After visiting Seattle for the first time, I learned some tips worth sharing that I didn’t necessarily see in my research prior to the trip that I thought would be useful to share.
There are little to no cabs on the streets
Unlike many cities, I didn’t see any taxi cabs on the streets for the exception of Downtown along the piers near the Great Wheel. But even then, it was hard to imagine that every tourist was using Uber/Lyft (besides walking of course) to get around. My parents, for example, don’t have the apps on their phone nor would they know how to use it if I downloaded it for them. Therefore, every time we split up, I had to schedule them an Uber. I’m not sure what they would’ve done without us! Apparently there is a city rail system, but it didn’t seem very popular nor did I notice a single stop/station.
Almost everywhere has no air conditioning
I know this is may sound petty, but as Floridians, we are used to air conditioning when the temperatures reach above 75 degrees (though we use it year-round). We were surprised how few places had it even though it was close to or above 90 degrees for most of our trip! Thankfully, Seattle Oasis Vacations provided rotating fans in every room of our apartment, but it was still warmer than our preferred sleeping temperature and in most restaurants.
Seattle is very hilly
We were surprised by how hilly the city itself is, and quickly learned to check the directions on Google Maps before walking somewhere to see how much of an incline we’ll be walking on. Make sure to wear good shoes and be respectful of those you might be traveling with who might be older or have injuries.
I-5 is known for having bad traffic
During our stay we heard about and saw how bad traffic can be going in and out of the city via Interstate 5 (I-5). Remarkably, in our two day trips out of the city and airport rides, we never got stuck in it. However, I would recommend being mindful of how much longer it might take you to get from point A to point B during rush hour on this highway.
Seattle is home to the headquarters of many major companies
Besides the obvious – Starbucks, Amazon and Microsoft – Seattle and its suburbs are home to many large companies such as Nordstrom (my personal favorite), Costco, T-Mobile, AllRecipes, Getty Images, WhitePages, Zillow and many more!
I hope you learned something new from these useful and fun facts about the beautiful city of Seattle!
Check out all of my Seattle guides here!