and Vancouver, BC; this review covers that route. We rode the 510 and 517 trains. In the past we had a decent experience on Amtrak travelling between Seattle and Portland, OR. And an awful experience travelling East-to-West from Whitefish, MT, to Seattle on a sleeper car on the Empire Builder. A few months following that voyage, in response to our complaint Amtrak kindly provided a travel certificate as partial compensation. We used that certificate shortly before it expired (after one year) for the Vancouver BC - Seattle roundtrip that is the subject of this review. From Seattle-to-Vancouver we rode coach class; on the return we rode in business. Though there are fewer seats in business (1 seat + 2 seats in a row rather than 2 + 2), seat comfort was about the same. Main benefit was the shorter boarding line at the station. PROS: - Cheaper and easier than flying between these two cities. Stations are located right in city, so there is no need to travel to airports. - Both the Seattle and Vancouver stations are located next to local public transit. - Free Wi-Fi internet on the train while in the US. NOTE: no audio or video streaming, nor large file transfers. - Our trains were on-time. - Enthusiasm and friendliness of the Amtrak staff. They seemed to love trains, and sharing the experience with customers. (Much better than our experience on the East-West Empire Builder.) - The restored interior architecture of the King Street station in Seattle is attractive. The station has free Wi-Fi internet access. - When crossing into US, customs and immigration are fast and convenient. Most of the process takes place at the Vancouver station before boarding. Then the train makes a 10 minute stop at the US border; US agents board and check passports. - Lounge car was a comfortable place to eat or "talk story" or read, etc. There were a couple of Russian immigrants on our train who provided an interesting description of riding a few days on the 14-day trans-Siberian train in Soviet times. Amtrak never seemed better. - Scenery from train. CONS: - No regular coffee was available on our Vancouver-to-Seattle train, though - judging by the shared unhappiness of the crew - this was unusual. In compensation de-caf was free. - Amtrak doesn't assign seats until after one arrives at the station. Thus, one must wait in line first for a seat assignment, and then again when boarding. The seat assignment line wait time is especially long for coach class. - To exchange a paper Amtrak Travel Certificate for tickets one must go to an Amtrak station. It would be wonderful if one could reserve travel and do the exchange on-line. The process with the paper certificate is to call Amtrak, make the reservation, and then appear at an Amtrak station within 2-3 days to pay using the certificate. (Apparently the certificate can also be used at authorized Amtrak ticket vendors, but I could only find one nearby; their commission was $35 per ticket.)

Super long line. Everyone's stuck waiting in the rain. Taking well over 1 hour just to get off the train and through the line. Inefficient process and understaffed.

Completely fine experience on Amtrak going through here twice.

This train station has a few small shops inside to do any last minute souvenir shopping or grab something to drink before boarding your train/bus. Staff are friendly and can point you in the right direction if anything. Taxi cabs are outside if you need a ride into town.

