Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Ottawa International Airport (tel. 613/248-2000; www.ottawa-airport.ca), with the great airport code YOW, is about 20 minutes south of the city. Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.com) and its commuter subsidiary Jazz are the main airlines serving Ottawa, flying direct from Boston, New York, London, and Las Vegas, among other cities. Other airlines with direct flights include US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usair.com) and Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com), which fly in from the Midwestern U.S., and Delta Connection (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), which flies to Atlanta and Cincinnati.

The Airporter shuttle bus (tel. 613/260-2359; www.yowshuttle.com) operates between the airport and several downtown hotels for C$14 (US$14/£7) for adults and C$8 (US$8/£4) for ages 8 to 14, one-way -- there are discounts for a second and third passenger in a group, and for round-trips. A taxi from the airport to the city costs about C$25 (US$25/£13). Public buses (known as OC Transpo bus; look for no. 97) to or from the airport cost C$3 (US$3/£1.50) one-way for adults, C$1.50 (US$1.50/75p) for ages 6 to 11; pick it up at post no. 14 outside the Level 1 Arrivals area.

By Train -- VIA Rail (tel. 888/842-7245; www.viarail.ca) trains arrive at the Ottawa Station at 200 Tremblay Rd. (at blvd. St-Laurent), in the southeastern quadrant of the city. From here, buses and taxis connect to downtown.

By Bus -- Buses arrive at the Ottawa Bus Terminal, 265 Catherine St., between Kent and Lyon. Greyhound Canada (tel. 800/661-8747 or 613/238-6668; www.greyhound.ca) provides service to Montréal, Toronto, and western Canada.

By Car -- Driving from New York, take Interstate 81 to Canada's Route 401 east, then continue to the new Route 416 north, which leads directly into the city. Coming from the west, come via Toronto on Route 401 east to Route 416 north. From Montréal, follow Route 17 west to Route 417.

Visitor Information

Tourist Offices -- The most convenient place to gather answers and pick up maps and brochures is the Capital Infocentre, 90 Wellington St., across from Parliament Hill (tel. 800/465-1867 or 613/239-5000; www.canadascapital.gc.ca); it's open weekdays 8:30am to 8pm, weekends 9am to 5pm in summer and to 5pm daily in winter. The Info-Tent on Parliament Hill lawn behind the West Block is where you book free tours of Parliament. Mid-May to about the third week in June, hours are daily 9am to 5pm; the rest of June to Labour Day, it's open Monday through Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 9am to 5pm.

For details about the city of Gatineau and the surrounding rural region, contact Outaouais Tourism, 103 Laurier St., Gatineau, PQ J8X 3V8 (tel. 800/265-7822 or 819/778-2222; www.outaouais-tourism.ca). Summer hours are Monday through Friday 8:30am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 6pm; winter hours are Monday through Friday 8:30am to 5pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 4pm.

Another very useful Internet site related to Ottawa, run by a private concern, is located at www.ottawakiosk.com.

City Layout

The Ottawa River -- Canada's second longest, at more than 1,125km (700 miles) in length -- curves around the northern edge of city. The compact downtown, where most of the major attractions are clustered, lies just south of the river.

The Rideau Canal sweeps past the National Arts Centre, cleaving downtown into two parts: Centretown and Lowertown. In Centretown are Parliament Hill, the Supreme Court, and the National Museum of Natural Sciences. In Lowertown, on the east side of the canal, are the National Gallery of Canada, ByWard Market, and (along Sussex Drive) the prime minister's residence, diplomats' row, and Rockcliffe Park. The area lying south of the Queensway, stretching west to Bronson and east to the canal, is known as the Glebe, and it harbors a number of popular restaurants and clubs, especially along Bank Street. North across the river, in the province of Québec, lies the city of Gatineau, the result of a recent merger that consolidated the city of Hull (where many national government offices are located) and four other suburban communities. It's reached via the Macdonald-Cartier and Alexandra bridges from the eastern end of town, or the Portage and Chaudière bridges from the western end of the city. At the end of the Alexandra Bridge stands the curvaceous Museum of Civilization, and nearby are some of the city's best French restaurants and liveliest nightlife action. North and east of Hull stretch the Gatineau Hills, with acres of parklands and ski country.

Getting Oriented -- The main streets running east-west through Ottawa's city center are Wellington, Laurier, and Somerset; the Rideau Canal separates east from west (and Centretown from Lowertown); the main north-south streets are Bronson, Bank, and Elgin.