Exploring Seattle with Kids: How to Use Public Transportation

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Exploring Seattle with Kids: How to Use Public Transportation Around the City Center

Visiting Seattle with children is an adventure filled with exciting attractions, waterfront parks, museums, and cozy cafés. When we decided to discover Seattle without renting a car for a few days, we were amazed by how easy it was to get around the city center by bus and light rail. Traveling with kids in a new city can be a bit overwhelming, but by using a combination of public transport and services like Taxibambino.com for specific family transfers, we found a perfect balance between freedom and comfort.

How Public Transportation Works in Downtown Seattle

Seattle's public transportation is well-organized and quite family-friendly. The buses, run by King County Metro, and the Link Light Rail, operated by Sound Transit, cover most areas you’ll want to visit. For us, staying in the downtown area, the Link Light Rail and a few key bus lines connected us to nearly every major kid-friendly attraction without stress.

Tickets can be easily bought using the ORCA Card, Seattle’s electronic fare system. You can load value onto a physical ORCA Card or use the new ORCA mobile app. Fares are reasonable: for buses within downtown Seattle, a one-way adult ticket typically costs $2.75, and kids under 18 years old can ride for free with a Youth ORCA Card, which you can order online or pick up at transportation hubs like Westlake Station. On the Link Light Rail, adult fares range from $2.25 to $3.50, depending on distance, and again, children with a Youth ORCA Card travel free.

More detailed fare and ORCA Card information can be found directly through the Sound Transit website.

We appreciated that boarding buses with a stroller was easy — drivers were accommodating and the buses were equipped with low floors or ramps.

The Closest Stations and Stops to Kid-Friendly Attractions

When you travel with young kids, minimizing walking distance is key. Luckily, downtown Seattle’s stations and bus stops are well placed. We used the Westlake Station on the Link Light Rail as our main base, which connects directly to the airport, downtown shops, and Pike Place Market. From there, it was simple to reach:

• Seattle Aquarium and the Waterfront Park: Only about a 10-minute walk from University Street Station.

• Pacific Science Center and Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP): From Westlake Station, it’s just a short ride on the Seattle Center Monorail, which departs directly from inside the Westlake Center Mall. The Monorail costs $3.50 per adult and $1.75 per child aged 5–12, with kids under 5 riding free.

• Woodland Park Zoo: Buses from 3rd Avenue downtown (Route 5) dropped us within a few blocks of the main entrance.

• Seattle Children’s Museum: Also easily accessible via the Monorail to Seattle Center.

Whenever we needed to make a trip with luggage or tired kids at the end of a long day, we arranged a comfortable taxi with car seat through Taxibambino.com, making transitions smooth and hassle-free.

Tips for a Smooth Public Transit Experience with Kids

Although buses and the Link Light Rail run frequently, weekends and late evenings can see some service reductions. We found it helpful to check real-time arrivals with apps like OneBusAway or simply Google Maps. If you are using strollers, buses have designated areas where you can park them without folding.

If you plan to stay longer than a couple of days, we recommend setting up an ORCA account ahead of time, especially to request a Youth ORCA Card for your children. This way, you avoid lines and save time when boarding.

Seattle is very serious about fare compliance on the Link Light Rail, so make sure you tap your ORCA Card both when entering and exiting to avoid fines. Children traveling free still need to have their cards available if requested.

Why Public Transport and Taxibambino are the Perfect Combo in Seattle

For our family, using buses and the light rail in the city center was affordable, easy, and even part of the fun. Yet for certain trips — especially when needing car seats or heading to places further out like the airport — Taxibambino.com provided the reliable service we needed, offering peace of mind knowing our kids traveled safely.

Using both public transit and family-specific transport allowed us to explore Seattle flexibly, affordably, and without missing any of the magic this wonderful city has to offer.