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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Redmond, Washington
Redmond
Base in Redmond only if Microsoft or the bike trails bring you: 1–2 nights, walkable downtown, 30 min to Seattle by car off-peak.
Redmond is a tech suburb on the Eastside of Lake Washington, 15 mi (24 km) from Seattle, home to Microsoft's main campus and Nintendo of America. Downtown is small and walkable, the Sammamish River Trail and Marymoor Park carry the outdoors, and the 2 Line light rail now links it to Bellevue, Mercer Island and Seattle. Most travellers use it as a quiet, cheaper bed for Seattle or Bellevue rather than a sightseeing base.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Redmond
- Best months
- May–Sep (dry, long days); late Sep–Oct for colour
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (rain, short days); summer weekday rush hour on SR-520
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $120–200 excl. bed · High $220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–7 |
| Indian lunch buffet | $8–16 |
| Casual dinner main | $15–28 |
| Draft beer in a bar | $7–10 |
| Link light rail ride | $3.00 flat (check) |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) rideshare3.1 mi (5 km) rideshare | $12–20 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SEA · Seattle-Tacoma International (Sea-Tac)
- Link 1 Line to downtown Seattle, then 2 Line to Redmond; about 1.5 h total. A car is about 30 min in good traffic.
Typical fares
- SEA → Redmond by transit
- about $3–6 in Link fares, about 1.5 h (check)
- Link 2 Line, any ride
- $3.00 flat adult, 41 min end to end (check)
- SR-520 bridge toll
- varies by time of day, no booths (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Downtown is flat and walkable; a bike is the local way to move (rentals in town, trails along the Sammamish River). The 2 Line light rail runs from Downtown Redmond to Bellevue, Mercer Island and Seattle, roughly every 8–10 min, 5:00–1:00 weekdays, 41 min end to end, flat $3.00 adult fare (check). King County Metro and Sound Transit buses (RapidRide B, 245, 250, 542, 545, 566) cover the Eastside; a car helps for anything outside the core.Downtown is flat and walkable; a bike is the local way to move (rentals in town, trails along the Sammamish River). The 2 Line light rail runs from Downtown Redmond to Bellevue, Mercer Island and Seattle, roughly every 8–10 min, 5:00 AM–1:00 AM weekdays, 41 min end to end, flat $3.00 adult fare (check). King County Metro and Sound Transit buses (RapidRide B, 245, 250, 542, 545, 566) cover the Eastside; a car helps for anything outside the core.
See and do
Known for
- Microsoft campus and Visitor Center
- Marymoor Park and the velodrome
- Sammamish River Trail and 520 Bike Trail
- Indian and Chinese restaurants
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 2 Line light rail from Downtown Redmond, or SR-520 by car | 45–60 min by rail; 25–40 min by car |
| Bellevue | 2 Line light rail or RapidRide B | 20–30 min |
| Kirkland | Metro 250, or bike via Old Redmond Rd | 25–35 min |
| Issaquah | East Lake Sammamish Pkwy by car, or I-90 | 20–30 min |
| Renton | Sound Transit 566 | 40–50 min |
| Vashon Island | Car or bus to the Fauntleroy or Point Defiance ferry | 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Downtown Redmond
- Around Redmond Town Center and the Transit Center: walkable to food, shops and the 2 Line; the default for a short stay.
- Overlake / Redmond Technology Station
- Microsoft campus and the tech corridor; chain hotels, easy light rail and SR-520 access, little street life.
- Marymoor / Sammamish River
- Quieter, next to Marymoor Park and the trails; best with a bike or car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the light rail station? | Where is the light rail station? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- SR-520 across Lake Washington is tolled with no booths: a Good To Go pass or a mailed bill by plate.
- Rush hour can turn a 10–15 min Eastside–Seattle drive into 30–40 min.
- Some bike trails end abruptly on busy roads; plan the last link.
- Prices are shown before Washington sales tax.
Low street crime; the real risks are wet roads, dark early winter evenings and unlit trail sections. Standard US city sense applies.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Redmond, Washington yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Microsoft campus and Visitor Center
- Marymoor Park and the velodrome
- Sammamish River Trail and 520 Bike Trail
- Indian and Chinese restaurants
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Redmond: redmond.gov
- Sound Transit: www.soundtransit.org/
- King County Metro: kingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro
- Marymoor Park (King County Parks): www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/inventory/marymoor.aspx
- Microsoft Visitor Center: www.microsoft.com/en-us/visitorcenter
- Wikivoyage: Redmond (Washington), revision 5336965 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5336965
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Redmond, WashingtonRedmond
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Redmond; consulates-general are in Seattle (check the address).
US tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/redmond-washington). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.