Ottawa Travel Forum

Hi all, we are a group of young students who are planning to make a trip to Ottawa. None of us have been there and we do not want to be stranded in the city. We do have an option of hiring some professional travel agent, but as for now, can you please make some recommendations on the best places to stay there.
Thanks in advance.

I am planning for the itinerary for my Ottawa trip in Sept. Does anyone know what is the opening hours of the market? Thanks.

I wish to take the inside the parliament Hill Guided Tour earliest time slot (9.00am). I understand that they only give out ticket on the same day too. Does anyone know about hoe early must I go to queue up for the ticket if I want the earliest time slot (9.00am timeslot). Thanks. :)

I willbe in Ottawa on 11 Sept. Will I still get a chance to see the changing of guards cermony?

Thanks

I am going to Ottawa in early Sept. I will be going with a 1 year old baby boy who can't walk yet. I am consider drive or taking the public bus? Am I able to get up and down the bus with ease with my baby in the stroller? Please advise. Thanks

Greetings,
Is there a Shuttle or transportation service between Ottawa and Toronto Pearson airport?

I have a family of 8 and looking for a reasonable cost.

I appreciate your feedback.

Regards,

Hi all Ottawanians,

I just got the news I have to do a rush job next week and I might have a spare evening on March 3 or March 4.
I already saw the Senator play a homegame on Tuesday (and the job is next door at Kanata).

My question is: are there some local VT-ers who fancy a quick VT-meeting dinner (or just a drink).

I don't know if I will be tight up with a business related event, but let's see if I can meet up with you for a chance (I have favoured meeting the Torontians in the past; it's your turn now).

I will be staying downtown; the Byward area is an obvious choice.

PJ

The Ottawa transit strike has now ended.
Basic services will resume February 9. It will take several weeks before normal service is resumed as busses are gradually returned to service after the 51 day strike.

For further information see: http://www.octranspo.com/Main_Menue_site.asp

Visitors should be aware that all public transit in Ottawa has been on strike since Dec 11 and, with both the city and transit workers refusing negotiations, there is speculation the strike could last into Christmas and beyond.

Visitors planning to drive in the city may discover parking lots full, traffic at a standstill in the centre of the city and on the major east-west expressway (the Queensway) during peak hours.

In particular, there is no public transport to Scotiabank Place (site of the Sens and upcoming Junior Hockey Championships). A 2 hour or more drive - normally 40 minutes or less - from downtown to get out there is not uncommon, especially if there is snow or other bad weather.

Hi Guys...our friends over at TravelPod are having a little get together to christen their new offices. If you happen to be passing through or if you live nearby, stop by and say hi to Luc (the founder and head honcho) and Louise who looks after their community and is a VT member (starlagurl).

Tell them Giampiero sent you.

http://meetings.virtualtourist.com/1/meeting-4645-1-0-2-North_America-1228434014653-1259970014653-meeting.html?wosid=HY8Z7DFmLZSIiukH1WxhiM

Have fun!


G

We are going to a concert at Scotia Bank Place tonight. Last time we got stuck in awful traffic trying to get out of their parking lot. Any tips on which lot is easiest to get out of? Or any area off site that we can park and walk in?

Thanks.

Hi

I was told that Ottawa has 8 winter months...what are the temperatures like in winter....i understand that the Rideau Canal is frozen during the winter months and it is an experience to skate on it. i would like to visit ottawa during winter...how is the transit during winter..is there a direct bus from the airport to downtown ottawa? thank you.

I got my passport stamped in when arriving to Ottawa but not stamped out. I checked in with Air Canada online and got my boarding passes on a machine, then ate and proceeded to the gate. On the security check nobody told me about it and I thought that passport control would be afterwards. Then I got distracted and realized I didn't have a stamp until I was boarded. In Europe they don't check that so I came home with no problem, BUT if I ever go to Canada again with the same passport, will the lack of an "out" stamp be a problem? Or if you can't tell for sure, can you tell me who to contact? I'm not planning on going back anytime soon but I have the boarding passes and my itinerary confirming that I got out of the country.

Hi

I just read an article saying that winter months can be as cold as -20 C ..how long is the winter..How do people keep warm in such cold temperature..I am just curious

Hi

I plan to visit Ottawa next spring for 6 months or so and intend to rent an apartment during my stay..Any suggestions as to which area of Ottawa is the best in terms of transportation. I don't drive and I will be dependent on the public transit. What is the average rent now in Ottawa for a one bedroom suite? thanks

We will be in Ottawa the first week in September for WARR (World Airline Road Race). The 5 and 10K courses run along the Rideau Canal on the Queen Elizabeth Parkway (?). Is this a relatively flat course?
Any help on that would be appreciated and also suggestions for places to eat near the host hotel, the Crowne Plaza. There will be several thousand airline people from all around the world in town from about the 3rd to the 7th. Watch out, they are real "party animals"!

