ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR HOW TO GET AROUND SEATTLE WITHOUT A CAR
TL;DR
No car? No worries! There are several alternative transportation options when visiting Seattle, including the Link Light Rail, county bus, the country’s second oldest monorail, Washington State ferry, e-scooter and e-bike, and good old walking. There’s even an option to get to trailheads if you’re a hiker. This guide reviews each option in greater detail so you can relax and take in all that Seattle has to offer without worrying about the how.
Do You Need a Car to Get Around Seattle?
The short answer: no, you don’t need a car to explore Seattle. In fact, many visitors find it easier, cheaper, and less stressful to get around without one.
Whether you’re traveling from the airport, exploring downtown, or planning day trips from Seattle to places like Mount Rainier or Snoqualmie Falls, Seattle offers a wide range of transportation options, from light rail and buses to ferries, walking routes, and private tours.
In this guide, we’ll break down the best ways to get around Seattle without a car, and help you decide which option works best for your trip.
Best Ways to Get Around Seattle (By Situation)
- From the airport → Downtown: Link Light Rail
- Getting around downtown: Walking + Monorail
- Day trips (Mt. Rainier, Snoqualmie, etc.): Guided tours
- Budget travel: Bus + ORCA
- Scenic experience: Ferry
ORCA Card: Before You Go
ORCA (One Regional Card for All) cards can be used on the Link Light Rail, all King County Metro and Sound Transit buses, Sounder trains, Washington State ferries, King County Water Taxi, the Seattle Center Monorail, and the Seattle Streetcar.
- ORCA card vending machines are located at all Link Light Rail stations (including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport), Sounder train stations, Seattle Ferry Terminal, and the Seattle Monorail.
- There is an app for iPhone or Android to link your physical card
- Google Wallet/Android users have an option to purchase a virtual ORCA card instead
TransitGO Tickets
The TransitGO Ticket App allows users to buy tickets via Android and iPhone devices for King County Metro buses, all Sound Transit services (light rail, buses, train), and the Seattle Streetcar. Tickets must be activated just before boarding, and the app allows up to two hours of free transfers between systems.
Cash & Debit/Credit Card
You can also purchase paper tickets via kiosk with cash or a debit/credit card, and cash (exact change) can be used on all King County Metro and Sound Transit buses, the King County Water Taxi, and when purchasing Washington State Ferry tickets.
Our recommendation is to get an ORCA card. It’s the easiest and most widely accepted payment method, and trips paid for by an ORCA card are transferable for up to two hours across different transportation services.
Let’s Go: Getting Around Seattle
Link Light Rail
Operated by Sound Transit, the Link Light Rail is the Seattle area rail system that runs north-south (and soon east-west!) through the city and outlying areas. At $3.00 per person, it’s an economical ride into Downtown from the airport (and back again at the end of your visit).
There are four stops within the Downtown core, each with easy access to all that Downtown Seattle has to offer.
The Link Light Rail also makes it easy to take side trips out of downtown to spots like the University of Washington campus. And, effective March 2026, the Link Light Rail will cross Lake Washington to connect to Bellevue, Redmond, and the greater Eastside, making it the world’s first track system placed on a floating bridge!
Hours of Operation: The light rail operates 7 days a week, with service 5AM to 1AM weekdays and Saturdays, and 6AM to Midnight Sundays.
Fares are $3.00 for Adults, $1.00 for seniors, and youth 18 and under ride free. When fare is paid using an ORCA card, the trip is transferable to other Puget Sound regional transit services within a two-hour window, including King County Metro buses, Sound Transit Express buses, Sounder trains, Seattle Streetcar, and the Seattle Monorail.
Bus: King County Metro or Sound Transit
Two systems provide bus transportation in and around Seattle and surrounding areas: King County Metro and Sound Transit. Buses run around the clock and cover the Greater Seattle Metropolitan area including Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, and Everett. Single adult fare is $3.
