The Bar Towel

Ukie wrote:Saw the local currency place is quoting $111.40 to buy $100 US.

So that means an extra 15% for what I brought over last time.

I think your bank will let you open up a USD account for free. This means you can transfer CAD > USD between accounts whenever you want, and the rates they give you are the lowest you can get. With money now in your US account you go to your bank teller and withdraw the US greenbacks for no fee (buying very same US dollars with no US account is expensive.)

This will cost you nothing and save you money.

Belgian wrote:

ercousin wrote:What hotel do people normally stay at in Buffalo? Thinking about the Downtown Buffalo location, near the Blue Monk.

AFAIK one block directly east over on Delaware is the neighborhood to check out for hotels. Walking distance to it all. 'Downtown' is much farther south VS "Elmwood Village" which is where I believe you mean to stay. I'd like to hear about the deals you've found erc!

I'm not putting down 'downtown' it's just more of a hike, and there are some cool streets and some strips of night life but just from its vibe I wouldn't wander that part of town as much at night. Downtown feels more depressed & isolated, and by night an easy target area for tourist muggings. Probably by car or with locals a safer bet. Rudy any thoughts? Are my spidey senses tingling where there's no danger?

Ya Elmwood Village is more what I was thinking. We were considering the Holiday Inn on Delaware, a room with 1 King seems to be going for $109 right now. Not too bad when Premier Gourmet has 10% sale going on until Jan 26th.

Hopefully we can get one person from my group to drive the rest of us to Blue Monk. Tourist muggings definitely isn't a great way to end a cross border shopping trip.

Belgian wrote:

Ukie wrote:Saw the local currency place is quoting $111.40 to buy $100 US.

So that means an extra 15% for what I brought over last time.

I think your bank will let you open up a USD account for free. This means you can transfer CAD > USD between accounts whenever you want, and the rates they give you are the lowest you can get. With money now in your US account you go to your bank teller and withdraw the US greenbacks for no fee (buying very same US dollars with no US account is expensive.)

This will cost you nothing and save you money.

What I mean is or are we saying the same thing?

I buy $100 US for $100 Cdn (back in the old days) then buy $100 of beer in the states. I pay roughly 33% in duty and taxes (I think we all agreed that's what it is). My beer is now $133.00 cdn.

Today the dollar is trading at $1.10 wholesale so I pay $111.40 (no fees). My $100 worth of beer is now $111.40 cdn plus 33% works out to $148.16.
$15.16 more than before. They are saying the dollar could drop a few more cents.

We usually stay at the Marriotts by the airport or Detroit especially if they have a weekend deal on. Usually Detroit is way cheaper but of course way further.

I just use priceline and either name my own price or go to the express deals. You can generally figure out which hotel it will give you on the express deals. I'm currently staying about 10-15 minutes away from Kuhnhenn for $80 taxes and fees in. Unfortunately, after I booked the hotel I found out Kuhnhenn has rooms for rent.

Tomorrow I'll be at the Westin Book Cadillac for $160, down from $200+. That one's split amongst 4 people, and I get to finally go to Roast.

In Buffalo, I've stayed at the Adam's Mark for $45. The most I've spent in Buffalo is $60-80 at the Hyatt, however, if there's a Sabres or Bills game the Hyatt is hard to get. As far as I was told from a cabbie, the Hyatt is where th opposing team stays.

Ukie wrote:We usually stay at the Marriotts by the airport or Detroit especially if they have a weekend deal on. Usually Detroit is way cheaper but of course way further.

What works for ya. I'd usually base my stay on handy location, not just price. I'd rather have someplace to go right from my hotel without driving. I'd dislike staying way out near mega malls or airports, that's just my view personally: budget a little to travel & enjoy it more...

Even a short taxi ride or two is better if the short walk at night seems daunting.

we need to change the name of this thread from founders to 'border beer trip info'

Kish84 wrote:As far as I was told from a cabbie, the Hyatt is where th opposing team stays.

