3 Generations Family Break
After a relatively short flight (just over 6.5 hours) we arrived and collected our hire car. The transfer to our accommodation which was in Jarvis Street and the centre was only around 45 minutes and driving around Toronto is relatively easy. We chose to hire a car as it worked out with 6 of us cheaper than paying for 6-day trips to Niagara and gave us more flexibility.
Out and about
Toronto has a lovely feel to it as a large city and whilst there are similarities to New York it felt less hectic – September was also a great time to travel as the weather was generally sunny with mixed cloud but consistently around 21 – 22 degrees.
After the first day of finding our feet and exploring on foot the local area we had booked to see a Blue Jays game – a must if they are playing whilst you are there. The tickets were relatively inexpensive at around 30 Canadian Dollars and what an amazing experience and atmosphere. My Mum and Dad loved it especially when they started playing 60’s music before the game started and in between rounds. The Blue Jays won which was also a bonus!
As we tend to do in most cities we visit, we took the open top bus tour which was a great way to see the city and the key landmarks. They are always very comfortable and informative and included a boat tour of Toronto islands which is a must. You can also get a ferry to the islands and hire bikes which we would look to do next time.
Then for the main event - we drove to Niagara Falls but stopped off at a beautiful and quaint town called Niagara on the Lake. Parking was available, and it is a popular stop they make if you take a bus tour to Niagara Falls. It almost takes you back in time with its boutique kind of shops one of which is an all year-round Christmas store. There are a small number of hotels here and I would love to stay for a few days if we visited again.
One of the things we didn’t do this time but is also widely available on the route to Niagara is wine tasting. Ice wine is a favourite of mine from Toronto and is made from the grapes when they are frozen. It’s really sweet and drunk in small quantities - be sure to pick yourself up a bottle.
When we arrived at the falls it was cloudy which was a shame however the look on my Mum and Dads faces was priceless. We ventured onto the Hornblower for a boat tour that takes you right under the falls which was great but just a warning – even with the ponchos provided you do get wet!
Food
We had some great food in Toronto ranging from Oriental to the traditional Poutine which consists of French fries topped with cheese curd and gravy which was a favourite with my sons! There are some lovely high-end restaurants as we discovered when we were trying to book for our anniversary meal. We settled on STK which is a specialist steak chain and had the most amazing experience and food and were treated like royalty which made our anniversary really special. You can also book a table at the restaurant on top of the CN tower with amazing views. Prices generally for food and drink I would say are comparable with most major cities in Canada and the US if not slightly cheaper given a more favourable exchange rate.
Hotels
There’s a large selection of hotels ranging from major chains to smaller boutique hotels. As expected for a city the prices are more expensive right in the centre but as you move towards the outer areas you can get more for your money. Getting around on public transport or taxis is really easy and they have an underground tunnel of walkways so in winter months you don’t need to be exposed to the elements.
I would recommend Toronto as either a short city break destination as an alternative to New York or as part of a multi-centre vacation. It felt like a really safe city to be in and was easy to navigate around – I will be back…