Buffalo Airport Hotel

Airport hotel guide for overnight stays, early departures, park-and-fly trips and Niagara Falls visits at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Buffalo Airport for Canadian Travellers

A large share of Buffalo’s passengers start in Ontario. Fares from Buffalo to US and sun destinations are often far lower than from Toronto Pearson, and the airport is small enough that an hour before departure is normal. The catch is the border, which turns a 90-minute drive into an unpredictable one. This guide sets out the timing, the documents and how the Genesee Street hotels fit in.

The drive and the border

From central Toronto the route is the QEW to Fort Erie, the Peace Bridge into Buffalo, then I-190 and Route 33 to the airport: about 160 km and 1 hour 45 minutes without stops. If the Peace Bridge queue is long, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge adds roughly 20 minutes of driving and can still be faster. Check live waits at bwt.cbp.gov before you leave and again at St Catharines.

Typical US customs waits are 15 to 30 minutes on weekday mornings. Friday afternoons, Sunday evenings, long weekends and school holidays can run 60 to 90 minutes. NEXUS lanes are usually much faster. From Hamilton or Niagara the whole trip is under two hours; from Mississauga or Markham it is closer to three with border time.

What to carry

Every adult needs a passport or NEXUS card at the border. Canadian children under 16 may cross by land with a birth certificate, though a passport avoids questions. An enhanced driver’s licence is accepted at the bridge but not at the TSA checkpoint for a non-US citizen, so the passport comes with you either way. Permanent residents need their PR card and passport. If you are connecting onward to a third country, check that country’s entry rules; you clear US customs at the bridge, not at the airport.

Why the hotel night makes sense

A morning flight from Buffalo means leaving the GTA in the small hours and hoping the bridge is clear. The alternative is to drive down the evening before, sleep across the street from the terminal and leave the car at the hotel for the trip. All seven hotels on Genesee Street run free shuttles; six run around the clock.

Package prices are per room and rarely shown on booking sites, so phone the hotel after booking. Details in Park, Sleep and Fly at Buffalo Airport.

Coming home

Landing at Buffalo late in the evening, call your hotel from the covered shuttle area to the left of arrivals, collect the car in the morning and cross back at the Peace Bridge into Fort Erie. Canadian customs waits follow the same pattern as the US side. Duty-free limits depend on how long you were away; 48 hours or more is the threshold most travellers care about.

Public transport instead of driving

There is no bus or train between Toronto and Buffalo Airport. Amtrak’s Maple Leaf and several coach operators run Toronto to downtown Buffalo or Buffalo-Depew; from Depew, TownePlace Suites Buffalo Airport provides a free shuttle, and from downtown the NFTA 24 bus reaches the airport for $2.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to drive from Toronto to Buffalo Airport?

About 160 km via the QEW and the Peace Bridge, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes of driving plus the border. Border waits are typically 15 to 30 minutes on weekday mornings and can exceed an hour on Friday afternoons and holiday weekends. Allow 3.5 to 4.5 hours from central Toronto to the check-in desk.

What documents do Canadians need to fly from Buffalo?

A valid passport, or a NEXUS card at the land border. Children under 16 may cross the land border with a birth certificate. An enhanced driver's licence gets you across the bridge but is not accepted as ID for the flight, so carry the passport regardless.

Can I leave my car at a Buffalo Airport hotel while I fly?

Yes. Buffalo Airport Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard and Fairfield sell park-and-fly packages; Aloft charges extended parking arranged in advance; Comfort Inn sells long-term parking. Airport lots cost $12 to $30 a day plus tax.

Information last verified: September 13, 2026