I realize that there’s already a “what to do in Toronto” thread, but I have a slightly different problem.
My original plan for a 6 day vacation was to stay for 2 nights in Niagara, then drive up and stay 3 nights in the Toronto area (I heard Mississauga was close and cheaper?)
My dh just informed me he refuses to change hotels in the middle of our trip. My question(s) are this: how far is it from Niagara Falls to Toronto? Is there a decent place/town/hotel at the midway point, or is it just too far? That is, can we stay midpoint and still be able to get to Niagara Falls as well as Toronto?
Or…if we do stay for the 2 nights at Niagara Falls, can you recommend a nice, reasonably priced place (I’m guessing on the Ontario side)? Is Mississauga really close enough to still enjoy Toronto?
Whew! Sorry to be so long winded, but his decision really took me by surprise.
Thanks so much!
Depending on traffic and where in Toronto you want to go, it can take anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours to drive from NF to TO. Can’t help you with hotels in the Mississauga/TO area, but down here in Niagara, hotel rates vary drastically depending on how far away you are from the falls. The big towers like the Embassy Suites (at the Fallsview Casino) or the Hilton, which are within a few blocks of the falls will set you back large in the summer, but are not too bad during the off-season. There are a variety of other chain hotels that are also within walking distance but they, too, can be pricey in the summer.
You’ll find more reasonable rates at the motels further west along the main drag, Lundy’s Lane. There are dozens and dozens of them and most are clean, safe and reasonable. Many of them run their own shuttle buses to take people down to the falls and casinos so you don’t have to worry if you want to have a few drinks with dinner while overlooking the falls. One thing to keep in mind is don’t book a motel too far west down the Lane or you’ll be approaching the strip joints, massage parlors and trailer parks. It’s still quite safe, just a little bit seedier. Stay east of Kalar Road and you’ll be fine.
If you want a specific recommendation, try the Cairn Croft Hotel (zoom out to follow Lundy’s Lane east towards the falls (weirdly, the actual falls aren’t shown on Mapquest so just look for Victoria Park). Good place, decent location and they have an okay nightclub that’s pretty popular amongst the locals.
This isn’t a direct answer to your question, but having taken a similar trip, I’d do 1 of 2 things.
My first choice would be to spend the whole time at Niagara-on-the-Lake on the Ontario side. That is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and it would be a very tranquil, relaxing 6 days. I’m not current on places to stay, but check out the Shaw Theater.
However, if you have your hearts set on doing some urban/Toronto type things, you could stay in Toronto and do a day trip to Niagara Falls. I think staying midway would just mean every single day was eaten into by driving somewhere and back. Better to just get up and on a bus/subway and on your way most days, with one long car trip, IMHO.
My advice is to stay away from Niagara Falls, NY. Far, far, far away. Like, in another country. Niagara Falls, On works. I know you said you were going to the Canuck side, but I just thought I’d warn you if the urge to pop over to the States side hits you. Don’t listen to it.
I have a 10 year old also, so bars/lounges/strip joints really don’t enter into our plans. I looked up the Cairn Croft, and it looks to be a nice hotel - thanks for the tip.
I still have the same problem, though - convincing my dh that it doesn’t make sense to stay between Toronto and Niagara. I don’t like packing/unpacking in different hotels either, but I just thought it would make more sense not to have to drive so much each day. I didn’t realize Toronto was so far from the Falls!
Hope some more people post their ideas - I really appreciate it!
Niagara-on-the-Lake is indeed a very beautiful spot, and close to the Falls, but not the best way to spend six days for a ten year old.
Day trips from Toronto to Niagara are easy to accomplish, and probably a better overall choice, especially with a kid. There are many, many tours that run from Toronto if you don’t want to drive, and there’s a lot more to do on the day(s) that you don’t go to Niagara.
Mississauga can be cheaper than Toronto for hotels, but it’s mostly a sprawling suburb that’s not particularly appealing to tourists. There are dozens of hotels around Pearson Airport (which is in north-eastern Mississauga), with relatively straight-forward highway access to most parts of Toronto if you’re really keen on staying out there.
If you insist on a half-way between the two, consider Burlington or Hamilton. There are plenty of hotels along the 403 and QEW, so just pick a random one. From the 403/QEW/407 split, you’re probably about 1 hour from downtown Toronto, and perhaps an hour and a half from Niagara Falls. I don’t necessarily recommend Hamilton as a tourist spot, but it does have some interesting things to do (I particularly love the Warplane Museum, and Princess Point is a fun place for a bike ride/picnic). The only hotel I’m familiar with in the city is the Visitor’s Inn on Main St West, very close to McMaster University, but not all that close to the highways you’ll be wanting to take. It’s a nice hotel, but often very full due to it’s location. Burlington/Oakville have several hotels along the highway; I would NOT look in the area of Pearson Airport, as it’s far away from anything interesting. I did stay at a Hampton Inn in Mississauga, at the QEW and Erin Mills Parkway that was quite nice, but again, not really close to anything touristy.
The Niagara area is, IMHO, a great day-trip, but I have never stayed there overnight. I’d be more inclined to get a hotel in Toronto, and plan a long day going out to the Niagara area, lunching in Niagara on the Lake, stopping at a half dozen (or more!) vineyards, and getting to Niagara Falls for supper and whatever other things you want to do there, and then just hitting the highway and coming back later in the evening.
I don’t think anyone has answered this, but Mississauga is immediately adjacent to Toronto; its eastern border is the western border of Toronto.
However, driving to downtown Toronto from Mississauga can still be a chore. They are both very large cities, both in terms of population and geographic scope. So although you’re only going to the city next door it might still take 30 to 60 minutes to get downtown, depending on traffic.
The drawback to Mississauga is that there aren’t any points of much interest for a kid.
It makes NO sense to stay in between. None. Stay in Toronto and make the Falls a day trip.
Decide what you want to do. Do not stay anywhere in between. And like RickJay mentions, while Mississauga is connected to Toronto, with Toronto traffic it might as well be in Utah.
If you want to stay in Niagara, then just make a day-trip to Toronto. There is enough stuff to do in and around Niagara, but I wouldn’t ever vacation there. And I would certainly never spend a six day vacation there.
If you stay in Toronto, stay either on a subway line or downtown-ish. Unless you are accustomed to heavy urban driving, Toronto will be an adventure. Avoid driving during the rush hours like the plague. If you make a day-trip to Niagara, even through you’ll be driving against the traffic, either leave very early or leave 10ish; whatever the case, don’t come back until late in the evening.
From what I learned from my sister who lives in Mississauga is that there is a shuttle bus that leaves Square 1 shopping centre in Mississauga to Niagra Falls all day and night for about 20 dollars. The Novotel hotel is across the street from Sq. 1.
