Fly to Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is a major tourist destination in Canada and the United States that attracts millions of tourists each year. Niagara Falls is located between two major urban areas: Toronto, Ontario, Canada to the north and Buffalo, New York, USA to the southwest. There are four major airports within two hours driving distance of Niagara Falls that serve these areas. This article explains how to fly to Niagara Falls, and how to decide which airport will suit you best.

Steps

1. Know the four airports that serve the region:
   • Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) - about 1.5 hours to the north.
   • Hamilton International Airport (YHM) - about 1 hour to the north.
   • Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) - about 30 minutes to the south
   • Niagara Falls (New York) International Airport (IAG) - about 15 minutes to the east
2. Decide which airport suits you best. The airport that you fly into will depend on various factors such as where you are flying from, the price of the flights, and whether or not you have a preference with connections.
3. If you are flying from overseas or from within Canada, Toronto Pearson International Airport will have the most direct non-stop flights. It is a major airport and is Air Canada's international hub with over 150 direct flights to and from the airport. Various bus and taxi companies provide services to and from YYZ to Niagara Falls. Or, if you prefer a rental car, it is a 1.5 hour drive via highway 427 and the QEW highway.
4. If you're flying from within the US, it will be more convenient to fly into Buffalo's airport. Not only is it cheaper, but it's also closer to the falls. There are many low cost air carriers with service into Buffalo, including Southwest, JetBlue and AirTran. There are various bus and taxi companies that provide service from Buffalo Airport to Niagara Falls. There are no direct flights from outside of the US to Buffalo airport; however, if you are coming from overseas and do decide to fly into Buffalo airport, you will first need to connect at a major US airport such as JFK, Philadelphia, Boston, etc. If traveling to the Canadian side from Buffalo airport, a passport and at least one form of photo ID is required to cross the border.
5. Other options. There is also Niagara Falls International Airport in Niagara Falls, New York and Hamilton International Airport in Hamilton, Ontario. Niagara Falls airport is served by Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Air with flights to and from Myrtle Beach, SC and various Florida airports. Hamilton Airport is served year-round by WestJet to and from Calgary, AB, and Aeromexico operates seasonal service to and from Mexico City. These two airports are mostly used by locals in Ontario and New York for flights to warm destinations, but if you live in one of the areas served by these airports, you will probably be able to get a low airfare.
6. Once you've decided which airport to fly into, book your flights.
7. Figure out how you will be getting from the airport to wherever you are staying in Niagara Falls upon arrival at the airport. If you're flying into Toronto or Buffalo, be sure to book tickets for shuttle services to Niagara Falls before embarking on your journey. However, if for whatever reason you don't get around to this, there are many taxis available 24 hours a day at Toronto and Buffalo airports.

Tips

• The cheapest days to fly are Tuesdays and Wednesdays
• Remember that if you plan to cross the border, regardless of which direction you are heading, you will need a passport and at least one form of photo ID. As well, depending on your nationality, you may also need separate visas for both the US and Canada. If you require a visa for both countries, it will be easier to simply fly into and stay in either the Canadian or US side. If this is the case, you may prefer the Canadian side as the Canadian side of the falls has the most attractions with the best views of the falls.
• If you're flying from outside of North America and don't mind connections, it may be considerably cheaper to fly into Buffalo with a connection. For example, if you're coming from the UK, US Airways has flights to and from London and Manchester, to Philadelphia, then connecting onwards to Buffalo via US Airways Express.
• If you're flying from outside of North America, the most direct flights will be to Toronto's airport

Warnings

• If you are flying into the US from overseas for a connection to Buffalo, make sure there is at least 1 hour between your arriving flight and your connecting flight. This is because upon arrival in the US, you will need to go through customs, pick up your luggage, go through US domestic security screening and then re-load your luggage for domestic screening. This can take a very long time and connecting flights may be missed if they are in less than an hour upon arriving in the US.

Things You'll Need

• Flight tickets / confirmation numbers for your flights
• For international and border travel, passports and photo ID and/or visas

Related Articles

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• Visit Niagara Falls

See also

• Check Flight Reservations