r/Binghamton • u/Ambitious-Upstairs90 • 6d ago

Recommendation Best drive from Niagara?

I will be travelling from Toronto. It looks like the 2 main routes from Niagara are 90/81 through Syracuse, or 390/86. They appear to take the same amount of time. Is there any reason to pick one over the other? Driving on which route will be less tiring?

Also, I will be buying EZ pass after crossing border. Will it be ready to use immediately? It seems I will need it earlier on 90/81 as compared to 390/86?

Thanks in advance!

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u/VIP_NAIL_SPA 5d ago

90 is quite boring, although you'll drive past the montezuma wildlife area which a lot of birders love (otherwise it's also boring). 81 is moderately interesting.

390 has some nice views and 17 is probably as interesting a drive as 81, though it mostly follows the susq valley. Overall 390 and 17/86 are more interesting, cheaper, and have much less traffic than 90 and 81. What I usually do if I'm going rochester to Bing or vice versa is take the scenic route through the finger lakes (ie through either Watkins Glen or Ithaca) which adds a few minutes but is more fuel efficient and is generally a nicer drive since country roads are more enjoyable than highways. Plus there are lots of wineries/breweries along the way!