The Washington State Department of Transportation’s website (www.wsdot.wa.gov [1]) is a good one-stop place for links to the various auto, ferry, bus, air, bike, and train options around the state.
Washington’s two major airports are Seattle-Tacoma International (Sea-Tac) and Spokane International, served by nearly all the major carriers and a handful of smaller airlines. Horizon Air (a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines) (800/252-7522, www.horizonair.com [2]) is the big “little” airline, connecting many Washington cities including Seattle [3], Spokane [4], Bellingham [5], Lewiston, Pasco [6], Port Angeles [7], Pullman, Walla Walla [8], Wenatchee [9], and Yakima [10].
Amtrak (800/872-7245, www.amtrak.com [11]) serves Washington with two routes. The north–south route along the West Coast is aboard the Coast Starlight, which has service several times a day to Seattle [3], Tacoma [12], Olympia/Lacey, Centralia, Longview [13]/Kelso [13], Vancouver [14], Portland, and south to Los Angeles. The modern and stylish Cascades provides daily train connections north to Vancouver, B.C., via Edmonds [15], Everett [16], Mount Vernon [17], and Bellingham [5]. The east–west route to Chicago is on the Empire Builder, which has daily service to Spokane, then turns southwest to Portland with stops at Pasco [6], Wishram, Bingen/White Salmon [18], and Vancouver, or to Seattle via Ephrata, Wenatchee [9], Everett, and Edmonds.
Note that Amtrak requires advance reservations; you can’t just go down to the station and climb aboard.
Highways and roads are generally well maintained in Washington. The main approaches to Washington are I-5 from the north or south in the coastal area, I-90 from parts east, and I-84 from eastern Oregon.
Links:
[1] http://www.wsdot.wa.gov
[2] http://www.horizonair.com
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/seattle
[4] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/spokane
[5] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/north-puget-sound/bellingham
[6] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/columbia-gorge-and-wine-country/tri-cities
[7] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/olympic-peninsula-and-the-coast/port-angeles
[8] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/columbia-gorge-and-wine-country/walla-walla
[9] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/columbia-gorge-and-wine-country/wenatchee
[10] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/columbia-gorge-and-wine-country/yakima-valley
[11] http://www.amtrak.com
[12] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/south-puget-sound/tacoma
[13] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/olympic-peninsula-and-the-coast/longview-and-kelso
[14] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/columbia-gorge-and-wine-country/vancouver
[15] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/north-puget-sound/edmonds-and-mukilteo
[16] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/north-puget-sound/everett
[17] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/north-puget-sound/skagit-valley-and-mount-vernon
[18] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/columbia-gorge-and-wine-country/the-columbia-gorge/white-salmon-and-bingen