TripHip - Travel Tips and Advice for Traveling on a Budget

For getting around the city, Ottawa has an excellent public bus system. Unlike many other major cities, there is no subway and the bus system more than makes up for it.

There is an entire network of roads through the city that are exclusive to buses, called the Transitway. By avoiding regular road traffic, buses on the Transitway are rarely late and take much less time to get to their destinations than traditional bus service.

Busy routes are usually serviced by large double extended buses, that can carry twice as many passengers to make sure everyone is accommodated.

Maps and schedules are posted at all stops for easy navigation. Various types of routes (rush hour, local, downtown) are colour-coded on the signs to help you know which route goes where. One fare gets you anywhere in the city, so there are no zones to worry about.