TravelinVic

Plan to stay on the Canadian side in mid-May on Victoria Ave. How is the traffic then as far as getting to Maid of the Mist and other sites? Can you get Maid of the Mist tickets ahead of time and do you recommend doing so? How do you get to Goat Island? I have no idea if you can use U.S. Dollars? Thanks.

dial

Maid of the Mist is fairly central and you should be able to walk. I suspect traffic will befine during the week but can be busy on weekends depending on the weather. Also, Canadian Victoria Day long weekend and US memorial Day long weekend will be busy. Traffic will be slow but its not a big city. Depending on what you are doing and when you are there, buying a Poeple Mover pass and tickets is a good option as Poeple Mover is the shuttle/bus servives and give syou discounts to various attractions. check it the the niagara parks commision website. I don't belive you can book maid of the mist in advnace as an individual and you still have to line up to use your Poeple Mover pass. The Maid of the Mist ticket line length varies but boats are continually running so its never that long.

BuffaloGirl

You're going to want to park your car and leave it. You can walk to the Maid of the Mist or use the People Mover.

Goat Island is on the American side of the falls. Bring a good pair of walking shoes. You can drive over the Rainbow Bridge and park on Goat Island (for a fee), or you can walk over the Rainbow Bridge (make sure you have your proper papers). There is a viewing area on the American side close to the Rainbow Bridge. You have to walk along the upper rapids (I highly suggest this) and cross over a bridge to Goat Island. There are several vantage points on GI - my favorite is the one at the bottom of the steep hill (there are stairs) on the far side of the Island.

Have fun!

kodi

As Buffalo Girl suggests, you'll want to park your car and use the people mover. There really isn't very many places to park near the Falls. Or you can walk all along the whole area. The Maid of the Mist isn't far from the Falls.
Yes, you can us US dollars, but you probably won't get the best exchange rate. Your better off going to an ATM and withdrawing Canadian dollars.
If you don't mind what the exchange rate is, then it certainly won't be a problem.

TravelinVic

Thanks very much everyone for the info. BuffaloGirl -- what do you mean by "proper papers"? I'm a U.S. person - will I need something, other than my driver's license for Canada?

BuffaloGirl

You're going to need proof of citizenship when you re-enter the U.S. They may not ask you for it, but if they do, you better have it.

A passport is best, but if you don't have one then you need an original birth certificate and picture I.D. like your driver's license.

BuffaloGirl

Just a driver's license is not proof of citizenship. (Just wanted to clarify).

michi

Regarding proper papers, you'd better find out for sure, ahead of time, what is required. Birth certificates used to be and maybe still are, passports definitely. Photocopies, driver's licence, credit cards are not as well as most other forms of identification. Depending on where you're from you may need a visa.

While you can walk across, you need to know that you can get back. I understand this has happened. When you leave Canada to go to the US, you are being inspected by the US Customs. When you return to Canada you are being insepected by Canadian Customs. You can look this up on the internet - they are quite specific.

Looks like May 23 is Victoria Day so it could be crowded. Make your reservations in advance. As far as Maid of the Mist goes, it's fun.

Have a good time.

TravelinVic

Michi--

What do you mean by "while you can walk across, you need to know that you can get back"? Thanks for your help.

Carmanah

TravelinVic - I assume they mean that, while you'll want to double check what the requirements are for Americans crossing into Canada, you should also know what's required by Americans when they cross back into the USA from a "foreign country". The U.S. border guards will want to check your proof of citizenship before they allow you back into the country, to confirm that you're American. I think michi's just saying, you'll want to make sure you have the appropriate I.D. with you when they ask for it.

In my experience crossing the border post-Sept 11 (between British Columbia and Washington), I've always been asked for proof of citizenship with photo ID.

A driver's license alone was normally accepted based on good faith prior to Sept 11th, because they weren't as strict then, and it's picture ID and shows your address, so one would assume that you're a citizen of the country you have your driver's license in. However, it doesn't prove that you're a citizen of Canada/USA/etc. It just shows that you live there and can legally drive there.

A passport legally proves your citizenship, and it also provides a photo ID, so if you have a passport, there's your photo ID and proof of citizenship in one neat package. Easy and hassle free.

If you don't have a passport, bring your birth certificate (proof of citizenship). Because birth certificates don't have photo ID, you'll have to bring another document with you, such as your driver's license... or any other official photo ID.