Hi, We are entertaining the idea of a daytrip from NYC to Niagara falls whilst visiting NYC for 8 days. We understand this is a very big day, but we feel better that travelling and staying overnight when we have so little time in NYC.

A tour company provides pricing as being approx. $650 per person. That is on a private plane with collection and drop off from hotel. I have looked on the internet and found that pricing a commercial airline ticket (jetblue?) to buffalo and then joining a tour already in Niagara is about half that price..has anyone done this?

Is it risky to take a commercial flight to and from Buffalo and then connect to a ground tour rather than be in a private tour group?

Are the commercial flights reliable into and out of buffalo?

Any other guidance or ideas are helpful....

IMHO the views on the Canadian side are much better than from the US - so unless you can do that I would not even consider going to Niagara Falls. Crossing the border back and forth can be time consuming due to long lines. And will your passport allow for multiple entries into the US.

Flights - charter or commercial - are always subject to delays due to weather or mechanical issues - so I would be hesitant to do this in one day.

And what time of year do you plan on going? (I assume summer, since many things are closed in off seasons due to the very cold wether in the area.)

Have only been there once - and that was since we were driving to Toronto - and while it was pretty I wouldn't give up a day in NYC to see the falls.

If it were me I would reconsider - but do notice that this seems to be a must see for foreign visitors.

Are you from OZ, by any chance?

It seems people from Oz will contort themselves to see the Falls.

It's ridiculous to say if you can't go to the Canadian side, that it's not worth it to go to the Falls. That being said, whether Canadian side or US side, it's not really a "side trip" from NYC. Commercial flights between NYC and Buffalo are numerous and reliable. There are non-stop flights from all three of the area airports (JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark). But still, when you take into consideration the time to get to the airport, waiting for your flight, taking your flight, and then hooking up with a tour (not sure if you found a tour that picks you up at the airport or if you plan on getting to Niagara Falls and then taking a tour), it just doesn't seem like it's the best use of limited time or worth the substantial expense. But if you are determined, in addition to JetBlue, US Airways, Delta and United all have non-stops from NYC to Buffalo.

A *DAY* trip from NYC to Niagara?

There are plenty of places that a person in NYC could visit in one day, involving far less money and trouble, and that would give more overall enjoyment (ie, experience minus hassle) than Niagara.

Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Boston; just for starters.

I've enjoyed all four of my trips to Niagara, but I would GREATLY recommend any of these cities over that place. They're all just BETTER place to visit; and, from NYC, far easier to get to.

I *STRONGLY* urge you to rethink this idea.

I think the idea that it would be easier to take a day-trip to DC or Boston instead of Niagara Falls is questionable.

As you already know, this is a doable itinerary. JetBlue has a couple of early-morning nonstop departures to Buffalo and a few late-afternoon, evening nonstop returns that would give you about 8 or 9 hours on the ground; I'd never choose a connecting flight, so only a nonstop will do here. You already know it's a punishing trip and should also know that I tend to agree with the posters who say it's not really worthwhile. However, I also understand the interest in Niagara falls.

JetBlue is a reliable airline that has occasional problems with tardiness, and there is runway construction at JFK right now, so that may affect (particularly) domestic flights on smaller planes, which will not be given priority take-off and landing positions. But those are small problems.

The cost is considerable, but you can definitely do this. The difficult question is whether the private flight is better than the commercial flight. That's hard to say. Private flights tend to take-off from Teterboro Airport in NJ, and you'd likely have (and would need) private transportation to the airport since it's not reachable by public transit. The cost doesn't seem so out of line with me, and the private plane would be more comfortable. Look at the savings. I checked a few itineraries, and you might or might not save as much as a third on the commercial vs. private tour. If you can afford $650, I'd go for that. If not, then a commercial flight would work just fine.

Does Fodors have a business arrangement with JetBlue? As I indicated, there are other airlines that provide nonstop service from the NYC area airports to Buffalo. So I would look around for the most convenient times and best fares.

Guess I just do not get the fascination folks from overseas seem to have with Niagara Falls but if determined to see it I'd stay overnight, 8 days in NYC is a lot of time.

Thanks all! Yes we are from Australia lol. Guess being from a big country we are happy to travel large distances for a short stay. The feedback is great. I get the feeling from a local perspective that the falls are great/nice to visit..but not necessarily worth going out of your way for ? Would that be a fair assessment..I guess it would be a bit like if people were visiting Sydney and said should we do a day trip to Byron Bay (which is doable) as locals we would say hell no.

We are coming to NYC from chigago and then going onto Washington, and for one day $2800 is a lot of money. I see that locally it would be possible to do this separately via a commercial airline, but I am leaning more towards not going and doing a day trip to Philly or simply more time in NYC. Thanks all!

Are you departing eastward or westward when you leave NYC?
Could you have a stop in Buffalo or even Toronto before or after your 8 days in New York City?
The last time I was in New York City was October 2001 about 5 weeks after 9/11. I was waiting for the Maple Leaf to take me to Toronto. We made stops in Niagara Falls NY and Niagara Falls ON and made it to Toronto about 8PM.
I doubt that I will ever go to NYC again.

Agree they are in the interesting but don't go far out of your way for. (This also depends on what else you have seen before.)

Train is not a realistic option unless you want to spend 3 days doing the trip.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to fly Chicago to Buffalo at the start of your eight days...spend the day at Niagara and then fly Buffalo to NY that evening... both flights run all day long and Niagara is 25 minutes from BUF Airport...

To get there, rent a car for the day and pick any number of tour options.... by choosing this option, you may spend only a hundred or so dollars on all four of you....

I think the idea of flying Chicago to Buffalo is great. Do Australians need US visas? If so, make sure you get a multiple entry visa. Then stay in hotel with a view of the falls on the Canadian side. Ride the Maid of the Mist. Then hightail it back to NYC and civilization (regardless of what Tom Fuller thinks!)

Fra, Australians can either get a visa, or if eligible travel under the Visa Waiver Program which allows for 90 days in the US, travel to Canada, Mexico and Caribbean islands counts toward the 90 days allowed (to prevent "visa runs").