A week in and around Toronto
 

I am trying to plan a summer vacation and am considering Toronto. We will be flying in from New York and want to do 7-9 days. I was wondering if there are places near Toronto that we should go because that seems like a long time in one city. Any recommendations for places within driving distance? How many nights should we plan to be in Toronto?

Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa are within driving distance or a nice train ride. I think you need at least 4 full days in Toronto.

What do you like to do and see? Do you have kids? Museums, outdoor/nature activities, art, country resorts, shopping, live theatre, dining, culture? If you're from New York City, you're probably not really looking for typical "big city" type attractions (which Toronto has lots of, but not as many as NYC).

Niagara Falls - in spite of the touristy tackyness - the falls still impress.
And there are many lovely parks and gardens along the river. The drive between Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake is especially pleasant.

Algonquin Park - some nice resorts and the park is lovely.

Long Point on Lake Erie

Totally different trips with or without kids... which is it

Several days in Toronto with no car, several days outside Toroto, with a car.

But it all depends on your interests, kids, hobbies, etc.

BAK

Thanks for the responses. No kids. I am going with my boyfriend and we're in our early 30s. I haven't been to Toronto since I was a little kid, so even though we are New Yorkers, we probably will want to hit some of the "big" city attractions. We are foodies and also frequent museums. I am a big baseball fan so we'll try to get in a Blue Jays game if the time works out. Other than that, we need to fit in some relaxing and a little romance.

There's no greater romance than Niagara on the Lake... there are over 80 wineries and several romantic hotels and B&Bs... I would plan 2 or three nights in that area, especially if you want to see Niagara Falls... theres also two casinos, wine bike tours, excellent dining, and some fun attractions... then add the Toronto days, some baseball, museums, hanging out at the Lake, several Festivals and more fine dining... have fun!

Romantic dinner on the Toronto Islands. Pick up the makings of a picnic lunch at a gourmet food store --- Dash on the Danforth, Dinah's cupboard, lots of others -- or eat at the Rectory Cafe.

If you're into the outdoors, perhaps a trip to the Elora Gorge.

The possibilities are endless ...

gary, do you have a ref for the bicycle tours? Can you rent bikes?

We took the Niagara Wine Tour at www.niagaraworldwinetours.com and enjoyed the beautiful ride through the vineyards and stops at 5 wineries... the tour included a picnic lunch in the vineyards(my wife still talks about the romance of it) and has a van that collects your wine and gift purchases from the wineries... it leaves from the village in small groups and similar tours can be done in vans... there are at least 4 bicycle tours in the village so you may want to check the Chamber site for more...

PS... it includes the bike!

Re romantic dinner on the Islands - you have to really like Canada geese to picnic on Centre Island, IMHO. Maybe Ward's Island has fewer of the pests and their droppings.

When we ate at the Rectory Cafe last year, the doors and windows were wide open and the restaurant was full of flies...it was unimpressive. I think there were more inside than out.

One of the nicest trips you could take is to visit the small town of Ganonoque and take the Thousand Island boat tour. The town is 300km (180 miles) east of Toronto and is the best place to take one of these trips. Googling Ganonoque will give you lots of information. It is 28 km from Kingston (it also has boat tours, but not as good) and that is a good place to wander round as it used to be the capital of Canada. Give it some thought as it would be an enjoyable day out for you.