St. Catharines, ON Hotels

St Catharines Rundown

St Catharinesis a wonderful little gem that is often outshined by nearby Niagara Falls. It is only a short drive from there and offers cheaper dining, shopping and entertainment for visitors. It is also renowned for its rowing course, which is why the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta is held in St Catharines each year. Near this famous course is Port Dalhousie, the entry point of Lake Ontario's Twelve Mile Creek. This is where you will also find Lakeside Park, immortalised in song by the rock band Rush. Due to the popularity of their song named after the park, there are a number of clubs and bars in the area. Many visitors enjoy the elegant vineyards of St Catharines, which produce excellent white wine and ice wine vintages. Wine tours are very popular at Hernder Estate Vineyards for this reason. You may enjoy touring St Catharinesthrough the fun and inventive Niagara Segway Tour, which takes you along the Welland Canal beginning at the Canal Museum. Another interesting and popular local attraction is the Underground Railroad Tour. For great local food and atmosphere, take the whole family for pancakes or barbecue at White Meadows Farm.

When To Go

St Catharines enjoys a humid and variable continental climate with four seasons. The summers are hot with high temperatures from 24-27°C (75-81°F), and the winters can be quite cold with lows dipping into freezing. Spring and fall are cooler months with mild weather, and this may be the best time to enjoy St Catharines. This area of Ontario does not have many violent summer storms due to its geography, but thunderstorms are common. There is a possibility of snow in winter because of the surrounding lakes, but frost and snow are not very common in St Catharines. The area receives a typical monthly rainfall of 5-6 cm (2-3 inches), but the peak rainy months in summer bring around 7-8 cm (2.5-3 inches).

· June through August: 24-27°C (75-81°F)

· December through March: -3°C to -7°C (19-27°F)

· Thunderstorms in summer

Getting There

If you are flying to St Catharines, you will arrive at either the Toronto Pearson International Airport or Buffalo International Airport, from where you can drive or use the bus or train services. Drivers can access this town right off of QEW Highway, which runs from Toronto to Niagara Falls. The local bus station offers service from both Greyhound and Coach Canada lines, and there are routes from Toronto, Niagara Falls and other major cities in Canada and the United States. The local train station also has frequent routes to the same cities, as well as to Buffalo in New York via Amtrak and Rail Canada. There are also GO transit trains that serve St Catharines from Toronto and Niagara Falls. GO buses are cheap and reliable local transportation with stops throughout St Catharines.

· Drive: QEW Highway Toronto - Niagara Falls

· Bus: Coach Canada, Greyhound services

· Train: Amtrak, Rail Canada services

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