Amtrak Cascades arrives in Bellingham, Washington. Photo/Slideshow by Sue Frause.

---

Related Amtrak articles by Sue Frause

• Amtrak Cascades to begin second daily train service between Seattle and Vancouver, BC

• Ten years of train hopping: Amtrak Cascades to Bellingham, Washington

• Trains, planes and ferry boats: Carless getaway to Vancouver and Victoria

• Portland, Oregon: Take Amtrak to this city of hip hotels and cool restaurants

Although I don't have tickets to any of the Olympic events in Vancouver or Whistler, I am going up four days prior to the start of the 2010 Winter Games (Feb. 12-28, 2010).

As always, my preferred mode of transportation is Amtrak Cascades. Two daily trains depart Seattle for Vancouver at 7:40 AM and 7:50 PM. It's about a four-hour journey. They also pick up passengers in Edmonds, Everett, Stanwood (new), Mt. Vernon and Bellingham.

But something funny happened on the way to making my reservations. I used my Amtrak Guest Rewards for my ticket from Everett, WA to Vancouver, BC on Feb. 9, 2010. If you're not familiar with their rewards program, it's worth checking out. And it means that I got a free trip. But not having enough points for a round-trip, I booked my return trip online. The Business Class one-way fare from Vancouver-Seattle came to $32.70 with my AAA discount.

Recently, I checked into booking a one-way trip to from Seattle to Vancouver on Tuesday, Feb. 23. That's right in the heart of the Games, and I thought it would be fun to hang out in the city -- who knows, maybe even score a ticket! If not, I'll pop into a few of the Canada Houses and Pavilions, each representing a Canadian province or territory. And I'd love to check out the House of Switzerland on Granville Island, located in Bridges restaurant. Hopefully they'll have fondue!

To my surprise, when I went to check the one-way fare from Seattle to Vancouver, it was $70! I realized that it would be a bit more leaving from Seattle instead of Everett, but I was still shocked at the hefty fare. I called Amtrak and talked to one of their agens, who basically said the rate was higher because the train was "fuller." Huh? Which means that there is no set fare from one city to another, it's all based on availability.

Well, I purchased a ticket, and with my AAA discount it was $64.30 from Seattle to Vancouver. That's about double what I paid to go from Vancouver to Everett. But hey, the train is fuller. That said, if you're planning to go to the Olympics via Amtrak, book early and plan to spend a bit more. But it's still less of a hassle than driving and trying to find a place to park anywhere near the Olympic venues.  

And even better is that they've changed the evening departure time from Vancouver to Seattle. It was originally at 6 PM,  but has been extended to 7:45 PM, giving day travelers that much longer in the Olympic city. There's also a 6:40 AM southbound train for those who have scored a hotel room.