Originally Posted by
emreeken
I'm going to visit Niagara Falls on April 23. I hope that Maid of the mist will be operating at that time. Because, as I see, it opens on may depending on weather. I'll land at JFK and will drive a minivan to the falls with 6 people. Do you have any route suggestions?
What time will you land at JFK?
You have a couple of choices going to the Falls.
You can head north from JFK on the Van Wyck to the Grand Central Parkway (west - to Triboro/Robert Kennedy Bridge). This feeds on to I - 87 north. You can take that to Exit 16 in Harriman NY, and follow signs for 17 West. Watch the speed limit, as the State Police enforce the limit. (17 is also known as I-86 in parts).
Take 17 west to I-81 north towards Syracuse. Follow signs for I-90 west aka the NY State Thruway. Pass Rochester and keep going. As you approach Buffalo, you'll see signs for Niagara Falls (I-190?).
From JFK, expect to spend the day driving. maybe 7 hours or so.
Alternate route
You can head north from JFK on the Van Wyck to the Grand Central Parkway (west - to Triboro/Robert Kennedy Bridge). This feeds on to I - 87 north. After 5 - 10 minutes, you'll see signs for the George Washington Bridge Route 80 west). Take 80 west to I-81 north towards Syracuse, then same directions as above. This is slightly long than 17, but it's straight and you can go 65 mph the entire way.
IMHO, 17 is prettier.