Hamilton ON fly from Syracuse or BUF?

[tamarabannon]

I live in the Hamilton area (give or take) and I've always flown from Buffalo.

Anyone flown out of Syracuse? Good, bad, ugly please!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We have flown out of Syracuse for our last two trips and LOVE the airport there. We are closer to Kingston than we are to Toronto, so its a shorter commute for us than driving to Buffalo, and its an easy drive (no traffic and quiet roads).

Syracuse is a tiny airport and so simple to navigate. Lots of park and fly options nearby. Not alot of food choices right at the airport, though, so that's something to keep in mind.

This coming trip, we are flying out of Buffalo for the first time (we couldn't get reasonablly priced direct flights from Syracuse ). Its a longer drive and we have to deal with the Toronto traffic nightmare, but the cost savings was substantial (more than $400 compared to Syracuse). We are interested to see how the two airports compare.

 

[thr33boys]

We have flown out of Syracuse for our last two trips and LOVE the airport there. We are closer to Kingston than we are to Toronto, so its a shorter commute for us than driving to Buffalo, and its an easy drive (no traffic and quiet roads).

Syracuse is a tiny airport and so simple to navigate. Lots of park and fly options nearby. Not alot of food choices right at the airport, though, so that's something to keep in mind.

This coming trip, we are flying out of Buffalo for the first time (we couldn't get reasonablly priced direct flights from Syracuse ). Its a longer drive and we have to deal with the Toronto traffic nightmare, but the cost savings was substantial (more than $400 compared to Syracuse). We are interested to see how the two airports compare.

What if you travel to Buffalo through the States - you'd by-pass Toronto and have, I think, a quieter border crossing?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

What if you travel to Buffalo through the States - you'd by-pass Toronto and have, I think, a quieter border crossing?

It would save us navigating Toronto, but would add 2 hours to an already long trip .

Home to Buffalo via Toronto/Niagara Falls = 4 hours approx.

Home to Buffalo via Syracuse = 6 hours approx.

 

[CanuckTraveller]

We flew out of SYR to MCO in 2011, it is a nice little airport but not many amenities. I can highly recommend the DoubleTree hotel, they gave us a boost and sent us on our way with warm cookies at 10pm once we got back to find the battery in our brand new car died while we were gone Parking was free with a shuttle to the airport if you stayed one night, and the kitchen packed a lunch for the boys to eat at the airport. I made the request at breakfast and they were very accommodating.
Honestly I haven't found great rates out of SYR since then, I don't know if Buffalo is any better. We live less than 3 hrs from SYR, so it is a viable option for us. You should also know that the area from the airport to about 75 Kms north is known for bad snowstorms...which makes driving home fun!

 

[thr33boys]

It would save us navigating Toronto, but would add 2 hours to an already long trip .

Home to Buffalo via Toronto/Niagara Falls = 4 hours approx.

Home to Buffalo via Syracuse = 6 hours approx.

I should have realized there was a perfectly good explanation!

 

[ottawamom]

We have flown out of both airports. Syracuse is a nice airport like previous posters have said. Buffalo is also a wonderful airport. Both are quick to navigate and be on your way. My thought is that if you are coming from Hamilton I would check out Buffalo first. The prices and flight availability are generally better.

Depending on when you are flying another option is opening up. Southwest will be flying out of Rochester starting mid-April. Check the airlines out of this airport. It's closer for you than Syracuse. I've read good things about Rochester here on the boards.

Good luck,

 

[greenclan67]

We have flown out of both airports. Syracuse is a nice airport like previous posters have said. Buffalo is also a wonderful airport. Both are quick to navigate and be on your way. My thought is that if you are coming from Hamilton I would check out Buffalo first. The prices and flight availability are generally better.

Depending on when you are flying another option is opening up. Southwest will be flying out of Rochester starting mid-April. Check the airlines out of this airport. It's closer for you than Syracuse. I've read good things about Rochester here on the boards.

Good luck,

We loved flying out of Rochester one year! We live in Northern Ontario, so it already takes us 6 to 6.5 hours to drive to Toronto to fly. It is the closest airport besides Sudbury, Ontario which would all go through Toronto anyhow. We always drive to Buffalo. We have also flew from Niagara Falls, NY on Allegiant! It is an 8 hour drive regardless!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We live in Northern Ontario, so it already takes us 6 to 6.5 hours to drive to Toronto to fly. It is the closest airport besides Sudbury, Ontario which would all go through Toronto anyhow. We always drive to Buffalo. We have also flew from Niagara Falls, NY on Allegiant! It is an 8 hour drive regardless!

