Special Publications - Living Here - Living Here_Resources

POSTED: Sunday, Mar. 30, 2008

Transportation

AIRPORT

Bellingham International Airport, 4255 Mitchell Way, 671-5674, www.portofbellingham.com; under "Transportation," click on "Bellingham Airport."

Flight service and rental cars. International air travel requirements: Citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda are required to present passports, Merchant Mariner Documents (MMDs) or NEXUS Air cards for all international air travel to the United States from within the Western Hemisphere.

Airporter Shuttle: Bellair Charters, 380-8800, www.airporter.com. Scheduled service from Bellingham to SeaTac Airport, downtown Seattle and cities in between.

AMTRAK

(800) USA-RAIL, www.amtrakcascades.com. Departs from Fairhaven Station, adjacent to the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, with routes traveling south to Seattle or north to Vancouver, B.C.

BORDER INFO

www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/border/I5_PeaceArchPark.htm. Check border wait times, border cams and information about taking goods across the border by land.

For an adult U.S. citizen to cross the U.S.-Canada border by land one of the following documents should be presented to prove both identity and citizenship: U.S. Passport, U.S. Passport Card (available spring 2008), Trusted Traveler Cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST), State Issued Enhanced Driver’s License (when available — this secure driver’s license will denote identity and citizenship), Enhanced Tribal Cards (when available), U.S. Military Identification with Military Travel Orders, U.S. Merchant Mariner Document, Native American Tribal Photo Identification Card, Form I-872 American Indian Card.

All U.S. citizens who do not have one of the documents from the list above must present both an identification and citizenship document from each of the categories below. A driver’s license by itself does not constitute sufficient identification.

Identification documents (must have a photo, name and date of birth): driver’s license or identification card issued by a federal, state, county or municipal authority or U.S. military identification card.

Citizenship documents: birth certificate issued by a federal, state, county or municipal authority, U.S. Consular report of birth abroad, U.S. Certificate of Naturalization, U.S. Certificate of Citizenship, U.S. Citizen Identification Card, Canadian Citizenship Card.

Parents traveling with children need a birth certificate for each child. If a child enters the country with only one parent, the child must have a letter from the other parent saying it's OK for the child to enter Canada.

BUS

Greyhound: Fairhaven Station, adjacent to the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 733-5251, regional office (800) 231-2222. Departs four times a day to Vancouver, B.C. and five times daily to downtown Seattle.

Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA): 676-RIDE, www.ridewta.com. Whatcom County bus service, specialized transportation and commuter programs.

FERRY

Alaska Marine Highway System: 676-8445 or (800) 642-0066 (Juneau), www.ferryalaska.com. The passenger/car ferry travels through the Inside Passage and reaches several ports in Southeast Alaska.

British Columbia Ferries, Canada: (250) 386-3431, (888) 223-3779 (from B.C. only), www.bcferries.bc.ca. Passenger/ car ferry to Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and Prince Rupert.

Lummi Island: Whatcom Chief ferry, 676-6692, www.co.whatcom.wa.us/publicworks/ferry. Hourly passenger/car ferry departs from Gooseberry Point. Six-minute crossing time.

San Juan Islands and Victoria, Vancouver Island (seasonal): Victoria/San Juan Cruises: 734-8180. Foot ferry makes one round-trip run daily to Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands and to Victoria’s Inner Harbor.

Washington State Ferries: (888) 808-7977, www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries. Several routes throughout Puget Sound, including the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island, B.C. Route maps, schedules, fares, reservations, wait times, ferry cams.