By Bus -- The best thing about Seattle's Metro bus system (tel. 800/542-7876 in Washington, or 206/553-3000; http://transit.metrokc.gov) is that as long as you stay within the downtown area, you can ride for free between 6am and 7pm. The Ride Free Area is between Alaskan Way (the waterfront) in the west, Sixth Avenue and I-5 in the east, Battery Street in the north, and South Jackson Street in the south. Within this area are Pioneer Square, the waterfront attractions, Pike Place Market, the Seattle Art Museum, and almost all of the city's major hotels. Two blocks from South Jackson Street is the Seahawks Stadium, 3 long blocks from South Jackson Street is Safeco Field (where the Mariners play), and 6 blocks from Battery Street is Seattle Center. Keeping this in mind, you can see a lot of Seattle without having to spend a dime on transportation.
The Ride Free Area also encompasses the Metro Tunnel, which allows buses to drive underneath downtown Seattle, thus avoiding traffic congestion. The tunnel extends from the International District in the south to the Convention Center in the north, with three stops in between. Commissioned artworks decorate each of the stations, making a trip through the tunnel more than just a way of getting from point A to point B. It's open Monday through Friday from 5am to 7pm and Saturday from 10am to 6pm (closed Sun and holidays). When the bus tunnel is closed, buses operate on surface streets. Because the tunnel is within the Ride Free Area, there is no charge for riding through it, unless you are traveling to or from outside of the Ride Free Area.
Discount Passes--On Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, you can purchase an All Day Pass for $2.50; it's available on any Metro bus or the Waterfront Streetcar, and it's good for anywhere outside the Ride Free Area. For other days of the week, you can purchase a Visitor Pass for $5. These passes can be used on buses, the water taxi, and the Waterfront Streetcar. These latter passes are available at Metro Customer Service offices at the Westlake Tunnel Station on the mezzanine level or at King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St. These passes can also be purchased at the Seattle Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Fifth Avenue and Pike Street, and at the Ticket/Ticket counters at Pike Place Market, First Avenue and Pike Street; in Capitol Hill's Broadway Market, 401 Broadway E, and in Bellevue at the Meydenbauer Center, Sixth Street NE and 112th Avenue. For more information, contact Metro (tel. 206/624-PASS; http://transit.metrokc.gov).
If you travel outside the Ride Free Area, fares range from $1.25 to $2, depending on the distance and time of day. (The higher fares are incurred during commuter hours.) Keep in mind when traveling out of the Ride Free Area that you pay when you get off the bus. When traveling into the Ride Free Area, you pay when you get on the bus. Exact change is required; dollar bills are accepted.
By Waterfront Streetcar -- In addition to the bus system, Metro (tel. 800/542-7876 in Washington, or 206/553-3000; http://transit.metrokc.gov) also operates old-fashioned streetcars that follow a route along the waterfront from Pier 70 to Pioneer Square and then east to the corner of Fourth Avenue South and South Jackson Street, which is on the edge of the International District. These streetcars are more tourist attraction than commuter transportation and actually are much more useful to visitors than are most of the city's buses. Tourist sites along the streetcar route include Pioneer Square, the Seattle Aquarium, IMAXDome Film Experience, and Pike Place Market. In the summer, streetcars operate Monday through Friday from around 6:30am to 11:30pm, departing every 20 to 30 minutes; on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays they operate from around 9am to midnight (shorter hours in other months). One-way fare is $1.25 in off-peak hours and $1.50 in peak hours (50¢ for youth ages 5-17); exact change is required. If you plan to transfer to a Metro bus, you can get a transfer good for 90 minutes. Streetcars are wheelchair accessible.
By Monorail -- If you are planning a visit to Seattle Center, there is no better way to get there from downtown than on the Seattle Monorail (tel. 206/905-2620; www.seattlemonorail.com), which leaves from Westlake Center shopping mall (Fifth Ave. and Pine St.). The elevated trains cover the 1 1/4 miles in 2 minutes and pass right through the middle of the Experience Music Project as they arrive and depart from Seattle Center. The monorail operates Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 11pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 11pm. Departures are every 10 minutes. The one-way fare is $1.50 for adults and 75¢ for seniors and children ages 5 to 12.
By Water Taxi -- As long as funding continues to be found, a water taxi operates between the downtown Seattle waterfront (Pier 54) and Seacrest Park in West Seattle, providing access to West Seattle's popular Alki Beach and adjacent paved path. For a schedule of service, check with the Metro (tel. 206/205-3866; http://transit.metrokc.gov). The one-way fare is $2 (free for children under age 5). Also free with a valid bus transfer or all-day pass.
By Ferry -- Washington State Ferries (tel. 800/84-FERRY or 888/808-7977 within Washington State, or 206/464-6400; www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries) is the most extensive ferry system in the United States, and while these ferries won't help you get around Seattle itself, they do offer scenic options for getting out of town (and cheap cruises, too). From downtown Seattle, car ferries sail to Bremerton (1-hr. crossing) and Bainbridge Island (35-min. crossing). From West Seattle, car ferries go to Vashon Island (15-min. crossing) and Southworth (35-min. crossing), which is on the Kitsap Peninsula. One-way fares between Seattle and Bainbridge Island or Bremerton, or between Edmonds and Kingston via car ferry are $9.50 ($12 from mid-May to mid-Oct) for a car and driver, $5.40 for adult car passengers or walk-ons, $2.70 for seniors, and $4.40 for children ages 5 to 18. Car passengers and walk-ons only pay fares on westbound car ferries. One-way fares between Fauntleroy (West Seattle) and Vashon Island or between Southworth and Vashon Island are $12 ($16 from mid-May to mid-Oct) for a car and driver, $3.50 for car passengers or walk-ons, $1.70 for seniors, and $2.80 for children ages 5 to 18. At press time, passenger ferry service to Vashon Island and Bremerton was scheduled to be discontinued.
