Boston - Niagara - In one go?
 

Hello!

We'll be in late setember in the USA, 2 days in Boston, 2 in Niagara, 2 in Washignton, and the last 4 in NY.

My main doubt is whether going from Boston to Niagara in one go and spend 2 nights there, or if it would be better to make one night for example in Seneca Falls. I heard that Finger Lakes are very nice, maybe if we sleep in Seneca Falls we could go there and see the area.

What do you think? Any sugestion is wellcome!

How are you getting from city to city? And does your number of days include travel time between cities?

You are trying to do a lot in the first 6 days - but I know that is what people do with limited time and a lot they want to see. I would Fly Boston-Buffalo, NY (Niagara Falls area) and do a 1-day car rental. Twenty-four hours at the Falls is enough and forget Seneca Falls. That give you a little more time in Boston.

Then fly Buffalo-Washington (preferably DCA/Reagen National rather than IAD/Dulles - and definitely not BWI/Baltimore). Spend your time there and take the train to New York.

I checked random end of September dates for non-stop flights BOS-BUF-DCA and you can do this triangle for $150-180. Probably less expensive than a 1-way car rental, even with a 1-day car rental at Niagara Falls.

Seneca Falls and the Finger Lakes are nice - but not so nice or unique that you should compress your itinerary even more.

Good advice from Gail. You might even find you could spend only one day at Niagra Falls and add a night to either Boston or DC.

Absolutely agree with the above.

I know foreign visitors seem to be obsessed with Niagara Falls - but frankly it's just a bunch of water falling - and IMHO about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10 - while Boston, NY and DC are all 10s - and have a plethora of unique and wonderful sights.

If you stick with your original plan of two days in Niagara Falls you will not have any trouble filling those days. Are you staying in Canada? A short drive from the Falls is the beautiful town of Niagara on the Lake. Spend a day there in the shops, restaurants and wineries. I would also visit the park on the US side of the Falls. It's a much different experience than the Canadian side. You are right beside the Falls and the rapids.

Thank you for your advices!

We'll rent a car at NY airport, the 20, until the 26, when we'll visit NY. So I plan to drive to all that places. Gain, you are right, the planning it's quite big, but I don't know when I'll be back in the USA (I'm from Spain) ... In Niagara I plan to be in the Canadian side, I heard it's better, it is right?

If your 6 days include driving time, you absolutely do not have time to do all this. Here is the math
arrive in Boston night of 20th/early 21st - (drive is 4-6 hours)
This give you about 24 hours in Boston
leave Boston 22nd in AM - drive to Niagara Falls. Arrive that evening
This gives you 36 hours at Niagara Falls
leave Niagara Falls on the 24th - drive to Washington. This drive will take a very long day.
This gives you 36 hours in DC
leave Washington on the 26th for New York

This is not a good plan - you will spend twice as long in the car, driving along highways that either have a lot of traffic or are incredibly boring or both. Please reconsider.

welcome to the forums.

this plan is bogus. to drive from NYC to Bost to Niagra to DC makes no sense, unless you like traffic, long boring highway rides and auto fumes.

You'd be much better off if you skip Niagara Falls (spectacular falls, but still "just a bunch of water falling"). From NY, either train or drive (or better yet just get on another flight upon arrival) to DC, then train or fly to Boston, and train to NY. You don't have enough time to stop along the way anyway.

The Canadian side is where you should spend overnight at Niagara Falls, but as kathy said, it is well worth visiting the NY side as well. You can just take a walk across the bridge, and don't forget your passport.

gail is right about the driving times, especially Niagara to Washington. That's a lost day.

Rethink the suggestions in gail's first post about flying from place to place. It's excellent advice.

The only place a car might be useful is at Niagara since the cab fare from the airport is around $75 OW, and if you want to visit Niagara on the Lake.

Otherwise, a car will be more of a nuisance in the other cities Public transportation is the best way to get around most major US cities, especially on the east coast.

I live in the Finger Lakes region and agree with many of the others. I recommend staying in Boston. It is a lovely city with so much to do. Driving in it can be a nightmare. Niagara Falls is nice, too, but it is very far away from Boston. Some may easily run out of things to do there. The Finger Lakes area is absolutely beautiful, but there is not much in Seneca Falls except for those of us who are fascinated with the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". :) If you decide to keep your itinerary, possibly stay in Corning, Ithaca, or Watkins Glen, New York, instead. However, they are further from the interstate that you would be driving on.

I am afraid that distances in the US may be much greater than you anticipate - and you need to allow for - highway speed limits (much lower than in europe), and time for construction (which they tend to do in the summer) and traffic (you will
find that around all the cities - some of it horrendous).

I have visited Spain several times, including road trips - and the distances between cities there are much less than the ones you are talking about. Believe me - you will be wasting a lot of your limited time just sitting in a car looking at not very interesting landscape (much of the way).

My advice for what it's worth: (not much in some peoples view).
From New York take the Amtrak Maple Leaf to either Niagara Falls Ontario or all the way to Toronto. See Niagara Falls the next day.
Fly from Buffalo to Washington (Reagan National or BWI).
Between Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston your best transportation option is either Amtrak or MegaBus.
If you wanted to go from Boston to Niagara Falls, It would be the Lake Shore Limited from Boston South station to Buffalo.
The problem with this route is that the train gets to Buffalo at about midnight.

