One of my favorite things about living on Bainbridge Island is the ease of getting to/from SeaTac Airport. No traffic to worry about; just hop off the ferry and SeaTac is 35-minute train ride away. The limited parking available at and around the airport is another headache you can avoid. Here are some tips to make your Bainbridge Island to/from SeaTac Airport even easier.

Which Boat Should I Catch?

I always try to take the boat around 90 minutes before I want to be at the airport. If I want to be at the airport at 3.30pm, I’ll catch the 2:05 ferry from Bainbridge Island. Be sure that you’re looking at the correct weekday or weekend schedule; especially if you are catching an early a.m. boat. The ferry to Seattle and light rail to SeaTac each take around 35 minutes and walking to the station takes about 15 minutes. Which light rail station? I personally like the University Street station because it’s well lit and clean. The Pioneer Square station is a little bit closer to the ferry but pretty dark and dirty.

Get an Orca Card

I don’t have an Orca Card but my husband does and he swears by it. The Orca card is basically a Seattle area transit card that works on Metro buses, light rail, Washington State Ferries and more. The card is like a digital wallet and hold funds to cover the cost of your bus, train and ferry fares. With the card, you don’t have to wait in lines and you don’t have to take out your wallet. You can share one Orca card but ideally, each member of your group will have their own.

Heading Back to Bainbridge Island

After a long trip, you’re probably tired and can’t wait to be home. I’ve dreaded the train and ferry ride to Bainbridge Island but once I’m on the boat, I can decompress and relax. I think the key to making it more relaxing is not trying to catch a specific boat. I just need to think of it this way: I’m never late, just early for the next ferry. Riding the ferry and running along Rockaway Beach is definitely a nice reward at the end of a trip.