Whether it is visiting off-season in the wintertime, or in the peak of the summer, in Niagara Falls Ontario, there is always a deal to be found; you just have to look for it. If you do a little bit of research before heading out on the road, you will find hotels, attractions, and restaurants that cater right to your needs.
Hotels can be the hardest to find a deal on. The lowest prices are always in the off-season, but if you do not want to bare the Canadian winter (which, in Niagara Falls can be very unpredictable) try to go mid-week. Weekends always have higher prices because the hotel's occupancy, but if you don't care about your room or bed type, you can find something easily. During the week, one can find Fallsview rooms for as low as $119.95. If you are looking to stay in the city where most of the activities are, there are hotels on Clifton Hill (the main attraction strip) that can go for as low as $69.95. Shop around and compare hotels; be advised when using online companies to find your hotel, as they actually charge an average of ten to fifteen percent more per hotel room to cover their costs.
There is much to see and do in Niagara Falls, and though for some activities you may need a vehicle, or rely on public transportation, the majority of the attractions are within walking distance from the city's most popular strip, called Clifton Hill. It runs between Victoria Avenue and Falls Avenue, and hosts a few hotels, including a Hampton Inn and Comfort Inn, as well as many restaurants, haunted houses and the Great Canadian Midway, where one can play games and win carnival prizes. There is also the Sky Wheel, which is a large Ferris wheel that runs all year around, offering some of the best views of the Falls. On Fall Avenue, there is a Hard Rock Café, a Canadian Mountie Trading Post (offering souvenirs like tee shirts, shot glasses, and even cute stuffed animals like beavers dressed up like Mounties) and even a 50's style Coca-Cola shop, where one can buy Cola floats and lots of old and new Coke merchandise for the collectors.
Though it is good to save some money for things you'd really like to do, make sure you put a little extra aside for the Niagara Falls excursions like Maid of the Mist, or for the more adventurous, the Niagara Jet Boat tours. For the Maid of the Mist, each adult ticket is CDN$14.50, and for a child it is CDN$8.90. The Maid of the Mist boat will take you close up in the basin of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, to show everyone just how massive it really is, the roar of the water itself is just breathtaking. For the thrill seekers, there is the Niagara Whirlpool Jet Boat tours, that drive up the Niagara gorge towards rapids, passing the American and Canadian power plants, an eerie feeling as you go past them. This ride is CDN$56.00 for an adult, and CDN$47.00 for a child. There is the option of the uncovered jet boat (not an inch of you will stay dry on this ride! Life jackets and water shoes are given by the company) or the covered boat, where you get all of the thrill, and none of the chill. Please keep in mind that these are activities that will not be open during the winter months.
Chain-restaurants make up much of Niagara Falls, and while it is good to see familiar names (these names include Tony Roma's, TGI Fridays, The Keg and Outback Steakhouse), it is usually much cheaper to give a chance to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant run by locals to get a great meal at an even better price. Why pay USD$50.00 for two hamburger meals at TGI Fridays, when you can discover the great dinner buffets that the Fallsview Casino offers, or an oversized plate of your favourite pasta from Mama Mia's?
Lundy's Lane is a great place to grab something to eat that isn't too out of the way from the main hotel strip, and isn't saturated with chain-restaurants. Some personal favourites have to be Johnny Rockets, for sandwiches and shakes, and especially The Flying Saucer. Both restaurants are reasonably priced and have a very wide selection of things to choose from, including those with very large appetites, and both are very popular family restaurants. The Flying Saucer is well known for being for once being a place where you could drive in, and the waitress would roller skate to your car. Unfortunately, the restaurant no longer does this, but it is known for its early bird breakfast special of only 99 cents for two extra large eggs, toast, and hashbrowns.
