Mary

I was planning a vacation for 2/3 adults to Niagara Falls in July or August but have seen a lot of talk about Niagara on the Lake.<BR>Can anyone offer information about accomodations, recreation, dining,etc.<BR>Can you give me good reasons to change my original plans and spend 4-6 days in Niagara on the Lake instead of Niagara Falls?

Canadian

Niagara-on-the-lake is a lovely town. Niagara Falls is Honky Tonk.

Susan

They are just a short distance from one another and the drive between the 2 (Niagara Parkway) is really pretty. Both are very touristy, but NOTL has the Shaw Festival (live theatre), pretty old houses with beautiful gardens, etc. It's very historic. We took a walk through the cemetary in town and there's lot of old grave stones - really interesting, especially if you like old cemetaries! There are numerous wineries in the area, lots of B&B's, smaller inns, etc. Also lots of tourists and shops, so the main street gets quite crowded, even when you expect people to be in the theatres watching plays. <BR><BR>I haven't spent much time in Niagara Falls. We've usually stayed in NOTL and driven to the falls. <BR><BR>Personally I would stay in NOTL and visit the falls.

Kim

I would definitely stay in NOTL! It's a beautiful town. Niagara Falls is very trashy and full of tourists at that time of year. As the others said - they are close enough that you can see both. If you get bored, you can also take the Rainbow Bridge into Niagara, NY - There are some great outlet malls over there.

garyt

Mary - try www.niagaraonthelake.com for the chamber site... it also has links to the Shaw festival, wine tours, restaurants and accomodations. Staying in Niagara-on-the-Lake offers charm, elegance, and the character you would find in a small village in the wine country on the Niagara peninsula... The theatre is a treat, the dining is first class, and Niagara Falls is only 20 minutes away... you have to decide...should you stay in the tacky area and visit village charm... or stay in village charm and visit tacky? <BR><BR>For accomodations, consider www.vintageinns.com they have the nicest hotel properties in the village.

Jan

Another vote for NOTL, we spent four days there last year during our holiday in S. Ontario and loved it. Try bbcanada.com for a good choice of B&B accomodation. If you like the theatre do get tickets for the Shaw Festival it was one of the highlights of our holiday. There are lots of wineries to visit near NOTL, you can get a list from the tourist office,our favourites were Peller and Strewn. The bargain of the holiday however could be a visit to the Botanic Gardens,which are situated along the Niagara Parkway, woderful way to spend an afternoon and they are free!

Maureen

Niagara-On-The-Lake, in the past has been voted one of the most beautiful cities in North America-I think that says a lot.

Gayle

I agree with all posters. But, you better book very soon as the best hotels and B&Bs fill up very quickly in NOTL. Pillar and Post and Prince of Wales are nice hotels but the B&Bs are wonderful too.

Gayle

Check out www.niagaraonthelake.com and www.shawfestival.com for lots of info. And I forgot to mention The Oban Inn which is also nice.<BR><BR>Also there are some restaurants in NOTL on www.torontolife.com under out of town in their restaurant guide with full reviews.

Shannon

I would not exagerate and say it is one of the most beautiful cities in North America. I would say it is quite pretty and relaxing.

bert

Mary: I'm in total agreement with staying in NOL and visiting NFalls. Other posters have covered the reasons pretty well. As to accommodations, check out the Moffat Inn. We've stayed there many times. It's charming, privately owned, quite reasonably priced, on the main street and within walking distance of almost anything in town. Reservations are a necessity, particularly in July/August as faithful guests often book up to a year in advance. Rm 132 has two beds, plus sofabed and a walkout patio .. our favourite, but very popular! <BR>http://www.moffatinn.com/<BR>

Ariel

Visiting a winery while in NOTL is a must. My husband and I enjoy Hillebrand Estates - while it is one of the larger wineries in the area, they have a number of really good wines (whites esp.) and their restaurant is excellent. I have heard really amazing things about the restaurant in the summer. DO NOT miss a wine tour, which will be free - they explain how they make the wines and then let you taste 2-4 wines afterwards.<BR><BR>Also, take a picnic and drive just outside of NOTL to the park(s) that follow the water - another nice feature of NOTL. Oh - and at that time of year you should be able to buy fruit from local farms on the roadsides just outside of NOTL.

