BEST TIME TO GO TO NIAGARA FALLS, CROSSING THE BORDER, WHERE TO EAT AND SLEEP

WHEN TO GO

Climatologically, the best time is July and August. The days are usually clear and not too warm, but on the other hand is high season, with more tourists and higher prices.
My recommendation is to go near the end of May-June or September-early October. Prices are lower, there are fewer tourists and the temperatures remain pleasant. I went mid September and was almost all day wearing summer clothes.
In the middle of spring or autumn, the days will be more cloudy and cold, with greater probability of precipitation.
In winter, besides the cold, the flow is less. On the other hand, the waterfall surrounded by snow is a beautiful image. If you also match a year as cold as cataracts freeze almost completely, the picture is spectacular.

CROSSING THE BORDER

The Rainbow Bridge connects the two sides. You can cross by car, but certainly not worth it. It normally takes about 15 minutes to cross, but in high season you can take up to an hour. Needed:

Valid passport.
Both countries visa if you are not American or Canadian.
Pay 50 cents (US $ and CAD $ accepted ).

arco-iris-y-el-puente-arco-iris — A rainbow and the Rainbow Bridge in the background, next to the American waterfall

WHERE TO EAT AND STAY

Both Niagara Falls have become a terrible insult to the nature of the place. Hotels, casinos, themed attractions and restaurants are everywhere, more on the Canadian side. This totally breaks the aesthetics and is the main reason for disappointment for many travelers.

There are restaurants of all types and prices; the most useful and popular are fast food ones. The area that has completely sold its soul to tourism is Cliffton Hill in Niagara Falls Ontario, reminiscent of a mixture between a tatty theme park and a bad copy of Las Vegas.

cliffton-hill — Cliffton Hill is even more vulgar than it looks

But there’s nothing you can do about it, all this is there, so let’s try to see the positive side. Since the usual visit to the falls does not usually exceed one day, truly there are many possibilities to choose where we can eat and where we can sleep. Personally:

I had lunch at the Burger King in Cliffton Hill. It was a quick and inexpensive option.
For dinner however I found the whim: I had dinner on the terrace of Queen Victoria Place, one of the closest restaurants to the falls. The truth is that given the view, it did not seem expensive, and as I arrived early there was plenty of room, I could choose the table with better views.
And I slept in ACBB Hostel Niagara. I rated it 9.1. In addition, I booked a bed in a room for 6 people, but not being peak season, I was alone.