Northern Tier-ish

[jcostanz]

For amtrack to niagara falls, ny.  There is no checked baggage service in NF.  only in Buffalo.

You might want to check out biketrain.ca  They have announced the schedule for their Toronto - Windsor trains for the summer and have yet to announce their Ontario east train.

I live and work in Niagara Falls, NY. and for bicycling across the border, I perfer the Lewiston Queenston bridge or the Rainbow bridge over the peacebridge in buffalo.

[destination]

Jcostanz:  Thank you for the information about Niagara Falls not having checked baggage service.
It will be a while before I get all of the "possible" connecting trains and depots straight.

It would be nice to be able to de-train from Amtrak and get onto a Canadian rail within short distance of each other. But the most important thing would be to avoid perfume/fragrances and exhaust. Which, usually means smaller depots.

PS. I have seen biketrain.ca before. Wonderful concept. It would be great if other train companies followed suit ie: using one whole car for bike storage.

[rvklassen]

I live and work in Niagara Falls, NY. and for bicycling across the border, I prefer the Lewiston Queenston bridge or the Rainbow bridge over the peace bridge in buffalo.

The Rainbow is much nicer than the Peace bridge (way less wind, much, much shorter).  Do you have a route with decent roads from someplace east of Niagara Falls?  I can route on relatively nice roads until I come to the outskirts of Niagara Falls.  But last time I tried to get to Niagara Falls Ontario (from Rochester), the NF NY roads I wound up taking were terrible.  (Came in on Lockport to Packard to Niagara St.).  I'd been planning on Queenston/Lewiston bridge from here on, but I'd prefer the Rainbow bridge for being shorter and more sheltered.  Not to mention more scenic.

[jcostanz]

The route from east of Niagara falls would be to stay north of Niagara Falls, Upper mountain road or Rt 31 (just don't take 31 past Hyde Park rd).  then take Lewiston Rd South.  Near the intersection of Lewiston Rd and Hyde Park Rd there is an entrance ramp to the Robert Moses Parkway.  The old Southbound lanes of the parkway has been turned into a multi use path with a pedestrian bridge crossing over the car lanes.  The path will take you right down to 2 blocks from the rainbow bridge.  Much better than any road in the City of Niagara falls.  I can find better directions if you need.

[rvklassen]

The old Southbound lanes of the parkway has been turned into a multi use path with a pedestrian bridge crossing over the car lanes.  The path will take you right down to 2 blocks from the rainbow bridge.  Much better than any road in the City of Niagara falls.

This is the part I was missing.  I had noticed construction on Robert Moses, but never knew that's what they were doing with it. 
Thanks.

[jcostanz]

It appears that every winter the bridge over the whirlpool bridge is closed to pump something over it.  If they keep it closed, the only other way that I would take to the falls would be  Hyde Park to Walnut or Ferry. 

I forgot another route along the upper Niagara River.  There is a path on the south side of buffalo ave at the 190 bridges that takes you along the the river right into the state park.  There just doesn't seem to be a nice way of getting there from the east as even tho buffalo ave is low traffic, the conditions of the road was horrible the last time I rode down it.

[rvklassen]

I forgot another route along the upper Niagara River.  There is a path on the south side of buffalo ave at the 190 bridges that takes you along the the river right into the state park.  There just doesn't seem to be a nice way of getting there from the east as even tho buffalo ave is low traffic, the conditions of the road was horrible the last time I rode down it.

That route I had found, and while it is better than surface routes all the way through NF, I agree with your conclusion about roads to get to that path from the east.  As I understand it there really isn't a whole lot of money for maintaining roads in those parts, and they deteriorate just as fast as anywhere else that sees frost.

Interestingly, Google Maps (bicycling) has a very approximate idea of where the path running along the former southbound lanes of Robert Moses is, and isn't all that good at routing one on to it - despite being overly aggressive about routing on unpaved paths in other places...

[jcostanz]

That path could be a good route if one is coming from the South and uses the Grand Island bridges (190).  I tried this and my trike was too wide at the top of the Southern Bridge.  I had to back down the sidewalk from the top, took about 45 minutes:(.  It connects with a very nice called river walk which start around the Peace bridge and goes thru Niawanda park.