Dave

A good part of your memory of NOTL will be staying in a charming small B andB such as Lakewinds or Rogers-Harrison House, but there are many others. Also seeing a play at the Shaw Festival.<BR><BR>You can get all the info at &lt;shawfest.com&gt; which describes the festival and surrounding B and B's.

chris

Niagara on the Lake is a wonderful, quaint town. We stayed at The Pillar and Post which has a marvelous spa on the premises. We have also stayed at Lakewinds B & B. Also very nice. Along the Niagara Parkway from Niagara Falls is the Butterfly Conservatory which is not to be missed. I have recommended it to everyone traveling there and all agree - it's like being in fairyland. Have fun.

Suzanne

Niagra-on-the-lake is really pretty. I got married there. But it is very expensive to stay there in the summer and books out really quickly. Niagra falls is nice to see,once but it is cheaper to stay at Niagra falls.

Palatine Hill B&B

For affordable accommodation, try a B&B in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The website www.canvisit.com has a good listing, and you can do a search for what you want to spend, whether they take children, amenities, etc.<BR>Love to host your stay some time this season. Book as soon as possible, the weekends are already filling up. <BR>Take care, Elsa.

Helen

Niagara-on-the-Lake is definitely a pretty town with lots of cute shops. If you want to be in a "movie set" it is the perfect choice. No one has mentioned what brings 15 million people to Niagara Falls each year, and since 1637 it has been painted, photographed, and visited by all royalties and common folk alike - and that is the magnificient Falls of Niagara.

Caroline

Actually, 2 days in Niagara-on-the-Lake should be just enough time to take in the sights and any theatre plays that you might want to see.<BR><BR>Best places to stay in Niagara-on-the-Lake:<BR><BR>Pillar and Post Inn <BR>Queen's Landing Hotel<BR>Oban Inn<BR>Prince of Whales Hotel<BR><BR>All of these places are quite expensive but worth the money.<BR><BR>Best Restaurants to Eat in Niagara-on-the-Lake:<BR><BR>Pellar Estates Winery Restaurant<BR>Prince of Whales Hotel<BR>Gate House Hotel<BR>Tiara Dining Room at Queens Landing Hotel<BR>Oban Inn Hotel

Jayne

MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW, if you can afford it and want the utmost dining experience at Niagara Falls, eat dinner at the Skylon Revolving Dining Room 775 feet above the falls. Go to www.skylon.com for views, menus, reservations etc. We do lunch AND dinner there they light the falls up at night and on Friday do a fireworks display. We stay within a block of the falls as the parking is nearly non-exsistant and it is much easier to walk alittle. We like the President hotel. EVERYTHING is pricy at Niagara. Also if you have USA $$ convert to CAN $$ before buying anything, and get gas in the USA it's cheaper! Have a good time.

Cathleen

Hi Mary. It really depends on what you're looking for from your holiday... I've stayed in both places many times and there are pros and cons to both, it usually depends on my mood which one I prefer.<BR><BR>Niagara Falls is a central core of bright lights, neon, loud music and noise, and general gaudiness. It can be very tacky and stressful. On the bright side, there are tons of cheap places to eat, relatively cheap hotels (although they seem to get more expensive with each day!), always somewhere to go at night, and of course the casino. <BR><BR>NOTL is pretty, quaint, quiet, and very restful. A short but lovely main street with lots of little shops to poke around in. However, most of the regular hotel accommodations are very expensive and unless you want to spend a fortune on meals, you'll be disappointed. And most frustrating, imo, is that the town shuts down very early, and your choices for post-9pm activities are very limited.<BR><BR>The attractions in the entire niagara area include the falls themselves, the wineries, the casino, and the shaw festival, among others.<BR><BR>Considering that NF and NOTL are an easy 20-30 min drive apart, I would suggest that you choose where you want to have your home base and it's not a big deal to drive to wherever you want to go. <BR>