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We are planning to travel from Toronto to New York by train in July 2025. First stop Niagara, Canadian or US side? Then a couple of days in a small town with access to gentle walking, the Hudson Valley, perhaps. G.

Matthews, Faulconbridge, NSW You can get within a few metres of Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. The Canadian side, definitely. The Canadian falls are more thunderous and more impressive and you can get to within a few metres of Horseshoe Falls.



Take a raincoat, the mist will drench you. The Niagara Parks Commission does a wonderful job of maintaining the lawns and gardens that stretch along the Niagara Parkway, don’t miss that. From Niagara Falls, cross to the US side and take either a train or a bus to Buffalo and join Amtrak’s Empire Service train for the five-hour journey to Albany.

Head south along the Hudson River Valley, stopping at the town of Hudson, where you can take a ferry out to the iconic Hudson Athens lighthouse, and Beacon, small-town US at its best. Beacon has the highest peak in the Hudson Highlands, which makes it a mecca for hikers, and the town also has an invigorating food scene to go with the fresh-air walks and a posh spa hotel in The Dutchess . The United States Military Academy at West Point is a standout, book for a guided tour.

Stay at nearby Cold Spring, its Main Street is another classic and there are some fine walks nearby. Further south along the river, Kykuit , the Rockefeller family’s opulent hilltop es.

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