KenB

Hi,

How bad is the US for staying? We will be in the area 3 nights. We are coming form NYC suburbs the first day, and that is already a quite long drive. To take the time to go through customs is hard to imagine after 7-8 hours on the road.

(We have a young child, sitting in the car that long is hard).

We could instead stay a night halfway, like in Syracuse, then get to the Canadian side the next day. But how much difference will it make?

We need a room, meals, and like to swim. Isn't the rest of the trip traveling around the falls and the sites, regardless of where we actually sleep?

What are a few good hotels on the US side?

How do you get over to Canada - need a passport? What about our 7-year old. Does he need a passport too?

Thanks!

kcapuani

I would just forge ahead and make the drive in one day. Hotel options on the US side are:
Sheraton Four Points
Holiday Inn
Hampton Inn
Best Western

All are low to mid-end chains but, as you said, you won't be in the hotel for very long.

Canadian customs is usually a breeze. You'll need a driver's license which they rarely ask for. Bring along your son's birth certificate just in case. Getting back into the US takes longer because they never have enough customs agents working.

The Canadian side does have more attractions than the US but a lot of the attractions are hokey (wax museums, haunted houses etc). Do not miss the Whirlpool Jet Boat on the US side - your son will love it! It leaves from Lewiston, NY which is about 2 miles from the Falls. You will get soaked as the boat travels through the Niagara Gorge and whirlpool!

BuffaloGirl

My standard advice is...stay and play on the Canadian side, but view the falls from the Canadian and American sides. Totally different perspectives. The bridges vary from day to day and time of day.

I live in Buffalo, so I can't really comment on hotels in the area because I don't stay in them. However, a quick search of Niagara Falls hotels on the Canadian board will get you a lot of info. about hotels with good pools, etc.

I have to disagree with the previous poster....it is not longer a "breeze" to go through customs. You MUST have a birth certificate for your son (original) and for yourselves, and you now have to show your American picture I.D. (driver's license) when you enter Canada...something you didn't have to do until recently. If you all have passports, the better off you'll be.

Have a great trip!

suzanne

I went there a year ago, and it was a breeze to get through customs. No lines. I didn't have a passport or birth certificate (it's better if you do though). The Canadian side is SO much nicer, it's worth it. The US side has a nice park right on the falls, but the rest of the town is kind of slummy. The CN side is touristy but has better views and the surrounding area has some quaint, beautiful towns (like Niagara-on-the-Lake). And the CN side has FAR better views. I don't think it's even worth it to go up there if you're not going to cross the river.

ccolor

Which hotels would you suggest from the Canadian side? We're thinking of going and I'd like to have a room with a view of the falls. Thanks for any information you can give me.

BuffaloGirl

Suzanne, you were lucky you didn't get pulled over. You might have had a heck of a time if you did...without a birth certificate of passport!

I cross over the Peace Bridge a couple times a month to spend the day at the beach....sometimes it's a quick trip over the bridge, and sometimes not. I would rather be safe than sorry....have the proper papers!

suzanne

ccolor: The Sheraton Fallsview has the most spectacular view of the horseshoe falls. The best view I've EVER had from a hotel room. We opted to get a suite there (a 2-story penthouse with HUGE windows) and found it wasn't even that expensive.

Buffalogirl: I know! I wasn't even aware that I needed my passport until I was most of the way there, and logged onto Fodors where I was staying. I was still willing to take my chances though, and continue with the planned trip. No trouble at customs...phew!

Laddie

We just this week returned from Niagara. We were on the 12th floor of the Brock Plaza (Canada) and had great views of the falls. It has an indoor pool but I never saw it so can't comment. This hotel is close to the Sheraton and I believe they are "sister" properties and another guest told us we had pool privileges at the Sheraton. This hotel was close enough to everything to be convenient, but slightly off the beaten path so it was a tad bit quieter. We took birth certificates but were never asked to show them on numerous crossings, except for one time. We walked over the bridge to Goat Island and I never thought about bringing birth certificates, since nobody had asked for them before. The Canadian customs man gave us a semi-hard time when we told him our birth certificates were at the hotel. All we had were drivers licenses. Actually, he had quite an attitude. He did let us through, though. If you walk across the bridge, be sure to take your birth certificate! Make sure to go to Goat Island on American side for upclose view of falls, but I would really recommend staying on Canadian side. The Maid of the Mist boat was a lot of fun. You will get very wet. I would skip the IMAX. This was a wonderful trip and you will love it there. The drive up to Niagara-On-The-Lake is beautiful. Be sure to go there and take a look around. Get on the Niagara Parkway on the Canadian side and it will take you right there. There is a whirlpool about two miles north of falls. You can pull over to side of road and take a look, or even hike down or take an elevator into the gorge. On the American side there is a state park at the Whirlpool where you can hike down on that side but we ran out of time and never made it over there. Enjoy

djkbooks

There are many inexpensive chain hotels/motels just east of Buffalo. We usually stay in one to break up the trip. Then, after a nice breakfast, it's only about and hour and 45 minutes to the Canadian side of the Falls. We always used the Queenston/Lewiston bridge. It looks a lot farther on the map, but the difference is negligible (5-10 minutes) and we've never encountered a long wait to cross there.

By waiting until near Buffalo to spend the night (there are nice rest stops along I-90), you can be at the Falls early the next day and have more time once there.

Due to the configuration of the Falls, it is simply more scenic from the Canadian side. And, there's much more to see and do (there are lots and lots of websites). The Butterfly Conservatory, for example, which is magnificent.

The Canadian Parks Commission does a fabulous job of preserving the areas around the Falls (and landscaping!) and keeping the "touristy" stuff out of sight.

You need proof of citizenship to re-enter the USA. If you don't have passports, then an original birth certificate with raised seal. You will probably not be asked for documentation, but if you are you had better have it.

Here's another recommendation for the Sheraton on the Falls which is opposite Maid of the Mist and at the foot of Clifton Hill (NOT to be confused with the Sheraton Fallsview which is behind Horseshoe Falls).