How to Find Cheap Hotels in Ottawa, Canada

Ottawa is the fourth-largest city in the country and is located in the province of Ontario. Canada's capital is filled with historic buildings and ample attractions, yet it retains a small-town feel.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Valid passport

Select Your Accommodations in Ottawa

1. To reserve rooms, call the Ottawa Tourism office at [phone] or visit their Web site (see the Resources section below).

2. Book a room in the neighborhood around Parliament, where you'll find spacious accommodations with full amenities. Ottawa generally is inexpensive, and many establishments offer reasonable rates.

3. Savor some history during your stay. Book into a renovated historic home that serves as an inn. Located throughout the city, Ottawa inns are typically tastefully decorated and extremely comfortable.

4. Keep your money in your pocket by staying in one of Ottawa's hostels. These are often very nice, more like motels than the usual hitchhiker variety of hostel. For cheap accommodations, there is no better deal, and you'll still be in the heart of the city. Hostels cost only about $25 to $35 a night.

Determine Your Transportation

5. Fly directly into Ottawa International Airport. More than 125 flights come in and out of this hub from Canada, the United States and England.

6. Arrive by boat into Ottawa, Canada. Connecting waterways and canals make it easily accessible from other Canadian destinations. Along the way, beautiful lakes and rivers unfold before your eyes. Traveling by boat can be relatively cheap transport, too.

7. Ride OC Transpo, the local public bus and rail system of Ottawa. You can buy tickets at more than 400 places, and the system serves the majority of the city.

Know Your Destination

8. Step outside the city of Ottawa and into Canada at large in the Ottawa Valley. Pristine settings make this an outdoor lover's dream. Hike, fish, cycle and canoe during the summer, and ski to your heart's content all winter long.

9. Experience the Rideau Canal that links Lake Ontario at Kingston with the Ottawa River. Today it is used by boaters in summer and skaters in winter, often looking like the world's longest skateway.

10. Dine out at the ByWard Market. Some of world's hottest chefs have set up eateries here to keep even the most demanding foodies satisfied. Elgin Street is home to a great selection of pubs and bars, too.

Tips & Warnings

• Plan on making day trips through Ottawa province during your stay. The smaller communities are picturesque and serene.