* What a joke * Let me sum this up: Amtrak is an embarrassment! I actually felt bad seeing some international tourists on board the train. I could just wonder what they thought when comparing it to trains that work well overseas! I love trains. I really do. Give me a JR Pass in Japan or a Eurail Pass in Europe and I'm a happy camper for the entire duration until it expires. There is something romantic about train travel. Call me nostalgic! Ok, so for a quick getaway to Portland it seemed like a good idea to take the train down the coast for a relaxed leisurely ride. I wouldn't do it again. To make it clear why, let me compare this to my last long distance train trip which was on a Shinkansen in Japan: Amtrak: The early morning train left 15 minutes late with no explanation, and continued to lose time as the trip progressed to eventually be about 45 minutes late. No explanation or apology ever offered. Shinkansen: I saw a passenger at the station resetting his wristwatch based upon what time the train pulled into the station. Amtrak: Found a metal fork sitting on the seat. Clearly the train hadn't been cleaned from the night before when it pulled in. Shinkansen: Teams of uniformed cleaners come through the cabin after each trip to do a thorough clean. Amtrak: One washroom had a sloppy handwritten sign "Out of order", another was stinky small and cramped with garbage all over the place. Shinkansen: Clean good sized washrooms that I saw train staff cleaning regularly during the trip. Amtrak: The train is SLOW! It is scheduled to take 2 hours just to get from Vancouver to Bellingham (which would be less than a 1 hour drive). It was scheduled for 8 hours to get to Portland (and took about 10 on the return trip!). Shinkansen: It is called a bullet train for a reason. Towns swish by quickly. Just as a comparison at the speed the shinkansen goes you could be from Vancouver to Portland in about 2 to 2.5 hours. Amtrak is scheduled for 8! Yikes! Amtrak: They have TV screens to play movies. But on the trip down they made an announcement that due to technical difficulties of the "VCR being broken" they wouldn't show the movie. On the trip back 2 days later they announced exactly what movie they were going to show and then a bit later announced that due to technical difficulties they wouldn't be showing it. 2 days later and they hadn't replaced the VCR (it was the same train - I recognized some of the stains and scratches in the car!). Silly! Shinkansen: No movies. But the trip is fast enough that you don't need them! Amtrak: The bistro car serves nasty frozen and microwaved food. On the trip down I got a sandwich. It was labeled as "made fresh daily" but it was made in Seattle. The train left Vancouver at 6:40am. So that "made fresh daily" sandwich must have been from a previous day. "Made fresh daily" doesn't mean made on the day you are eating it. The roll it was on was just stale and the lettuce was wilted. Blech! Shinkansen: They load fresh food regularly and come through the car selling it in a very professional manner. They even load regional specialties as you pass a station that is famous for a particular food. And don't get me started about how wonderful some of the eki-bento are that you can purchase in the station before boarding the train - fresh unagi donburi is a favourite treat for me on the train! Amtrak: Amazingly even though the train is so slow it still rocks back and forth so that sometimes it is difficult to walk without holding on to something. Shinkansen: You can leave a drink sitting on the windowsill and it won't spill. Amtrak: The professionalism is just not there. Lack of delay announcements on the delays. Stopping for extended time in tunnels and filling up the car with fumes! A conductor came through after another conductor had already taken tickets. Do they communicate with each other at all?!?!?! The conductor forgot to give customs forms to 2 entire cars on the way back into Canada until they were requested as we were arriving! Just one silly thing after another! Shinkansen: The staff bows every single time they enter or leave a car. Everything runs smoothly. A delay of even just a minute is apologized for. While there was a nice view along part of the trip and while I love train travel I don't think I'll be taking Amtrak anytime again soon! It is just a bad joke!

Had a fantastic ride from Vancouver to Whistler over the May Long weekend. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the driver's name! I wish I could. He was a very pleasant gentleman, and took the time to highlight visual attractions along the way. He even dropped me off directly at the hotel and offered some ideas for attractions to see while in Whistler. Fantastic. (Additionally, he did the same for other passengers and made an effort to drop them off wherever was most convenient.) The bus was clean, and very comfortable. The bus also allowed plenty of time to lodge. Couldn't have asked for a better ride! Many thanks, I will most definitely use this service again in the future. Sara

I have taken the train now 4 times - once to Portland one way and now 3 times from Seattle. If you are looking for good WiFi service think again. The service keeps kicking you out and you have to sign back in many times during the trip. It is also quite slow. When I pass into Canada I go back to 3G to get regular service. Food is not bad and the business class seats are comfortable. Overall if you want quick and think taking the train will allow you to be online and do some work, think again. If you don't want to drive and are a tourist/leisure traveller, then it is a good option.

I used to take the bus/train from Vancouver to Seattle during the weekends to visit some friends. You can purchase a ticket online to save you time, but buying a ticket at this location is no problem either. Just make sure you buy it at least an hour before hand. I took the bus at 530am to go to Seattle, but the ticket counters weren't open yet. You can, however, purchase a ticket from the bus driver - CASH ONLY, $40 one way. The rides are usually 4 hours long, and makes 2 stops before crossing into the USA. Always on time, and never had any problems.

