It's this simple: the exchange rate is FANTASTIC! You get much more for your money by spending it in Canada instead. Try to use your credit card as much as possible, because you will always get a better exchange rate that way. When we checked for our 1999 trip, the hotel's posted cash exchange rate was $1.41 Canadian dollars to $1 American, but our Visa credit card gave us $1.67 Canadian dollars for $1 American. Cool, huh? And if that's not enough, the view of the falls is much better on the Canadian side. We don't know why anyone would even bother to stay on the American side.
WHERE NOT TO STAY
We stayed at the Best Western Fallsview the last time we were there. Don't get us wrong, it was clean and overall a satisfactory place as hotels go. Our problem is with the name of the place. Apparently, there is a section of town cleverly called "Fallsview". It's a LIE. Some hotel owner must have come up with that one to lure customers. There wasn't a room in the place with a view of the falls, and there were many other hotels with Fallsview attached to their name with the same non-view of the Falls orientation. So, let this be a warning-if you're going, be sure to call the hotel and make sure they actually have rooms with a view of Niagara Falls (if you really care) before you book your trip.
WHERE TO STAY
We guarantee these 2 hotels have super views of the Falls. Sheraton Fallsview. All rooms (on the Falls side) from the 3rd floor up have a lovely view of the falls. The hotel is really nice, with an indoor pool, restaurant, and shuttle service to Casino Niagara. Marriott Fallsview We didn't stay here, but it seems just as nice and looks like it might have even better views of the Falls from the rooms.
SIGHTSEEING
There's plenty to do if you get a chance to venture out of your hotel room.
The People Mover
Below is a list of attractions that can be accessed by the Niagara Parks Commission's People Mover. If you go between April and October, you can take advantage of this convenient way to get around the Canadian side of the falls. For one price, you can get on and off all day, as many times as you want, at 15 different attractions. (Some attractions are stopped at twice, because of the way the people movers circle around the city.) The attractions we've been to will be reviewed and described in detail as well. Stop #(s) 1. People Mover Terminal2&22. Greenhouse3&21. The Falls Journey Behind the Falls Super cool. Put on your rain slicker and really walk in tunnels behind the falls! These tunnels go behind the length of the falls, with openings for you to see what the falls look like from the other side. Really neat!
4. Victoria Park North5. Maid of the Mist This is the one everyone's heard of. The boat ride which gets you up close and personal with the falls. Not to mention WET. They provide you with a rain slicker, though. Tip: When you see everyone else move away from a particular side of the boat, don't go there. We found out that was where the mist was so hard it was like pelting rain. Getting so close to the falls is truly an awesome sight.
6&18. Ride Niagara & Niagara Falls Museum We didn't go in, but it looked like it might be an IMAX kind of a theatre, along with a museum with artifacts. You can also walk up the hill to Casino Niagara here. With the great exchange rate, it's pretty cool gambling here. They've got all the games we know and love. The only problem is that they've also got the crowds we hate. This should be alleviated soon, though, because Hyatt is building a casino resort nearby.
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7&17. Great Gorge Adventure Go down to the riverside and walk along a boardwalk, seeing the raging river close up.
8&16. Spanish Aero Car A cable car that is suspended high over the portion of the river that has a few whirlpools. Rides out, then everyone switches seats for the ride back. If you're afraid of heights, you might want to skip this one.
9. Whirlpool Another view of the whirlpool seen from the Aero car.
10. Niagara Glen11&14. Botanical Gardens12. Queenstown Heights Park13. Floral Clock15. Whirlpool Golf Course19. Clifton20. Victoria Park Complex
Other Attractions Not on the People Mover
Skylon Tower One of those tall tower things that have a great view of the city. There's a restaurant at the top, too.
WHERE TO EAT
Table Rock Restaurant On stops 3 & 21 on the people mover. Sitting practically on top of the falls, this restaurant has a wonderful view of the falls from almost all of it's tables, and fantastic food as well. And with the exchange rate, it's a great deal.
Fallsview Dining Room In the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel. Nice restaurant with great view of the falls. The food on the menu is excellent. There is also a buffet available for breakfast and dinner, but that stuff is just mediocre. Order from the menu for dinner-you'll be more satisfied.
Hard Rock Cafe Located in Casino Niagara.
THE WINERIES
Just a short drive away, there are over 20 wineries to visit. Most offer tours and wine tasting as well. If you go, don't forget to taste Niagara's famous icewine, a wine so sweet it tastes like Welches white grape juice. There are maps with directions to the wineries available everywhere.
CUSTOMS
The rule for U.S. citizens is that 1 liter of alcohol per person can be brought back from Canada duty free. But don't worry-we thought that was set in stone and if you tried to bring back any more the penalty would be steep. Not so. The duty for every extra liter you bring back is only 56 cents! (The winery we visited told us this.) Just make sure you declare it at the border and you'll be fine. The nice customs agent didn't even make us pay the duty, even though we brought back 11 bottles of wine!
For other stuff, it's $400 of stuff per person. The best thing is to just keep all your receipts together. We haven't had any trouble though, they're just trying to keep the hoarding down to a minimum.
DUTY FREE SHOPS AND G.S.T. TAX REFUNDS
As for the duty free shops, be careful. We shopped in one, but the prices didn't seem like they were all that teriffic. Just keep in mind what the prices at home are, so you can tell whether you're getting a good deal or not.
Non Canadian citizens can get a refund on the g.s.t. (sales tax) of purchases. In order to qualify, a single receipt must total more than $50, then you can get the tax back from it. This includes hotel bills, but doesn't include restaurants. The duty free shops have a place where you can get your tax refund.
Email / knighton@cablespeed.com
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