{"id":8848,"date":"2010-08-18T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2010-08-18T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=8848"},"modified":"2016-12-16T11:46:42","modified_gmt":"2016-12-16T17:46:42","slug":"from-canada-vacations-to-seattle-vacations-splurge-on-cross-border-shopping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2010\/08\/from-canada-vacations-to-seattle-vacations-splurge-on-cross-border-shopping\/","title":{"rendered":"From Canada to Seattle: Splurge on cross-border shopping"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Seattle<\/p>\n

By Robyn Wosk-Peter<\/em>
\nMy husband took my son camping last weekend. Me? I’m a hotel person at heart — generally a fan of comfort. Instead, I took a Seattle vacation<\/a> across the US-Canada border for a girls’ weekend of shopping at the Seattle Premium Outlets<\/strong>. To me, shopping is is just like a trip to the great outdoors: you’ve got to be prepared! Here’s what I recommend:<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0Get a NEXUS Card:<\/strong> It’s a must if you travel often between the US and Canada. Basically it\u2019s a pre-approved pass for \u201clow risk\u201d travelers. You can wiz through lines at border crossings and get the VIP treatment at airports too.<\/p>\n

2. Pick up a VIP Coupon Book: <\/strong>You can find these at the\u00a0premium outlets website<\/a> and print off all these excellent coupons ahead of time. (So you get the online coupon book and the one they have at the desk \u2013 both have different offers).<\/p>\n

3. Taxes: <\/strong>Ask about the sales tax exemption for non-residents at every store. This part was super confusing as some stores are interpreting the tax changes differently than others.\u00a0 There is a law that allows non-residents from states or provinces with a sales tax of less than 3% to shop tax free in Washington. \u00a0On July 1st , British Columbia<\/strong> implemented the HST which isn\u2019t technically a sales tax.\u00a0 Some stores did not charge us tax if we could prove we were residents of BC and some stores did.\u00a0 It\u2019s a bit of a mess so I just ended up asking each store if I was eligible and some charged and some did not.<\/p>\n

4. Burlington, Washington:<\/strong> If you are making the trek anyway, you have to stop at The Outlet Shoppes at Burlington<\/a>. This is about 20 minutes north of the Seattle Premium Outlets but, it\u2019s totally worth the stop.\u00a0 They had some of the same stores as Seattle Premium but, the crowds were smaller. Some great deals at COACH, Nine West, Reebok<\/strong> and a great selection of children\u2019s wear too including Carter\u2019s, OshKosh<\/strong> and GAP<\/strong> outlets.<\/p>\n

5. Stay overnight: <\/strong>For the full shopping experience and to hit everything you need, you may want to stay overnight. \u00a0The closest hotel to the Seattle Premium Outlets is the Tulalip Resort Casino<\/a>. \u00a0 It\u2019s a nice four star and all the rooms are a good size \u00a0so if you are sharing with a girlfriend you are not crawling over each other to get to the washroom. \u00a0There is an indoor pool and spa in case you need to relax after a long day on your feet. \u00a0(Saturday we hit a record \u2013 shopping for 11 hours straight!) \u00a0 But the longer you stay, the more you can bring back tax free!<\/p>\n

6. <\/span>Best deal:<\/strong> The Children\u2019s Place Outlet hands down had the best deals for kids and the clothes aren\u2019t filled with characters all over them. I scored my 5 year old son stacks of clothes all for a grand total of $28.46 as I was tax exempt here. I completely forgot there was a coupon in the book for 15% off or it would have been $24.19. \u00a0 Dang! \u00a0 Tip 6b: double check the coupon book at every store.<\/p>\n

7.Declare what you wear:<\/strong> You absolutely have to declare everything you buy especially if you have a NEXUS card. \u00a0They do not mess around with these things. I know the Canadian border patrol doesn\u2019t look as scary as the US guys but they will stop you if they even think you have anything in the car. \u00a0They are thorough so don\u2019t take a chance. \u00a0 It\u2019s not worth it, so just pay the duty. If you’re out of Canada for less than 24 hours, you have to pay duty on everything you bought. \u00a0If you are out for 24 hours, you get $50 tax exemption. \u00a0If you are out 48 hours, you get $400 tax exception. And if you are gone for a full week, you get a whopping $750 tax exemption.<\/p>\n

8. Coffee:<\/strong> We found out that your GPS cannot be relied upon to find the closest Starbucks<\/strong> at all times. Grab a cup of Starbucks at the outlets before you leave and make sure to stop by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for the best fudge ever. \u00a0The coupon book has a \u201cbuy one slice of fudge, get one free,” which is a perfect sugar fix to get you home.<\/p>\n

Related Resources:<\/p>\n