Uber/Lyft/Cab
Like in any other major city, Uber, Lyft, and cab options are abundant in and around Seattle, and offer a quick ride from A to B. They are the most expensive option but offer additional convenience.
Walking
Get your steps in while exploring the Emerald City. Seattle was named the most walkable city by Travel & Leisure Magazine in 2025, and for good reason. The Seattle Waterfront and Pike Place Market are great options for walking, and the new Overlook Walk is a system of pathways, stairs, and elevators that connects the Market with Ocean Pavilion, the new addition to the Seattle Aquarium at the water’s edge.
If you’d like to experience Seattle neighborhoods and take in stunning lake and skyline views, consider the Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop Trail. It’s a scenic, mostly paved and mostly level 6.5 mile trail that encircles the entirety of Lake Union just north of downtown.
The rest of the city is definitely walkable—just remember Seattle is a city of hills, so plan accordingly!
Pedicab
Whimsical and nimble pedicabs are often an obvious and abundant transportation option before and after major sporting events near Pioneer Square, the waterfront, and the Stadium District. Some pedicabs may use dispatch apps, but most are typically hailed directly on the street. Fares vary depending on trip length and negotiated rate; cash (preferred) and credit/debit card accepted.
Seattle Monorail
A delightful relic from the 1962 World’s Fair, the Seattle Center Monoraill is a short trip but a fun one that takes you between the Space Needle and Pine Street’s retail corridor. The original Red Train or Blue Train manufactured by the Alweg company in Germany in 1961 whisks you a whopping .9 mile in mid-century futuristic style.
Hours of operation vary, but generally the Monorail runs 7:30-9pm Monday through Friday and 8:30AM-11PM Saturday and Sunday. Extended service hours are offered during special events.
Adult one-way fare is $4; seniors 65+ and youth 6-18 one-way fare is $2; children under 5 ride free.
Washington State Ferry
As a city surrounded by water, Seattle has water transportation covered, too. Washington State is home to the largest ferry system in the United States (and the world’s second largest after the Istanbul Ferry Network in Turkey). There are two routes out of Seatlte’s main waterfront: Bremerton and Bainbridge Island.
The ferry trip to Bainbridge Island has been coined locally as the “best sightseeing bargain around.” For just $11.25 per person round-trip if you walk on, the Bainbridge Island ferry takes you from the Seattle waterfront on a 35-minute scenic ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. A 5-minute walk from the ferry dock takes you to a wonderful, entirely walkable downtown Bainbridge area full of shops, restaurants, galleries, and more.
King County Water Taxi
The King County Water Taxi (AKA West Seattle Water Taxi) is another water transportation option that takes riders 10-15 minutes across Elliott Bay to West Seattle—Seattle’s second largest residential neighborhood. Once on the West Seattle side, you’ll find walking paths, restaurants, sweeping panoramic views of Downtown Seattle, and free shuttles operated by King County Metro that take you to other areas of West Seattle from the water taxi dock. There is another route that takes you to Vashon Island, about 22 minutes across Elliott Bay and part of Puget Sound.
Fares start at $5.75 per person each way.
Electric Scooters & Bikes
Feel the wind in your hair as you zip around Seattle streets. Seattle’s e-scooters and e-bikes provide a quick means of getting around both the downtown area as well as surrounding neighborhoods. Prices vary by provider, time of day, and location. Be sure to remain alert and follow all applicable traffic rules.
More information: E-Scooter & E-Bike Share
Sounder Train
Primarily a commuter means of getting into and out of Seattle (versus a way of getting around Seattle), you can hop a Sounder train and travel south to Tacoma or north to Edmonds, where you’ll find one of the popular local whale watching tour companies. Sounder trains also travel further north to Everett, home of the Everett Boeing Factory and Boeing Future of Flight Interactive Aviation Center and Museum.
Adult one-way fares range between $3.25 and $5.75, depending on distance traveled. Fares for seniors and individuals with disabilities are $1.00 per trip, and youth 18 and under ride free.
