Travel Like a Local

Travel

Like a Local

A few tips for tourists from Inspire Niagara & Beyond.

Our annual publication, Inspire Niagara & Beyond, is almost entirely distributed digitally to tourists through our hotel partners. As is the case in most major tourism areas, you can expect to pay more for almost everything. Also, unless you have a GPS system in your car, it can be difficult to find adequate directions to even major sites within Niagara. So we thought a few tips would be helpful to our tourist audience that is so important to the Niagara Region.

If you don’t know where to go in Niagara Falls, you may choose to ask a pedestrian for directions. Over the past few months, we conducted a survey, asking pedestrians in varying locations around Niagara Falls how to get to a few predetermined locations that we expected would be known to most people: Casino Niagara or Fallsview Casino; the bus/ train station and Clifton Hill. We surveyed a random sampling of 200 people over a twomonth period and the results are as follows.

200 Survey Participants:

54% were female, 46% were male

Directions were provided by 67% of the people surveyed. The remaining 33% did not know the directions to the requested location. However, accurate directions were obtained only 18% of the time from the 67% who responded with directions. These aren’t good odds for finding your way in a strange town. So here are a few suggestions for finding your way and minimizing some of the costs involved in your Niagara Falls vacation.

1. Prior to your trip, Google the locations you plan to visit and keep the directions handy.

2. As expected, Niagara Falls Tourism has an excellent site that outlines many of the key attractions.

3. Similarly, Niagara Parks, which is responsible for the attractions along the entire Niagara Parkway, from Fort Erie to Niagara on the Lake, does an excellent job. You would do well to check out their website in advance of your trip.

4. Take advantage of the many packages offered by Niagara Parks. They will not only ensure that you save money but will add enjoyment and memorable experiences to your trip.

5. When you arrive in the Falls, make your first stop one of the Tourism Information Centers. They have knowledgeable staff and a wealth of information to make your trip a success.

6. Restaurants along Fallsview Blvd can be expensive, but most offer good quality and provide you with a wide range of choices. Check out the many excellent restaurants a short distance from Fallsview Blvd. and you will enjoy better value for your dining dollar. In our opinion, the absolute best value for dining in the tourism area around Fallsview Blvd. is the Skylon Tower. The food is amazing, the service is polished,

and the view is spectacular. The main restaurant revolves 360 degrees every hour, and you can see skylines as far away as NY City.

7. Parking at the hotels along Fallsview Blvd. can be expensive, and most have no ‘in-out’ privileges. If you want to explore these core areas, there is more affordable parking available a block or two from the major hotels. Also you may want to consider purchasing one of Niagara Parks’ annual parking passes, a bargain at only $45.00 for the entire year (available only to Ontario residents). This provides unlimited parking at 17 lots along the 56 km length of the Parkway.

8. Park your car and make use of the WEGO Visitor Transportation System for a more stress-free vacation. This is a bus system in Niagara Falls, jointly operated by Niagara Region Transit and the Niagara Parks Commission. Their fleet of 27 comfortable buses serves Niagara Falls as well as Niagara on the Lake via 4 different routes. WEGO is a hop-on, hop-off visitor transportation system that connects all Niagara Parks locations to your hotel as well as other Niagara Falls tourism areas.

WEGO runs year-round and includes frequent convenient stops at all major attractions and hotels. A daily pass, which allows for unlimited travel on all their routes, is only $13.00 for one 24-hour period, or $17.00 for 48 hours. You can purchase your WEGO pass separately. It is also included (the 48-hour version) as part of Niagara Parks’ Adventure Pass, which is an excellent way to combine several attractions and save a bundle.

Enjoy your Niagara Falls vacation!