Bikes aboard
Timmy Salama hands his bike up to an orange-vested Bike Train loader. The 10-year-old has just returned from a couple of hours cycling around Niagara Falls with his mother and father. It’s his first trip to The Falls and he’s pumped. “It was awesome. I liked it much better than riding my bike in Mississauga,” he says, his eyes lighting up. “I really loved wacky town.” Wacky town, it turns out, is Timmy’s name for Clifton Hill with its outlandish souvenir shops, arcades and of course, Ripley’s Museum.
Timmy’s right about bike friendliness. The Niagara River Recreation Trail, just one of many bike trails in the region, is 54 kilometres of cycling path which runs right past The Falls, from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake. En route there’s everything from historic monuments (like Brock’s Monument) to scenic natural beauty. Just off the trail are museums like Laura Secord’s Homestead or the MacKenzie Printery where you’ll learn about the history of printing in Upper Canada. And there’s my personal favourite – the Butterfly Conservatory. At one point I had no fewer than eight butterflies on my arm – I think they liked my coconut sun block!
Getting there is now part of the fun when you take Via and your bicycle. Only in its second year, the Bike Train has found a large number of fans – everyone from families who want a couple of days at The Falls without the hassle (and expense) of trying to park there, to wine lovers who use the opportunity to visit some of the many wineries in the region.
The concept is a simple one. You load your bikes on the train at Union Station and two hours (and a neat train ride) later, you unload at Niagara Falls. In fact, on certain days the train stops to unload at St. Catharines, a convenient departure point for wine tours.
Most spend at least one night in Niagara which gives them a chance to explore the area.
The Bike Train booking number also offers tour routes and getaway packages with accommodation options to suit every budget. The best part is that you will be able to explore the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO designated World Biosphere Reserve, without adding to the carbon emissions.
Created by Transportation Options, a non-profit group, with a host of government and private partners, the initiative encourages low impact tourism and healthy lifestyles. Combining two sustainable modes of transportation – bikes and trains – allows passengers to reduce their carbon footprint, and have fun. In fact, the vast majority of Bike Train passengers last year cited sustainable transport as their primary reason for choosing this form of travel.
Cost for the round trip is just $59 (including bicycle, taxes and fees). Kids aged 0-11 are free, but there’s a $5 bike transport fee each way. There’s a limit of 56 bikes each trip and last year, they were 90% booked (some trips were full). This year there are more trips and the train will operate to the end of September, but they’re already filling up. So book early.
To find out more about the Bike Train, go to www.biketrain.ca where you’ll find a schedule, activities and an accommodations guide. Or you can call 888-619-5984 to book.
