Niagara Falls questions...

[bmacd]

My gf and I were planning on making a weekend trip out to Niagara Falls and I had a few questions...

1) how long of a drive is it from Detroit?
2) Is mapquest the best way to get directions? Is there any construction we should know about or avoid?
3) Is it better to stay on the Canadian side or the state side?
4) Is there anything else to do while in the immediate Canadian area?
5) If the drive is as long as I think it is, would taking the motorcycle be out of the question? If it rains, i'm screwed!
6) Any other advice or tips
7) how much $$$ would this trip cost if we hit all the regular tourist spots?

-=bmacd=-

 

[optoman]

I would stay on the Canadian side. More stuff to do and its filled with tourist traps.

Also, that maid of the mist is a must do. I wouldn't take a cycle becuase we seem to be getting rain every other day. Have fun!

 

[eakers]

ummmm get married?

 

[optoman]

Originally posted by: eakers
ummmm get married?

Oh ya, the heart shaped tubs are not to be missed.

 

[bmacd]

Originally posted by: eakers
ummmm get married?

just a little too soon for me

-=bmacd=-

 

[madthumbs]

1) Use Streets and Trips or Map Point to find out. -Easy to find on ed2k network
2) Either of the above mentioned is better and you can update it to include construction information
3) Canadian, but you may now need passports and might run into problems with getting back
4) Hell yeah! Buy and smoke Cuban cigars, check out some weed bars, sample beer that puts US beer to shame
5) Take the car
6) If you like water slides, the Hilton includes one along with a nice view. Just make sure it's not closed for remodeling or something. Try out Hershey's chocolate there. It appears to be creamier or more like Godiva (maybe due to the climate up north).
7) Seasonal, I usually spend about $300

 

[Kaiser__Sose]

Originally posted by: bmacd
My gf and I were planning on making a weekend trip out to Niagara Falls and I had a few questions...

1) how long of a drive is it from Detroit?
2) Is mapquest the best way to get directions? Is there any construction we should know about or avoid?
3) Is it better to stay on the Canadian side or the state side?
4) Is there anything else to do while in the immediate Canadian area?
5) If the drive is as long as I think it is, would taking the motorcycle be out of the question? If it rains, i'm screwed!
6) Any other advice or tips
7) how much $$$ would this trip cost if we hit all the regular tourist spots?

-=bmacd=-

1. not sure.. 3 hrs or so
2. yea.. mapquest is good.
3. Canadian side (cheaper $$$ and lots of toursit things to do)
4. Haunted houses... tourist traps... Casino.. etc
5. Drive
6. Book the hotel on priceline and go to www.biddingfortravel.com to check how much to bid.. i've gotten fallsview rooms at the Hilton for $35US/night before.

 

[rh71]

^ priceline rocks. Saved me $1k for Hawaii altogether even though I spent all afternoon "hunting" for deals. Well worth it. It rocks so much I posted this with no regard to Niagara Falls. kthxbye.

 

[Iron Woode]

Casino Niagra.

'Nuff said.

 

[mobobuff]

From Detroit... probably about 3 hours? Factoring in toll booths and bridges.

I went from Grand Rapids to Rochester to Niagara and then back to Detroit, but I don't recall the time it took to get back. 3 hours is my best guess. I was the one driving so it kind of all meshed together in one long highway.

I visited the falls on the States side, went on the Maid of the Mist thing, that was pretty awesome. Make sure to tie the bottom of your poncho (they give you cheap plastic ones) tighter to your legs so it doesn't poof up in the wind, mine was doing that and it was horribly annoying. Make sure you don't have to pee before you get out of your car to walk to the falls, it's a long walk and they don't have many bathrooms.

I'd say it was pretty cool, and it would be a nice place to take a girl. I was wishing that they'd take the boat farther into the falls (the Horse-shoe part), but they didn't.

The Canadian side looked like it probably had more tourist ops.

