Absolutely Necessary Things to Pack for a Visit to The Falls

Travel Tips

Each destination has its unique peculiarities, which means  when deciding what you will pack for a visit, there are particular things that will make your time there easier, or more fun, or more rewarding.
For a vacation in Niagara Falls, you need to pack all of the usual suspects – er , objects – that you would for a typical trip, but there are some things that will really make a difference.  Add the following things to your packing list, throw them into your suitcase and you’ll thank me for it!




1.A large clear plastic bag.  Why? If you own a good camera, you will want to protect it from the mist that is an almost permanent fixture at The Falls.  I like to have my camera ready, and I often carry it around my neck, but cover it with the plastic bag to keep it dry.  Sometimes you can use the plastic to shield the camera while you take a shot.  Also bring along some soft dry cloths to wipe any wayward water drops off the lens.  It is particularly important to protect your camera if you take a ride on the Maid of the Mist.  It is such a dramatic occaision for pictures, but the spray is intense.



2.  A folding umbrella – not for the rain, but for the spray if you are going to spend some time at the edge of The Falls and do not want to get soaked. (Actually, on a 30  degree day, it feels pretty good!)
3. A copy of the Frommers Niagara Region Guide that will tell you the best places to visit, eat and stay, and reveal insider tips you would never otherwise discover. (In the interest of full disclosure, I wrote the guide, but trust me when I tell you that it is a thorough and detailed guide, with lots of useful info.)

4. Your ipod or iphone – the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass lets you download a lively commentary for all of the places on the tour, with the history and lore you need to really appreciate what you are seeing.

5.  Some blank postcards and a good pen – for collecting autographs.  Niagara Falls attracts famous people like flies to honey.  There is seldom a week goes by without a notable character showing up Falls side.



6. a good pair of binoculars – that way you can visit the Canadian side of The Falls, but use your binos to get a close view of the American Falls, as well as the birds, Navy Island and the details of the rocks and islands at the top of The Falls.

7. Motion sickness pills – if you stay in The Tower Hotel – which stands atop a 500 foot tall tower – you might need them.  One whole wall of each room is all windows, and the tower will sway slightly if the wind is a bit agressive.  Very exciting, but maybe a bit queasy for a delicate tummy.



8. Your lucky rabbit foot, four leaf clover, or lucky charm – you will want to visit the glamourous Fallsview Casino, and with luck you may leave richer than you arrived.  (You will have a good time even if you loose a bit of coin.)

9. Your favourite mantra – the  Cham Shan Budhist Temple (aka The Ten Thousand Budha Temple of Peace) is a special building that you will not want to miss.  A little contemplation and some time to appreciate the truly special architecture here will put you in a Zen state of mind.



10. An easily washed, stain resistant t-shirt .  Niagara Falls is a surprising hotbed of Italian cusine, due mostly to extensive Italian immigration after WWI and WWII.  Places like Antica Pizza, or Mamma Mia’s offer up slurpy family-style plates of pasta, meatballs  and pizza – messy but delicious and affordable  and not to be missed. Just like Mamma used to make, – if Mamma was named Gina or Serafina.

Bargaining eh?

Niagara Falls for the Bargain Hunter

Regretably, we are a nation of non-hagglers.

Canadians, in general, are not good at bargaining.  It’s somehow – well – not polite to badger someone into cutting their prices.  Bargaining is not a Canadian thing.

But paradoxically, there is no one who enjoys a bargain more than we do.  So what we are good at is searching out the best places, best prices and best buys.

Here’s five of the best buys in Niagara Falls, no bargaining or bartering required. (Now that’s a real Canadian deal.)
1. The Bundled Attractions Pass: The Niagara Falls Adventure Pass is a great way to save money.  The pass costs 40% less than if you bought four attractions seperately. For $46.95 per adult, and $34.95 per child, between April and October, you get admission to the Maid of the Mist,  Journey Behind the Falls,  Niagara’s Fury and White Water Walk, along with two day’s rides on the Peoplemover, an all day on-and-off shuttle service along the Niagara Parkway. Also, you’ll receive reduced price admission to the Butterfly Conservatory, Sir Adam Beck 2 Generating Station Power Tour, Whirlpool Aero Car, Old Fort Erie, McFarland House, Laura Secord Homestead and the Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum. An added bonus of the Pass: visit a Niagara Parks Welcome Centre and staff will reserve your times to see several attractions, allowing you to bypass line-ups and feel like a real VIP. You can buy your pass online and print your own, and you can even arrange to download a guide to your MP3 player. Great Value!

2. Free Light Show: The Falls are illuminated 365 days of the year and they are a spectacular sight.  Smart visitors find a good spot in Queen Victoria Park to sit on the grass and just enjoy the view. Costs nothing.


3. A Night on-the-town Bargain ( if you are a female) Rumours Nightclub welcomes all females on Friday night. No cover charge all night for ladies at this popular dance and drinks bar.


4. Gamble on a Great Night Out for 25 cents ( and up): The people watching is great at the Fallsview Niagara Casino.  You could spend a night just roaming through the gaming rooms watching the action.  But you can gamble yourself – you can bet the minimum amount in one of the one-armed bandits (slots) -  25 cents.  If the stars were aligned correctly, you could go home with more money than you spent.


5.  Even a Bargain Hunter Has to Eat: Dining in Niagara Falls can be expensive, but if you are willing to go a little bit away from the Falls area, there are some real dining bargains.  For a delicious. filling and affordable meal, try the calzones at Johnny Rocco’s Italian Grill on Lundy’s Lane.  Have a glass of wine, a salad, one of the best calzones in town, and you’ll be out of there for under $20.





So, get set for an affordable visit to the Falls! A real Canadian Bargain.