I was in Buffalo for a game on Dec 29 and the Capitals were staying at the same hotel as us, the Embassy Suites. We were there as the players were leaving the hotel to get on the team bus day of the game.

spinrsx wrote:we need to change the name of this thread from founders to 'border beer trip info'

I've split all of the border-crossing chat into its own thread. Which you've probably noticed if you're reading this...

rejtable wrote:

Kish84 wrote:As far as I was told from a cabbie, the Hyatt is where th opposing team stays.

I was in Buffalo for a game on Dec 29 and the Capitals were staying at the same hotel as us, the Embassy Suites. We were there as the players were leaving the hotel to get on the team bus day of the game.

What a bonus. I just want to go drink a beer where Prez McKinley was shot, and pour one out for my homey...

32 Fordham Drive, Buffalo, NY, United States - stone in the center median.

Went to Buffalo today. In and out on the Peace Bridge. The wife was driving. Crappy, blizzardy day. We drove up and were the only car in the lineup into Buffalo. Border guards must have been bored, as we got our car searched half heartedly, going in. Maybe they thought we were smuggling maple syrup.

Coming back, there was only one car in front of us. Declared everything and got dinged for customs for the first time ever.

I'm only a sample size of one, but I wonder if customs fees and general scrutiny are inversely proportional to traffic volume.

boney wrote:I'm only a sample size of one, but I wonder if customs fees and general scrutiny are inversely proportional to traffic volume.

Possibly on day trips. When we went to Vermont (3 of us) with no wait at all, we declared 4.5 cases, and 650 grams of hookah tobacco (weren't sure what we were allowed, we were over by 50 grams) we were waved through. We crossed at Ogdensburg, so it's possibly unfair to compare to a bigger city.

boney wrote: I'm only a sample size of one, but I wonder if customs fees and general scrutiny are inversely proportional to traffic volume.

Given that I always cross at the Rainbow Bridge, I have considered this as the traffic flow at the rainbow bridge varies significantly based on time of day, weather, etc. I have found that, without fail, when there is very little bridge traffic I pay duty. When there is more traffic, I find I have a greater chance of being waved through.

I cross at one of the 3 niagara boarder 2 to 3 times a month, as I do grocery shopper over there as well. Even with the exchange what it is right now stuff is still a nice savings. And groceries are a duty free good. Since groceries are tax free they are duty free and it creates a good distraction from the beer.

I would like to chime in on the lax boards, as mentioned earlier by some one I would agree one of the largest factors in whether you will be pulled in is whether your crossing at a busy time and all the boarders at niagara get busy at some point.

But dollar value and volume of the beer is another big factor. This list is by no means completely accurate but it is my experience only, if you are coming back from a day trip

Under $100 your getting through with no duty, almost for sure. Unless you have like 48 beers or something

$150 and under 24 beers you've got a chance at getting through. if you have 12 beers and can say you have something like clothes along with it you have a better chance, as I am pretty sure they would assume you have like 130 in clothes and 20 in a 12-pack. Unless they ask for a break down

$150 to 200 and under 24 beers your getting close to getting pulled in for sure.

Over $200 your pretty darn close to being 100% pulled in, regardless of volume, your only hope is if your in a busy line or a friendly guard.

Over $300 without much doubt your getting pulled in, there is still a chance.

$500 would be the threshold where I would be surprised if you could ever get through. I have heard of it being done but I dont think it is very common.

I pretty much now just cross at the rainbow bridge, because of its proximity to premier and that niagara falls blvd has just about everything other then beer as well.

I would recommend avoiding Lewiston at just about all costs.

Rainbow have had pretty good luck getting through with a good chuck of beer.

Peace bridge is also not bad.

So what's on the hot list to pick up in Buffalo at the moment? Here for the weekend trying to strategize.

I used to get nailed all the time at the rainbow bridge. Rarely at Lewiston-Queenston. My daughter dates a border guard and we had that discussion.
its not the bridge, its not the time of day, its not the amount of beer or wine. its the result of the conversation with the border guard and his thought on the matter, nothing else. He makes the call.