Arrival, Information and Getting Around
Unless you're travelling by public transport, you're unlikely to catch sight of the surprisingly low-key centre of NIAGARA FALLS TOWN , 3km north of the Falls themselves. It's here you'll find the train station directly opposite the bus terminal , 420 Bridge St at Erie Avenue. From the bus station, Niagara Transit (tel 905/356-1179) operates a limited range of town and suburban services. The most useful is the Falls Shuttle (daily: May-Sept every 30min; Oct-April hourly; single ticket $2.75, day-pass $5), which runs buses to Clifton Hill and the Skylon Tower. There's also an excellent public transport system along the Niagara River. This is the Niagara Parks' People Mover System (daily: April to mid-June & Sept to late Oct 10am-6pm, often later; mid-June to Aug 8.30am-11pm), whose buses travel 30km along the riverbank between Queenston Heights Park, north of the Falls, and the Rapids' View car park just to the south. People Movers appear at twenty-minute intervals and an all-day pass costs $5. Note also that People Mover buses have run all year on a trial basis for the last year or two, and this off-season service may be continued in the future. If you're arriving by car, be aware that parking can be a real headache. In the summer, try to get here before 10am when there's usually space in the convenient car park beside Table Rock House - any later and you can expect a long queue. As for information , avoid the privately-run tourist offices that spring up here and there, now and again - and head instead for the official Niagara Falls Visitor and Convention Bureau , at 5515 Stanley Ave (June-Aug daily 8am-8pm; Sept-May Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm & Sun 10am-4pm; tel 905/356-6061 or 1-800/563-2557; www.niagarafallstourism.com ). They have a full range of information on the town and the Falls and will - if required - help you find a place to stay. They are located about 100m south of Hwy 420, the main road to the Falls from the QEW. Close by, actually on Hwy 420, is the provincial Ontario Travel Centre (mid-May to mid-June Mon-Thurs & Sun 8.30am-6pm, Fri & Sat 8am-8pm; mid-June to Aug daily 8am-8pm; Sept to early Oct Mon-Thurs & Sun 8.30am-5pm, Fri & Sat 8.30am-6pm; early Oct to mid-May daily 8.30am-5pm; tel 905/358-3221), where you'll find a wide range of free literature on the whole of Ontario. There are also a number of official tourist kiosks close to the Falls, the most comprehensive being at the Table Rock complex. Given the excellence of the People Mover System, there's no compelling reason to take a sightseeing tour . That said, Double Decker Bus Tours (tel 905/374-7423) do leave from beside the ticket office at the bottom of Clifton Hill several times daily from mid-May to mid-October, travelling north as far as Queenston Heights. Passengers can get on and off the bus as and when they wish; the $35 ticket (for Tour Package A) is valid for two days and includes admission to the river's major attractions.
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