Visiting buffalo

[PromoTheRobot]

5 minutes ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

The flight time between NYC (JFK, LGA, or EWR) is scheduled between 60 and 90 minutes (direction + time of day). The flight time itself is, of course, very short.  Depending on what time of day you fly, actual time getting to the airport, security, on the tarmac, in flight, then driving home can add up to a whole lot more than 4 hours door-to-door.  When my cross-state commute started to grow to 6 or 7 hours via plane, I started driving cross-state (because I dropped down 81 to Jersey and then cut over). It got to be about the same amount of time to drive as to fly. If you go at 6am, flying is definitely a viable option. IF everything goes as planned, it can also be viable during the day. If it is anytime after 5pm... ummm not-so-much.
 

 

I took the train from Boston to Buffalo once....once! There little to see, there is zero cell service because all the cell towers are on highways, not rail lines. And it took 2 hours to change trains in Albany. I would rather fly, drive or take a bus before I'd ride on a train to Buffalo.

 

P.S....skip the zoo, too.

Edited July 28, 2019 by PromoTheRobot

[Buffalo_Gal]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I took the train from Boston to Buffalo once....once! There little to see, there is zero cell service because all the cell towers are on highways, not rail lines. And it took 2 hours to change trains in Albany. I would rather fly, drive or take a bus before I'd ride on a train to Buffalo.

 

P.S....skip the zoo, too.

It is different now... and they have a business class section too. ?

[Rocket94]

If you do go to Niagara Falls, look for VioIa's Submarines! 

[Augie]

33 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Train? That's 8-10 hours of your life you'll never get back. Why would anyone take a train when you can fly in an hour?

 

While I generally agree with that, that is something I’ve long wanted to do, just for the heck of it. I have no idea if this is the scenic type of trip I imagine, so maybe somewhere more interesting would be better.

 

There is a point where you have to balance flying vs driving. A bunch of variables there to consider. Came to Atlanta from Florida for an event years ago with the family. Airfare and car rental was around $1,500, and I figured I saved less than 2 hours when it was all said and done. Depending on the situation, I now decide on the case by case details. 

 

Didn’t @plenzmd1 come up with some extremely detailed visitors guide info? Was that more game day stuff? It might actually be too much information, but it might also be very helpful. 

[Just Jack]

Don’t take Greyhound or Amtrak, you’ll spend too much time traveling. You’d probably have to turn right around and head back when you arrive. Car, same thing, you might get a few hours. Plane is the way to go, you can get The first Jet Blue flight from NYC and the last Jet Blue from Buffalo. Even with checking in for your return, you’ll get about 10-12 hours in Buffalo. Download Uber or Lyft to get around once you arrive so you don’t have to deal with rentals. 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by Just Jack

[Augie]

8 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

Don’t take Greyhound or Amtrak, you’ll spend too much time traveling. You’d probably have to turn right around and head back when you arrive. Car, same thing, you might get a few hours. Plane is the way to go, you can get The first Jet Blue flight from NYC and the last Jet Blue from Buffalo. Even with checking in for your return, you’ll get about 10-12 hours in Buffalo. Download Uber or Lyft to get around once you arrive so you don’t have to deal with rentals. 

 

 

 

This is a great point. It’s changed my world. I use it a TON, both for convenience and allowing a few pops along the way. Cheaper than a rental, often cheaper than just parking! In a city like Buffalo you won’t have any rides too expensive. Even getting to the Falls can’t be TOO bad. 

[BillsFan4]

 

14 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

Don’t take Greyhound or Amtrak, you’ll spend too much time traveling. You’d probably have to turn right around and head back when you arrive. Car, same thing, you might get a few hours. Plane is the way to go, you can get The first Jet Blue flight from NYC and the last Jet Blue from Buffalo. Even with checking in for your return, you’ll get about 10-12 hours in Buffalo. Download Uber or Lyft to get around once you arrive so you don’t have to deal with rentals. 

 

 

Good suggestion. I was just going to suggest JetBlue too. I fly to NYC often and always use JB. 

 

They have flights for as cheap as $55-60 each way (depending on the day of the week and time of year, etc). 

 

Its only a quick 45 minute flight if you’re strapped for time. 

 

Amtrak is great if you have more time. 

[SinceThe70s]

18 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

While I generally agree with that, that is something I’ve long wanted to do, just for the heck of it. I have no idea if this is the scenic type of trip I imagine, so maybe somewhere more interesting would be better.

 

There is a point where you have to balance flying vs driving. A bunch of variables there to consider. Came to Atlanta from Florida for an event years ago with the family. Airfare and car rental was around $1,500, and I figured I saved less than 2 hours when it was all said and done. Depending on the situation, I now decide on the case by case details. 

 

Didn’t @plenzmd1 come up with some extremely detailed visitors guide info? Was that more game day stuff? It might actually be too much information, but it might also be very helpful. 

 

Here's a link to the @plenzmd1 google doc. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F9yhWkCZkeTFX_6yagiiwCPu-JUnhBAxuPILxW8U438/edit

 

My two cents is you should visit Niagara Falls. A lot of people say that the Canadian side is better. That may or may not be true, but it requires crossing the border and there's plenty to do and see on the American side.

