A getaway to Niagara Falls can be as affordable as you make it. Here are three suggestions and price points to choose from:

BUDGET

Getting there

One-way sale rates to Buffalo, N.Y., with AirTran or Delta start at $99 midweek on trips finished by Nov. 12. Buy by Wednesday. Niagara Falls is just under 20 miles north of Buffalo.

The Seneca Niagara Casino Hotel and Spa often offers more affordable nightly rates than familiar budget chains. Double-room rates during September start at $125 and are $135 in mid- to late October. 310 Fourth St., Niagara Falls, N.Y. 1-877-873-6322, www.senecaniagaracasino.com.

Enjoy a picnic on the Dufferin Islands. Off Niagara Parkway, this nature preserve is just above the falls. Small bridges and footpaths connect the islands. Open daily year-round. Free admission, donations accepted. www.niagaraparks.com/nature/dufferin.php.

The Niagara Falls and Great Gorge Adventure Pass is $42.71 for ages 13 and older; $26.68 for ages 6-12. Admission includes Maid of the Mist, Journey Behind the Falls, White Water Walk, Butterfly Conservatory, People Mover Bus and the Falls Incline Railway. www.niagaraparks.com/nfgg/discountpass.php.

MODERATE

Getting there

One-way airfare rates to Buffalo start at $166 with 21-day advance purchase. The falls span the U.S.-Canadian border in upstate New York and the province of Ontario.

The Marriott Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel and Spa's two-night package, valid on stays through Oct. 31, includes deluxe accommodations in a falls-view room, buffet breakfast, a $75 dinner voucher for the Terrapin Grille Fallsview Restaurant, complimentary casino and attraction shuttle passes and admission for two to the Imax Theater and White Water Walk. Rates start at about $450. 6740 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls, Ontario. 1-888-501-8916, www.niagarafallsmarriott.com.

Inside Niagara Falls State Park is the Top of the Falls Restaurant, with outdoor dining decks on the edge of Horseshoe Falls. Or dine indoors and take in one of the world's most dramatic scenes through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Entrees average $20, with numerous lighter choices to $15; parking $8 per car. 716-278-0340, www.niagarafallsstatepark.com.

Niagara's newest attraction, Niagara's Fury, re-creates the catastrophic effects of the melting glaciers, blizzards and storms that formed the falls 10,000 years ago. Special effects of snow and rain, howling winds and thunderous 3-D sounds will have visitors holding onto handrails as the Earth shutters and the temperature drops to 35 degrees. Timed admission tickets are $15, adults; $9, children. www.niagarasfury.com.

SPLURGE

Getting there

Fly to Toronto from $310 each way on Air Canada or Delta. The falls are 75 miles south of Toronto. Niagara-on-the-Lake is a 90-minute drive from Toronto and 15 miles from the falls at the end of the Niagara River where it enters Lake Ontario.

In the heart of Ontario's wine region is the 19th-century village of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Through October, stay at the River Bend Inn for a night and enjoy accommodations in the restored Georgian mansion with full breakfast, a dinner for two, tickets to a Shaw Festival performance (www.shawfest.com) and a picnic lunch and tour of nearby Reif Vineyard (www.reifwinery.com). Per-person rates start at about $350. 16104 Niagara River Parkway, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. 1-888-955-5553, www.riverbendinn.ca.

The Prince of Wales Hotel's flagship restaurant, Escabèche, features seasonal menus inspired by traditional French and English dishes. Dinner entrees to $46; $18 for lunch. 6 Picton St. Niagara-on-the-Lake. 905-468-3246.

Take to the sky above the falls on a private helicopter tour for two with National Helicopters. A 25-minute heli-tour includes a loop over Niagara Falls, the surroundings and a trip over the vineyards of Niagara-on-the-Lake. A bottle of champagne is included in the $359 per-couple cost. 1-800-491-3117, www.skywayhelicopters.com.

Note: U.S. citizens do not need a passport to enter Canada. However, re-entry into the United States will require the presentation of a passport, passport card or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. Go to travel.state.gov.