Please listen to us and change your plans. Not one person here thinks this is a good trip plan. We want you to enjoy your visit to the US and are really trying to help to make it so. Even tom's plan, using the train, has you spending most of your awake time on transportation. We think you would enjoy more of the US than highways.

Still hoping whatever you decide you have a good trip.

What nobody who thinks the distance between Boston and Niagara Falls "is a long way" and "too far to drive" has actually told you is the mileage: 468 miles and an estimated 7-8 hour drive.

It is certainly a lot more than "just a bunch of falling water" just as New York City is more than "just a bunch of buildings filled with people who think anything outside of town is Third World."

The issue is not that the drives between points A, B and C are intolerable or the value of the proposed destinations. The issue is that this traveler wants to arrive in Boston some time on 8/20 and arrive in NYC sometime on 8/26 - 6 days - and during that time wants to Spend 2 days each in Boston, Niagara Falls, Washington - and those 6 days would include transit time between these 3 places plus transit time to NYC.

Thank you again for all your good advises, I really appreciate them!. Althought now I`m a bit confuse because I thought that I had a good planning but I see that it wasn't so good at all!

I need some time to reconsider the trip following your advices.

I checked the option of flying from place to place. Using Rumbo, It would be around 475$, for sure not more expensive than renting a car including gasoil, highways (are they expensives?), gps, etc.

Another option could be to do everything by plane except Boston - Niagara. With this option we could see some of your countryside and not only big cities, maybe part of finger lakes, and have a car in Niagara to see both sides of the falls. What do you think?

I will reconsider also the option of one more day in Boston and/ or DC

I'm not saying there is no value to Niagara Falls. I'm saying it's much less interesting than Boston, NYC or DC.

If the OP had 3 weeks, landed in Boston, had 12 or 13 days to do Boston to Niagara to DC and then time to go to NYC and visit - that would be rushed but possible. The problem is all those places in so little time.

As noted above, the distance between Boston and Niagara is 468 miles. That's about 753 km. and will take about 7-8 hours on major highways.

The "countryside" you will see will be mostly trees alongside the road. If you were to take secondary roads, it would take you much longer and you still wouldn't have time to see much.

I don't know if the Finger Lakes are directly on the route, but if they are, you'd still only have a couple of hours there.

I live an hour from Niagara.I mean, its a big waterfall. After that, meh- junky, overpriced "atttractions", lousy food. Stay in the Boston or DC areas, explore and enjoy the ocean, top notch museums and great food.

New planning, all by plane:

20 sept: Arrive at NY at 15.15, then fly to Boston (2 options: 17.20 or 19.34).

21, 22 sept: Boston.

23 sept: Boston - Buffalo. Arrive at 11.00. Rent a car for Niagara Falls (We would like to see it even I understand what some of you says)

24 sept: Buffalo - DC. Arrive at DC at 13.20. Afternoon in DC

25 sept: DC

26 sept: DC - NY. Arrive at NY at 11.20

27, 28, 29, 30 (leaving at 18.00): NY

Around 300€ (400$). No more than car ... With this planning we win 1 day in Boston (mabye we could see Salem?), one afternoon in DC and some hours in NY.

Better?

There are many, many beautiful places just an hour or so from Boston, especially in late September when the leaves are bursting with reds and gold. The drive to Niagara is very long, and not scenic. Your time would be much better spent exploring New Hampshire and Vermont - two of the most scenic states in the USA!

I have one major question for you. Which airports are the flights into and out of New York to Buffalo?

You will be arriving at either JFK or EWR. Is the flight to Boston out of the same airport?

Even if it is you have little chance of making the 17:20 flight. (In later afternoon the international airports get very busy, planes are often late landing, Immigration lines are long and wait for luggage can be from 30 minutes to an hour. Given that - and for a flight to Buffalo you will have to switch terminals, check in, deposit luggage, get through security (15 minutes to an hour) and get to the plane by the time doors close 30 minutes before take off - it won't happen.

If it's the same airport you should make the 19:34 flight.

If it's not - you have a decent chance of making it from JFK to LGA. If either flight is in or out of Newark you will not make this flight either - since you will have to cross the entire NYC metro area in heavy traffic - as well as everything else.

Sorry - flight to Boston of course.

sounds like a plan! If you're staying on the US side it might be nice to walk over to Canada to take in the evening falls. You must visit both sides! See it from all angles. I'd consider a later flight to DC if possible.

I haven't done the DC - NYC amtrak. Does anyone thinks it is a worthy option? Is it scenic at all or just a waste of time? Compared to time spent getting from city to airport to airport to city? I have no experience but it's an option that others might have an educated opinion about.

Your revised plan is much, much better.

Good advice from NYTrav re the flights. Take the later flight to Boston and make sure you are okay with the airports.

Since you are going to Niagara Falls, make sure you see some of the attractions. The Cave of the Winds is great fun (my favorite) and is on the NY Side.

