Welcome Canadians

Whether you're in town for shopping, sports, art, architecture, entertainment, dining or to take advantage of our low-cost airfares, we're happy to have you here.

To make your visit as pleasant as possible, we've put together a few tips. And, as always, if you have any questions, the folks in our Buffalo Niagara Visitor Center are happy to help!

Flying Out of BUF

Buffalo Niagara International Airport is a very economical airport to fly out of, no matter where you're going. Save a few loonies by taking off from BUF.

What's NEW

There are some new kids on the block! Your Buffalo airport hotel options just increased by 3, and if you're a fan of Marriott you are in luck. Marriott has built two new properties (with plans in the works for another) within the last year. They include the Fairfield Inn & Suites and the Courtyard by Marriott (Towne Place Suites is coming soon.)

Park ‘n Fly

Why try guessing wait times at the bridge? Drive down the night before, grab a bite to eat, lay your head for a restful night's sleep, park your car up to 14 days and enjoy a shuttle ride to the airport. Here are some Park & Fly options:

• Sleep Inn & Suites Buffalo Airport
• Best Western Buffalo Airport
• Days Hotel Buffalo Airport
• Holiday Inn Express & Suite Buffalo Airport
• Staybridge Suites Buffalo Airport
• Millennium Airport Hotel Buffalo
• Hilton Garden Inn Buffalo Airport
• Courtyard by Marriott Buffalo Airport
• Fairfield Inn & Suites Buffalo Airport
• Garden Place Hotel

Top Places To Grab A Bite Near The Runway

• Danny's - Buffalonians would travel miles for their famous chicken wing soup but you only need to drive 2 minutes down the street.
• Max's - Short of dining inside the terminal, it doesn't get any more convenient than this. Classic fare served up just feet from the runway.
• Duff's - The battle of the Anchor Bar vs. Duff's for the best wings in town continues. Decide for yourself.
• Olympic - A tasty establishment committed to home-cooked meals. Best of all, they're open 24 hours, so if you roll into Buffalo at 3 a.m., you're set.
• Russell's - Why not kick off your vacation on the right foot with some king crab legs and a side of filet mignon?
• Ted's Hot Dogs - Char-broiled and oh-so-delicious - that's how we do hot dogs in Buffalo! For a speedy nosh session, stop in for some grub off the grill.
• Walden Galleria - You've heard of this place, right? :-) Drive 5 minutes from the airport and have your pick from The Cheesecake Factory, Bar Louie, Bravo! Cucina, Hyde Park Steakhouse, P F Chang's , The Melting Pot or the NEW Gordon Biersch.

Restaurants Worth the Drive from the Airport

• Pearl Street Grill & Brewery - America's 2^nd largest brewpub that serves as a mecca for the sports fan
• Blue Monk - Buffalo's Belgian beer gastropub with 35 brews on tap. The menu is beer-oriented as well - go figure!
• Gabriel's Gate - serving up some of the best chicken wings in the city, according to the locals.
• Cecelia's Ristorante - Some of the best stuffed banana peppers in town and killer martini list to go along with it (Buy-One, Get-One-Free Martini Mondays!)
• Tempo - Looking for upscale dining before you jet out of town? Tempo won't disappoint, unless you don't make reservations ahead of time.
• Chocolate Bar - Do you even need a description for this place? Chocolate. Bar.
• SeaBar - The city's most innovative sushi bar and lounge. The Miso Caramel Crab roll and Buffalo's own Beef on Weck roll is dynamite.

Attending a Game in Buffalo

What's NEW:

The home of the NHL Buffalo Sabres took on a new name in 2011, and is now called the First Niagara Center.  

Along with the name change came many other improvements to the interior and exterior of the building, which are helping it become one of the best venues in professional hockey.  Check out the enhancements here.

Parking Changes at The Ralph

Headed to a Buffalo Bills game in Orchard Park on Sunday? There's a few parking changes to make note of:

Abbott Road, between Lots B and C, is now closed to traffic five hours before and two hours after games. Also, parking attendants in Lots 2 and 3 are directing drivers to the next available space to promote orderly aisles and prevent tailgaters saving spots for friends. 

Changes inside First Niagara Center

Enjoying your national pastime in Buffalo just got much better.

In 2011, the Buffalo Sabres committed to improving their team, their facilities, and the entire hockey fan experience.  Here's what you can expect to see when making your next trip:

• A 90 foot LED ribbon board welcomes you above the main atrium entrance
• Blue and gold paint and Buffalo Sabres emblems are proudly positioned throughout.
• Tributes to current players and retired greats are on display
• An infusion of "Buffalo Flare" was added to the concessions:
  • The hot dogs went from good to great with one simple word: Sahlen's.
  • Anchor Bar anchors the expanded sub and sandwich offerings with its Chicken Finger Sub.
  • Five specialty pizzas are now offered and made in house.
  • Locally brewed Flying Bison seasonal beers join the tap line up, and
  • The cherry on top of it all comes from Perry's Ice Cream.
• Flat screen TV's have been strategically placed near all concession windows and even in the rest rooms (along with drink shelves in the stalls.)

It'sa thrilling time to be a hockey fan in Buffalo, and we're happy to share theexperience with you!

Beers Before Puck Drop (100 taps in 1km)

Check out these local watering holes to sample some suds before the puck hits the ice:

• Blue Monk
• Pearl Street Grill & Brewery
• Cole's
• Colter Bay
• Cobblestone Bar & Nightclub
• W J Morrissey's
• Lagerhaus 95

View in a larger map

Win a Hockey Night in Buffalo!

Tweet a photo of yourself outside 1of the 7 bars listed above to @BuffaloNiagara and be entered to win tickets to a future Sabres game and a $100 gift card to Blue Monk.

What's NEW:

Have you been to the Walden Galleria lately? Here are some of the new stores that have opened in the last few months:

• 77 Kids
• Walden Tobacconist Vanity
• Anthropologie
• H&M
• Michael Kors
• Wet Seal (newly remodeled)
• Arden B
• The Pomegranate
• Mr. Souvlaki
• Beauty Plus Too
• Fossil
• White House Black Market
• Gordon Biersch
  
  

Coming Soon:

• Free People (2012)
• Five Guys (2012)
• TAPS sports bar (2012)

Fora list of all of our retail shops and boutiques click HERE

Elmwood Village

Named one of the "10 Great Neighborhoods in America" by the American Planning Association, the Elmwood Village is one of Buffalo's top shopping and entertainment districts. Bordered by the city's museum district on one end and Allentown on the other, Elmwood Avenue features a host of boutiques, coffee shops, bars, art galleries and restaurants.

Directions from Southern Ontario/PeaceBridge

Take QEW to the Peace Bridge crossing at Fort Erie, Ontario. After passing through customs on the American side of the border, look for signs directing towards Interstate 190 North (I-190 North). Take I-190 North towards NiagaraFalls. Exit I-190 at Route 198 (Scajaquada Expressway). Take Route 198 to the Elmwood Avenue exit. After exiting the Elmwood Avenue ramp make an immediate right onto Iroquois Road, then an immediate left onto Elmwood Avenue at the traffic signal. Continue down Elmwood for about 1 kilometer until you reach the intersection of Auburn and Elmwood. You are now in the heart of the Elmwood Village! On-street parking is available and free on Saturdays & Sundays; during the work week from Monday - Friday from 9a.m. - 5 p.m. you must pay a nominal amount for on-street parking.

For a list of all of Buffalo's neighborhood shopping districts, click HERE

How much can I spend shopping in Buffalo without paying duty at the border?

The longer you stay, the more you can spend, so book your overnight stay in Buffalo!
But if you really need to know...