Where would you suggest staying at Niagara Falls? I am taking my family there this summer. Is it best to base ourselves on the American or Canadian side of the falls? Steven McDougal, Arbroath
Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: You should definitely stay on the Canadian side, as it has the best views, most facilities, and gives you easy access to other sights up-river and along the gorge. However, it’s hard getting away from the fact that aside for the falls themselves, which are stupendous, even the Canadian side is pretty tacky.
But hang on: away from the casino, Imax Theatre and MarineLand in the immediate falls area, is a pretty little town called Niagara-on-the-Lake.
It’s 16 miles north, along a scenic road that follows the precipitous gorge and is full of early 18th century plasterboard houses, the immaculately restored Fort George, and the world’s only theatre dedicated to the plays of George Bernard Shaw nothing to do with the fort. It’s a lovely place for walks along the shore of Lake Ontario, with good restaurants and cafes too.
The best hotel in town is the refined Prince of Wales (001 888 669 5566), which has room only doubles from £141. It’s a grand old colonial redbrick building with exquisite antiques, large opulent rooms, and a renowned afternoon tea. However, depending on how deep are your pockets, and how old your children, you might find it a little formal.
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Cue the Charles Inn (001 905 468 4588), which is a more modest white plasterboard old mansion, now turned into a smart little 12-roomhotel with a terrific veranda and elegant in-room touches, like Egyptian cotton and down duvets with B&B rooms from £105.
More modest again, but still in the heart of the Old Town Heritage District, is the two-story Moffat Inn (001 905 468 4116), which has sparer rooms, still in the colonial-style of course, and is good value, with doubles from £69.
If you haven’t a hire car, worry not: 5-0 Taxi (800-667-0256) runs a minibus shuttle between Niagara-on-the-Lake hotels and the falls for £9 return (£5 for children aged 6-12).