[Misterbluesky]

2 hours ago, ukbuffalo said:

Hi ,

 

I am a UK born buffalo fan. I am travelling over to New York City for a week ( my first trip to USA ) at the beginning of September and have managed to get tickets for the season opener against New York Jets 

 

I have just managed to convince my friend I am going with to fly to buffalo for a day trip on the Friday before the game. I am deffo gonna organise a stadium tour but is there anything else people would recommend doing while we are there ??

 

Cheers 

Tee Hee

[Seasons1992]

I went on a kayak voyage on the Buffalo River yesterday between all the grain elevators. It was amazing, and only $28 for 2 hours. I highly recommend it.

I heard that @ExiledInIllinois will be leading a narrated, 8-hour guided tour soon, explaining all the boats, all the sights, and how water was originally invented..............

Edited July 28, 2019 by Seasons1992

[stony]

The Amtrak ride from NYC to Albany is nice through the Hudson Valley.  

 

Albany to Buffalo is flat and boring.  I'd take the plane.

Edited July 28, 2019 by stony

[ExiledInIllinois]

56 minutes ago, Seasons1992 said:

I went on a kayak voyage on the Buffalo River yesterday between all the grain elevators. It was amazing, and only $28 for 2 hours. I highly recommend it.

I heard that @ExiledInIllinois will be leading a narrated, 8-hour guided tour soon, explaining all the boats, all the sights, and how water was originally invented..............

Thanks for the shout out!

 

Not sure if they are still there... Especially in the age of GPS sounding... But if you ever see a survey station mark painted on the Black Rock Channel (where they crew/row on the Niagara Section Wall), the outter & inner breakwaters or the Ship Canal (where you were)... I painted those station marks and built that baseline to sound (take depth readings) the Buffalo Harbor area!

 

The stations are usually marked something like: 1+00, 2+00, etc.. etc... That's how we would sound in the pre-GPS days.  Build baseline, then go off each station w/boat to take sounding.  That data would determine how much the area needed to be dredged and to figure out how much it would cost to remove said spoil (the material removed from bottom).

 

Sadly, my artwork is slowly being erased by time & technology,  nobody is updating those station marks anymore because everything is controlled view the heavens/sky!

 

LoL... You knew I wouldn't disappoint!  ?

Edited July 28, 2019 by ExiledInIllinois

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, Augie said:

 

While I generally agree with that, that is something I’ve long wanted to do, just for the heck of it. I have no idea if this is the scenic type of trip I imagine, so maybe somewhere more interesting would be better.

 

There is a point where you have to balance flying vs driving. A bunch of variables there to consider. Came to Atlanta from Florida for an event years ago with the family. Airfare and car rental was around $1,500, and I figured I saved less than 2 hours when it was all said and done. Depending on the situation, I now decide on the case by case details. 

 

Didn’t @plenzmd1 come up with some extremely detailed visitors guide info? Was that more game day stuff? It might actually be too much information, but it might also be very helpful. 

 

I can vouch the line from Albany to Buffalo has one scenic moment along the Mohawk River. The rest of the ride is bupkis. Except the 45 seconds blowing down Main St in Fonda, NY at full speed. That was kind of exciting worrying if we'd hit anyone.

[US Egg]

N.Y. to Buffalo trains and buses are a lot safer way to "move product". 

[Just Joshin']

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I took the train from Boston to Buffalo once....once! There little to see, there is zero cell service because all the cell towers are on highways, not rail lines. And it took 2 hours to change trains in Albany. I would rather fly, drive or take a bus before I'd ride on a train to Buffalo.

 

P.S....skip the zoo, too.

Very little scenery on the train trip.  A bit around the Hudson River but that was it.

[bbb]

If you're only going to do one thing, it's GOT to be the Maid of the Mist.  You can't do that anywhere else

 

[Helpmenow]

5 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Have you been to an average zoo? It's certainly not average

 

Your comparing it to like the Picasso of Zoos.

 

The Buffalo zoo is definitely a good attraction.

 

They don't have 50,000 animals because there mission statement is to help reproduce dwindling animal populations

I lived in San Diego, and buffalo is slightly above average.

Edited July 29, 2019 by Helpmenow

[Augie]

4 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

Good suggestion. I was just going to suggest JetBlue too. I fly to NYC often and always use JB. 

 

They have flights for as cheap as $55-60 each way (depending on the day of the week and time of year, etc). 

 

Its only a quick 45 minute flight if you’re strapped for time. 

 

Amtrak is great if you have more time. 

 

I get what you’re saying, but it’s not quite that simple. My wife flies to NYC almost every week for work. She leaves 2 hours early for the airport. Sometimes (far too often) the flight is delayed. Once in NYC it’s about an hour to get from LaGuardia to the hotel. Then there is the time in the air (admittedly brief from NY to Buffalo, but about 2.5 hours from ATL). Heck, it takes a good 20 minutes just to get off the plane! 

 

But for that cheap flight I’d make the trip a couple times a year. Catch a play, some nice meals, Christmas season, etc. Her boss would like her to move there. That will NEVER happen. It’s for some people, but not for us. 

[US Egg]

6 hours ago, Rocket94 said:

If you do go to Niagara Falls, look for VioIa's Submarines! 

Don't they call them U-boats in England ?

[Rocket94]

5 minutes ago, I am the egg man said:

Don't they call them U-boats in England ?

You know what...I may have heard that before. I wouldn't be surprised.