Seattle is one of the West Coast's most popular vacation destinations, which makes pre-visit planning essential. Try to make your hotel and car reservations as far in advance as possible -- not only will you save money, but you'll also be more likely to find rooms available in the most highly recommended hotels. Summer is the peak tourist season in Seattle, and from June through September downtown hotels are often fully booked for days or even weeks at a time. Consequently, reservations -- for hotel rooms, rental cars, or tables at restaurants -- are imperative. If you plan to visit during the city's annual Seafair summer festival in late July and early August, when every hotel in town can be booked, reservations are especially important.

Oh, yeah, and about that rain. Seattle's rainy weather may be infamous, but Seattleites have ways of dealing with the dreary days. They either put on their rain gear and head outdoors just as if the sun were shining, or they retreat to the city's hundreds of excellent restaurants and cafes, its dozens of theaters and performance halls, its outstanding museums, its many movie theaters, and its excellent bookstores. They rarely let the weather stand in the way of having a good time, and neither should you.

Although summer is the best time to visit, Seattle offers year-round diversions and entertainment, and because it is still a seasonal destination, hotel rooms here are a real bargain during the rainy months between October and April.