Niagara Falls, Canada is a dream destination that is open all year round for visitors. It is a stunning combination of breathtaking natural beauty, historic and cultural sites, amusement parks, and fun tourist attractions.
Planning a trip to Niagara Falls can be fun as well as time consuming and exhausting. Deciding on dates, mode of transportation, searching for accommodations and making an itinerary for the trip can turn into a nightmare.
There are many websites, blogs and apps that can help you in your planning. Researching the web looking for the best deals on hotels and transportation, attractions to visit, and deciding on a budget can also be a stressful process.
With a little bit of planning, you can have a lovely time in Niagara Falls and create lifelong memories.
Creating a checklist of tasks to be taken care of is a good way to start your trip planning process. Below are some planning tips that should help you.
Step 1 – Deciding On When To Go
Your decision on when to go will be influenced by vacation time, school holidays (if traveling with kids), weather and crowds. Summer is peak season in Niagara Falls. Spring and fall are a great time to visit if you want to avoid crowds.
Step 2 – Duration Of Your Stay
Decide if you will be visiting for a day, 2 days or more. The duration of your stay will depend on budget constraints, free time available, and what you want to see in Niagara Falls.
If you just want to see the Falls and some attractions connected to the Falls, such as Journey behind the Falls, Hornblower boat cruise, Spanish Aero Car and a visit to a park, you can cover those in a day.
If you love wine, history and architecture, then you should definitely visit Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is just a 15-20 minute drive from Niagara Falls away. You would need a day to explore Niagara-on-the-Lake.
If you are going to spend more than 2 days in Niagara Falls, there are many museums, lovely parks and nature reserves, waterparks that you can visit.
Step 3 – Researching Costs
After deciding on how long you will be staying in Niagara Falls, your next task should be calculating the cost of your trip. The great thing about Niagara Falls is that you can have a lovely stay even on a budget. Research online on travel costs, accommodation costs and the cost of a tour and various attractions.
Step 4 – Decide On Transportation
Niagara Falls is easily accessible by road, rail and air. You can plan a road trip, travel by train or book a flight ticket.
Skyscanner is a good website for searching cheap flights online. It is a comparison site that searches millions of flights from over a thousand airlines. Once you have found your flight on Skyscanner, it redirects you to the airline or travel agency to make your booking (no extra fees added).
Other credible flight search sites include Kayak, Hipmunk, Google Flights, and Momondo.
Many airlines have lower fares only available on their own site. After you find a suitable flight on the flight search website, go directly to that airline’s own website and see if you can get it for cheaper.
There are Greyhound and Mega Bus services to Niagara Falls. Amtrack runs daily train services from Toronto to New York with a stop at Niagara Falls. There are taxis and tour operators from Toronto.
Step 5 – Book Accommodations For The Vacation
If you plan on staying for more than a day, you should make hotel reservations in advance. Accommodations are a major travel expense, so choose a place that fits your needs but is not too expensive. This will save you some money that can be spent on other things in Niagara Falls. There are many hostels, B&B’s, campgrounds, motels and hotels that cater to every type of budget. Search online for the best deals. Booking.com and priceline.com are 2 good websites for searching accommodations.
Hotels in Lundy’s Lane and the Clifton Hill area are relatively cheaper than the one in the Fallsview area.
Step 6 – Plan Your Activities
Before leaving for Niagara Falls, you should have a fair idea about the sights and attractions you would like to visit. You can search the Niagara Parks website and other Niagara Falls tourism websites to find out about must-do activities.
The main purpose of your visit is to see the Niagara Falls, which is absolutely free. Journey Behind the Falls, Hornblower boat cruise, White Water Walk are some of the most frequented attractions.
Your Choice of Activities Will be Affected by the Following Factors:
1. Your travelling companions and their interests. Are you travelling alone, with your partner, or going on a family vacation?
2. The duration of your stay.
3. Time of year – If you are planning to visit in winter, be prepared to find that many attractions are closed. Summer is when all Niagara Falls attractions are open. Most remain open till the end of October.
Step 7 – Buy Travel Insurance
Most people do not think travel insurance is important. Travel insurance covers you in cases of medical emergencies, damaged or lost luggage, stolen personal effects, or a natural calamity.
Travel insurance is something you just might need on the road. It covers any losses that you might face during your travel. It is not very expensive, so it would be wise to buy travel insurance.
Step 8 – What To Pack For Your Trip
Niagara Falls has 4 very distinct seasons. What you need to pack depends on when you visit Niagara Falls. Summers are warm in Niagara Falls, casual comfortable clothes are appropriate. Always expect some mist from the falls, especially when you are standing near them.
You will do a lot of walking, so pack comfortable shoes and sandals.
Winter is very cold; you would require warm jackets, gloves, hats. Taking a folding umbrella would be a good idea as there can be unexpected showers.
Other beneficial items to bring include hand sanitizer, insect repellent, OTC painkillers, sunscreen, and a cap.
A camera is a must when visiting Niagara Falls. Bring a waterproof camera due to the wet conditions near the Falls. Do not forget to bring a waterproof backpack/bag. It will protect some of your belongings from getting wet when out sightseeing.
Step 9 – Travel Documents
If you are an international visitor, make sure you have the appropriate travel documents. You can check www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp for further information. Find out whether you need a visa for travel to Niagara Falls.
Step 10 – Checklist of Important Documents
A US driver’s license is valid in Canada. So, if you are a US citizen, you can drive into Canada or rent a car in Niagara Falls for sightseeing.
When you are travelling, sometimes important documents get misplaced, lost or stolen. To be on the safe side, make copies of important documents such as:
- Passports
- ID cards
- Driver’s license
- Hotel reservations
- Visas
- Tour bookings
- Itineraries
- Credit cards
- Any other reservations made for the trip
- List of important phone numbers
Keep a set of hard copies of all important documents with you as you never know when you might need them.
Step 11 – Eating Options
As you might have read on countless blogs and travel guides, eating anywhere close to the Falls area can be quite expensive. If your accommodations are equipped with a microwave and refrigerator, you can buy some groceries and make a few meals yourself.
Research on cafes, food trucks, restaurants, street food, picnic spots (buy supplies from a local market) in Niagara Falls.
Betty’s restaurant and Blue Line Diner are some good and cheap places for a meal. You can check out Yelp and Trip Advisor websites for some good choices.
Step 12 – Getting Around In Niagara Falls
If you are driving to Niagara Falls or plan on renting a car in Niagara Falls, then driving around to the various attractions will be easy. There is parking at most attractions, though there may be a fee charged.
The WEGO buses are a good option for travelling around in Niagara Falls.
Step 13 – Banking, Debit/Credit Cards
It is best to use debit or credit cards for most transactions.
You should notify your bank and card companies about your travel plans. If you do not, they might freeze your card when they see unusual transactions in another country/city.
International travelers should select debit/credit cards that have minimal to no currency conversion fees and no ATM fees.
If you are an international traveler, you can get your currency exchanged at any bank or even one of the casinos in Niagara Falls.
Step 14 – Internet Access And Phones
In today’s world, very few people travel without a laptop/tablet or at the very least, a smartphone. You will need a data plan for your phone and WiFi for your laptop/tablet.
Find out about roaming charges, etc. from your service provider before leaving for Niagara Falls.
Step 15 – Vaccinations
International travelers should inquire about any vaccinations that may be required.
We hope our guidelines make planning a trip to Niagara Falls easier. If you organize all aspects of your travel, you will have a great trip no matter the length of stay.
The whole idea of taking a trip is to have a memorable time, relax, and enjoy the scenery. Planning your trip beforehand will help you achieve those goals.
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