Niagara Falls- A tick off the bucket list

Niagara Falls was one of the most BREATHTAKING and SPECTACULAR locations I've ever visited. Niagara Falls is located at the top of New York state-quite near Buffalo. I spent two days here going on the Maid of the Mist tour, walking around the Niagara Falls State Park and going around the local town.

How to get to Niagara Falls

Greyhound Coach

The best and nearest way to get to Niagara Falls is from New York City. I got here from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (located between 8th & 9th avenues) which you can access either by taxi/uber/bus or subway. When I arrived at Port Authority, I took the overnight Greyhound coach service which drops you off at different locations on the way up to Niagara Falls. I chose the overnight journey due to a shorter trip duration. The coach has facilities of; FREE wifi; power sockets for charging electronic devices and a toilet. The seats have extra leg room for the long journey. You can locker space above the seats to store small passenger carrier bags such as rucksacks and laptop bags etc. The prices range depending on the season and time of the week you decide to go. The prices range between $44-$52 sometimes dearer.

Car Hire Rental

If you want to hire a car for a short few days trip with your family this is ideal. A couple of good car companies to hire a car from are AVIS and HERTZ. They offer good deals-especially if there is a group of people which will be cheaper if you split the price up for the car hire and petrol/gas etc. A good website to compare car hire prices is www.expedia.co.uk or www.expedia.com if in the US.

Transport-Uber/Taxis

Uber launched at the end of October in the Niagara Falls area. I went to Niagara Falls middle of October and missed the opportunity using Uber as this wasn't available. The town is quite small so you don't need to rely on public transport as much. Taxis are available in the Niagara Falls area if you need their service. If you don't have Uber, you can download this app on your apple or android mobile device for FREE. When you sign up, you make an account and register with your bank card details. This means when you use Uber not having to worry about no money in your pocket. Therefore, the charge is withdrawn through your bank and you will receive an email confirmation about this.

Places of interest to visit in Niagara Falls, New York State

The top areas to visit are; Niagara Falls State Park; The Whirlpools National Park, Maid of the Mist tour and crossing over the Rainbow Bridge-connecting New York and Canadian border.

Niagara Falls State Park

The Niagara Falls State Park is quite big with beautiful wildlife to see while walking through the park. The parks has 400 acres of land. You can either walk or take the tram trolley for a few dollars. There are shops to pick up souvenirs for friends and family. There are snack vendors throughout the national park if you are peckish or thirsty. The park covers; The Three Sisters' Island; Goat Island; Terrapin Point and Luna Island etc. Also, there are some whirlpools to visit too.

Maid of the Mist boat tour

The maid of the mist tour was a FUN and EXCITING trip but be prepared to get DRENCHED. The tickets are; FREE for children aged 5 and under; $10.65 for children aged 6-12 years and $18.25 for children 13 years+ and adults. The maid of the mist tour costs $18.25. You get a FREE poncho to wear to help protect your clothes from getting soaked. However; due to the strong wind blowing the water you still get SOAKED. This includes going up the elevator to the observation tower which is a prime spot for those enthusiastic photographers to capture one in a lifetime photo opportunities. The tour operates seasonally from May-November. The duration of the boat trip was only about 10-15 minutes.

Niagara Gorge Discovery Center

This is a fun place for children, adults and families to learn and interact with the history elements of Niagara Falls. This is a good educational experience for young children and adults to learn about the formation of Niagara Falls.

Other exciting things to do and visit are; Cave of the winds; Niagara Adventure Theater; Niagara Falls State Park Visitor Center; Niagara Falls Scenic Trolley; Top of the Falls Restaurant etc.

American/Canadian Border

If you aren't an American/Canadian citizen like myself you have to make sure your visa covers travel insurance and permission to cross the border to Canada-same if you are wanting to visit Mexico. You can either drive or walk over the Rainbow Bridge over to the Canadian border. Please check with the homeland security home and office.

Thank you for reading this blog. I hope you find the information useful. Take care,

Laura A Masters