Ottawa, Ontario — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Flights to Ottawa are offered by a number of different airlines, including American Airlines, Air Canada, United Airlines and US Airways. If you're looking for cheap flights to Ottawa, travel in the winter, spring or autumn when the weather is unpredictable and temperatures fall. Ottawa flights are always busier during the peak summer months.
Ottawa International Airport (YOW)
Tel: (613) 248 2000.
Website: www.ottawa-airport.ca
Located 10km (6 miles) south of Ottawa city center, the airport is an international gateway.
Airport facilities
The state-of-the-art terminal includes bureau de change, ATMs on every level, luggage storage facilities, duty-free shops, bookshops, cafés, bars, and Wi-Fi access.
Transport to the city
Taxis and public transit buses provide service to the city. Alternatively, choose the YOW Airporter shuttle (tel: (613) 260 2359) or Allante Limousine Service (tel: (613) 724 9553). Most car hire agencies have stations at the airport.
Approximate flight times to Ottawa
From London - 7 hours.
Getting There By Road
Emergency breakdown services
CAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357/CAA HELP).
Routes to the city
Excellent highways link Ottawa with major Canadian cities and the United States. Toronto can be reached in a little over four hours on Highways 401 and 416. Montreal is two hours to the northeast on Highway 417. The border to America's New York state is less than a two-hours drive south.
Coach services
Greyhound Bus Line provides services throughout North America. It is found at Ottawa Bus Terminal, 265 Catherine Street (tel: 1 800 661 8747; www.greyhound.ca).
Getting There By Rail
Rail Services
The Ottawa train station is at 200, Tremblay Road, which is just a 20-minute drive from downtown. It offers rail service throughout the region. It also connects with rail and bus travel into the United States. The station offers Wi-Fi access, a waiting room, baggage storage, a snack bar and a shop.
Rail Operators
Trains are run by VIA Rail Canada (tel: 1 888 842 7245; www.viarail.ca), part of the Canadian National Railway system.
Connections
From Montreal - 2 hours; Toronto - 4 hours 30 minutes.
Getting Around in Ottawa, Ontario
Public Transport
OC Transpo (tel: (613) 741 4390; www.octranspo.com) provides public transit services 22 hours a day in Ottawa in modern single and articulated buses, including a rapid transit system that uses Transitway dedicated bus lanes and roadways for fast service around town. In rush hour, frequent services run every one-two minutes, and the network covers 246 different bus routes. Transfer tickets can be used to travel on both the light rail O-Train (operated by OC Transpo) and buses. Numerous passes are available for discount travel. Many buses are accessible for the mobility impaired.
OC Transpo is integrated with Gatineau's public transit system across the river in Québec, allowing for efficient transportation in the whole Ottawa-Gatineau region. The intercity bus service offers hourly departures to Montreal, and several daily commutes to Toronto.
Taxis
Numerous taxi companies serve the Ottawa area, including Blue Line Taxis (tel: (613) 746 8740), the largest in the city, Capitol Taxi (tel: (613) 744 3333) and DJ's Taxi (tel: (613) 829 9900). They are easy to hail downtown.
Car Hire
Hiring a car can be done easily from the airport or any hotel. The main car hire companies include Avis (tel: (613) 739 3334; www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (613) 521 4844; www.budget.com), National Alamo (tel: (613) 737 7023; www.alamo.com) and Thrifty (tel: (613) 228 1607; www.thrifty.com). Drivers must be over 21 years of age and carry a valid driver's license from any country.
Bicycle Hire
Ottawa is a cyclist's dream city, with several hundred kilometers of cycle paths up and down challenging hills and past scenic bluffs, river views and gardens. Pick up a map of bike paths at any of the numerous shops hiring or selling bicycles. Many OC Transpo buses have bicycle racks on the front and only charge a cyclist the regular passenger fare. Vélocation RentABike, East Arch, Plaza Bridge 2, Rideau Street at Rideau Canal (tel: (613) 241 4140; www.rentabike.ca) also hires out tandem bikes.
