Getting Around Ottawa
Ottawa's working week turns around Parliament Hill and the federal offices near it. Centre Block, the main parliament building, is closed for rehabilitation: the Auditor General expects the construction to finish in 2030–2031 and the building to reopen about a year later. Beside the Rideau Canal, the convention centre once called the Shaw Centre has been Rogers Centre Ottawa since October 2024. It has 192,000 sq ft of usable space, and its main hall seats 4,600 for a banquet or 6,260 in theatre style.
For a day that moves from federal offices downtown to a meeting across the river in Gatineau and on to a reception at Rogers Centre Ottawa, hourly chauffeur service is the simpler option: one chauffeur and one vehicle stay with you for the time you reserve.
VIA Rail's Ottawa station lies outside downtown, at 200 Tremblay Road, about 4 km east of the centre, and some trains also call at Fallowfield in Barrhaven, in the west end. Add the train and its arrival time to the booking, and the car is scheduled for that arrival. For an office or hotel close to Parliament Hill, send the full address with the booking and we will tell you how close the car can go.
Airport Transfers in Ottawa
Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) is 14 km from downtown, usually 20–25 minutes by car. It has one terminal, with arrivals on Level 1 and departures on Level 3. With US preclearance, you clear US customs before boarding a flight to the US. Book with your flight number. For an arrival, your chauffeur checks the flight status and times the pickup to when you actually land, and your booking confirmation shows where to meet the chauffeur.
Since January 2025, O-Train Line 4 has linked the airport with South Keys on Line 2, from 6 am to midnight, and the 105 bus runs around the clock; to reach downtown by rail you change trains twice. Montréal–Trudeau is the other large airport within reach, 184 km away, 1 hour 55 minutes to 2 hours 35 minutes on Highways 417 and 40. The right one depends on your airline and route.
For a departure from Ottawa, what counts is the length of the drive, not the time on the clock: plan on 20–25 minutes to YOW from the core, longer on a weekday morning or in heavy snow. Journey times vary with traffic and weather. You set the pickup time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.
Long-Distance & Multi-City Travel from Ottawa
Montreal is 199 km east, 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes. VIA Corridor trains run to Montréal and Québec City as well; a car is the better fit when the address at the far end is a long way from the station, or when a team travels with cases and display material.
Mont-Tremblant is 164 km to the north-east, 2 hours to 2 hours 40 minutes through the Outaouais on Route 50 and Route 323, so a ski weekend does not have to go through Montreal. Kingston, on Lake Ontario, is 196 km south-west, 2 hours to 2 hours 40 minutes via Highways 416 and 401. Trois-Rivières is 317 km, 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 45 minutes, and Muskoka (Gravenhurst) 373 km, 4 hours 50 minutes to 6 hours 30 minutes.
Gatineau sits just across the Ottawa River, 3 km and 10–15 minutes away. The Macdonald-Cartier, Portage, Chaudière, Alexandra and Champlain crossings connect the two cities, and lane closures on one of them change the best route from week to week.
Groups & Congress Travel in Ottawa
The capital's busy dates are spread over the year. The Canadian Tulip Festival fills the parks in May, and 2027 brings its 75th edition. On 1 July, Canada Day has its main stage at LeBreton Flats Park while Centre Block is closed. Ottawa Tourism lists Winterlude for 29 January to 15 February 2027. On Canada Day no vehicles may use the Portage Bridge, the Chaudière Crossing or the Alexandra Bridge, and downtown streets admit only pass holders, residents and hotel guests with proof of their reservation, so plan pickups outside that area.
When you book for other people, all their transfers can be kept in one account, each with its own booking and confirmation. If a delegation flies in on several flights, every arrival gets a transfer of its own. For a group travelling together, a Sprinter van carries up to 12 people with their bags, and bigger groups go by coach, with up to 56 seats; the vehicle is matched to the load, from a ministry delegation to a congress team at Rogers Centre Ottawa.
For Winterlude weekends and the week of Canada Day, book well ahead: local vehicles and drivers are booked up early for those dates. If your plans go beyond a standard booking, write to support with the dates, addresses, number of passengers, flights and luggage, and the team will arrange it.