Wow.....what a long drive for you!! I will officially stop complaining about our 4 hour commute to Buffalo!!!

 

[mtmbyck]

If flights are the same price, not sure why you'd go all the way to Syracuse instead of Buffalo?? Buffalo is just as small as Syracuse - easy airport to get around in. At least Buffalo has numerous customs crossing points. If I lived in Hamilton I'd for sure fly out of Buffalo! That is IF the price was comparable.

 

[Questforthemouse]

Love flying out of Buffalo. Flew out of Rochester once as well with AirTran and that was easy peasy. Stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites right at the Rochester airport the night before (included parking). I've noticed when prices are higher at Buffalo or Rochester that Pittsburgh usually has low prices with Southwest. Just a thought...

 

[MaMudduck]

I live in Peterborough, so it's almost the same driving time for either (Syracuse is 1/2hr longer) and I've flown from both. As others have said, both are smaller & easy to navigate but I prefer the drive to Buffalo (via T.O.) than to Syracuse.
I can't imagine you driving from Hamilton to Syracuse, that's alot of road time. For the time it takes you to drive to Syracuse, you could have already flown out from BUF or Rochester and landed in MCO & on your way to WDW.
Then there is also the gas cost$ for a 4hr drive, each way.
And for me the worst would be the drive home after the vacation ends

I've also found there more flight options from BUF then SYR, so there seems to be more deals between the discounters (like SW) and also the major airlines. I gotten some great prices from United in the past.

 

[pigletto]

It would save us navigating Toronto, but would add 2 hours to an already long trip .

Home to Buffalo via Toronto/Niagara Falls = 4 hours approx.

Home to Buffalo via Syracuse = 6 hours approx.

Gina... are you traveling on a holiday? I think you are. Just want to warn you...
We went to Lake Placid for Thanksgiving. We drove back through the states,and my parents crossed at Ogdensberg or Cornwall.. I think Ogdensberg.
Anyway.. we got home 3 hours ahead of them. They sat and sat and sat at the border, and then in traffic.

Just wanted to warn you the shortest route might not be the quickest around holiday times.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina... are you traveling on a holiday? I think you are. Just want to warn you...
We went to Lake Placid for Thanksgiving. We drove back through the states,and my parents crossed at Ogdensberg or Cornwall.. I think Ogdensberg.
Anyway.. we got home 3 hours ahead of them. They sat and sat and sat at the border, and then in traffic.

Just wanted to warn you the shortest route might not be the quickest around holiday times.

We will be crossing into the states on December 22nd, and then back into Canada on December 30th. On the 22nd, we'll definitely be heading to Buffalo via Toronto as we will be visiting relatives in Stoney Creek on our way through. After landing back in Buffalo around dinner time on the 30th, we have one night booked in Niagara Falls, so our route home is set as well.

I am hoping for a Christmas miracle and have my fingers crossed that wait times at the border won't be too horrible. Between the almost guaranteed lengthy waits at the border, the potential for traffic tie-ups through Toronto, and our unpredictable Canadian weather, I will NEED a vacation by the time we finally get there!!!

 

[greenclan67]

Wow.....what a long drive for you!! I will officially stop complaining about our 4 hour commute to Buffalo!!!

LOL, it is a long drive, thank goodness our gas is paid in our company vehicle! I wish I only had to drive 4 hours, I would take more trips!

 

[HunterBoo]

We flew out of Cleveland last year (took us 6hrs to drive there from cottage country - 2 hrs north of Toronto). We previously have always flown Buffalo, but last year was last minute and couldn't find any good rates, but got great rates from Cleveland.

We are again flying from Cleveland this year!! This year I couldn't get flights for much less than $2900 from Buffalo for four of us, round trip on the March Break. So I checked Cleveland - booked for $1300 for all four of us. Yes - we will drive a couple of hours longer, but for that much of a savings it is worth it. I would gladly fly Buffalo, but I think that on March break they have now figured out that us Canadians are crossing over to fly from there and the rates have really increased.

Fellow co-workers are flying from Detroit ... five hours from us. If I was going from Hamilton, I'd try Cleveland. You would have about a three / four hour drive - but the savings may be worth it!!

Good luck