If you are travelling to Seattle on a budget here’s a complete visual guide to take the light rail metro from the airport to the city center - also called downtown in the US.
After deboarding the plane, head towards the baggage claim.
On way are various shops and more shops, cafes and utilities like washrooms, which unlike in Germany are thankfully - free.
Along some stretches are also horizontal escalators or moving walkways
After picking your luggage, look out for the sign that says Ground Transportation.
After walking for some time, you will also see boards that read Link Light Rail - Train to Seattle.
Follow the white arrows on red and not the yellow ones - I have put those on top of the photos.
Walking further, the text will change to Link Light Rail & Taxis.
Finally, it will be just Link Light Rail.
You will pass through various areas like these, which are dimly light.
I have enhanced this photo digitally.
Then there are also elevator bays like this orange zone.
But don’t lose sight of the boards that say Link Light Rail.
Remember that the direction boards are far and few and do not appear frequently.
It is almost impossible to see the next one. So just keep walking in the same general direction that you have followed so far.
At one place the direction board is completely misleading.
Continue on the left as indicated with the black arrow in the image below.
Thank me later 
Take another walk along this green carpeted walkway that seems never-ending and has no horizontal escalator or moving walkway.
Halfway through this walkway and I still could not see the end of in the far.
Finally, you will get the first glimpse of the metro track, the metro rail and also the metro station on the left.
But don’t be very happy or excited nor express a sigh of relief.
Dilli Abhi Dur Hai - as they say in India.
The green-floored walkway will lead to another foot bridge that has a brown flooring.
This is also another long walk.
But this is the last leg of your destiny.
The metro light link rail station is just around the corner.
Apologies for the blur photo - my hands were no longer steady due to hunger.
At the end of the brown bridge is the first sight of the metro station.
The text now says just Link. Even the board maker seems tired now 
Check on your right for the ticketing area beyond the metal barricades.
There are 2 ticket vending machines and are accessible for a wheelchair bound person.
The machine accepts cash, credit cards and also the Orca card if you have one.
Note: It does not accept digital or mobile money like the UPI in India.
The US is yet to catch up with this convenience yet, though it is available everywhere in India.
The tickets and change money will be delivered at the bottom.
Note that only USD 3 are required for the metro compared to USD 40 for the taxi.
Thank me one more time later for this
This is the ticket for $3 printed on a thin paper that will take you from the Seattle Airport to the Westlake station, location of the famous Pike Place Market and the prime tourist area with plenty of hotels and hostels, restaurants.
I have kept this as a souvenir.
Blur photo again - trembling hands because I am hungrier 
After getting the tickets, turn your head to the right and walk towards the elevator to the train platform.
They have escalators too, but they were not working when I was there in June 2023.
I noted that the elevator had braille buttons to facilitate the visually impaired.
The elevator also had handles and bars to aid the differently abled.
There were benches on the platform, but people did not sit there.
They were probably anxious to start their journey to Seattle so most of them simply swarmed on the platform eagerly waiting for the metro train to arrive.
Stand on the side that says Seattle & Northgate.
Note: The airport is on the south side of Seattle, and we are heading north.
Soon the metro train arrived, and everyone rushed through its accessible entrances.
Here is a closer view that shows a leveled entry from the platform to the train floor.
This is the view from inside the coach that shows plenty of space for standing and also for sitting.
There were reserved seats for the differently abled.
Also, clear visual instructions were provided about where and how to store the luggage.
After arriving at the Westlake station, take the exit to the Pine St.
The market is on the 3rd avenue.
After several escalators, exit the station on this street, and note the station timings.
They also have more information on their website.
Outside the station I saw lot of construction work going on and several homeless people.
Keep walking in the north direction crossing one avenue after another.
Hip Tip: In the US, roads follow a grid system wherein the streets are laid out east-west and avenues run north-south.
The streets in Seattle have street names also metal embossed. So just watch your steps at every traffic signal or road intersection.
Use the compass app on your mobile device or ask any fellow walker for the avenues and streets.
Make sure you don’t bump into another tourist to seek this information 
When you finally see the Pacific Ocean in the far distance, you have arrived at your destination - the Pike Place market, the most iconic tourist place in Seattle.
Bravo…! For only $3 you can easily reach the city center or downtown as they call it in the US from the Seattle airport.
You saved almost $40 for a taxi though a bit of walking is involved - actually a lot of walking.
In the next few posts, I will show how you can walk to literally every famous tourist place in Seattle and if required take a metro for the full day for just $5.
Whole day roaming around in Seattle for $5 - this is a steal.
