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Ottawa Tourism - Travel to Ottawa

        

Ottawa is the capital of Canada. It is situated along the Ontario side of the Ottawa River which defines parts of Ontario's eastern border with Quebec. Montreal is approximately 200km to the east and Toronto 400km to the southwest.

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Understand Ottawa Tourism

Ottawa is a bilingual city where the majority of the population speaks English and a significant number also speak French, with French-speaking Quebec just across the river. The city is probably best known as the nation's capital but has become one of the fastest growing cities in Canada owing to the booming high-tech business sector.

Get into Ottawa

Travel to Ottawa By Plane

The newly renovated and expanded MacDonald-Cartier International is Ottawa's main airport with regular arrivals and departures from major Canadian and American cities. Many international flights originating from outside North America will arrive at larger airports like the Dorval and Mirabel Airports in Montreal or Pearson International in Toronto. The airport is easily reachable by public transit or taxi and most of the major car rental agencies have a presence at the airport terminal.

Travel to Ottawa By Bus

Voyageur has a terminal in Ottawa with regular service to Montreal and Toronto. The bus terminal is on Catherine Street between Bronson Avenue and Bank Street. Downtown might be considered within walking distance (approx. 20 minutes) but a short ride on the #4 bus is worth the fare if you're weighted down with luggage.

Travel to Ottawa By Train

Passenger trains are run by Via Rail in Canada and there is a train station in Ottawa, with a public bus link to downtown and easy access by car. There are several trains daily leaving for Montreal and Toronto.

Travel to Ottawa By car

By car, Ottawa is about a 4.5 hour trip from Toronto via the 401 and 416 highways. Montreal is 2 hours away via highway 417. The American border at Ogdensburg, NY is only 45 minutes away to the south.

Travel to Ottawa By Boat

The city is also accessible via the Rideau Canal which runs from the St. Lawrence River at Kingston to the Ottawa River at Ottawa. More information on the Rideau Canal is available if you follow the link.

Get around in Ottawa

The city's public transit is run by OC Transpo and includes buses as well as the O-Train light rail system. Standard bus fare is $CAD 2.60 cash or 2 tickets. Tickets cost $CAD 0.90 each and are available from local stores in sheets of 10. Children 6-11 require only one ticket. On boarding you will be given a transfer which allows you to ride any number of buses or trains until its expiry (in roughly 2 hours). A day pass can be purchased on any bus for $6 and is good for both buses and trains. On Sundays, two people can share a day pass.

Parking at most attractions is convenient, though on-street parking in downtown areas is sometimes at a premium. Most car rental companies have offices in Ottawa.

See Ottawa

There are many museums and galleries in Ottawa and neighboring Gatineau.

For the sports fan, Ottawa has professional hockey, football and lacrosse teams.

Do Ottawa

If you enjoy the outdoors, especially if you are a cyclist, you can visit Gatineau Park, which is just across the river from Ottawa. Bicycles can be rented during the summer months at the northeast corner of the Chateau Laurier. Ottawa and the surrounding area has over 170km of paved trails on which you can run, bike, walk or rollerblade. These trails extend to the Quebec side of the Ottawa River and lead all the way to Gatineau Park and beyond.

In winter, go skating on the longest outdoor rink, the Rideau canal. Skates can be rented from vendors right on the ice. This is also a great place to enjoy a beaver tail.

In early spring (march), when the daytime temperatures are above freezing and night temperatures are below freezing, consider visiting a sugarbush for fresh maple syrup. There are many to choose from in the region if you have a car to drive out of the city.

Ottawa is host to over 60 festivals and events per year, including:

Learn

The two universities in the city are Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. There is also Algonquin College.

Work

The Federal Government is the region's largest employer with the high-tech sector in second place.

Buy

The larger shopping malls are the Rideau Centre (downtown), St. Laurent Shopping Centre (East End) and the Bayshore Shopping Centre (West End). The Byward Market area of downtown Ottawa, located east of the Rideau Canal and the Chateau Laurier, is probably the area's best shopping district.

Eat - Travel to Ottawa

Ethnic foods from around the world are available at a wide variety of restaurants and street vendors throughout the city. The Byward Market area has a wide selection of different cuisines; the Chinatown area, with plenty of different Asian places, is along Somerset Ave. between Bronson Ave. and Preston St; Little Italy runs along the length of Preston Street, from Carling Avenue to Albert Street.

Also try our tasty beaver tail, a doughy pastry created in Ottawa and available in sweet and savory versions.

Budget

Ottawa probably has more shawarma restaurants than any other place on Earth and most of them will serve up a great shawarma for around $5. Their busy times are typically on weekends after the bars close. The Market and Elgin St. both have several restaurants to choose from. The usual range of diners, bagel shops and fast food restaurants can be found in shopping areas throughout the city.

Mid-range

Major restaurant areas can be found on Elgin Street, on Bank Street in Centretown, on Bank Street in the Glebe, in Westboro and in the Byward Market, with entrees ranging from $12-$25. Similar restaurants can be found in major suburban shopping areas too.

Splurge

Drink

The most popular bar areas are in the Byward Market, along Wellington Avenue in Westboro and along both Elgin Street and Bank Street between Somerset and Gladstone in the Centretown area. There are pubs and bars scattered throughout the city as well. In the last few years there has been an obvious increase in Irish-/British-style pubs in many areas. In the Byward Market on Clarence St. you will find Patty Boland's, the Black Thorn, and Ottawa's largest pub complex, the Irish Village. Along Elgin St. there's the Lieutenant's Pump and The Manx. If you are in little Italy (along Preston St) you can find Pub Italia, which has a large selection of beers from the world (especially Belgian).

The other local trend is with new clubs and lounges having numbers in their names. In the Market you have Suite 34 at 34 Clarence St. and E18hteen at 18 York St. On Elgin there's Club 292 at 292 Elgin and more.

You can also take a small trip over the Ottawa river to Hull. Bars on both sides of the river close at 2:00 am.

Sleep - Ottawa Tourism

Budget

The Ottawa Jail Hostel, a member of Hostelling International, is situated in the old Ottawa Jail at 75 Nicholas Street. It is across the street from the Rideau Centre and minutes away from the Byward Market and downtown Ottawa. The bedrooms are actually old jail cells. If you don't stay here, it is still possible to go for a tour.

Mid-range

Single rooms at the Best Western Victoria Park Suites start below $100 CAD and the hotel is located downtown at 377 O'Connor St. The bars and restaurants on Elgin St. are a short walk away, as is the Museum of Nature.

Splurge

If you're looking to spend in the high end, the Chateau Laurier is the city's most famous luxury hotel and one of the oldest. It is next to Parliament Hill right in the heart of the city.

Stay safe - Ottawa Tourism

Ottawa is not a dangerous place, so if you use common sense it is as safe as any other city. There are many tourists in the city, especially in summer months, and there are very few incidents of robbery or assault.

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