 

[booger711]

i found niagara falls to be a total tourist trap ... not worth it

 

[bmacd]

Originally posted by: booger711
i found niagara falls to be a total tourist trap ... not worth it

this will be my last time together with my gf for four months. I think i'll be ok with a few tourist spots

-=bmacd=-

 

[z0mb13]

added niagara falls to things to do before I die list

 

[AdamSnow]

1) If you take the 401 up to Woodstock, and then get on the 407 in Ontario... 4 hours.
2) Microsoft Streets and Trips will work good... I hate mapquest.
3) Stay on the Canadian side... much better
4) Local Anandtech meet ? haha London is a beautiful city... also Toronto is only a skip away.
5) Take your car. It's very wet in the general area of the falls.
6) Dont speed through "Chatham-Kent" while on the 401... Police are crazy strict here!
7) I went up there with my girlfriend on New Years... Spent 300 on a falls-view hotel room, and about $200 on fun stuff and another $100 on food... and that was New Years Eve/New Years Day... so I imagine it would be a lot cheaper there now then it was then... heh

Have fun man!

 

[Analog]

we camped there this summer.

Do the caves behind the falls.

Go thru Canada, but gas up in the U.S.

Visit the power plant, that was cool.

If you bring bicycles, you can bike a long way upstream from the falls, beautiful on the Canadian side.

 

[Kntx]

Originally posted by: AdamSnow
1) If you take the 401 up to Woodstock, and then get on the 407 in Ontario... 4 hours.
2) Microsoft Streets and Trips will work good... I hate mapquest.
3) Stay on the Canadian side... much better
4) Local Anandtech meet ? haha London is a beautiful city... also Toronto is only a skip away.
5) Take your car. It's very wet in the general area of the falls.
6) Dont speed through "Chatham-Kent" while on the 401... Police are crazy strict here!
7) I went up there with my girlfriend on New Years... Spent 300 on a falls-view hotel room, and about $200 on fun stuff and another $100 on food... and that was New Years Eve/New Years Day... so I imagine it would be a lot cheaper there now then it was then... heh

Have fun man!

Don't listen to this guy. He doesn't know how to get there.

Take 401 till woodstock, get on 403 till Burlington, get on QEW to Niagra then take 420 to tourist area.

 

[AdamSnow]

Originally posted by: Kntx

Originally posted by: AdamSnow
1) If you take the 401 up to Woodstock, and then get on the 407 in Ontario... 4 hours.
2) Microsoft Streets and Trips will work good... I hate mapquest.
3) Stay on the Canadian side... much better
4) Local Anandtech meet ? haha London is a beautiful city... also Toronto is only a skip away.
5) Take your car. It's very wet in the general area of the falls.
6) Dont speed through "Chatham-Kent" while on the 401... Police are crazy strict here!
7) I went up there with my girlfriend on New Years... Spent 300 on a falls-view hotel room, and about $200 on fun stuff and another $100 on food... and that was New Years Eve/New Years Day... so I imagine it would be a lot cheaper there now then it was then... heh

Have fun man!

Don't listen to this guy. He doesn't know how to get there.

Take 401 till woodstock, get on 403 till Burlington, get on QEW to Niagra then take 420 to tourist area.

Hahahaha Yes, you are correct... I'm sorry... I was talking to someone here at work about how to get to Barrie... Long way's off from Niagara... haha

Thanks for the correction though!

 

[Thump553]

The Falls are a awesome place. Spend most of your time on the Canadian side, but there is an excellent park on the American side that goes right up to the side of the falls. This park is full of (normal) people all night-its mesmerizing to stand right next to the Falls.

On the Canadian side they have a package deal for tickets to the Maid of the Mist, shuttle buses, etc. that is a very good deal.

I've never stayed on the Canadian side, have stayed on the US side a couple of times. The US side is fairly run down, the Canadian side seemed more booming. Every motel I stayed at was a classic tourist trap, somewhat seedy, overpriced, etc.

Unless things have changed post 9/11 no passport is needed. Just a picture ID and a small fee (was 25-75 cents the last time I went). I've always found it easier and quicker to walk across the bridge than drive.