Niagara Falls, NY or ON?

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mj_2341

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Okay what is the difference between the Niagara Falls, NY station and the Niagara Falls, ON station? I see that there is more service to the New York one than the Ontario one. Which is closer to all the attractions? If I get off at the New York one, how do I get across to the Canada side? A taxi? How do taxis deal with border crossing with passengers in the taxi? Which station is in a safer location? Which station has more taxis and/or buses/shuttles?

Any help regarding Niagara Falls would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
 
I have never been to it, but the Niagara Falls, NY station is I understand a couple of miles from the falls. The only Amtrak train that goes to Niagara Falls, ON is the Maple Leaf.

I really don't know how cabs handle the border crossing, but it is also possible to cross by foot! Even if you cross by train, you have to take into account the border crossing delay. And don't forget your Passport (or other approved documents). You can get from the US to Canada without it, but you can't get from Canada to the US unless you have it!
 
mj_2341 said:
Okay what is the difference between the Niagara Falls, NY station and the Niagara Falls, ON station? I see that there is more service to the New York one than the Ontario one. Which is closer to all the attractions? If I get off at the New York one, how do I get across to the Canada side? A taxi? How do taxis deal with border crossing with passengers in the taxi? Which station is in a safer location? Which station has more taxis and/or buses/shuttles?Any help regarding Niagara Falls would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
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No contest, the Canadian side is far superior! The NY station is away from town out in the boondocks, there are taxis there but dont know why anyone would want to go there?The Canadian Station is just across the bridge and the Greyhound Station is across the Street from it. (this is the old part of Niagara Falls,ON), the Falls, all the attractions are up the River from the station but taxis are plentiful as well as busses that run up and down the road next to the river. They sell combo day passes good for the attractions and a day pass for the transportation which comes in handy to go to/from the various sights. The Maple Leaf is the only train that crosses the bridge, it's an Amtrak train from NYP-Niagara,ON, then changes crews @ the station while customs/immigration is done, then becomes a VIA train as it continues on to Toronto that evening, returns in the morning reversing the above (VIA-Amtrak). It usually takes 1-2 hours to do customs/immigration on the train which can be a pain. If you want to ride an Empire Service train itll take you to the station, then a taxi can get you to town where you can either walk across the bridge to Canada or drive in the Taxi for an additional charge.You will need a passport to cross the border back into the USA or an enhanced drivers license (NY) or trusted visitors card but the passport is best!

You can Google all this, plenty of info, but even though the Canadian side can be a zoo in the summer/weekends, it's still got it all over NFLS,NY in every way IMO!Please ask any specific questions you may have, theres lots of knowledgable folks on this forum. :)
 
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The Canadian side of the falls is definitely a better place for tourists. If a taxi can cross the border, I would assume the border folks would question both you and the driver. Perhaps you would have to leave the U.S. cab on one side of the border, walk across the border, and get a Canadian cab after going through customs/immigration. I just don't know. And as the previous poster said, make sure you have a passport or one of those enhanced drivers licenses that some states offer. It was once pretty simple to get across the U.S./Canadian border, but not anymore.
 
MikefromCrete said:
The Canadian side of the falls is definitely a better place for tourists. If a taxi can cross the border, I would assume the border folks would question both you and the driver. Perhaps you would have to leave the U.S. cab on one side of the border, walk across the border, and get a Canadian cab after going through customs/immigration. I just don't know. And as the previous poster said, make sure you have a passport or one of those enhanced drivers licenses that some states offer. It was once pretty simple to get across the U.S./Canadian border, but not anymore.
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On my last visit to Niagara Falls, ON, I took an Empire Service train from NYP. Then a cab to my hotel in Canada. The first two cabbies couldn't cross the border, #3 could. Fare was $35, I'm sure it's more now. To return home, I used the Maple Leaf from the Niagara Falls, ON station. Customs took some time, more than if you crossed the border than boarded the train in NFL.

Hope this helps :)

Mike
 
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We visited both sides last summer. IMO if you want to see the casinos, restaurants, hotels and other touristy places to spend your money and you just love standing in lines, go to the Canadian side. If you want to spend a day in a clean park and look at the Falls, go to the NY side.
 
PetalumaLoco said:
We visited both sides last summer. IMO if you want to see the casinos, restaurants, hotels and other touristy places to spend your money and you just love standing in lines, go to the Canadian side. If you want to spend a day in a clean park and look at the Falls, go to the NY side.
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Well, the CDN side does have nice park/floral displays, but definitely much more commercial and I agree that the US side has a more natural beauty! If it's just 'the falls' experience that you are after, the US side will fulfill that. Depending on time of year, you can take the Maid of the Mist and/or do the Cave of the Winds walk!

Depending on time of year, crossing at the border can result in lengthy delays via car or foot, I certainly wouldn't want to be waiting in a cab with the fare clock running!! I vote for using the train in your case if you decide to visit the CDN side. Like others have said, don't forget your Passport (or Passport card)
 
Well at the moment I am in Niagara Falls, NY. I was thinking of this thread when I detrained last night, and you really need to grab a taxi from the train station. (Last night there were several waiting train side) the train station marks the beginning of an industrial area and the end of suburban neighborhood. To get to the downtown on the New York side you need to travel a couple miles. The cab fare was around 10 bucks. The New York side has some typical tourist attractions including a Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and about 2 dozen visitor centers and souvenir shops. Granted there are large retail and conference centers that appear abandoned. There is a large casino downtown as well. They have slots, table games, and several restaurants. From most of the New York hotels it takes roughly 20 minutes to get to Canada on foot, and that includes clearing customs.

The Canadian side has a ton of tourist areas. They have a district called the hill that is jammed packed with everything one could expect in a tourist trap. Wax museums, haunted houses, arcades, several casinos. Its very lively and there are a lot more people around. The VIA rail station isn't in the "downtown" area either. Granted its closer to the falls then the Amtrak station. From the VIA station I believe you can pick up a free shuttle bus that will take you to and from the attractions. Although I wouldn't try it with luggage in the peak season as those shuttles get VERY crowded.

I would say stay on the New York side since the hotels tend to be cheaper, and there is "enough" to do here, but again all the Canadian attractions are with in walking distance.
 
Long Train Runnin said:
I would say stay on the New York side since the hotels tend to be cheaper, and there is "enough" to do here, but again all the Canadian attractions are with in walking distance.
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Actually cheaper would depend on the current exchange rates. If the Candian dollar slips low enough, it can still be cheaper to stay on the Canadian side. Right now that's not the case, but there have been times in the past where 75 cents American brought a Canadian dollar.
 
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