I'm back writing a bit about these two gorgeous cities I visited over spring break. This trip was a whirlwind of traveling including a three-hour flight to Seattle, two Amtrak trains to and from Vancouver, and the flight back to Denver equals around 18 hours dedicated to just travel, in a four day trip. This doesn't include buses, walking, and cabs/Ubers. You might be able to tell I was exhausted the whole trip, even if it was amazing.

I made a lot of mistakes this trip, but also a lot of decisions I wouldn't trade for the world. Here are my Do's and Don'ts to make sure you make the most of your trip.

The beautiful scenery while traveling on the train from Seattle to Vancouver.

GENERAL

DON'T use currency exchange booths, not at the airport, not at the mall, nope, not anywhere. I lost out on about $50 USD, and I didn't even use my Canadian money. (Don't think the "currency guarantee" will guarantee anything. It's arbitrary.) Get a credit card without foreign transaction fees and try to use that for everything. If you think you'll need some of dat cash-money, go to your bank. They will do currency exchanges the cheapest way.

DON'T forget to find out what your cellphone plan is in Canada. Seems like a no-brainer, but once you're in Canada, there's no going back.

DO drop off your luggage at your hostel/hotel when you arrive. Most places will offer storage for your bags until your check-in time. Walking around with your luggage is less than favorable, even if it seems out of the way. Just do it.

DO give yourself more than a couple days if you plan on exploring both cities.

DO stay in a hostel. Hotels in Seattle are fairly expensive, but getting a private room in a hostel saves you at least $40/night. If you're looking for a little luxury then by all means, treat yo self, but how long are you going to spend in your hotel room? That being said...

DO stay in a nice hotel one night, just to relax, and remember you're on vacation. We stayed at the Georgian Court in Vancouver. It was only $130/night and we had a gorgeous, little suite.

Drew on our way into the heart of Seattle from the airport. He heard they had a Chinatown stop and was beyond excited.

TRAVEL

DO book your Amtrak tickets at least two weeks in advance. I highly recommend this since it can get pricey for a round trip, and these prices just go up and up.

DON'T expect your train to have Wifi. It said it had WiFi when we bought tickets, but alas, it did not.

DO go to bed early the night before your train/plane leaves. Generally, booking morning flights is ideal when traveling to your vacay since you want to be able to spend the day in your destination, and not have to pay for an extra hotel night. You'll be much more rested the next day. This is a good rule of thumb for every trip.

DO use the rail/metro system in Seattle to and from the airport. This airport is fairly far from most attractions, which means a pretty pricey Uber. It takes around 30 minutes to get downtown.

DON'T Uber in Vancouver. Why? Well, ‘cause they don't have it. Instead, they have the outdated cab system. I don't recommend taking cabs at all. Vancouver has a fairly good public transportation system of buses and a metro. We had a bad experience with a couple of cab drivers, and it would have been much cheaper had we figured this out.

SEATTLE

DON'T go to Pike Place Chowder on Sunday. I'm not sure what it's like on the weekdays, but the line went around the block. We were starving so we couldn't try the famous soup, maybe try to go during a slow time.

DO or DON'T ride the ferris wheel on the waterfront. It was fine and there were pretty views of the city, but it's not a must. It's a little pricey for something that lasts 10 minutes.

DO check out the gentlemen throwing the fish. Just do it.

DON'T go to the "original" Starbucks. First off, it's technically not the original. Secondly, it's just a Starbucks, a Starbucks with a really long line. And souvenir mugs.

DO get cheese at Beecher's. I personally don't know how it tasted but Drew said it was "dank."

DO go to Pioneer Square. They have a cute area to walk around, and it's not too touristy if you need a break from Pike Place Market.

DO go to Elliot Bay Book Company. It's a bookstore that satisfy any of your nerdy cravings that only good books can cure. It has a cute cafe where many people are chugging away on their laptops.

DO or DON'T go to the Space Needle. We weren't able to go because for some reason it was closed on a Wednesday. It was a little out of the way, and we definitely didn't want to end up in another tourist trap so we didn't try any other day.

VANCOUVER

DO go to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It may seem pricey and touristy, but it is well worth it. Take the free bus up to the bridge, our driver was really great at explaining everything we passed. Go early in the morning when the fog is still lingering, and during the weekdays to avoid the crowds.

DO go to Gastown. It's a trendy part of town, with cute coffee shops, vegan restaurants, and swanky barbershops. Go to MeeT in Gastown. They have amazing vegan food. We had poutine.

DO go to the Granville Island Public Market. It's a quick, cheap ferry from Sunset Beach Park (which is a lovely place for a walk.) The market is filled with yummy treats, fresh produce, and a cool brewery. The brewery is called Granville Island Brewing. We had lunch there. The beers were alright, but the atmosphere was chill, and the food was good.

DO check out Granville Street. It's a little strip with a ton of fun shops on it.

DO go to Stanley Park. Just not at night, because of bears, I guess. We were only able to drive through it but it's a large park that's super gorgeous.

DON'T stay in Chinatown. It's a little sketchy. Check out the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden though. It looks really cool from the outside. We unfortunately didn't have time to go.

Those are my Do's and Don'ts based off my experiences. Let me know what you think! If you think one of my Don'ts is definitely a Do, comment below!

Seattle to Vancouver - Do's & Don'ts