← TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon·2 nights

Prince Edward County: Harvest Season on the Peninsula

A flat rural peninsula of wineries, lakeshore dunes and small-town restaurants, best reached with a hire car and quiet once the harvest crowds thin.

Duration2 nights
TransitVIA Rail to Belleville (about 2 hours), then County Transit bus or hire car
DepartsToronto Union Station

After the Toronto Waterfront Marathon: Prince Edward County

The Route: Toronto Union Station → Belleville → Wellington / Bloomfield / Picton → Toronto Pearson Airport Logistics: VIA Rail to Belleville, then County Transit bus or a hire car. There is no direct train to the county. Marathon Month: October Duration: 2 nights

Toronto Union ──(about 2 hrs VIA Rail)──> Belleville ──(County Transit bus / hire car)──> Bloomfield / Wellington / Picton
                                                                                                    │
  Toronto Pearson (YYZ) ◄──(UP Express)── Toronto Union ◄──(VIA Rail from Belleville)────────────┘

The marathon finishes on a Sunday in mid-October, and Prince Edward County is the slowest of the post-race trips to reach. It is also the least urban: a peninsula in Lake Ontario with wineries, orchards, lakeshore beaches and small towns.

October in Prince Edward County: Harvest is the county's busiest season for food and wine, but the race weekend falls after Canadian Thanksgiving, when some seasonal operations wind down. Check that each winery or restaurant is open before travelling. Days are cool.

VIA Rail runs from Union Station to Belleville in about two hours. County Transit runs a weekday bus on a fixed route between Belleville, Bloomfield and Picton, with five departures between about 06:15 and 19:04. The Rides on Demand service costs a flat CA$5 per trip. Belleville Transit connects the bus terminal to the VIA station. A hire car from Toronto is the most flexible choice for winery visits and removes the connections, though it means a drive of a couple of hours after a hard race.

Nights One and Two: Wellington and Bloomfield

The county is flat and compact, and the roads are quiet. Sandbanks Provincial Park, near Wellington, has long sandy beaches and dunes on Lake Ontario. In October the beaches are empty and cool. The walking surface is soft sand, which is hard on tired legs, so keep to the paths.

The Drake Devonshire in Wellington is a waterfront hotel near Sandbanks Provincial Park. The Waring House inn on Sandy Hook Road is an established alternative with its own restaurants. Book early, since the number of rooms is small.

Flame + Smith at 106 Bloomfield Main Street and Stella's Eatery in Bloomfield are the usual restaurant choices in the village. The Waring House's restaurants offer a third. Check hours before travelling, because small-town kitchens close early after the summer season.

Getting to Toronto Pearson Airport

Return to Belleville and take VIA Rail to Union Station, then the UP Express to Toronto Pearson (YYZ), which takes about 25 minutes. With a hire car, allow for the drive and the rental return before the train.