Mark Brader wrote:

It wouldn't occur to me to buy a ticket in advance for a bus to
Niagara Falls.

Nor would I. My son had no problem getting on a bus from Toronto to
St.Catharines on Christmas Eve.

I would not expect the trains to be full either at
this time of year, although I could be wrong about the morning train.
I would not expect these trains to run significantly late on this
particular journey[1], so unless the fare is a factor, the choice
is mostly a matter of whether you prefer more comfort or more
flexibility as to time.

Any time I pick up my son at the St.Catharines station the train from
Toronto is usually at least a half hour late. The train is almost always
late arriving in St.Catharines on the Niagara to Toronto run. I have to
pick him up and drop him off at the St.Catharines station and have been
doing so for the past 7 years. Only once has the train been on time.




[1] The onward service to New York -- and the same the other way,
forming the evening train from Niagara Falls to Toronto -- is
subject to significant delays at the border and over the course
of its trip. This also means that if you wanted to go from
Toronto to Niagara Falls, New York, you would be better not to
do it by staying on the train.

Almost agreed. Since the OP is staying at a hotel right by the Rainbow
bridge he could walk across to the US and grab a taxi to the train
station.... but he will be getting onto the same train. It may be cheaper
to get it on the US side.




The Niagara Falls train and bus stations are across the street from
each other, in the old downtown business area, which is pretty seedy.
It is about 2 miles down river from the falls.

More like 1.5 miles. By the way, downriver is north -- if you cross
the river from Canada into the US, you're going east. The bridge near
the train and bus stations is no longer available to the general
public, but if you want you can walk across via the Rainbow Bridge,
near the falls.

But he won't be crossing that bridge. He will be turning right and walking
upriver.