What time should I leave Peterborough for BUF?

[riu girl]

For the first time we are not staying over near the BUF airport since DH has to work until at least midnight on Friday and we have a 1:15 pm flight out of BUF on a Saturday mid December.

Due to increased over the border shopping, I am thinking we should leave at 5 am? We will be flying close to Christmas so I assume that the border at Fort Erie will be very busy that morning with shoppers?

Is 5 am ok to leave Peterborough area or should we leave earlier?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I would prefer to drive down the night before but as I said can't since DH has to work late.

Thanks

 

[Lavendar]

If I remember right it's about 4 - 5 hours Peterbourgh to Niagara Falls?
It's about an hour (with light bridge traffic) from Niagara Falls to Buffalo airport via Fort Erie. With heavy traffic it's about 2 hours.

So 5am sounds good unless the weather is bad in Buffalo / Fort Erie.

IF the weather is iffy go over the Queenston or Rainbow Bridge as Fort Erie's weather is almost always worse than Niagara Falls / St.Catharines. (In fact it is often a nice sunny winter day in Niagara Falls while Fort Erie / Buffalo has a snowstorm !) During good weather Fort Erie is almost always the "fastest" bridge.
Check the Buffalo / Fort Erie weather and the Hamilton and Grimsby weather and the St. Catharines...all can be completely different! Before you leave.

 

[101DalmFan]

I ran this by my hubby, and he says if you leave Peterborough about 5 a.m. you should be just fine (weather being unpredictable, of course.....)

 

[trivial]

5:00 am would give you plenty of time. I'm not sure exactly how much busier things will be close to Christmas, but normally, you're looking at a 3½ hour drive from Peterborough to BUF, and the airport recommends that you be at the terminal 2 hours before your scheduled departure (currently, although perhaps more than 2 hours closer to Christmas).

I'd definitely recommend the Fort Erie crossing rather than the Queenston-Lewiston. Here's a link to Google Maps from Peterborough to BUF via the Fort Erie crossing.

 

[hockey mom]

It takes us about 3 1/2 hours from door to airport(providing no accidents or traffic jams.)

If you leave at 5 you will be there nice and early. Probably have time to hit the Walden Galleria mall for a bit.

 

[riu girl]

Thanks everyone for the info. I will make sure we leave at 5 am. Wish we could stay over on the Friday night, but not an option this trip.

Have a great day.