Niagara Falls

[Malibustyle23]

Tell me everything I need to know about planning a trip there, please.

Just looking to go for the first time for a couple days. Myself, husband and kids 14 and 9. We are coming from Maryland and have our passports. We can go anytime during the year but will probably need to go on a weekend or when school has a day or two off.

Where should we stay? How can we make this the best (probably) once in a lifetime experience on a budget? What should we do while there? Can we just drive our vehicle across the border? Etc?

 

[jeff_h]

A quick tip is that we stayed there overnight a few years ago and found that the section of town on the Canadian side called "Fallsview" does not necessarily have a view of the Falls - it was about a mile away which is close, but when looking at a list of hotel names don't assume that "Holiday Inn Fallsview" or similar will include an overlook of the falls.

Also the "Maid of the Mist" boat ride is fun and makes for good pics of the kids in the ponchos right near the bottom of the falls...

Enjoy!

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

We stayed in Canada at the Sheraton which overlooked both the American and Canadian falls. Great hotel, good restaurants, and walking distance to lots of attractions. Since you'll have a car, also drive 10 minutes to the butterfly conservatory--my favorite!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We stayed at the Hilton Niagara Falls on the Canada side and had a direct view of the falls. We just stayed overnight on a trip back from the Maritimes in Canada on our way to Pittsburg to get our son to the airport. It has turned into a typical tourist site. We had a suite that had a king bed with a window to the falls and another king bed (or maybe just a queen) in a space with a wall between the two spaces. The window was floor to ceiling and freaked out my husband who doesn't like heights. I had to sleep on the window side of the bed even though that side is normally his side of the bed.

 

[kymom99]

I'll jump in here. What are some other Canadian sights that could be combined with the falls?

 

[TwoMisfits]

Research the area and decide what your family personally wants to do and what your budget is. Are you go-go-go from one attraction to the next, are you there for the falls only, are you there for the unique Canadian-ness, etc?

To answer specific questions, yes, with your passports, you can just drive across the border - you will be met by customs going each way at a checkpoint who will check all your IDs and ask some simple questions before sending you on your way.

Where to stay? Having just been, it depends on your hotel standards. The places on the water are MUCH nicer, but can be more expensive...and maybe have high resort and parking fees. To avoid the parking fees, park at the Casino and leave your car and do WeGo for the trip. You'll save money and never worry about where and how to get places (the We Go folks were so good about telling you how to get to places that weren't obvious from the bus stop). We stayed at the Embassy Suites - beautiful, but so busy resort - we avoided the resort fee b/c we booked before it was instituted (it's $25/night for Hilton members, $35/night for non-members) and we avoided the parking fee by parking at the Casino (it's $43/night at the hotel, but the Casino was a flat $5 CDN when we left). I mean, that was $68+tax/night we saved off the top, and that made it very reasonable (especially since we booked on points...if I had to pay those fees, I'd have been less happy with our stay, but since I didn't, I LOVED our resort...

When to go? You'll want to ride the Hornblower. That is the single must-do attraction. DO NOT SKIP IT. It does not open til the water is warm enough. This year, that was late (normally it opens late April/early May, but this year, that slipped a few weeks). Also, they do run weekend fireworks after Memorial Day (and then every day after a certain point in June). It's about like minor league fireworks shows, but free fireworks are free fireworks. Plus, in the bridge season We Go buses run more regularly than slow season, but less regularly that high season. So, if I had to pick a date to go, I'd pick when we did this year, the 2nd weekend of June into the weekdays...but anything from Memorial Day til Canadian schools are out at the end of June would probably be perfect (PS - our weather in the June week was absolutely perfect for everything - sun and beautiful walk around weather...

How to pay? Since the US is doing better against the Canadian $, find a card that gives you the best exchange rate (mine gave practically the existing one) and charge everything in Canadian dollars. You will save so much over paying in US $.

I can answer more questions if you have them. Another thing to note - Canadian meals are way more expensive than US ones. Think Disney prices. So, having a hotel which provides breakfast will be a nice thing to both start the day easy and save money...

 

[Narnia_girl]

St. Catharine is about 15 minute (easy) drive and hotels there can save you money if you don't need a waterfall view.
Niagara on the Lake is beautiful.

Personally, I thought Niagara Falls made Disney look like a bargain.

 

[rella's fan]

Not sure if it's o.k. to post it here but my daughter and I went last summer and I wrote about it in my blog: http://luckybugadventures.com/a-day-in-niagara-falls/

 

[Ngwira]

I'll jump in here. What are some other Canadian sights that could be combined with the falls?

Toronto.. a quick 90 minute ride north.

 

[Ngwira]

We stayed at the Four Points Sheraton and got a Fallsview room. It was fine. If we went again we’d stay at the Embassy suites as it has our favorite restaurant “the keg” there. Plus free breakfast.

Get the Niagara parks adventure pass.

 

[Jimsig]

One thing to watch for at some hotels is a resort fee (anywhere of course but esprcially NF). The initial price looks good but the fees can quickly add up for a multi day stay. So be sure to factor that in when looking at where to stay. Also check your credit cards and see if you have any that don't charge the foreign transaction fee when on the CDN side. Those fees can add up quickly as well. I have the JetBlue card and that doesn't charge the fee. I am not sure 100% how it works but some places will charge your card in USD so you can avoid the fee if you don't have a card that waives the fee, so be sure to ask. Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville was one that would charge in USD.

