jodee

Hi there
we are a family of 5 arriving JFK 7.30pm from LAX in early October, with time difference we will be on LA time, 4.30pm and with time constraints would like to hire car and head straight out towards Niagara Falls. From Australia we are used to driving and propose to drive for 3-5 hours stop overnight and then drive into Niagara Falls the next morning, overnight that night perhaps Buffalo or somwhere just out, and drive back to NY on the third day. Is this possible? It really is just to be able to show kids, 14,12 & 8,Niagara Falls, need the quickest route possible with any recommendations of overnight stopover points to make journey as quick and easy as possible.

Thanks in advance for any ideas or options.

Aduchamp1

It is about an eight hour drive from NYC to Niagara Falls one way for a bit over 410 miles (approx. 660 Km). And the fastest route is probably the NY Thruway which is a montonous and dull road.

ellenem

The best routes take you out of the city through New Jersey on Rt 80 all the way to Pennsylvania and then north on Rt 81 through Binghamton. From Binghamton you could continue north to the Thruway at Syracuse, but it might be more scenic, and not that much longer to head west from Binghamoton on Rt 17 and veer north later in the trip.

Binghamton is about half way to Niagara Falls.

Leaving JFK you will have the joy of traveling on some of the most congested roads in the area and over two different bridges to reach New Jersey--unfortunate, but it's really the best way.

However . . . arriving at 7:30pm, if you are on the road in your rental car by 9:00PM. I'd consider you lucky.

travelbuff

There is so much to see and do in NYC that the kids would love, so can't you get them pictures of the falls or a video, and just stay in NYC. You're talking at least 16 hours of DRIVING on open "not much to see really" roads.

nyer

Agree that it's a lot of driving for your time period. October doesn't always have the best weather, so the trip could take even longer in the rain and traffic.
Would you fly? From JFK Jet Blue usually has relatively reasonable flights to Buffalo

garyt22

You might also look into MegaBus... picks you up at Penn Station and drives you to Buffalo Airport overnight... fares as low as $1 each and you can sleep on the Bus.... My college aged daughter and friends use it as a cheap travel choice... the only conflict may be your time of arrival.. bus leaves NY at 10pm ... You then can get a rental at Buffalo Airport. see the Falls and return to the Airport for the bus back to NY....

sf7307

I was going to suggest flying, too. Maybe there's a chance you could fly straight out from JFK that evening (the flight to Buffalo is only about an hour). Then spend a whole day and night, and fly back?

ellenem

The OP doesn't say when this trip is taking place. On JetBlue, for a family of five, they'd spend $600-$1,000 roundtrip to reach Buffalo and still have to rent a car and book at least one overnight in a hotel. (Plus, JetBlue doesn't seem to have direct fights to Buffalo later in the day.) Delta has flights late in the day, but it would still costs about $130 per person ($650 total) to get fly this family roundtrip to Buffalo.

It's no wonder they are choosing to drive. It's the old question of which is more important--cost or vacation time?

For me the biggest question is still to wonder if this trip is really worth it for such a brief visit.

sf7307

ellenem, I knew it would be much more expensive -- I guess I was making mmy own "time vs. money" judgment. If it were me, I wouldn't give up a minute in Manhattan for a day in Niagara Falls (even though I'd like to see them again some day).

PaulRabe

I've said it before and I'll say it again: after 48 years of travel to all parts of the USA (and beyond), I can't recommend losing two days (MINIMUM) of travel time, during which you'll see absolutely nothing but traffic and boring interstate, between NYC and Niagara Falls, in order to see the latter. I've been to Niagara five times over the decades, and definitely recommend it when you're visiting Buffalo or Toronto. But there are a hundred places closer to NYC than Niagara, that would provide more than a few hours (MAXIMUM) of visitation.

When the number of hours (sixteen) you'd need to travel between a place is five times the number of hours (three) that you would spend at a place, the place better be good. Niagara isn't one of those places. It's good, but it's not THAT good.

travelbuff

Video, think video. There are movies with the falls in the background, and videos of the falls, done by Natioal Geographic. Get those and splash some water on your face. Then come visit NYC!!!!

garyt22

Let's not get carried away with this NYC love-in.... for someone from the opposite end of the world with limited time in the States, Niagara Falls and The Grand Canyon are must do events.... In two days, you can get a full taste of NY City and even overdose on the hustle/bustle thing... again... for $200 bucks they can get the whole family to Niagara and back on the Megabus while sleeping... Despite what you believe, NYC is not the center of the Universe...

nytraveler

IMHO there is so much to see in the US and Niagara Falls, while pretty, is really just a bunch of water falling downhill. I finally saw it - a native New Yorker at the age of 40 plus - because we were driving up to Toronto. If we hadn;t been going there I probably wouldn't have seen it yet.

You don't say how long you have overall and how much time you plan on spending where - but it's a lot of time and energy for not a whole lot to see.

A couple of other factors to take into account:

You really need to see most of the sights from the Canadian side - and I'm not sure if crossing into Canada and back has visa implications for Australians.

While October in New York city is still very pleasant, Buffalo is far enough north to be in the snow belt and can be quite cold in October - depending on specific circumstances. (I had a college roommate from Rochester - and she said it always snowed by Halloween and you wouldn't see the ground again until some time in April - the exact date depending on how many feet it snowed that year.)

As for Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls being the must sees in the US - that depends on your interests. I would agree to put the former in the top 20 , but the latter definitely not - given everything there is to see/do. (I think the coast of Maine, and much of the Adirondacks, is way more impressive than the Falls.)

kmbp

The original poster jodee did not ask for opinions on how her family should spend their time in New York State. She asked for specific information regarding the best and fastest route to Niagara Falls. We do not know how much time she intends to spend in New York City--or anywhere else--once they have seen Niagara Falls!

ellenem, in the post of 1:03 am, suggests a specific itinerary and I'll endorse the alternate of using Route 17 and then 390 as an approach to Buffalo. New York State has an amazing variety of scenery and this plan will allow you to enjoy some of it as you drive.

[If you choose to cross into Canada at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, jodee, consider taking the River Road from the town of Fort Erie along the Niagara River to the Falls. Crossing the Peace Bridge, you'll see Lake Erie as its waters flow and become the river. Drive and observe the wide river narrow and become ever more forceful and ferocious as it makes its way to the Falls and, eventually, downriver, into Lake Ontario.]

kmbp

nytraveler wrote:
"I had a college roommate from Rochester - and she said it always snowed by Halloween and you wouldn't see the ground again until some time in April - the exact date depending on how many feet it snowed that year."

And you believed her??!

By early October, upstate New York in the Buffalo/Rochester area may experience a night time killing frost, and maybe a few snow flurries. Weather may be cool and crisp and glorious--just like NYC--or cool and rainy--just like NYC! But I doubt very much that snow accumulation will be a factor!!