We flew on low cost, no-frills carrier Allegiant Airlines from Los Angeles to Bellingham, WA snagging really awesome deals. We got our tickets for less than $140 RT with taxes which are pretty great considering flying into Seattle averages over $200 and flying into Vancouver on a holiday weekend would have been significantly higher.
Allegiant has now instituted open seating since we flew them a couple of months ago but you can purchase priority seating or a seat assignment. We didn’t and never have paid extra for a seat assignment. Fortunately, they also have family boarding which allows passengers traveling with children under 7 years old to board after those who paid for their seats and the open seating passengers. We got lucky on both flights and sat at the front of the plane all seated next to each other.
Bellingham is about 20 miles from the Canadian border. It is one of those small airports that make it easy to get in and out. They have a few rental car agencies and their kiosks are in the terminal in front of the baggage carousel. Our rental car was already parked on the curb after we completed the paper work.
The one thing you have to be wary about is the border traffic and should take that into account with plenty of time cushion. We had a flight at 3PM and left Whistler at 9:30 AM with some time to get food, shop for 30 min. and bathroom breaks.
We entered Canada on Friday of MLK weekend at around 10:00 PM and had a 10-15 minute wait time. We were at the border for 30-35 minutes coming back into the US during the MLK holiday around noon and both times were at the Peace Arch Park entrance in Blaine, WA. Here are a couple of good sites to check for border wait times: Northbound to Canada Southbound to USA
Flying into Vancouver is also another option but fares are usually much higher. However, for those coming in through Vancouver and don’t want to rent a car, there are a couple of options to get to Whistler.
Whistler Sea to Sky Climb Train – We saw where the train tracks run almost parallel to the Sea to Sky Highway and hugging the coast. Those views the train passengers have look pretty spectacular. It’s pretty pricey but may be worth it during busy season and traffic on the highway. Check this site for more information.
Bus/Shuttle – We passed by a few of these too on the highways. Several bus lines offer transportation from the Vancouver airport and downtown locations to Whistler. Here are some links for more information and to see fares:
The Sea to Sky Highway is an easy drive with 2 lanes in each direction for most of the drive. Beautiful vistas greet you at almost every turn with some lookout points. There were plenty of creeks and mini-waterfalls to keep all of us in awe. Keep an eye out for Shannon Falls on the highway.
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