Thanks, I'll check it out.

It seems like the best option at this point is to take an Uber/Cab to the Peace bridge, cross on foot, and then Uber or take the Megabus or Go Train to Toronto from Niagara. Does anyone have any experience with doing so?

Pick your crossing carefully. Peace Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston are long walks especially with luggage. Niagara Falls is shorter. People I know have been picked up by friends/relatives on the Cdn side.

Peace Bridge is a very *long* walk (almost 2 km), part of it uphill over an elevated bridge. Take the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls. It's a short (400m) and level crossing with a fabulous view, countless tourists made the crossing on foot pre-pandemic times.

I am walking across Rainbow Bridge today - will update on progress.

So I walked over the Rainbow bridge yesterday.

Uber from BUF was $39. Be sure to get dropped off at south side of entrance (by US CBP) and "made in America" souvenir shop as sidewalk is on the south side of bridge.

Funny seeing a steady stream of people hop out of Ubers with their suitcases and walk to bridge like I did. When I got to canadian side there were 6 people In line in front of me with 1 agent working. Took about 20 minutes of waiting, then my turn.
Questions asked were about my quarentine plan, declarations and what I was doing in US (which I replied "I don't feel the need to tell you that," he didn't seem to like answer but did not follow up). Told him I'm vaxxed he didn't care. Then a kind agent walked me to COVID test tent to do test. Make sure you preregister an account. Them my SO was waiting in the parking lot 25m away for the drive.

Interesting note, agent didn't care my SO was picking me up to drive me to Toronto but seemed worried I was staying with mother even though it's separate basement apartment.

Hi, I'll be making the same journey as you in 2 weeks and someone will be picking me up on the Canadian side of Rainbow Bridge. They're trying to figure out where to wait for me, where did your SO park?

Cheers!

corner of rainbow bridge and blondin ave there is a large parking lot. That's right where the SwitchHealth tents are anyways for covid test so it works perfectly. Good luck!

I recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge on foot. Here are some notes:

- There is a ~1 hour rapid test available right at the BUF airport that is accepted by the CBSA. Convenient, but it's $225 USD which to me is crazy. Instead, I decided to get an Abbott ID NOW rapid test from Walgreens which as others have mentioned here, is also accepted by the CBSA. On the PDF I got it said it's a NAAT test, which the Government of Canada site explicitly says is accepted. It's also completely free.

- Only certain Walgreens have this machine - you can check on their site which ones do. I went to the Walgreens at 4815 BROADWAY Depew, NY 14043, which is a ~10 minute drive from the airport. They claim that results are available within 24 hours, but I got mine in about 15 minutes - it was emailed as a PDF which I then printed. Note that you MUST make an appointment online in advance in order to have the results emailed to you. I am NOT a US resident - all I had was my Ontario driver's license, which they were happy with. The test is drive-thru only, so the lady let me just walk up to the drive-thru window, but you may want to consider taking your Uber through the drive thru (or your own car) - the whole process only takes 2 minutes. I figured if the results did not arrive within an hour or two, I would just go back to BUF airport and get the rapid-PCR test for $225.

- There were about 15 of us pedestrians waiting in line to cross to talk to a CBSA agent. The people in front of me really seemed to be getting interrogated - about 15 minutes per person. Right before it was my turn the agents switched, and mine let me through after barely 5 minutes. Standard questions - do you have a place to quarantine, etc. He was extremely friendly.

- After that I was sent to the Switch Health tent (you should create an account in advance to speed up the process), where I took the test. Then I was free to go. They don't watch you after this point. I had someone picking me up in a nearby parking lot, but I could have easily wandered into the city and taken public transit home or whatever I wanted.

Just so I'm clear - there are free tests that Canadians can use for travel purposes offered in the US?

Yes, there are many free tests that Canadians can use in the US that would be acceptable by the CBSA to re-enter Canada. The issue is that these usually take about 24 hours to get the results. You can walk into virtually any CVS/Walgreens/Wegmans etc. In places like Florida and many other states there are government run centers too.

The Abbott ID Now machine is now being used in many Walgreens across the country which provides results also acceptable by the CBSA and gives you results within minutes. This is also free. Again you can go on the Walgreens site to schedule an appointment and find out which ones offer this.

Interestingly when I called the specific Walgreens that I knew had the ID NOW machine and asked them roughly how long the results take, she said "about 24 hours". I suspect they are trained to say this either to set expectations, or to discourage people coming in who need tests to fly. Either way, based on what I read here, I took a chance and got the results emailed to me in about 15 minutes after taking the test.

from Canadian government site
Nucleic acid test (NAT) or Nucleic acid amplification test (NAATs)

from Walgreen's site

Rapid Diagnostic Test (ID NOW): The Rapid Point-of-Care (POC) - NAAT (ID NOW) test also detects genetic material of the virus. The test is performed on site with results available within 24 hours.

Thanks for the updated facts. Walgreen's does not care as payment is made by local or federal government and in fact likely is happy to do more tests as that increases payment to its. Uncle Sam pick's up this tab.

Although not in the correct forum...when a Canadian returns by plane to the 4 airports are they charged for the first and second tests?

No. The test on arrival, and the day 8 test kit (which you take home with you and send in) are free. This also applies to entering by land. They also pay for delivery of the day 8 test.

Out of curiousity how would Canadian Border Agents deal with a vaccinated person with a non US based negative test that was used to leave one's desintation within 72 hours? Straight to hotel? or leeway? Anyone with anecdotal evidence?

what the government site states versus anecdotal from anyone

If you don't provide proof of a valid COVID-19 test

• Foreign nationals without a valid molecular test or with symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed into Canada.
• If a Canadian citizen, person registered under the Indian Act, or permanent resident does not provide proof of a valid molecular test result they:
  • will be allowed entry, but may be subject to a fine of up to $5,000 per day or face criminal prosecution
  • may also be required to go to a designated quarantine facility if they are symptomatic on arrival at the border, or do not have a suitable quarantine plan