Ottawa travel guide
Ottawa Tourism | Ottawa Guide
You're Going to Love Ottawa
With a population of 812,129, Ottawa is a must-see destination in Ontario, Canada. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Ottawa has to offer.
Where to Eat in Ottawa
Centretown is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Ottawa. These include popular favourites such as Fauna (425 Bank St.), Thali by Coconut Lagoon Restaurant (136 R. O'Connor St) and Aroma Meze - Nepean (239 Nepean St). If you’re looking for affordable options, Bâton Rouge Grillhouse & Bar – Ottawa (360 Albert St) and Bâton Rouge Grillhouse & Bar (790 Kanata Ave) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Vivaan (225 Preston St Unit 3) and Bar Lupulus (1242 Wellington St W) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Ottawa.
When to visit Ottawa
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Ottawa in July, when the average temperature is 21 °C, and the highest can go up to 27 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as -14 °C, with an average temperature of -10 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in June, when precipitation is around 93 mm. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Ottawa, with an average rainfall of 50 mm.
How to Get to Ottawa
Plane
When flying to Ottawa, you’ll arrive at Ottawa Airport (YOW), which is located 7 miles from the city centre. The shortest flight to Ottawa from Ireland departs from Dublin and takes around 11h 23m.
Train
VIA Rail Canada is the most popular train carrier serving Ottawa, followed by AccesRail. Located 2 miles from the city centre, Ottawa is the busiest station in Ottawa. Another popular train station is Ottawa Fallowfield, located 8 miles from the centre.
Car
Another option to get to Ottawa is to pick up a car hire from Montreal, which is about 103 miles from Ottawa. You’ll find branches of Avis and Thrifty, among others, in Montreal.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Ottawa, including Bus, OurBus and Rider Express. From Montreal, the bus ride to Ottawa takes 120 miles and will cost you around €47. From Toronto, the ticket costs about €22 for a journey of 245 miles. The most popular bus station is Ottawa Terry Fox, located 13 miles from the city centre of Ottawa. Ottawa Laurier E / Cumberland is also a commonly used station, and is 0.8 miles from the city centre.
Airlines serving Ottawa
Where to stay in Ottawa
Average rates range from around €126 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €247 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Ottawa Airport and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ottawa East - Orleans. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Ottawa, with prices from €22 to €1,829 per night. Centretown is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Ottawa are about 24% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Centretown - In Ottawa’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Soho Residences Lisgar, Alt Hotel Ottawa and Ottawa Marriott Hotel.
Byward Market - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Andaz Ottawa Byward Market-a concept by Hyatt, Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa Downtown and ByWard Blue Inn. The average nightly price for a double room in Byward Market is €96.
Lower Town - Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Econo Lodge Downtown Ottawa and Days Inn by Wyndham Ottawa have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Lower Town will cost you about €106 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Ottawa
Most booked hotels in Ottawa
Hiring a car in Ottawa
Hiring a car in Ottawa costs €53 per day, on average, or €160 if you want to hire it for 3 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Ottawa is the Routes Car & Truck Rentals branch at 2644 Leitrim Road,, ON, which is 8 miles from the city centre.
Expect to pay €1.23 per litre in Ottawa (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between €14.68 and €19.57. The most frequently booked car type in Ottawa is Intermediate (Ford Escape or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Chevrolet Spark or similar) is, on average, 46% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.