Toronto and Niagara Falls

TheDriver

After a brief trip to Canada recently, thought I'd put a few thoughts down for everyone!
Got to Toronto with BA via Heathrow, brilliant airline as usual but tad expensive all the same, was 900 euro all in.
Toronto is nice in that its like America but different, its clean and plenty to eat but unfortunately lots of fast food etc. So whats to see in Toronto?
Not a lot to be honest, couple of days! CN tower is worth a trip but expect queues and its nothing more than a massively tall structure, don't go up if you have vertigo! Its way higher than the skyscrapers and has glass floor in parts. Don't bother with the sky pod, high is high at lowest level!
Islands are worth the 10 min trip, hire a bike and chill as its awesome out there with a lovely view of the city. Also to be seen is Eaton centre with usual cheap clothes compared to home. Don't bother with Chinatown and little italy, not worth the bother.
Niagara is about 2 hours away and don't bother with an organised tour, just get a service bus as theres a nice shuttle when you get there to take you around. Its worse than tramore and salthill for tacky amusement stuff but leave that to one side and the falls themselves are spectacular. Go on the maid of the mist boat and also journey behind the falls to get the most of it. Very couply and family though so you might feel lonely, was missing herself when I was there! After few hours, you'll be heading back but mmight be worth a nights stay there as lots of things to do, its a big town especially if its fireworks or lighting extravegansa night!
Overall, its a lovely place but not sure would I recommend it on its own, a trip to paris or Rome would give you so much more but i was happy coming back, if for Niagara alone!

BuffyBot

Good to know all the same!

Thanks for the report!

breadmonkey

There's a bus service that runs from Chinatown to Niagara for $25, and you get $20 in chps for Casino Niagara that you can cash in straight away. I can't remember the name but you could ask around. I think the buses leave from the roadside at Dundas and Spadina (that will make sense when you are in Toronto!).

rossie1977

a tour of the skydome (now called the rogers center) is a good way to spend an hour or two especially for sports fans

thejamescaird

I spent a week in Toronto a while back and I am sad to say it is the most boring place ive ever been. well mabye equal with Stockholm.:)
Its the same with the Niagara falls.
Worth seeing but not worth going to see is my verdict.
I also went to Montreal for a weekend from Toronto by car.
The country side is very disappointing drab and featureless in between and Montreal is also pretty boring as well.
Sorry to give such a bad review.:)

thejamescaird

The chicken wings in the pubs are good though.

zuutroy

Seems you all didnt look too hard...Theres tons to see and do in Toronto....I'd recommend: take a trip out to the islands, take a flight from the Island around the city. Visit the beaches, Kensington Market, Queen St., Theatres around King St., Shopping in the Eaton Centre, Lakeshore, High Park, Casa Loma, Air Canada Centre for hockey and basketball, Hockey Hall of Fame, Roy Thompson Hall, Skating at Nathan Philips Square in Winter, Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, Ontario Science Centre....

No shortage of cool stuff!

thejamescaird

I went to a hockey game in Toronto. The local club Blue Jays I think?.
Everytime the play started to get going they stopped in order to do some advertising. Right in the middle of an attack a horn blew and everyone just stopped playing while a load of ads played on a big screen. I've never seen anything so ridiculous in my life.
i don't recommend this unless you like watching people dressed as furry animals skating around advertising beer for an hour or two, interspersed with the odd bit of ice hockey.

markdevas

Niagara Falls is going to be busy. It's peak tourist season and there will be tonnes of tourists at the Falls. Toronto is a much larger centre, so the tourists will be more spread out.

La La

im heading to toronto on the 18th for three weeks. ive been told it'll be well into the minuses - oh no!

im excited though - and am curious as to why the OP wouldn't recommend places like chinatown?