Planning a 4 day trip from new york to toronto and back through niagara

[achawdhry]

Hello all,

My wife and I are planning to take our parents and kids (5, 3) on a roadtrip from NYC to toronto via niagara. We were thinking of the following itinerary

Day 1 : leave NYC in the evening and go the finger lakes region to stay overnight. ( need to know which would be a good place to stay in the region)

Day 2: Visit Finger lakes and then drive to niagara in the evening on to the canadian side. ( Need to know where to stay and what to do)

Day 3 : Visit Niagara during the day and drive to toronto for overnight stay

Day 4 : Visit toronto and then drive back in the evening with a stay overnight somewhere in the middle.. What would be a good place to stop ?

Day 5 : Arrive back in NYC in the morning.

Since I will have older grandparents and young kids. we would not like to camp but rather stay at good hotels/motels/inns along the way.

I would welcome any suggestions on the itinerary and suggestions on places to stay and activities.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

I keep thinking that I've described this trip before, but can never find it, so let me give you some of what I would consider the highlights of a once-around-Lake-Ontario trip that includes bout NYC and Toronto. From New York head up through the Catskills to the Finger Lakes. Whet your appetite for falls by seeing Taughannock Falls outside Ithaca. It's taller than Niagara. Then take a nice drive through the countryside over to Watkins Glen where the main trail goes behind the waterfall. Head north to Seneca Falls for a bit of history. And as long as your attuned to history and water, follow the Erie Canal for a while heading west. Around Rochester, turn south for Letchworth State Park, after which it should be time to boogie to Niagara. On the way to Toronto, take the time to swing by Niagara-on-the-Lake at the northern end of the Niagara River. Once in Toronto, a few highlights are the Zoo, the CN Tower and Yonge Street. Continue your loop trip by heading out east along the northern shore with your next major goal being the Thousand Islands region where the St; Lawrence /River begins the last trek of the Great Lakes water on their way to the ocean. Now your final drive home can include some time in the Adirondacks, a stop at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and a tour of the USMA at West Point.

I realize that I haven't answered your specific questions, but I hope I've opened your eyes to some alternate possibilities for things to see and do.

AZBuck

[achawdhry]

Thank you very much . I will plan the trip accordingly. Greatly appreciate if you could point me to towns to stay along the way . I would prefer to have reservations since this is the summer .. do not want my elderly parents or young kids to be inconvenienced. REally appreciate any thoughts/ideas

[AZBuck]

There's a lot that goes into a decision on where to spend the night on any trip, so let me tell you how I'd do this and the things I'd take into consideration, and then you can make your own choices. From your first post, I see that you really only have 4 days for this trip. First: It's 470 miles between Toronto and New York, so you really can't plan on leaving Toronto in the evening of your 4th day, stay overnight somewhere, and be back in NYC on the morning of your 5th. Second: You'll find more accommodations in moderate sized towns with an attraction, along major Interstates, and in the suburbs of large cities, so those are the kinds of places you should be looking at. Third: You can probably cover around 400 miles in a very comfortable day of driving that still lets you visit a couple of places for an hour or so each, which will make the drive much more enjoyable for all the generations involved. So, following those three basic rules here's ONE possibility.

Day 1) Stops: Catskills or Delaware Water Gap, and Ithaca or Watkins Glen. Stay outside Buffalo

Day 2) Stops: Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake. Stay in Toronto.

Day 3) Stops: Various venues in Toronto. Stay in the Hamilton/Niagara/Buffalo area.

Day 4) Stops: Letchworth State Park, Seneca Falls, Stay in your own home, or somewhere very close, e.g. East Stroudsburg, Port Jervis or Middletown.

AZBuck

[Heatherette]

I would agree with AZBucks' suggestions for the most part. Ithaca and Watkins Glen are both great places to visit, and you should find some reasonable accommodations in both places. Niagara Falls won't be as reasonable, but there's so much to do. Although I agree that a drive through Niagara-on-the-Lake would be lovely for the grown ups, the kids will probably prefer the excitement of Niagara Falls. If you're staying in Niagara Falls prepare to pay a bit more for accommodation on the Canadian side. The U.S. side is cheaper, but unfortunately rather seedy and depressed. On the Canadian side the Great Wolf Lodge is a family resort hotel with a huge all ages waterpark. There's also another waterpark at the Fallsview Hotel, as soon as you cross the Rainbow Bridge border. In Canada there's lots for the kids - Marineland, the huge indoor aviary, butterfly conservatory and many museums, including the Hershey Chocolate museum Family restaurants include Planet Hollywood and the Rainforest Cafe (with prices to match).

Toronto is a great city, and you'll find lots to do. I would try to focus your time near the lake area. There's an amusement park on Centre Island, which is a short ferry ride from the Toronto Harbour near the end of Yonge St. behind the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. You might want to see what's playing at the Young People's Theatre too. The Distillery District is quite cool, but probably more of a grown-up thing. The Beaches area, east of the downtown area, has some interesting shopping, and beach parks.

I don't see how you'll be able to leave Toronto late afternoon or early evening and expect the be back in NYC the following morning. NYC is at least a 9-10 hour drive from Toronto. If you spend your last night somewhere in the middle, which I guess would be the Finger Lakes area again, expect to get back to NYC later in the following day.

Have fun.

[achawdhry]

I really appreciate the suggestions. I guess i will try and extend the trip by a day to take in the sights. I will let you know how it goes.. lanning to tak a a lot of pictures .. try out my new SLR