If you live in Seattle, the odds are that you’ll need to catch a flight out of the Seattle Tacoma International Airport at some point. This, of course, leads to the question – how do I get to SeaTac Airport? The obvious options are driving your own car and parking at SeaTac Airport or catching a ride to the airport.
The second option comes with even more decisions – Do you catch a cab? Or try a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft? Should you try your luck with public transport?
You can live all your life in Seattle and still have doubts about the best way to get to and from SeaTac Airport. The airport is, after all, 15 miles from downtown Seattle.
If you live close to the airport, catching an Uber or taking the light rail makes sense. However, if you live quite a few miles away from the airport, for instance, in one of the Seattle suburbs, you might want to rethink that. Public transportation isn’t quite feasible, and cab or Uber/Lyft options start looking a little bit pricey.
Public transport
Yes, you can take the light rail to the airport – the service is available from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., Monday through Saturday; from 6 a.m. to midnight on Sundays. However, the light rail does not cover all parts of Seattle, and you may end up having to take a cab or an Uber at least some part of the way. Not so easy when you’re hauling a lot of luggage.
Taxis, Uber or Lyft
If you are not living close to the airport, these can be rather expensive options. Taxis charge rates of $40 -$50 from downtown Seattle to the airport. Uber and Lyft rates will come to $35-$45. We haven’t factored in the extra charges due to surge pricing or getting caught in traffic. Also, these rates are only for one way. This means you may end up spending up to $100 for transportation to and from SeaTac Airport!
Uber and Lyft aren’t the best options. Even if the price were smaller, the airport’s congestion makes waiting for one a chore. Cars must wait offsite, which adds at least 8-10 minutes to each journey.
Parking at SeaTac
With public transportation being inconvenient and taxis and rideshares expensive, the best option would be to drive yourself and park at or near SeaTac Airport. You’ll have the convenience of leaving at the time of your choosing, and you won’t have to wait around looking for a cab on your return to Seattle.
Broadly, there are two types of parking at SeaTac – Â discounted offsite parking lots that can be reserved for $6-10 per day (especially if you reserve ahead of time) or the onsite parking garage that starts at $30 per day. Yes, offsite parking at SeaTac is the more affordable and safer option. Unfortunately, considering how difficult it’s become lately to find parking at SeaTac, reservations at offsite lots are becoming increasingly important.
So, if you’re going to be away from Seattle for a longer period of time, it makes more sense to drive to the airport and park at one of the offsite lots. Even at a rate of $10 per day, including taxes and fees, that still comes out to about $70 for a week and is cheaper than any round-trip Uber or Taxi fare.
What’s more – many of the lots that provide offsite SeaTac parking offer free shuttle runs to the airport and plenty of added amenities like car washes and car detailing. You’ll come back to a car that’s cleaner than it was when you parked it!
Check out more blogs on the best parking spots in your city, the most affordable insurance for your car, and top-rated car washes near you.