** We booked our tickets through http://www.ridebooker.com/ We used Pacific Coach Lines while we were visiting Canada to take us from Vancouver to Whistler over the New Year's holiday. The price is around $75/person round trip and there are numerous buses with different pick up times and locations around the city all day. We were picked up from the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Vancouver which was just a few blocks away from the Loden Hotel where we were staying at. The bus arrived on time and the driver was very friendly and courteous. The bus itself was very clean and it was a quiet and fast (a little less than 2 hours) ride up to Whistler. I really appreciated how the driver paid very close attention to the roads while he was driving- it happened to be snowing on the day of our departure so I was very grateful for the extra care put in. The ride back was just as efficient and smooth. We were picked up in front of the Westin which was where we stayed during our time in Whistler at the appointed time. We were actually a little worried about making it back to the hotel in time to catch our ride as we were having lunch on the other side of the village but once we got onto the bus and heard the driver communicating with the other buses/drivers via phone, it was clear that they were very conscientious about having all verified customers on board before leaving. It was very reassuring and comforting to know they wouldn't leave anyone behind since I can't imagine this happening back home in the States (If you've ever used the Chinatown buses in NYC or Boston, you'll know what I'm talking about). The bus has certain drop off points when it comes back into Vancouver and even though it didn't stop at our specific hotel, it dropped us off close enough so we could easily get there without having to take a cab from across town. If you're looking for a ride from Vancouver to Whistler, I couldn't recommend Pacific Coach Lines more. They are everything you'd want out of a service like this- fast, efficient, courteous, and very safe. And if you do use the business, please don't forget to tip the driver. The effort they make in making sure you get where you need to be on time and in one piece is worthy of an extra thank you. Photos and more can be found here at my favorite blog- http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/02/windows-hwy-99/

I took the Amtrak train from Vancouver to Seattle on a Friday evening. Departure was at 5:45 PM. This was my first time on a train so it was an experience for me. First of all if you are booking on line you need to make sure you book a Train and not a bus. The only Trains are at 5:30 AM and 5:45 PM departing Vancouver. The trains are very spacious and really clean. The ride was enjoyable but a bit boring because it was dark so you can't see any scenery, so I suggest your bring an iPod to pass the time! Before boarding the train you go through US customs and then when you reach Blaine the Train stops and CBP officers board the train and ask each person questions. We were at the border for only 20 minutes. The train makes stops along its journey picking up passengers. No more than a 2 minute stop at each station. We arrived at the Seattle station at 10 PM, actually ahead of schedule! There is a Bistro car where you can purchase food and drink. Although I did not buy anything I brought my own food. The train was a good experience and I would definitely do it again! Plus it only costs $50 and is much better than a bus .

The Vancouver to Seattle Amtrak Cascade train was a pleasant. The inside of the train was much better than any other trains I have been on. The seats were very comfortable and there was free wi-fi on the train. The wi-fi was okay, but you can't stream or anything... just basic. If you are going to the states, as I was, there is a desk with custom forms to be filled out before you get on the train. You have to go through the very quick and easy customs before getting on the train and then when you get to the boarder, you just have to show your identification. On the way back from the states, there was an issue with which side of the tracks to be on to get home. I was at the Tukwila station and the signs clearly marked North and South, however, the trains were coming on the wrong sides. One conductor said that they never know which side they are going to be on. I had to run across to the other platform as I saw the train approaching on the wrong side. In addition, on the way back, you do not stop at the boarder, however, the customs at the Vancouver Pacific Central Station is a little more thorough. You give the station customs your custom card. Overall, not that bad... And as always, Have Fun!!!

Located in the middle of the bustling construction of condos, this place is looking a little run down. When you exit, you're within walking distance of W Broadway (where the Lululemon Lab is) as well as Chinatown. I had always thought that Chinatown was a little further away when I was doing my research into Vancouver, but it's literally a five minute walk. You're right next to the rail that will take you downtown. Also, there's a bank willing to exchange your USD to CAD right across the way free of charge. When you get off the Amtrak, you're shuffled straight to customs. This is a pain when you're cold and there's a super long line. Hey all you people having to go through customs, here's a tip, be straightforward and direct, and don't have those shifty eyes that are making the customs officer not trust you. It'll make the line go faster. If you're from the US trying to get rid of that CAD before returning home, the gift store inside is a little overpriced and willing to throw your additional change into their Make a Wish box. Also, if you're planning on heading back to the US, then make sure that you've filled out your customs form before boarding the super prompt train.