Streetcar:
Seattle’s first electric streetcars were introduced in 1889, and by 1892 the city had 48 miles of electric streetcars and 22 miles of cable railway. Those are now part of Seattle transportation history, but two streetcar lines were reintroduced within the last 20 years:
The South Lake Union line connects the rapidly developing South Lake Union neighborhood to Seattle’s downtown core across 1.3 miles and seven stops that include shops, restaurants, Amazon headquarters, and Lake Union’s 12-acre waterfront park.
The First Hill line connects the residential neighborhoods and business districts of Capitol Hill, First Hill, Yesler Terrace, Central Area, Chinatown-International District, and Pioneer Square. It also serves major medical centers, local colleges and universities, and sports event venues.
Seasonal Options:
Free Waterfront Park Shuttle
Between late May and early September the Friends of Waterfront Park provides a free, ADA-accessible shuttle service along the Seattle waterfront. The route begins at the Space Needle and travels down to and along the waterfront and up into Pioneer Square, Seattle’s historic district. It operates 7 days a week from 10AM to 8PM with several stops along the route and shuttles running every 20-25 minutes. Standard adult fare is $3.
Trailhead Direct
Visiting Seattle and want to hike? King County Metro’s Trailhead Direct
offers weekend and holiday bus service from Seattle’s Capitol Hill and Mount Baker neighborhoods and Bellevue’s Eastgate area to popular Issaquah Alps and North Bend hiking trails. Trailheads include Mount Si, Little Si, and Mount Teneriffe. The service typically runs May to September. Cost is the standard King County Metro fare of $3.
When a Tour is the Better Option
While public transportation works well within Seattle, it becomes much more difficult when visiting destinations outside the city, like Mount Rainier or Snoqualmie Falls.
These locations often require multiple transfers, long travel times, or are not easily accessible without a car.
That’s where guided Seattle tours can save time and simplify your trip, providing direct transportation, local expertise, and a curated experience without the hassle of planning logistics.
Skip the Transit Stress and Let Us Handle the Driving
If you’d rather spend your time enjoying the scenery instead of navigating transit schedules, Tours Northwest offers private and small-group tours to Washington’s top destinations.
From Mount Rainier Day Trips and Snoqualmie Falls Tours to scenic hiking trails and island getaways, we’ll handle transportation, timing, and logistics, so you can relax and enjoy the experience.
Explore our Seattle Tours & Activities.
FAQs: How to Get Around Seattle Without a Car
Do you need a car in Seattle as a tourist?
No, you don’t need a car to visit Seattle. The city is very walkable and has an extensive public transportation system that includes light rail, buses, ferries, and streetcars. Many popular attractions like Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and the waterfront are easily accessible without a car. For destinations outside the city, such as Mount Rainier or Snoqualmie Falls, guided tours from Seattle or private transportation are often the most convenient option.
What is the best way to get from Seattle-Tacoma Airport to downtown Seattle?
The easiest and most affordable way to get from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to downtown Seattle is the Link Light Rail. It runs frequently, takes about 35–40 minutes, and costs around $3.00. Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are also available and faster depending on traffic, but they are more expensive.
Is Seattle a walkable city?
Yes, Seattle is considered one of the most walkable cities in the United States, especially in downtown areas like Pike Place Market, the waterfront, and Belltown. However, Seattle is known for its hills, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Many neighborhoods are pedestrian-friendly and offer scenic routes with great views of the water and skyline.
What is the cheapest way to get around Seattle?
The most affordable way to get around Seattle is by using public transportation, including buses, light rail, and streetcars. An ORCA card allows you to easily pay for fares and transfer between systems within a two-hour window. Walking is also a free and popular option for exploring central neighborhoods.
Are Seattle ferries worth taking for visitors?
Yes, Seattle ferries are one of the most scenic and enjoyable ways to experience the area. The ferry to Bainbridge Island is especially popular and offers stunning views of the Seattle skyline and Puget Sound. It’s an affordable and memorable activity that combines transportation with sightseeing.