Jessica W.
Yelp
I crossed Rainbow Bridge on foot, from the U.S. to Canada and back, on a June Saturday. I haven't gone over the bridge by car, so I'm not sure how it compares, but I expect I'll walk over again soon.
If trekking into Canada on the weekend, I recommend going early. My husband and I walked over to Canada around 10:30 am, and the border check line was short, with only two small parties in front of us. When we walked back across the bridge to the U.S. in the early afternoon, the line to get into Canada was long. Only a few parties can fit indoors, and the line extended out onto the bridge, where there is no shade. Luckily for us, there was no line for the American border guards once we got to the New York end of the bridge.
Unsurprisingly, the Canadian agents are more polite and pleasant than their American counterparts. We didn't have any trouble getting back into the U.S. (we're both American citizens), but still preferred the first leg of our trip.
The views of the Falls from the bridge are great, so have your phone/camera ready. The plaque that denotes the International Boundary Line can be easily missed-if you want a photo of it, keep your eye on the outer railing. If you see other people crouching for a photo opp, that's your giveaway.
The toll is currently $0.50 per person, and is only paid when you leave Canada for the U.S.
There's a decent amount of things that you can see on both the American and Canadian sides that are within walking distance of the bridge. On the American side, you can walk to Goat Island or the downtown area, and on the Canadian side, there's Victoria Park, lots of viewing points for the Falls, and Clifton Hill, the super touristy street.