← TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon·1 night

Niagara-on-the-Lake: Old Town and Wine Country

A flat heritage town of brick-fronted streets and wineries, reached by GO Train and a seasonal shuttle that is close to the end of its run in mid-October.

Duration1 night
TransitGO Train to Niagara Falls GO, then the seasonal WEGO shuttle to Niagara-on-the-Lake
DepartsToronto Union Station

After the Toronto Waterfront Marathon: Niagara-on-the-Lake

The Route: Toronto Union Station → Niagara Falls GO → Niagara-on-the-Lake → Niagara Falls GO → Toronto → Toronto Pearson Airport Logistics: GO Train to Niagara Falls, then the WEGO shuttle to the town. Allow most of a day for the journey in each direction. Marathon Month: October Duration: 1 night

Toronto Union ──(about 2 to 2.5 hrs GO Train)──> Niagara Falls GO ──(WEGO shuttle, Green 603 + Orange 604)──> Niagara-on-the-Lake
                                                                                                                       │
Toronto Pearson (YYZ) ◄──(UP Express, about 25 min)── Toronto Union ◄──(GO Train)── Niagara Falls GO ◄──(WEGO)────────┘

The marathon finishes on a Sunday in mid-October, which puts Niagara-on-the-Lake at the end of its main season. The town is a former colonial capital with a grid of low brick streets, a main street of shops, nearly 40 wineries within a short drive and a theatre company that plays into the autumn.

October in Niagara-on-the-Lake: This is harvest season. Daytime highs average around 16°C, mornings are near 9°C, and the crowds and room rates of summer have eased. The Shaw Festival season runs through October. Canadian Thanksgiving falls the weekend before the race and marks the close of the busiest part of the year. The seasonal WEGO shuttle runs from April to October, so confirm the last operating date at wegoniagara.com before relying on it. The fallback is a taxi from Niagara Falls GO.

GO Transit runs weekday trains from Union Station to Niagara Falls GO in roughly two to two and a half hours. The GO+WEGO Combo Ticket, from approximately CA$22 for a round trip, includes the shuttle. From the station, the Green Line 603 runs to the Floral Clock, where passengers change to the Orange Line 604 to Fort George, a walk of about seven minutes from Queen Street. The shuttle runs hourly and the last return is at 19:00. Check the current timetable before booking a hotel.

Night One: Old Town

Queen Street is the town's main street, flat and lined with shops and restaurants, and the whole Old Town can be walked in an afternoon. Wine touring is the other draw. Many tasting rooms lie several kilometres from the town, so book a taxi or a tour.

The Prince of Wales hotel stands at the corner of King and Picton streets in the Old Town heritage district. A Victorian building dating from 1864, it is a short walk from the shops and the theatres. Pillar and Post Inn is a former cannery converted to a hotel on John Street, a few minutes from Queen Street. Book either well ahead, since the number of rooms in the Old Town is limited.

For dinner, The Epicurean at 84 Queen Street is an established choice on the main street. Check the evening hours and book a table.

Getting to Toronto Pearson Airport

Retrace the route to Niagara Falls GO and take the GO Train to Union Station, then the UP Express to Toronto Pearson (YYZ). The UP Express takes about 25 minutes. Allow at least four hours from Niagara-on-the-Lake to the airport, and more if the shuttle has stopped for the season.