Ask ten couples why they chose a small inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake and most will say the same thing: they wanted to walk everywhere. From the Oban Inn on Front Street or 124 on Queen Hotel & Spa in the middle of Old Town, the theatres, the bakeries and the waterfront are all a few minutes away. The wineries are a different story. The best-known Niagara-on-the-Lake estates are a short drive out of town, and the escarpment wineries of the Beamsville Bench and Twenty Valley are 40 minutes west. NiagaraFallsLimo.net drives guests of both inns on exactly those days, and on the airport legs either side of them.
How do Oban Inn and 124 on Queen guests get to the wineries?
The Oban Inn at 160 Front Street and 124 on Queen at 124 Queen Street are about 400 m apart in Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake. Local wineries are 3–7 km away and the Beamsville Bench about 40 km, roughly 45 minutes. NiagaraFallsLimo.net books a private driver by the hour online, with the fixed fare shown before payment.
From Toronto Pearson, both inns are about 120 km (75 mi), usually 1 h 35 – 1 h 55 off-peak.
Two small inns, two different stays
The Oban Inn. The Oban Inn describes itself as an intimate boutique hotel of 28 guest rooms in seven room types, overlooking Lake Ontario and the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Course. It has English gardens, an outdoor pool, a black stone hot tub in summer and the OSpa. Queen Street is a short walk; the Shaw Festival's theatres are a few minutes on foot.
124 on Queen Hotel & Spa. 124 on Queen lists 76 rooms directly on Queen Street, the 12,000-square-foot Spa at Q with a hydrotherapy circuit and a halotherapy salt lounge, and a 20,000-square-foot outdoor zen garden. Its site names Treadwell Cuisine and NOTL Bar & Restaurant among its dining options, and describes its underground garage as the only underground parking in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The two are about 400 m apart, a five-minute walk along the lakeside end of Old Town. Friends travelling together sometimes split between them: one couple wants the lake view, the other the spa. For transport that is no complication: one vehicle collects from both doors in a couple of minutes, and the booker takes multi-stop pickups, so a shared SUV can start at the Oban and finish loading on Queen Street.
For arrivals, both are easy. At the Oban, the chauffeur stops at the Front Street entrance. At 124 on Queen, Queen Street can be busy in high season, so we confirm the meeting point by message and keep the stop brief. Our Niagara-on-the-Lake inns page has notes for other small hotels nearby.
Why small-inn guests book a driver
It is not for Queen Street. From either inn you walk to dinner, to the theatre and to the waterfront. The driver is for four things:
- The airport legs, with luggage, flight tracking and no QEW driving after a long flight.
- Wine days, where several stops and purchases make one-ride-at-a-time awkward and nobody should drive after tasting.
- Dinners out of town, at a winery restaurant or above the Falls.
- Spa-plus-wine combinations, where the treatment time is fixed and the wine day has to fit around it.
For the wine days, "By the hour" keeps the car with you; the hourly chauffeur page sets out how those bookings work.
Book a driver for your wine day
Close to home: the Niagara-on-the-Lake estates
From Front Street or Queen Street, Trius on Niagara Stone Road is about 3 km, Peller Estates on John Street East a similar distance, and Inniskillin, at Line 3 and the Niagara Parkway, about 6 km. A morning here is relaxed: three tastings, back for lunch on Queen Street, the afternoon at the spa. Our wine tour limo page shows how such a day is built.
West to the Bench: a full day from Old Town
The Bench is where small-inn guests on a second or third visit tend to go. The wineries sit on the slopes of the Niagara Escarpment between St. Catharines and Beamsville, and VQA Ontario recognises Beamsville Bench and Twenty Mile Bench among the Niagara Peninsula's ten sub-appellations.
From 124 on Queen, Tawse in Vineland is about 37 km, roughly 42 minutes, and Hidden Bench in Beamsville about 41.5 km, roughly 44 minutes. A typical day, west to east so the drive home is short:
- 10:00 Pickup at the inn; QEW west past St. Catharines.
- 10:45 First tasting in Beamsville, at Hidden Bench, Kew or Malivoire on King Street.
- 12:00 Second stop in Vineland, at Tawse, Megalomaniac or Vineland Estates.
- 13:15 Lunch in Jordan, near Cave Spring's Main Street cellars.
- 15:00 A final tasting on the way back, at Henry of Pelham or 13th Street in St. Catharines.
- 16:30 Back in Old Town, with time to rest before dinner.
That is a long day of driving for one of you if you do it yourselves, and an easy one if neither of you has to. Our Twenty Valley and Beamsville Bench page maps the area, and the journal posts on the Twenty Mile Bench and Jordan and the Beamsville Bench as a quieter day add winery-by-winery detail.
The rules on board
Tastings stay at the tasting bar. The regional licensing rules for vehicles for hire do not allow passengers to drink on board, and provincial law wants any bottle in the car unopened. So purchases go in the back, still sealed, and your driver stays strictly sober all day.
A spa-and-wine weekend, sketched
- Friday. Arrive from Pearson in the afternoon. Dinner in Old Town on foot.
- Saturday. The Bench day above, back by late afternoon. Evening walk to the waterfront.
- Sunday. A morning at the OSpa or Spa at Q, lunch on Queen Street, an early-afternoon departure.
