Niagara Falls has been a getaway from my routine Toronto life for years. I’ve gone countless times as a child, with friends, as a newlywed and now as a mother of 2. Every time I’ve been, there’s one thing we always do that is something new. Whether it is as simple as eating somewhere different or as fun as trying out an attraction. The last time my husband and I went to Niagara Falls with our little ones was a year ago, on Canada Day weekend; Canada’s 150th birthday.  We had the pleasure of going with GO Transit this time, as opposed to driving and here are my top 3 reasons why you should take the GO Train to Niagara Falls before the season is over:

1. No Traffic. The GO Train will get you there without having to deal with car traffic, road closures or accidents. You’re also being greener by doing so, fewer emissions into our environment. It was super convenient to get to Niagara Falls in 2 hours! Could be less depending on where you get on from. We got on from Port Credit. 

2. Children are happy. Sitting in a car seat for consecutive hours is not fun. Some children get cranky, they cry and you will probably have to stop a couple of times to entertain them. On the GO Train, we were able to park our stroller facing our seats on our way to Niagara Falls. We easily entertained them with songs, books, a tablet and even took a little walk. 

3. Price. The Niagara Falls GO service runs from Union Station in Toronto to Niagara; $30 round trip.  Also, if you’re bringing bikes, there are designated carts for bikes. We actually sat in a cart for bikes, all to ourselves on our trip back. The price covers your round-trip GO Train fare plus a connecting WEGO bus pass that you can use for the weekend. 
Having transit covered via your WEGO bus pass made a huge difference in getting from one attraction to the other within Niagara. The bus service was fast and we were always able to get a seat.

A Fun Family Trip to Niagara Falls with GO Transit

We took the GO Train on Friday night and got on the WEGO bus to the hotel. Some of you asked me on Instagram stories whether it was hard getting on the WEGO bus with a luggage, stroller, and 2 kids. To be honest, no. We had done this in Japan with both kids when we were using the trains, so I guess we’ve found what works. Luggage and bags are with my husband, I assist when I can and I have one kid on my hip while holding the other’s hand. When there’s a will, there’s a way!

WHERE TO EAT AT NIAGARA FALLS

If you’re looking for a quick bite, there are many places to eat! The options are endless. If you’re looking for authentic Italian pizza, check out Antica. There’s also a great firework viewing area right across the street from here. (see my IG story highlights). For lunch, on Saturday we went to Elements on The Falls. What an experience!

We had an amazing view from the window of the Falls, the service was impeccable and the food was delicious! They brought crayons and paper for the children, along with closed cups with straws. And yes, they have high chairs and a changing area in the washroom. Here’s what he had, read captions for food details:

For dinner, we went to the Queen Victoria Place Restaurant. The views are incredible here as well, and the food is great! Around 8-9pm, the live music starts and you can hear it from this restaurant and also see the light show on the Falls.

The ADVENTURE PASS: NIAGARA PARKS ATTRACTIONS

Majority of the times we went to Niagara Falls, we spent more time just walking up and down the streets to different stores, the casino, arcades etc. Only the last time we went with our kids did we check out the Bird Kingdom and we loved it! So this time we made sure we experienced more attractions. Especially with children, they get to learn so much. I highly recommend you get an adventure pass. You get to pick from all the attractions you’d like to go too. There are so many to choose from. We went with the White Water Walk, Whirlpool Aero Car, and the Butterfly Conservatory.

WHITE WATER WALK

I was blown away to learn that almost 70% of you had not been to the White Water Walk and now are planning to go! It was my first time along with my husband’s and we were both in awe at how incredible it looked up close. Class 6 white-water rapids are hypnotizing when you’re walking that close to them. Our children were in awe at how fast the water was going and Baby D had a ton of questions to go with his admiration. 

WHIRLPOOL AERO CAR

At first glance I was scared. Especially after I was told that we couldn’t bring our stroller on board the aero car. My plan was to buckle them in. But let me tell you, worried for nothing. First of all, they had a designated safe area for strollers, and the cart had an area for adults holding children, it was fenced in the middle of the cart, away from the edge. Totally safe and went at a very safe speed as well. Basically slow, which was great for pictures! The attendant who spoke about the whirlpool and rapids was really friendly and even took pictures for people on the cart. 

THE BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY

For almost a month now Baby D had been obsessed with butterflies and saying he wanted to catch one. So going to this attraction couldn’t have come at a better time. He was ecstatic to be there! He listened attentively to the introduction video at the beginning of the attraction. (Make sure you do, because they will be giving tips on how to be gentle with the butterflies and to watch out for them sitting on the floor.) There are over 2,000 butterflies, made up of 45 different species here! Before entering the conservatory, or after you exit, there is an area with table and chairs for children to sit down and colour or to have their snacks. Also, some informational exhibits about bugs. Our kids spent a lot of time here, just running around looking at each one. 

And that’s a wrap! What an awesome weekend. My family and I love that GO Transit offers a $30 round trip service to Niagara, and I’ve already inspired family and many of you to go! To see everything I mentioned above in action, check out my Instagram highlights under Niagara for videos. Tag me, (@HumJK) on Instagram. I would love to share your trip to Niagara on my stories. Can’t wait to see you all having fun at Niagara Falls!

[SPONSORED: This trip was provided by Go Transit and Niagara Parks. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

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