 

[Sadeesmom]

We got back yesterday from our Indianapolis-Niagara Falls-Chicago road trip. We only did the U.S. side of NF, but spent 2 full days and my 12 yo asked if we could stay another. We got the Discovery Pass and loved the Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, and liked the trolley. Kind of thought the aquarium (really only had sea lions & 6 penguins) and the Gorge Discovery center were a waste. There were some great hiking trails (spent half a day on them). We stayed at a Quality Inn (~$125/night) and watched the fireworks from our room one night. We ate at Rainforest Cafe (which is locally owned, so don’t expect the typical Landry’s) and Hard Rock Cafe.
Altogether, for hotel, passes, food, & souvenirs, we only spent about $500 for the two of us.

 

[4kids4karen]

There are long and detailed threads from others who have been within the last 2 years. . Try searching Disboards and removing the checkmark from this forum only.

Here are just a few of many:

Threads:
Niagara Falls-Canadian Side!
https://www.disboards.com/threads/niagara-falls-canadian-side.3654563/#post-58611251

Niagara Falls on a Dime
https://www.disboards.com/threads/niagara-falls-on-a-dime.3606467/#post-57645403

Niagara Falls, Ontario
https://www.disboards.com/threads/niagara-falls-ontario.3475043/

Niagara Falls - Great Wolf Lodge
https://www.disboards.com/threads/niagara-falls-great-wolf-lodge.3453478/

 

[Malibustyle23]

We got back yesterday from our Indianapolis-Niagara Falls-Chicago road trip. We only did the U.S. side of NF, but spent 2 full days and my 12 yo asked if we could stay another. We got the Discovery Pass and loved the Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, and liked the trolley. Kind of thought the aquarium (really only had sea lions & 6 penguins) and the Gorge Discovery center were a waste. There were some great hiking trails (spent half a day on them). We stayed at a Quality Inn (~$125/night) and watched the fireworks from our room one night. We ate at Rainforest Cafe (which is locally owned, so don’t expect the typical Landry’s) and Hard Rock Cafe.
Altogether, for hotel, passes, food, & souvenirs, we only spent about $500 for the two of us.

I assume your hotel room did not have a view of the falls, right?

Thanks for all the tips so far. I was looking at rooms and found the resort fees mentioned, didn't think about them before.

 

[4kids4karen]

When we went, we purchased the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass and did things that came on the pass. We did a couple extra things as well.
We also booked the Firework Cruise.

From previous posts, some say you can get a discount on this pass from Sams or Costco? You'll have to read the old threads for that info. I bought from their website.

https://www.niagaraparks.com/visit-niagara-parks/plan-your-visit/deals-packages/

 

[afan]

I agree that Toronto is a good add on. I did a day trip from Toronto to visit the falls. We did the maid of the mist on the Canadian side, they have both. Tip on this, we actually brought rain jackets and used those because the hood etc stayed on and didn't blow off. We also put our camera's in zip lock bags with a hole for the lens to keep the camera dry. These were tips I'd read online and we were happy to have the jackets when we saw others drenched because their cheap poncho didn't stay on. We did have to bring a bag to carry the jackets in since they were wet but we were dry so it was fine.

I always eat at Boston Pizza when I go to Canada. I enjoy it and I like to eat things up there that I can't get in the US, which also means a stop at Tim Hortons too. But I know a lot of you in the east have them, we don't have them on the west coast, no dunkin either so we are lacking in donut places.

 

[Sadeesmom]

I assume your hotel room did not have a view of the falls, right?

Correct. As far as I could find, to get a hotel room with a view of the falls, you have to stay in Canada, and since we only decided last week to go, there was no time to get my daughter a passport.

 

[4kids4karen]

Correct. As far as I could find, to get a hotel room with a view of the falls, you have to stay in Canada, and since we only decided last week to go, there was no time to get my daughter a passport.

If driving, a minor Under the age of 16 doesn’t need a passport, a birth certificate will suffice. Perhaps your daughter was 16 or older.

ETA: oh, I see you said she was 12. She didn’t need a passport. My last trip to Canada my teens passport was expired so I just took their birth certificates and expired passports. Border preferred to scan the expired passports, but I told them I had their BC (and US military dependent IDs).

 

[TwoMisfits]

It is true that you don't need passports for minors under 16...but, it will get you through the customs gates much faster and easier...the agent REALLY liked seeing the passports both ways (and liked seeing the kids - got to put windows down in the cars both ways, too)...

 

[Kellina]

I was going to add that there's a Great Wolf Lodge right by the Falls if you're interested! We live about 2 hours from the Falls (US) and go up there just for that and to look at the Falls. Depending how long you're going for, Toronto is definitely cool!! Much better city than Niagara Falls... 2 seconds outside the Falls area is pretty dumpy, honestly. Just my 2 cents having grown up kind of near there and been there an awful lot! The Falls area itself is fun though!!