Niagara Falls, ON recs?

[sarahsas]

You can take food across. They will accept US currency everywhere; no need to exchange. You may get Canadian as change though.

We stayed at the embassy Suites. They often run great deals. They include breakfast and an evening "managers reception" which was enough for a meal. We got a deal where we also got a gift certificate to a restaurant and some other event passes. We could walk all over and had a great falls view (didn't pay extra either).

I highly suggest doing the maid of the mist if you haven't done it. It's worth it! We also liked crossing the bridge over by foot.

[caddywompus]

I would be careful about bringing over food... When we drove across the border we got stopped for a random check, and he found an open bottle of water and some chips. He said we should have TOLD him that we were bringing food. Who've thought??

[lg28]

You can't bring fruits, veggies or meat. Just buy some at a grocery store in Niagara Falls. It will be the same price as the US, maybe a tad more expensive. Not worth it if you get caught and have an angry border guard.

Personally, I dislike some of the less-expensive hotel options in Niagara because they get seedy really quick from bachelor parties, high school kids (drinking age is 19!) and stuff like that. Look for a Groupon or WagJag deal for a better hotel. The Marriott or Sheraton are good options. Or if you don't mind a 20-min drive to the falls, stay in Niagara on the Lake which is MUCH nicer.

The Niagara Safari is fun even if you dont have kids. You can get really close to the animals, and they have lots of room to roam and explore. Its about a 3-4 hour visit. Its about 20-30 minutes from the Falls.

I love going to the Casino.

[digitaldiva16]

I like the others' suggestions about either trying to find a deal for a nicer hotel or checking out Niagara-on-the-Lake. I've stayed overnight in Niagara Falls twice. The Red Carpet Inn was my all-time worst hotel experience... that is the place of nightmares. The Travelodge Clifton Hill was adequate for a night. A bit outdated but clean. It has parking and it's located right in the middle of the action and a short walk down to the falls.

If I'm in Ontario for just a few days, I usually don't bother exchanging money. It's cheapest to use my Chase credit card. In circumstances when I have to use cash, I've found that most places accept US currency (but will give you Canadian change).

As long as you don't bring produce/meat, you should be fine to bring snacks and drinks. Speaking of food, it might be a good idea to plan/research restaurant choices ahead of time.

I highly recommend any/all of the falls tours. The tour company used to be called Maid of the Mist but they seem to have been replaced by Hornblower Niagara Cruises. You should look into getting the Adventure Pass that has bundles a handful of Falls-related activities into one ticket. If nothing else, do the Voyage to the Falls boat tour. Also, book your tickets ahead of time. The lines to buy tickets are longer than the ones to board the boat and you can easily bypass them and save so much time.

Since you're staying overnight, you must see the falls by both day and night! They're illuminated at night and so gorgeous. They do fireworks too but I can't remember whether it's only on certain days.