Unfortunately, once you get away from hotel parking, the pay lots are generally targeted towards commuters, which means no in/out privileges. I'm fairly certain that there are no free, unrestricted spaces on city streets within the bus "ride free" area. You might be able to find free long-term parking on the street in lower Queen Anne or South Lake Union, but then you'd have to pay for the bus back and forth (or the walk to the Westin would probably take 20-30 minutes).

One approach would be to stick with metered parking on the streets near the Westin. Parking meters are generally in effect Monday-Saturday from 8am - 6pm, at a rate of $1.50 per hour. This would total $15 for all day, but you'd have the flexibility to come/go as you please. Parking at night and on Sundays is free on the street. However, if you go this route, you would be tied to moving your car every 2 hours during the day, and would risk parking tickets/towing if you misread one of the parking signs.

-Carrie

your not asking much are you? Just kidding. Westin is in the heart of the city but meters are free after 6 pm so street parking is actually pretty easy to find. For cheaper parking look at the lots right off Stewart Street exit from I-5 around 8 to 9th avenue. They do have an overnite rate and an earlybird special for all day parking. NO one I can think of has in and out except for hotel lots. Maybe someone else can suggest something else. The lots near Pacific Place have pretty resonable 2 or 3 hr rates so check around after you get here. North of the Westin around 6th or 7th you will also find less expensive parking

I don't know of any inexpensive lots that offer in & out priviledges (that pretty much is only available when you buy monthly parking pass or are at a hotel garage).

Some of the lots in the Belltown area (north end of downtown up towards the Space Needle) are slightly less, if you're willing to walk about 8 blocks.

Finding a Metro bus that happens to run from a parking lot back to the Westin is going to be a bit tricky, you'd still need to walk a ways.

Oh, here's an important and recent note about parking meters!!

You are only officially allowed one 2-hours in the same spot. You can't reload the meter, at the risk being ticketed. My office is downtown and they've started doing this lately... So not only would you have to luck into finding a street parking place, you'd need to MOVE the car every 2 hours and luck into *another* street parking place. Just not practical (except for after 6pm when it's free).

Yes, parking on the street during the day only really works if you're going to be moving around the city.

Otherwise, find a lot that offers a (relatively) inexpensive early bird rate and move there by 8 AM after parking on the street overnight, planning your non-car activities for at least the morning and early afternoon so you get your money's worth from the early bird rate.