Where should I fly to for a vacation at Niagara Falls?

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Judy C

I would recommend driving to Toronto and then driving to the Falls. While Buffalo may be closer in distance and you may have less hassle at the airport (although it's not a major hassle anyways), the wait at the border on one of the bridges to get into Canada is usually hours long. That is incredibly frustrating. Once you land at Pearson airport in TO, rent a car from there, hop on the highway (401 west, 27 south 0r 427 south), ideally you want to be on the 427 south, go south and transfer to the QEW west and just keep driving until you hit NIagara (follow the signs, it's very hard to miss it). It's about a good hour, hour and a half drive. Just a thought, try and sneak a visit to Niagara on the Lake, just before you hit the falls. It is really pretty and very scenic. Lots of little boutiques and restaurants too.

X M

I would say Buffalo for sure, it is closer and also a smaller airport, I live in Canada and always fly from buffalo rather than Toronto, you get off the plane, get your bags and are out much faster. As far as the wait times at the border I cross over at least twice a month (usually more) and have never had to wait longer than 40 min. If there is an NFL or NHL game or if it is a holiday you may sit in line or on the bridge and wait for a while, although on most days the time spent at the border is minimal. BUT as the previous answer stated, make sure the car rental place will allow you to take the car across.

buckblade

Before you make your choice, I would recommend checking with the rental car company you would use in Buffalo to see if they allow you to take their cars over the border. Many companies do not even though Buffalo is a border town. If you can't take the car into Canada, then that would eliminate Buffalo from your itinerary.

bob_scott45

No question about this one. Fly to Buffalo and rent a car. Buffalo is just a short drive from Niagara Falls and very convenient. Flying into Toronto, getting a car, driving about 1 1/2 hours (or 4 or 5 hours depending on traffic), customs and immigration, etc. etc. etc. Trust me ... lots of people from the Toronto and Hamilton area drive to Buffalo then catch flights from there. The QEW highway from Toronto to Niagara is one of the busiest roads for Traffic in all of Canada. Also, flying to and from Buffalo is *much* cheaper than to or from Toronto. Really a no-brainer. Have a great trip!!

wcwc

I've driven to the Falls from both Toronto and Buffalo, and there's no question that Buffalo is better. It's much less congested, much better traffic. Plus, I don't know about Toronto, but Buffalo Airport has a shuttle service that will take you to the Falls so you don't even have to rent a car.

Zoe Dot

It's actually a shorter distance from Buffalo than from Toronto. It is probably a 35-40 minute drive tops from Buffalo, plus you won't have to go through customs unless you decide to go over to Canada to see the Falls from that side as well.
It takes about an hour and a half to drive from Toronto to Niagara Falls.

jay k

It depends what side of Niagara Falls you stay on. If you are staying on the US side, Buffalo would be much better. It is about a 20-30 minute drive to the falls and is not very busy. If you are staying on the Canadian side.... heck, I'd still recommend Buffalo. It is less busy compared to Pearson and 9 times out of 10 it is cheaper- which draws a big number of canadian travelers http://www.buffalonews.com/businesstoday/localbusiness/story/389648.html You would have to deal with crossing the border but on most days there isn't much of a wait. If you are worried, the night before you are flying back to KC, you could cross the border at night(it won't be busy then) and stay the night at a hotel in Buffalo.

pancakesx

The wait at the border is usually 2 seconds at the off times but during normal rush hour (morning and evening) it can be long. Last time I went to Toronto we were at the border around 11am and there was one car in front of us. If you fly into Canada you need passports but if you drive over the border you just need a license and birth cert. Buffalo is much closer to the Falls than Toronto also. Our airport is much smaller and it takes very little time to get in and out of (parking, security, checking in, etc). Also, when you get to Niagara Falls I think you may be disappointed. The falls are great and Clifton Hill is a nice tourist trap for families but if you are here for a few days you will need more to do. Come to our 2 art galleries in Buffalo, eat at one of our many diverse restaurants, walk Elmwood and Delaware park (make sure to see all the cool old architecture).

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