Staying in Seattle Without a Car
You don't need one if you pick the right place to sleep. Seattle's Link light rail runs on one line from Sea-Tac Airport through the stadiums and downtown to the University of Washington, and most of what visitors come for is within a short walk of a station. We host a vacation rental near the Mount Baker station, and plenty of our guests never drive the whole trip.
How the Link Light Rail Works
The 1 Line is the one visitors use. It runs roughly every 10 minutes for most of the day, from early morning until around midnight. Adult fare is a flat $3 per ride, paid with an ORCA card (buy one from the machines at any station) or the Transit GO Ticket phone app. Kids 18 and under ride free.
At the airport, the station is attached to the parking garage, so you walk straight from baggage claim to the platform. Downtown is under 40 minutes away, and the South Seattle stops (Columbia City, Mount Baker, Beacon Hill) are around 25. When traffic on I-5 is bad, which is most afternoons, the train beats a rideshare.
Where to Stay if You're Not Renting a Car
Anywhere within a 15-minute walk of a Link station works. Three areas fit that best, with different trade-offs.
Downtown and Belltown put you steps from Pike Place Market and the waterfront, with the most hotel choice. You'll pay downtown prices, and the blocks around some stations get loud at night.
Capitol Hill is the food-and-nightlife neighborhood, one stop north of downtown with its own busy station. Great if you want to be out late; vacation rentals here run smaller and pricier.
The South Seattle rail corridor (Beacon Hill, Columbia City, and Mount Baker) is where the value is. These are residential neighborhoods with restaurant streets of their own (Columbia City's is one of the city's best), whole homes to rent instead of hotel rooms, and a direct ride in both directions: about 15 minutes to downtown and about 25 to the airport, with no transfers. Our place, Hirico Prime, is here: a two-bedroom townhome that sleeps four, about a 15-minute walk from Mount Baker Station, with a grocery store next door for the nights you'd rather cook.
What You Can Do Car-Free
Travel times below are from Mount Baker Station, northbound:
- Seahawks, Sounders, and Mariners games: about 10 minutes to Stadium Station, a short walk from both Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park. You skip the stadium parking and the postgame traffic.
- Chinatown-International District: about 10 minutes, for dim sum, Uwajimaya, and some of the best cheap eats in the city.
- Pike Place Market and the waterfront: about 15 minutes to Westlake Station, then a downhill walk.
- Capitol Hill: under 20 minutes for dinner and a show.
- A ferry day trip: ride to Pioneer Square, walk to Colman Dock, and take the Bainbridge Island ferry as a walk-on passenger. The crossing itself is the best cheap sightseeing in Seattle.
- Lake Washington: skip the train and walk from Mount Baker down to the swimming beach at Mount Baker Park.
When You'll Still Want a Car
The mountains are the exception. Mount Rainier, the Olympic Peninsula, Snoqualmie Falls, and the North Cascades all require a car, so if one of those is on the list, rent one just for that day rather than pay to park a car you ignore the rest of the trip. And if you do drive the whole way up, the garage here fits one car.
Questions We Get About Car-Free Visits
Do you need a car to visit Seattle?
No, as long as you stay near a Link light rail station. The train connects Sea-Tac Airport, the stadiums, downtown, Capitol Hill, and the University of Washington on one line, and downtown itself is walkable. You only need a car for day trips out of the city, like Mount Rainier or the Olympic Peninsula.
How do you get from Sea-Tac Airport to the city without a car?
Take the Link light rail from the station attached to the airport parking garage. It runs about every 10 minutes, costs a flat $3 for adults, and reaches South Seattle stops like Columbia City and Mount Baker in roughly 25 minutes and downtown in under 40, which is often faster than a rideshare in traffic.
Can you get to Seahawks and Mariners games without a car?
Yes. Stadium Station is a short walk from both Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park, and trains run frequently after games. From the Mount Baker or Columbia City stations in South Seattle it's about a 10-minute ride, which beats paying for stadium parking.
Stay on the Line
Hirico Prime sleeps four in Mount Baker, minutes from the train and next door to groceries.
More guides: Game Days by Light Rail · Columbia City & Mount Baker · Remote Work Stays