[Travel] Niagara flying in and out of Toronto

[One Love]

Hi

Looking for some advice and tips from the vast knowledge base.

Going there in September, arriving on a Thursday, looking to spend 4 nights in Toronto, travel down to Niagara, stay a couple of nights and then back to Toronto.

Am I doing it right ?

And where is best to stay in Niagara especially with a great view of the falls?

Many thanks

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

We have a Toronto based NSCer so I'm sure they will be along with some good advice later.

It's been a fair few years since I last wend but if you don't have a car, there is a train from Toronto down to Niagara although it was amazingly slow.

 

[Bodian]

We have a Toronto based NSCer so I'm sure they will be along with some good advice later.

It's been a fair few years since I last wend but if you don't have a car, there is a train from Toronto down to Niagara although it was amazingly slow.

I caught that. It was amazingly slow as it broke down and we had to sit in it for a couple of hours. Mind you - we did get regular updates on where the engineer had got to along the highway with the spare part. Nonetheless, it's a good journey by train - enjoyable.

 

[Normal Rob]

I drove from Toronto to Niagara a few years ago and it was a painful journey though i think travelling over thanksgiving was a mistake (i was unaware). TBH i was thoroughly underwhelmed by Niagara Falls or more the Americanised carnival that surrounds it. Had I not already arrived later than planned and booked into a motel on the outskirts i'd have happily moved on to my next destination that day.

 

[heathgate]

I drove from Toronto to Niagara a few years ago and it was a painful journey though i think travelling over thanksgiving was a mistake (i was unaware). TBH i was thoroughly underwhelmed by Niagara Falls or more the Americanised carnival that surrounds it. Had I not already arrived later than planned and booked into a motel on the outskirts i'd have happily moved on to my next destination that day.

I am due to go there next year after having to cancel this year's trip due to family bereavement,.. we added Toronto onto our Itinerary, with a falls trip booked in.... but reading reviews in various platforms I get the feeling it is just not worth the effort.

 

[Gazwag]

We did this in 2007 so quite a while ago so I'm sure a lot has changed, landed in Toronto and got a taxi to Niagara, stayed in the Embassy hotel with a fallsview room for a couple of nights and then went back to Toronto. One night would probably be enough. Look at the Blue Jays fixtures as well when you are in Toronto.

 

[dazzer6666]

Did it in a day trip from Toronto last Autumn, busy road down there but easily doable. Niagara town looked a bit of a tacky place to be honest, like a tiny Vegas. @Badger is probably best placed to advise

 

[tronnogull]

Niagara town is tacky. But the falls themselves are absolutely worth going to.

Niagara on the Lake is a nicer place to stay. I'd suggest staying there and visiting the Falls on a day trip.

 

[Yes Chef]

I got a bus from Toronto to Niagara, which was cheap and comfortable, and took a couple of hours.

I thought the Canadian side was more touristy than the American, but this was around 20 years ago.

I stayed in Buffalo, which unless you like Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, is unlikely to lure you in

 

[dazzer6666]

Niagara town is tacky. But the falls themselves are absolutely worth going to.

Niagara on the Lake is a nicer place to stay. I'd suggest staying there and visiting the Falls on a day trip.

Definitely….although Niagara on the Lake is rammed with day trippers as well

 

[albionalex]

You can take a coach or train to Niagara and do it in a day. No need to stay the night unless you want to go out on the town (which I wouldn't recommend).

As others have said, Niagara on the Lake is very nice; there are lots of wineries in the area and some hiking trails too.

If you want to do the falls and Niagara on the Lake I would recommend renting a car for 24 hours.

 

[de la zouch]

Used to work in Toronto quite a lot and was repeatedly told by the locals “don’t go to Niagara, it’s a dump” on my last work trip there I tagged on a visit to the falls. Guess what the locals were 100% correct, it was awful, tacky and remarkably underwhelming.

 

[dazzer6666]

Used to work in Toronto quite a lot and was repeatedly told by the locals “don’t go to Niagara, it’s a dump” on my last work trip there I tagged on a visit to the falls. Guess what the locals were 100% correct, it was awful, tacky and remarkably underwhelming.

The Falls themselves are worth seeing imo, but the sheer numbers of visitors and the sense of cattle-herding onto the boats detract from it a bit.

 

[Barham's tash]

Like others have said it is a bit of a tacky circus but if you have even a mild passing interest in natural geographical/geological wonders then 100% do it.

