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

emalloy

Are any of your eight days being spent in New York City?

Is the stop in Corning just to break up the trip or is there something you want to see there? If not, then just head for Niagra Falls. A night or two there then a couple of nights in Toronto (only a couple of hours from Niagra), then on to Thousand Islands for a couple of nights. This leaves you only two days to get back to NY, which you could do by going through Vermont.

Make sure the company you rent the car from lets you drive into Canada and your travel documents let you back into the US.

HowardR

There's way too much on your list for you to do in eight days. I think the first thing you've got to do is make an "A list" of the places you most want to visit and then see if it's doable.
PS: You're right when you say doing the trip you mention seems that you'll be spending lot of time driving.

nytraveler

Is this on top of time in New York City? Have you been to NYC before?

If not I should do 5 days there and then a quick roundtrip to see the falls and a little nature on the way to and fro,

mclaurie

If you don't enjoy driving, don't. You can fly to Buffalo, NY from NYC, rent a car there to see Niagara Falls and Toronto. Thats plenty for 8 days. Trying to drive AND cover all those stops will have you constantly on the road seeing nothing.

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

nytraveler

It is very likely that you can;t take a US rental car into Canada - you would certainly need specific approval from the rental agency and to be sure the insurance is valid in Canada. (Personal car insurance is - but don't know if this is so for rental fleet cars.)

(Even if you return the car in NYC - you can;t just take it across the border - when we did we had to show our car registration - not sure what will happen with a rental car). Do check this right away.

capxxx

I think it looks good, overall.

Instead of Buffalo you might prefer to stay in Watkins Glen or one of the pretty towns on the Finger Lakes -- for more scenery and atmosphere.

Some 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).

Another option might be to base in the Berkshire mountains (hiking) of western MA: Lenox, Stockbridge (pretty towns, shopping, music venues); or North Adams (great small art museums).

Ami_K

Thanks a lot
We do plan to have one 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 since i understood that it is very close to the Niagara Falls and since we have relatives there that will be happy to host us for a night.

So the only decision now is regarding the 2 days/1.5 days way from Canadian Gananoque to NYC.
Two options that you have offered:
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. he 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

Ami_K

Hi
I am still having difficulties to decide regarding Boston.
Does it worth trying to skip East NY areas and to spend a day at Boston?

Moreover, we got a recommendation to visit Hudson River Valley instead of Saragota or Berkshire area. What do you think about it?
Thanks

tomfuller

Here is how I would do it using Amtrak.
Take an Empire Service train from NYP to Syracuse or Rochester and rent a car. See whatever you want of the Finger Lakes and Corning. Return the car where you rented it and take the Maple Leaf train either to Niagara Falls Ontario or Toronto. The next day or the day after, catch the Lake Shore Limited (Boston section) Buffalo to Springfield where you can rent a car to go to Boston. Return the car in Springfield and then take a Northeast Regional back to NYP (New York Penn Station).
Avoid taking a rental car into Canada.

sf7307

The Hudson Valley is absolutely gorgeous, and there are many things to see (and restaurants to eat in, and cute towns to poke around). It's slightly less driving than going to Saratoga or theBerkshires, which was also be great.