Is it cheaper to fly out of Buffalo than Toronto?

Often, yes, for a US trip on a low-cost airline with three or four people. In the example below, a family of four flying to Florida saves about $420 by leaving from Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) instead of Toronto Pearson. The saving disappears if the Buffalo fare climbs past roughly US$265 a ticket, if you need a hotel night, or if you're flying anywhere outside the US. The example below shows the numbers, so you can run your own.

When Buffalo wins, and when it doesn't

Buffalo is strongest on US domestic routes, such as Florida, where low-cost US carriers fly out of BUF. It's also strongest for families, because the saving per ticket is multiplied by three or four while the drive and parking are paid once per car. Expect about 2 hours each way, though it depends on where you start and how long the border line is. For one traveller, that rarely pays off.

Pearson wins when you're flying anywhere that isn't a US destination, when your flight leaves early in the morning, and when a winter storm could make the drive to Buffalo slow or unsafe. It also wins if you want Canada's air passenger rights to apply to your flight.

Three costs catch people out. Fares from Buffalo are in US dollars, so every number needs converting. Many US low-cost carriers charge separately for bags, so a cheap fare can get less cheap at the counter. And the drive includes a border crossing each way, with whatever line is waiting at the bridge.

A worked example: a family of four to Florida

These fares are hypothetical, chosen to show the mechanism. Plug in the real fares you find, converted at today's rate. A US dollar costs about $1.40.

Say the same seven-night Florida trip costs $450 a person return from Pearson, and US$190 a person return from Buffalo on a low-cost carrier. Parking rates come from each airport's own page:

• Pearson's Daily Park garage at Terminal 1 has a weekly maximum of $235 for the first seven days ($42 a day after that).
• Buffalo's Economy lot costs US$12 a day plus 8.75% New York sales tax, with a free 24-hour shuttle to the terminal. Seven days is US$84, or US$91.35 with tax, about $128.

The gas figure assumes a 340 km round trip, 8.5 litres per 100 km and $1.45 a litre, which is a stand-in for your own car and your own pump price. If you want to see what that drive really costs once wear, insurance and depreciation count, run it through the car cost tool.

The Buffalo trip saves $420. Add one night in a Buffalo-area hotel at $200 for an early flight and the saving drops to $220. Each extra US$1 on the Buffalo fare costs the family about $5.60 across four tickets, so at US$265 a person the saving hits zero. So Buffalo has to be clearly cheaper, not just a little cheaper, to be worth the border crossing.

Finding the fare and paying for it in US dollars

Compare the same dates and the same bag count on both airports before you decide. If you're booking flights or the hotel now, Trip.com's welcome offer takes money off a first booking, and it lets you search both airports side by side.

Trip.comFeatured partnerNew Trip.com members can get up to 20% off their first trip through the referral offer, with eligible booking coupons shown after signup.

New Trip.com members can get up to 20% off their first trip through the referral offer, with eligible booking coupons shown after signup.

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Sign up through the referral link and use an eligible first-booking coupon. The landing page also advertises $10 off per person; product, currency and booking eligibility follow the displayed coupon terms.

On the money side, a US fare booked on a Canadian credit card usually adds a foreign transaction fee on top of the exchange rate. A card with 0% foreign transaction fees avoids it, and so does buying US dollars cheaply before you go. Canooq's guide to the cheapest way to convert USD to CAD compares the options.

What happens at the border

The Peace Bridge, the Rainbow Bridge and the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge are the usual crossings. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) publishes wait times for all three, and on the morning of November 6 the Peace Bridge showed about a minute for travellers coming back into Canada. That's one morning, not a promise: check the CBSA page before you leave, and look at US Customs and Border Protection's own wait times for the trip south.

If you have NEXUS, use the dedicated lane. The Peace Bridge runs its Canada-bound NEXUS lane 24 hours a day, and opens a second US-bound lane when traffic is heavy. Canooq's cross-border weekend trips guide covers what the crossing is like if you've never done it.

Coming home, the CBSA personal exemption depends on how long you were away. After 24 hours you can bring back $200 of goods without alcohol or tobacco, and after 48 hours or 7 days the limit is $800. The allowances can't be added together, and your purchases have to be in the car with you. The duty-free allowance guide has the rules for alcohol.

Your rights are different if you fly from Buffalo

Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations, which the Canadian Transportation Agency administers, apply to all flights to, from and within Canada. A flight from Pearson to Orlando is covered. A flight from Buffalo to Orlando is a US domestic flight, so it isn't. If it's cancelled, the airline's own policy and US rules apply, and the Canadian compensation amounts don't. Canooq's guide to flight delay compensation in Canada explains what you can claim on a covered flight.

On a covered flight, a long delay or cancellation can bring compensation. On a Buffalo to Florida flight, you rely on the airline's own policy instead. If a cruise or a tour departs the day you land, fly a day early.

Before you go

Whichever airport you pick, make sure everyone's passport is valid and your travel health insurance covers the US. Paying in US dollars with a card that charges no foreign transaction fee keeps the Buffalo saving intact.