BlaakLane.com provides chauffeur service in Buffalo for Buffalo Niagara International (BUF) airport transfers, downtown and Amherst business travel, Bills and Sabres game days, and cross-border trips to Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Toronto over the Peace Bridge or the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. The booking engine shows a fixed fare before you confirm. A vetted local affiliate drives, and the confirmation names the operator and chauffeur.
How to book a Buffalo chauffeur
Enter the flight number or address, the destination and the vehicle class at /book/ or in the engine on this page. The fare shown includes the chauffeur, fuel and included waiting; there is no meter and no surge on game days. The 24/7 dispatch desk in Toronto, less than two hours up the road, assigns a vetted Buffalo-area affiliate. Group moves, such as a hospitality tent at a Bills game or a corporate group crossing to Canada in several vehicles, are planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing.
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
BUF is in Cheektowaga, about 10 miles east of downtown. It has a single terminal with gates on one concourse and baggage claim on the ground floor. Pre-arranged limousines and car services load at the designated area just to the right of the arrivals exit, and that curbside spot is our standard pickup. The chauffeur texts the vehicle and plate once you land. If you would rather be met inside baggage claim with a name board, add meet and greet; add-ons are only available in selected locations. Flights are tracked; included waiting is 30 minutes after a domestic landing, 60 minutes after an international arrival and 15 minutes on other pickups, then 15-minute blocks. The drive downtown on the Kensington Expressway (Route 33) typically takes 15 to 20 minutes. Terminal information is on buffaloairport.com.
Many Ontario residents fly from BUF, so a large share of our Buffalo airport trips continue straight across the border. The airport transfers page explains how every airport run is handled.
Crossing the border to Niagara and Toronto
Four bridges link Western New York with Ontario:
- Peace Bridge, from the West Side of Buffalo to Fort Erie, the most direct route toward the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) and Toronto.
- Rainbow Bridge, from Niagara Falls, New York, straight into the Niagara Falls, Ontario, tourist district.
- Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, at the end of I-190, often the quickest for Niagara-on-the-Lake.
- Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, open only to NEXUS members.
Every passenger needs a valid passport, a NEXUS card or another document accepted under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, such as an enhanced driver's licence. Travellers who need a visa for Canada or the United States must hold it before the trip; Canada's eTA applies to air arrivals, not land crossings. Canadian and US border officers may ask each passenger questions, so everyone should be awake and ready at the booth. Wait times change hour to hour and are published by the bridge operators, including the Peace Bridge Authority and the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, and by US Customs and Border Protection. Cross-border trips are assigned to an affiliate permitted to carry passengers across the border, and the booking confirms this in writing.
Buffalo to Toronto: times and options
| Route | Distance | Typical time (excluding border wait) |
|---|---|---|
| BUF to Niagara Falls, New York | 22 miles | 25-35 min |
| BUF to Niagara Falls, Ontario (via Rainbow Bridge) | 25 miles | 35-45 min |
| Downtown Buffalo to Niagara-on-the-Lake | 30 miles | 40-50 min |
| Downtown Buffalo to downtown Toronto | 100 miles | 1 h 45 min-2 h 30 min |
| BUF to Toronto Pearson (YYZ) | 115 miles | 2 h-2 h 30 min |
| Downtown Buffalo to Rochester | 75 miles | 1 h 10 min-1 h 20 min |
| Downtown Buffalo to Cleveland | 190 miles | 3 h-3 h 30 min |
Border queues can add anything from a few minutes to more than an hour on holiday weekends; the fixed fare is not affected. Onward pages for Toronto, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Toronto Pearson describe the Canadian side, and Toronto rail passengers can be met at Union Station.
Bills game days at Highmark Stadium
The Buffalo Bills moved into the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park for the 2026 season, across the road from the old stadium, about 12 miles south-east of downtown. On a normal day the drive takes 20 to 30 minutes; on game day, traffic control around the stadium and tailgating crowds mean you should leave hours earlier and agree a drop and pickup point outside the closures. For suites and groups, a Sprinter or minicoach keeps everyone together, and a coordinator plans staging and timing in writing. Sabres games and concerts at KeyBank Center downtown, from October to April, are simpler: the chauffeur drops at the arena's front and waits nearby. See event transportation.
Downtown, the Elmwood Village and Amherst
Downtown Buffalo is known for its architecture: City Hall, the Guaranty Building and the grain elevators along the Buffalo River. Canalside and the HarborCenter complex sit by the waterfront, and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus rises on the north edge of downtown. North along Delaware Avenue come Allentown, the Elmwood Village and the Delaware District, with the Frank Lloyd Wright Darwin D. Martin House nearby. Suburban offices are concentrated in Amherst, near the University at Buffalo's North Campus, and in Williamsville. Hotels business visitors use include the Buffalo Marriott HarborCenter, the Hyatt Regency Buffalo, The Curtiss Hotel, the Richardson Hotel and the Mansion on Delaware Avenue. The Buffalo Niagara Convention Center is on Franklin Street downtown.
A year in Buffalo
- September to January: Bills home games in Orchard Park.
- October to April: Sabres hockey at KeyBank Center.
- June: the Allentown Art Festival, usually the second weekend of the month.
- July: the Taste of Buffalo food festival downtown.
- Late summer: the National Buffalo Wing Festival, usually over Labor Day weekend.
- Winter: ski trips to Ellicottville, about an hour south.
Visit Buffalo Niagara keeps the current calendar.
Driving in Western New York
Driving is on the right in both countries, but Ontario signs are in kilometres. The New York State Thruway (I-90) and the Grand Island bridges on I-190 are cashless toll roads. Lake-effect snow from Lake Erie can drop heavy bands of snow on the Southtowns, including Orchard Park, between November and February, so game-day and airport timings are set with weather in mind. Rush hour is short by big-city standards, heaviest on the Kensington and the I-190 toward downtown.
Rail at Exchange Street and Depew
Amtrak serves two Buffalo stations: Buffalo-Exchange Street downtown and Buffalo-Depew, near the airport. The Maple Leaf runs from New York City through Buffalo and across the border to Toronto; other Empire Service trains run to Albany and New York. For the state capital, see Albany.
Choosing the right vehicle
A Standard Sedan fits one or two travellers; an executive SUV is the sensible default from November to March and for cross-border trips with luggage. A Standard Black SUV or Sprinter Van moves a team to Toronto or a family to the Falls, and partner stretch limousines are popular for weddings and prom nights. See the fleet for every class and rates for what the fare includes. Child seats are free on request.
Cancellation
Free more than 72 hours before pickup. 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show.