Three rides in total. The rest is walking, which is exactly why people choose these inns. For more spa ideas across the region, see our post on hotel spas and wine-country retreats.
An evening at the Falls from Old Town
Small-inn guests often save the Falls for one evening rather than a whole day. From 124 on Queen, Table Rock Centre is about 25.5 km, roughly 34 minutes by the river road, with the gorge beside you most of the way south. Leave around dusk, have dinner at a table overlooking the Horseshoe Falls, stay while the coloured lights come up on the water, and be back on Queen Street before eleven. "By the hour" covers the whole evening, and the chauffeur waits nearby while you eat.
How the seasons change the plan
Harvest, September and October. The busiest months in wine country. Book tastings ahead, start early, and expect slower traffic on Niagara Stone Road on weekends.
November. The Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake run Taste the Season, a self-guided programme that suits a driver well because the participating wineries are spread across town. The Shaw Festival's holiday shows begin the same month.
January. The Niagara Icewine Festival's Icewine Village sets up on Queen Street over two weekends, with fire pits and ice carving; the organisers have not yet published 2027 dates. From either inn, the village is on your doorstep, and the icewine producers outside town are a short, warm ride away.
Spring. Quieter roads and tasting rooms; a good time for the Bench.
Chauffeur vs rideshare vs taxi for this trip
| Trip from Old Town | Chauffeur | Rideshare | Taxi | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local NOTL wineries | Car waits, fixed fare via booker | One ride at a time, limited cars nearby | Metered, one ride at a time | Bicycle rental, shared wine shuttles |
| Beamsville Bench day | "By the hour", about 40–45 min each way | Hard to find a return ride out there | Long metered trips | Shared tours on set routes |
| Pearson arrival | Door to door, roughly 1 h 35 – 1 h 55 | Book on landing, price varies | Rank at the terminal | Rail to Niagara Falls, then a 20 km transfer |
| Dinner in Old Town | Not needed | Not needed | Not needed | Walk |
Our verdict: around Old Town, you do not need anyone, and on a fine day a bicycle to the nearest wineries is a lovely way to spend a morning. A taxi to one winery lunch is fine. A rideshare out to the Bench is the risky one, because finding a car for the return among the vineyards can be slow. That full day west, plus the airport legs, is where a pre-booked driver makes the most sense. Our chauffeur vs taxi vs rideshare guide goes into more cases.
Booking it with NiagaraFallsLimo.net in 3 steps
- Enter your rides. In the booker, add the airport arrival to "Oban Inn, 160 Front Street" or "124 on Queen", then your wine day as "By the hour" from the inn, and the departure.
- Choose a vehicle. One luxury sedan suits a couple; two couples split across both inns fit easily in a Standard SUV. Each shows its fixed fare.
- Add the details. Winery reservations and lunch times in the notes, any spa appointment to work around. Pay securely; confirmation comes by email.
Who this suits
Couples are the natural guests of both inns, and a sedan for the wine day is all most need. Groups of friends split across the Oban and 124 on Queen often share an SUV or Sprinter for the Bench. Individuals travelling alone for a spa break book the airport legs and walk the rest. Families are less common at these inns, but when they come for a celebration we add child seats to the SUV. Our Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake route page and the guide to B&B stays in NOTL without a car cover neighbouring options.
Frequently asked questions
How far apart are the Oban Inn and 124 on Queen?
About 400 m by road, a five-minute walk. The Oban Inn is on Front Street overlooking the golf course and Lake Ontario, and 124 on Queen is on Queen Street in the centre of Old Town. Friends staying at both can walk between them easily.
Is the Oban Inn close to the Shaw Festival?
Yes. The Oban Inn describes the Shaw Festival's theatres as within a few minutes' walk, and Queen Street's shops are a short walk too. Most guests need no transport at all for theatre evenings.
Does 124 on Queen have parking?
Yes. 124 on Queen describes its underground garage as the only underground parking in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Many guests still prefer a transfer from the airport and a driver for the wine day, so the car never leaves the garage.
How long does it take to get from Old Town NOTL to the Beamsville Bench wineries?
About 40 km, usually 40 to 45 minutes by the QEW. From 124 on Queen, Tawse in Vineland is about 37 km and Hidden Bench in Beamsville about 41.5 km. Start in the west and work back east so the final drive home is short.
Can we combine Niagara-on-the-Lake and Bench wineries in one day?
Yes, though it makes a long day. Start on the Bench in the morning, lunch in Jordan or Vineland, then return to Niagara-on-the-Lake for one or two afternoon tastings. Book "By the hour" so the car stays with you throughout.
Can we reach Old Town by train from Toronto?
Not directly: the railway stops at Niagara Falls, roughly 20 km short of Queen Street. Take the train that far and have a car waiting at the station for the last half hour, or skip the train and ride straight from Pearson or a downtown hotel. Once in Old Town, you can walk.
What is the best season for a Bench wine day from Old Town?
Late spring and early summer are quieter, with easy roads and unhurried tasting rooms. September and October bring harvest atmosphere but also the heaviest weekend traffic, so reserve tastings and start early. In winter the vines are dormant and icewine takes centre stage in many tasting rooms, which suits a shorter, slower day.