Frank in overcast Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Hi,

Please can anyone recommend any great Vegetarian Restaurants in Downtown Ottawa. We have eaten at The Table on Wellington Street which is fab. We have heard good reviews on a place called Sacred Garden on Bank Street...Any ideas anyone?

Hi,

Can anyone out there recommend any great Lebanese Restaurants in Downtown Ottawa...Ideally ones that serve excellent Vegetarian Mezze....

Hi,
I've just returned from a week's holiday in Toronto which was superb.
I've now got the Canada bug so am looking to come to Ottawa for the week before christmas as have been told Canada in the winter is awesome.

My question is based on Ottawan's experiences, do you think it will be too snow bound to actually go and see anything? (I'm not a skiier unfortunately!)
I'm looking at visiting the Rideau Canal, Parliament Hill, doing a city tour by bus etc.

Any advice greatly appreciated.
Simon.

Hi
I'll be traveling to Ottawa at the end of this month on work, and staying for about 5 days. Coming from a tropical island in Asia, where the ave daily temperature is about 32 deg C, I'd like to know how cold it would probably be at this time. I'm not averse to cold weather, but I want to pack appropriately.
I'll be arriving at Ottawa airport from JFK on Sunday afternoon, so I have the rest of the day, and possibly part of Monday for sightseeing. After that I have to buckle down to work.
I'm departing on Fri via Chicago then LA & onwards, I've heard that flights to the US have to clear security and immigration on the Canada side?
Any tips appreciated. Thanks.

We would like to visit Ottawa on Valentine's Day weekend - 14-17th of February. Can you tell us whether or not we could expect to skate on the canal at the end of February.

Also, any recommendations on great hotels or B&B to appreciate the Ottawa culture.

Thanks and we look forward to coming.

My wife and I are going to be in Montreal in February. We would be able to come over to Ottawa for one day of Winterlude which just happens to be the last day (Sun. Feb. 17). Is everything pretty much shutting down by then and all the attendees already been there and done that or do people still come out? I don't really want to have the place to ourselves. I want it to be a little lively.

I have a job where I am trying to find a better map than what is on google, mapquest, rand&mcnally, or yahoo. The reason being is I have been hired by a company to get the most accurate where-a-bouts of all the up-to-date building developments in Manotick, which is not far from Ottawa. There are a lot of new building estates up there. I am having a hard time doing it by internet. There just are no maps on the market for reference, even the city of Ottawa will not come out with one before the fall. Does anybody from Ottawa have any suggestions
thank you lamapa516

We are going to Ottawa for the party that is Canada Day. We'll be arriving the night before which is a Saturday night. My wife and her best friend want to go to a dance club. We're thinking that a Saturday night is going to be pretty happening anyway and the Saturday night before Canada Day even more so. Does anyone have any suggestions on either a "top 40" type club or 80's music club in or near Byward Market (so they can walk from the Chateau Laurier where we are staying)? These are mid-30's white chicks with office jobs so the "alternative" or body-piercing crowd is not where they would fit in. Thanks for your help.

This link is of a mural that I saw that is supposed to be in Ottawa. VT doesn't support pics in the message body or I would post it instead of the link. Anyway, from the mark on the Google Earth map, it looks as if it is at the northern end of Byward Market near the corner of Rue Dalhousie and Rue Cathcart. I would be very appreciative if anyone can point out exactly where this and what it is as I would love to show it to my daughter while we are there. She's very into art. Besides that, even for those not so into art, it's just cool. Here's the link.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1305378

I'm going to Ottawa and my time is limited. I am traveling with wife and daughter and neither really likes museums. I have gotten them to concede to go to one and I chose Museum of Civilization. However, because of the other things we have planned and the way the times work out, I'll only have about an hour and a half (90 minutes). I'm not the type that wants to see every show or read every plaque. We are skipping the Postal museum portion and the IMAX and my daughter is a teenager and not interested in the kid stuff. Given this info, will I be able to see the highlights in 90 minutes?

I have just moved to Ottawa, Ontario. I was wondering if anyone knew any good teen clubs (age 13-18? Or any clubs that let in under the age of 18??) Could i have the name, and street address? thanks!

Has anyone applied an H1-b visa stamp (or any other US non immigrant visas)at the US Embassy in Ottawa? If so, how long did it take?

Hello! We will be in Ottawa on Christmas Day with our 2 kids. Can anyone recommend a nice restaurant for Dinner? We are looking for the traditional turkey etc.

Thanks!

Will be in Ottawa next June with a group of 25 16/17 year old students, how far out of the city is the white water rafting, and whats a rough price for a day's rafting p/p.
Cheers