The boat trip [Maids of the mist] and or walk behind the horsehoe falls is incredible. The force and volume of the water is absolutely astonishing.

 

[Rookie]

I got the train / bus down (think it depends on the time of year whether the train goes all the way). Stayed in a hotel (high floor) over looking the falls, speculator. Toronto is a great city to explore

 

[Jovis]

Did this in October. Booked a day trip from Toronto with a tour operator which meant all attractions were booked for us, and we skipped the lines. Picked up from the hotel at 7.30am, 80min drive, back at the hotel by late afternoon. Personally I wouldn’t stay longer, but if you are in Toronto visiting the Falls is a must.

 

[Badger]

Echoing what other people have said, I wouldn't spend much time in the town of Niagara Falls. It's incredibly tacky, apart from the park right next to the falls. You can easily do it as a day trip from Toronto. There is a GO Train from Toronto to Niagara Falls which takes about 2 hours. Last time I took it, I think there was a train out there at 9am and back at either 7pm or 11pm. I think there might be a few more options now. The train takes about 2 hours, which is similar to the drive (traffic really sucks on highways anywhere near Toronto). There are obviously lots of bus tour options too.

Niagara-on-the-lake is very nice. There's not a lot to do there though. It's a very pretty little town with a few souvenir shops and some (overpriced) restaurants.

The only reason to stay a couple of days in the area is if you're interested in wine. The Niagara region is full of vineyards and there are some good wine tours you can do. I have done a bike ride between some of the wineries and breweries in the area, which was a lot of fun.

If I was looking to spend a couple of nights away from Toronto, I would choose Prince Edward County. It's a couple of hours east of Toronto and also a wine region. It has Sandbanks provinical park which has a huge beach and sand dunes. Lots of interesting little towns to explore too.

I understand Niagara Falls is a bucket list item though. Just be prepared to be disappointed by everything which surrounds it.

Let me know if you need any tips for Toronto itself too.

Also, Happy Canada Day!

 

[driddles]

Hi

Looking for some advice and tips from the vast knowledge base.

Going there in September, arriving on a Thursday, looking to spend 4 nights in Toronto, travel down to Niagara, stay a couple of nights and then back to Toronto.

Am I doing it right ?

And where is best to stay in Niagara especially with a great view of the falls?

Many thanks

Get to the Falls on a Monday night (cheaper) and book yourself into https://fallsviewcasinoresort.com/ make sure to spring for a superior fallsview (ideally) or fallsview room. The superior room has you right above the falls, they are amazing rooms to have (my Mum and sister used to get them comped so I've been in many times).

Buy one of the attraction passes when you arrive or now from the official Niagara Parks site at https://www.niagaraparks.com/visit-niagara-parks/plan-your-visit/deals-packages/ this gives you better pricing and you get WEGO (bus that takes you from site to site)

Don't go to downtown Niagara Falls (there's no need)

And if you want to do something free that most people won't do, go to the Niagara Glen and take the hike (bring some water and snack bars), stairs will get you down the worst of the rock face, from there you follow the trail (rugged) around and through boulders which will lead you right to the Niagara River. It's the closest you are going to get to the rapids (don't wade in for a photo where it looks still - people do and those people often die). It's an incredible hike and worth it for anyone who wants a different experience of the rapids. Dress in layers, it's always hotter the further down you go and there is little wind.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I read the title as Nicaragua... and thought it was a bit odd....

 

[dsr-burnley]

I second the opinion above about the Embassy Suites hotel. It's 3-0sided building and one of the sides faces both main waterfalls. The breakfast is good too. Funnily enough, for 25% discount I could have had rooms on the side facing the town. Who on earth goes to see Niagara and faces the wrong way? As a clue to what there is to see in that direction, there is a mini space-needle type tower with attractions listed all the way round the balcony. One of the attractions listed facing inland is the Disused Spaghetti Factory!

The Falls themselves are worth gazing at for quite a long time. There is a cable car across the river pool a mile or two downstream, and a river boardwalk there or thereabouts as well that lets you get close to the power of the river. The boat trip up to the falls is a must, and there's a pass that gives admission to (from memory) 4 attractions at a discount. I was there 4 days and didn't get round to Niagara-on-the-Lake, I hadn't time. (Admittedly my mother was getting quite old and we couldn't do 10-hour days).

The bus system was good.