I have no advice on border info or hotels, since I haven't been there in 25 years or so, but I remember enjoying the boat tour on the Maid of the Mist (not sure if someone can recommend a better option)
Maid of the Mist is awesome. Most of those museums are pretty touristy/nothing special but it's something to do at least. I haven't been in maybe 8-9 years but we always stay near Clifton hill and its an easy walk to everything
We did the tour behind the falls and the maid of the mist. They were both worth the time and money.
I didn't do any of the other super touristy stuff there (Ripley's, etc), and that entire area is tacky as hell, but then, that's kind of the schtick in Niagara. There is a great state park north of the falls that would be nice to explore/picnic at in nice weather.
You will find most places accept American currency and give you back Canadian change, although at a bad exchange rate. We just used ATM's to get cash but whether or not that's a good plan will depend on your bank.
Can't help with hotels. We did a VRBO.
Other things... going into Canada is a breeze at the border. Coming into America took a lot longer. I've been to Canada several times by car and that pattern never fails for me. They do firework shows during certain holidays, too (Canadian or US), so it might be worth seeing if one is going on while you're there.
Post by compassrose on Jan 25, 2015 14:18:51 GMT -5
We stayed here: www.fourpointsstcatharines.com/ It doesn't have a view of the falls and it's a few minutes drive to the Falls, but it's insanely nice and $90/night (and pet friendly). Just wandered around St. Catharine's, which was super cute, lots of fun shops and restaurants. Go for the Maid of the Mist tour!
Post by truckentruck on Jan 27, 2015 15:25:20 GMT -5
The Niagara-on-the-lake area is a cute small town with lots of shopping and wineries, and pretty views of Lake Ontario. I would highly recommend making a day trip there, it's 20 minutes away or so, and is a nice addition/change of pace to the Niagara Falls area.
We also stayed closer to Niagara-on-the-Lake than Niagara and loved the little town. There's a fort there if either of you are interested in historical stuff. The Butterfly Conservatory and Garden are in between the NotL and Niagara, as is a lovely hiking area. We also liked the Maid in the Mist ride (though we were soaked), but the lines were awful. We had thought about staying or returning for the light show that night but said forget by the time we finished our ride.
Honestly, I wouldn't even bother changing currency, just use a credit card with no exchange fee.
Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed. - G. K. Chesterton
I highly recommend the butterfly conservatory and Maid of the Mist.
Niagara-on-the-Lake also has really good fudge and it's a charming little town with nice shops, so don't be put off by the winery label (although it's also known for wine). There's also a Shakespeare festival there, but I can't remember what time of year.
Old Fort Niagara is pretty cool, but it's on the US side.
There's a revolving restaurant over the falls, too. I can't remember the food (it's been ~12 years since I've been), but hey, revolving restaurant. You can probably just go for a drink or the observation deck.
I agree that you can just use US dollars and get change. Everywhere has a currency exchange rate - so you go into a restaurant or shop and they have a button on the register to convert your total to US dollars instead of CND, then they give you change in CND. It's the same on both sides of the border.