Since you'll have a car you should stop and see the NY side before crossing the bridge. As mentioned above, you get right near the Bridal Veil Falls and can walk along the rapids leading to the Horseshoe Falls. It's a nice experience and since you want to see the falls, you might as well see all of them, up close and personal!

The Cave of the Winds is a boardwalk and platforms that goes practically under the Bridal Veil Falls. You will get wet and have a great time.

Then head over the bridge to the Canadian side and check into your hotel.

You will have plenty of time to see the falls and take the Maid of the Mist boat ride that goes near the Horseshoe Falls. It and the Cave of the Winds are the two best attractions at Niagara. (I think you may also be able to do the Maid of the Mist from the NY side).

The Marriott has nice rooms overlooking the falls, which are lit up at night. The casino has a very good, reasonably priced buffet for dinner.

Lookin_Glass, my very first Amtrak trip in October 2001 was from WAS to NYP. It started at 3AM and was on time. After about an hour in Penn Station, I got on the Maple Leaf to Toronto.
We were late into Toronto because of the two packages of drugs that the Canadians found after the US dog didn't find any explosives.
We sat at Niagara Falls Ontario for at least a half hour.
I was at my lodging in Toronto before the sun set.

Nice story, but I was asking if the train from DC to NYC was scenic enough and time efficient enough to warrent the consideration as an alternative way of traveling.

I understand that you have a new found passion for train travel, but that doesn't help the original poster.

There are a couple of scenic views from that train (mainly thru Delaware). Its an easy ride and generally cheaper than flying

It's definitely time efficient (at the very least it's simpler to go by train, at best, it saves time, too). You go city center to city center, there's no long security lines, boarding takes no time, etc.

Thanks sf

I would again suggest a later flight out of Buffalo and training from DC to NYC

and tch

Train and plane are the same amount of time - since you are city center to city center - and there are no long lines/waits for check in and security. If you buy train tickets in advance they can be cheaper and it is definitely much more comfortable.

We either drive (if visiting other areas) or train. would never fly this route.

Thank you all! Yes, I also prefer train, good point!. I have just check the prices, 98$ both, good fare I think, and as you says, from center to center. I have also checked the bus, 48$ both, it's more time but the station in DC is in Dupont Circle where we have the apartment. It's worthy?


The fly NY-Boston I checked is also from Newark, where we arrive from Spain. Ok 19.34 flight then! Thank you NYTraveler.

Looking Glass, do you think it's better to spend more time in Niagara instead of the afternoon in DC. Maybe for seeing Niagara on the Lake? Other places?

Pannecot, I write down your ideas for Niagara!

You are on the right track now (train track or plane - that is just fine tuning the itinerary). I hope you have a wonderful trip. I don't know if you have your hotels finalized, but for Boston if you can afford to do so, try to stay right in the tourist area of Boston (Back Bay, Downtown, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Copley - will all be words associated with a hotel in this area). Even hotels that are a short distance from city center can take way too long to get into Boston. And for the short time you are here want you to be able to see as much of my adopted city as you can.

I only suggest a later flight from Buffalo since unless I misread you are spending less then 24 hours there. By the time you get out of the airport, drive to the falls, check into your accommodations - on either side, it is already mid/late afternoon. And to catch a flight, you will be leaving the falls rather early to drop off the car, check in and catch your flight.

I do think you should consider the DC to NYC train. The bus may be cheaper, but will put you on highways and possible traffic, while the train would be comfortable and keep you out of airport commutes and security lines.

Excellent ideas from Panecott.

I'd also consider a later departure from DC arriving early evening. Still plenty of time to explore the Big Apple! Take time in Niagra and DC for a nice cappuccino and an early morning stroll before starting the next commute.

Thank you very much Gail. In your first post you said that we could do the triangle Boston-Buffalo-DC for 150-180$ (I guess each of us). Could you please tell me where should I search for that flights? I have just tried to book them in Rumbo.es but in the last step they charge me 70$ for each person, 140$ for both, with the concept "maganemente cost". I have to book 3 flights, so it would be 420$ in adition. I guess that there you have more companies and more web pages for buying tickets.

Regarding the hotels, I think that in this point I did a good job! In Boston we'll be in the Hi-Boston (in private room) which is located on the border of Boston’s Theater District and Chinatown, very close to Boston Common. In DC we'll be in an apartament 5 minutes walking from Dupont Circle. In NY in the Belvedere, 5 minutes walking from Times Square. The only one I didn't book yet is in Niagara, I have to check what Lookin_Glass told me about Marriot. By the way, I think I got good fares but the hotels in this 3 cities are really expensives...

Lookin_Glass, I think I'm going to follow your advice and we'll take the fly from Buffalo to DC in the afternoon, to be a bit more relaxed in Niagara and maybe go to Niagara on the Lake in the morning.

I think your plans are really coming together and you will have a wonderful holiday!!! Bring your walking shoes!

definitely do the train versus the bus from dc to nyc. the train is almost always on time. the bus will hit traffic and is very often late. how late will vary by day and condition - weather, traffic and construction - but delay may be 30 minutes or a couple of hours.