Travel Writers Offer Top 10 Tips To Save Money Traveling

TRAVEL WRITERS OFFER TOP 10 TIPS TO SAVE MONEY TRAVELING

February 24, 2009: The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the world’s largest association of professional travel journalists and photographers, recently polled its members to discover the top 10 universal tips on how to save money traveling.

“There’s never been a better time to travel,” states SATW president Bea Broda. “With the economy the way it is, there are deals everywhere – and the Internet has made them easy to discover,” Broda says.

She suggests travelers should register online with airlines, hotels and car rental companies to receive updates and information on their special offers and packages. Comparison search engines such as www.kayak.com and www.bookingbuddy.com are helpful to find the best Internet prices.

Here, from people who travel for a living, are 10 practical ways to save money on vacation travel, with selected comments from SATW members:

1. Travel in the off-season or on the edges of popular seasons.

· “Traveling in the off-season saves big bucks on hotels and transportation, but there are other pluses too, such as fewer crowds and hence shorter lines at museums, churches, restaurants and so on.” Susan Farlow, freelance travel writer

· “Traveling off-season means cab drivers, hoteliers, merchants and locals are more accommodating and welcoming; you’ll have a better experience at a lower cost,” Judy Wells, freelance travel writer, TravelontheLevel.com

2. Get to know local bus/metro transportation for city stays. Ask about multi-day specials and special one-day tourist cards. Some international rail and travel cards must be purchased before you arrive in that country. Look at transportation Web sites for the cities and countries you will visit. For instance, the Visitor Oyster Card, good on all public transport in London, must be purchased before you arrive in London.

· “Public transport allows you to get to know the flavors and nuances of the people in a foreign country, and you have the serendipity of encountering kind gestures and helpful questions,” Roger Toll, freelance travel writer

· Using public transportation is not only less expensive than car rentals or cabs, but can also be ‘green,’ helping a community keep open streets and clean air,” Martin Hintz, freelance travel writer

3. Picnic instead of eating every meal in restaurants. Visit markets, bakeries, local shops and delis…but avoid uncooked street food and wash fruit with bottled water.

· “Shopping at local markets is not only a less expensive way to eat, it can be healthier (who needs all those sauces?) . You get a local’s view of the area and you can try lots of interesting foods and then eat them in parks and gardens.” Christine Loomis, freelance travel writer/editor

· “My husband and I often picnic in our room. A good bottle of local wine from a liquor store costs a fraction of those on restaurant menus. And take out food from local gourmet shops and markets not only give us quality equal to a fancy restaurant, but it is what the locals eat and take home. And we never buy water in a hotel, which is usually over-priced,” Mary Ann Treger, freelance writer

· “What’s better and cheaper than a baquette in Paris for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Stan Wawer, travel editor

4. Eat your big meal at lunch when prices are cheaper and go light on dinner.

· “Luncheon prices at restaurants are amazingly low compared to dinner prices. You don’t have to make reservations usually, and the food tastes the same, only with reduced prices, you can afford more courses,” Lorraine O’Donnel Williams, travel writer

· “Lunch at the Tour d’Argent in Paris, a wonderful restaurant, is half the dinner price. Same ambience, same service, same duck.” Alan Solomon, freelance travel writer

5. Use public transportation between airports and cities. Don’t rent cars in a city and pay for parking. If traveling to the countryside afterwards, pick up your car at the end of your city stay.

· “Public transportation to and from the airport is the way to go. Even if you’re renting a car, you can do so in the city and save on airport facility charges,” Al Bonowitz, editor, Hawaii Westways Magazine

· "Stay in a big city's suburbs and use public transportation to save money. You can catch the efficient Metro subway just outside Washington's Reagan National Airport and ride it to the nearby suburbs for accommodations, then take it downtown to enjoy the museums or the National Zoo.'' Robert Jenkins, former travel editor and freelance travel writer

6. Make your first stop the local visitors center and collect coupons, brochures, free maps, etc. Ask the staff about insider tips – free days at museums, matinees, free parking, and money saving programs like City Pass, www.citypass.com

Also, be sure to visit the Web sites of convention bureaus and state tourism offices before your visit. They often offer special rates, coupons and discount information.

· “To my delight, an early stop at the Visitor Center in London coincided with their free continental breakfast AND they had great deals on half-price and last-minute theatre tickets,” Christine Potter, travel journalist

7. Stay in accommodations that offer free breakfast and that have a refrigerator so you can store snacks.

· “If you really load up at breakfast, you can skip lunch altogether, perhaps getting by with a snack if necessary.” Robert Haru Fisher, columnist and contributing editor, frommers.com

8. Go to less well-known destinations.

· “Across the world, less well-known destinations – i.e. getting off the beaten track – is cheaper as well as more fun,” Chris Tree, freelance writer

9. Do a home swap or rent a vacation home rental rather than a hotel.

· “Renting a real home in a small town, or better, village, gives you a chance to feel that you live in the place – you meet more people, find out more about they live and more about their culture,” Catherine Watson, freelance writer/photographer

10. In cities, stay at business hotels on the weekends where there are often better room rates and restaurant deals. Shop for hotels near, not on, the biggest street. When booking your room, ask, “Is this the best rate available? Do you have any specials at the moment?” Also ask if they offer discounts for AAA, AARP or other membership programs.

· “You’ll pay much more for that hotel on the city’s main street. Wander a few blocks in any direction and you’ll have the same neighborhood without the premium price,” Margie Goldsmith, freelance writer

The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) is a non-profit professional association that works to promote responsible travel journalism and to provide professional support for its members, including travel journalists, photographers, editors, electronic media, film lecturers, television and film producers, and public relations representatives from the travel industry.

For more information on the Society of American Travel Writers, visit www.satw.org