Tourists frequently inquire about combining a visit to New York City with a stop at Niagara Falls, one of North America's great natural attractions. Niagara Falls is located on the US-Canadian border in far-western New York State, approximately 400 miles (nearly 700 km) from New York City, a distance of 7 to 8 hours by road. The nearest airport is Buffalo-Niagara International Airport (NY), approximately 25 miles (42 km) away. For first-time visitors to New York, there are a number of transportation options, depending on your schedule: For those with little time who want a one-day taste of Niagara Falls, we offer an unforgettable one-day tour and two-day tour of both the American and Canadian sides of the Falls. In addition, you might choose a four-day tour of both Niagara Falls and Washington D.C. For bus schedules, visit Greyhound; for train schedules, visit Amtrak; and for the most flexible flight options visit JetBlue. If you have only one day to visit Niagara Falls and want to arrange your own travel, flying is definitely the option you want to pursue. JetBlue is quite convenient as you can fly out of JFK early morning and return the same day or evening. Enough advance planning ensures you can secure a reasonably-priced ticket. (Note that most other US airlines penalize you by charging higher fares for same-day returns.) Although the actual flight time is approximately one hour, flights depart out of JFK and are sometimes delayed by weather and air traffic control. Including travel time to the airport, security line and waiting time, you would want to budget about 2 to 3 hours in advance of your actual flight time. From Buffalo's airport, you've got about 20 to 30 minutes' travel time, depending on whether you rent a car or take a taxi (car rental is probably the most economical option). So at a minimum, budget at least four hours' travel time from leaving your Manhattan hotel to actually arriving in Niagara Falls. To get an idea of how much you will spend on transportation, a rather pricey day trip to Niagara Falls would indeed be possible. We refrain from giving estimates of prices as air, bus and train fare change quite frequently and depend heavily on time of year and peak demand. But at a minimum we expect around $125 to $150 per person for a combination of air and car rental fees, based on two or more people travelling. This does not include fuel (petrol) for your rental car. For more about NYC airports, please visit the airports section of our Visitor Guide. For further information about Niagara Falls (NY), please visit Niagara Falls Live. For further information about Niagara Falls (Canada), please visit Niagara Falls Canada. Beware of touts and semi-official tourist facilities when in Niagara Falls, for many will steer you to facilities which are substandard. One final note: most tourists enjoy the Falls from the Canadian side as well as the American side, and certain US visa restrictions apply to tourists based upon the sort of visa they have. For further information about US visas and travel restrictions, please visit the US Department of State's website. We regret that NYC.com cannot answer questions about US visas and travel restrictions; inquire of your local US Consulate or Embassy.