Ami_K

Hi Travelers
Me and my wife are planning to visit USA on August, and trying to build 8 days round trip from NY by car that will include Niagra Falls and Toronto.
We are looking for a nice combination of nature (we love it), driving (not too much ), some shopping (my wife definitely loves it ) and cities.
My first thought was to do the following: NY -> Corning -> Niagra Falls -> Toronto ->Kingston -> Thousand Islands -> Vermont -> New Hampshire -> NY. Also visiting Montreol and Boston could be nice but it was clear that it is too much.
After second thought it seems to me that we will spend most of the time driving, and as it says "Grasp all, lose all".
So instead i am trying to build an alternative nice 8 days trip and would appreciate help on it.
Thanks in advance
Ami

doug_stallings

Other than some fundamental problems with geography, I like this itinerary (Thousand Islands comes right after Toronto, then you go down to Kingston), but I think it's still way too much for 8 days. I'd cut out New Hampshire entirely and perhaps make Vermont little more than a drive-through or brief stopover on your way to the Hudson Valley. Otherwise, you're just going to be driving every single day. Plus, you need to spend more than a day in Toronto, so you need that time.

You could swing wide through Vermont on your way down from the Thousand Islands, but it would make more sense to do a brief trip over to the Berkshires from the Hudson Valley (basing yourself perhaps in Rheinbeck instead of Kingston).

I realize you wouldn't be able to tick off Vermont and New Hampshire with this plan, but New Hampshire is really out of the question unless you want to drive 3 hours or more every single day of your trip.

laverendrye

<<Other than some fundamental problems with geography, I like this itinerary (Thousand Islands comes right after Toronto, then you go down to Kingston)>>

Best check your map, Doug. The Thousand Islands are in the St. Lawrence River, EAST of Kingston and not "right after Toronto".

For Ami: with 8 days, I would forget about New England. You will want to spend at least one day in Niagara, and a minimum of two in Toronto. A day driving from Toronto to Kingston (take the slow route through Prince Edward County), and another day cruising the Thousand Islands. With your travel from NY to Niagara and from the Thousand Islands back to NY you can easily spend three days. And there's eight days!

tomfuller

Is this with a US rental car or your own car?
Could I convince you to ride an Empire Service or the Maple Leaf train to Rochester? Rent a car in Rochester and go see Corning Museum of Glass and drive back through Watkins Glen.
Turn in the car in Rochester and take the Maple Leaf to Niagara Falls Ontario. See the falls and then use public transit from Niagara Falls to Toronto.. I don't like the idea of driving a rental car over the border either way. With your own car it works OK if you get your insurance agent to give you the form that says you are covered in case of accident in Canada.

doug_stallings

You're correct about my statement. I didn't write that well. What I meant to say is that I would go to the Hudson Valley after Thousand Islands instead of spending extra time in Kingston. Though in truth now that I think of it since most of the accommodations in Thousand Islands are self-catering and can't be rented nightly, the OP may HAVE to stay in Kingston.

Ami_K

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions.
Taking all the comments in account, I have starting building the following plan:
2 days trip from NY to Buffalo including Corning, Watkins Glen and finger lakes
1 day Niagra Falls (few hours on US side and rest on the Candian side till evening light show and maybe fireworks).
2 days in Torronto
1 day trip from Torronto to Tousand Islands including slow route through Prince Edward County, Kingstone and Thousand Islands cruise.
2 days trip from Thousand Islands to NY for which i still can't focus on the right route and worth to visit places.
Suggestions?

What do you think about this plan?

We are going to use US rented car. Is there any problem with it?
The trip doesn't include time which is invested in NY.
Thanks again

tomfuller

Ask your rental car company about cross border travel. Some companies are OK with it, others are not.
My thought is to cross the border on the train and then rent in Canada for the Canadian portion only where you need a rental car.
There are several options for public transport between Niagara Falls Ontario and Toronto.
I do enjoy taking the Amtrak train from New York Penn station to Rochester or Buffalo. Corning is an easy drive from Rochester.
NYC is not the city where I'd want to rent a car but that's just me.

laverendrye

<<My thought is to cross the border on the train and then rent in Canada for the Canadian portion only where you need a rental car.
There are several options for public transport between Niagara Falls Ontario and Toronto.
I do enjoy taking the Amtrak train from New York Penn station to Rochester or Buffalo. Corning is an easy drive from Rochester.
NYC is not the city where I'd want to rent a car but that's just me.>>

To rent a car for the Canadian portion of the trip makes no sense to me. After the Thousand Islands there is no direct public transport, either train or bus, to the USA from Kingston or Gananoque. It would mean either returning to Toronto or going on to Montreal to connect. I think that using a rental car for the whole trip is perfectly practical so long as one ensures that the rental company allows the car to be taken into Canada. That should not be a problem, although renting a car in Canada and dropping it off in the US could be problematic as well as expensive.

Ami. I think your revised plan is fine, except that to take the slow route from Toronto to Kingston and then do a Thousand Islands cruise is too much for one day. I would stay in Kingston overnight, using the rest of that day to sightsee in Kingston. You can take a Thousand Islands cruise from Kingston, but it takes time to get to the islands from Kingston. Better to continue to Gananoque (about a 30 minute drive) the next day and take a morning cruise there, then cross to the US on the nearby Ivy Lea Bridge and stop someplace in upper NY State for the night.

You could stay in Gananoque if you want--contrary to doug_stallings there are plenty of places with overnight accommodation there, including inns, B&Bs and motels. I particularly like the Gananoque Inn on the waterfront. However, I think that Kingston deserves a stop as a very interesting and historic city. Old Fort Henry is certainly worth a visit, especially if you are there for the sunset ceremony on Wednesday and Saturday nights.

http://www.forthenry.com/index.cfm/en/home/

Ami_K

Thanks a lot
We plan to have first night stay at Watkins Glen or at Finger Lakes area. Any recommendations?
The next night, which is the one before Niagara Falls day, we plan to do at Buffalo.

We will follow your recommendations regarding the slow route, Kinsgston and Gananoque.

So the only decision now is regarding the 2 days/1.5 days way from Canadian Gananoque to NYC.
Two options that we got recommendations for:
a. nice towns in eastern NY: Lake Placid (former olympics village, pretty lake, shops and restaurants, hikes nearby) , Saratoga (horse racing!), Lake George area (waterparks, big lake, boating).
b. Berkshire mountains (hiking) of western MA: Lenox, Stockbridge (pretty towns, shopping, music venues); or North Adams (great small art museums).

I will start exploring the net for more information.
Ami

doug_stallings

On your way back, if you want to stop over in Saratoga, that's interesting, though I still advocate the Hudson River Valley. Though the Berkshires are also beautiful.

Ami_K

What about Boston?
Does it worth trying to skip East NY areas and to spend a day at Boston?

Ami_K

Where is Hudson River Valley?
I have seen on the map that Hudson River is over all NY state till NYC.