Ottawa Hotels - Best prices, best places

The capital of the second biggest country on the planet, OTTAWA struggles with its reputation as a bureaucratic labyrinth of little charm and character. The problem is that many Canadians who aren't federal employees - and even some who are - blame the city for all the country's woes. All too aware of this, the Canadian government have spent lashings of dollars to turn Ottawa into "a city of urban grace in which all Canadians can take pride" - so goes the promotional literature, but predictably this very investment is often resented. Furthermore, the hostility is deeply rooted, dating back as far as 1857 when Queen Victoria, inspired by some genteel watercolours, declared Ottawa the capital, leaving Montréal and Toronto smarting at their rebuff.

In truth, Ottawa is neither grandiose nor tedious, but a lively cosmopolitan city of 330,000 with a clutch of outstanding national museums , a pleasant riverside setting and superb cultural facilities like the National Arts Centre, plus acres of parks and gardens and miles of bicycle and jogging paths. It also possesses lots of good hotels and B&Bs and a busy café-bar and restaurant scene - enough to keep the most diligent sightseer going for a day or three, maybe more. Here too, for once in English-speaking Ontario, Canada's bilingual laws make sense: Québec's Hull is just across the river and on the streets of Ottawa you'll hear as much French as English.

Ottawa's major sights are clustered on the steep, south banks of the Ottawa River to either side of the Rideau Canal. It's here you'll find the monumental Victorian architecture of Parliament Hill , the outstanding art collection of the National Gallery , the military memorabilia of the Canadian War Museum , the imposing Notre Dame Basilica and Byward Market , the hub of the restaurant and bar scene. Many visitors stop there, but there are a clutch of other, lesser attractions too, beginning with the Laurier House , packed with the possessions of the former prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and located 1km or so east of the centre. Northeast of the centre, on the far side of the Rideau River, is the ritzy suburb of Rockcliffe , home to both the governor-general's mansion, Rideau Hall , and the National Aviation Museum .

Ottawa's Macdonald-Cartier International Airport is located about 15km south of the city. From the airport, a Hotel Shuttle bus runs to various downtown hotels; it leaves every half-hour at a cost of $9 one-way, $14 return. A taxi from the airport to downtown will set you back about $20. Ottawa's train station is on the southeastern outskirts at 200 Tremblay Rd, about 5km from the centre. There are direct VIA Rail trains to and from Brockville, Kingston, Montréal and Toronto. Local bus #95 goes downtown from the train station; the same journey by taxi will rush you approximately $15. Long-distance buses arrive at and depart from the bus station at 265 Catherine St on the corner of Kent just off the Queensway. Take local bus #4 to get further downtown.

The Capital Infocentre , 90 Wellington St (daily: mid-May to Aug 8.30am-9pm; Sept to mid-May 9am-5pm; tel 613/239-5000, www.capcan.ca ), is handily located right opposite the Parliament Buildings. It's a busy place, but the staff will help you find accommodation and hand you masses of free literature, including city maps, transport maps, a Where listings magazine and a useful Visitor Guide .

Most of Ottawa's important attractions as well as many of its better restaurants, bars and hotels are clustered in the downtown area within comfortable walking distance of Confederation Square. If you're venturing further afield, however, you may need to use a bus . OC Transpo (tel 741-4390) provides a comprehensive network of bus services across Ottawa and its suburbs, while STO buses (tel 770-3242) cover Hull and the north side of the river. The hub of the OC Transpo system is the Central Transitway , which runs from the Mackenzie King Bridge along Albert Street (one-way west) and Slater Street (one-way east). STO buses leave for Hull from outside the Rideau Centre at the west end of Rideau Street, between Nicolas and Sussex. Key buses operate from 5am or 6am to around midnight daily. Ticket prices are very reasonable and start at just 80¢, but for many visitors the best deal is a DayPass ($5), which allows unlimited travel on the OC Transpo system for one day. Tickets can be bought at corner stores, the tourist office and many hotels, or paid for on the bus itself - exact fare only. The same applies to the DayPass, except you pay a $1 surcharge for buying it on the bus. If you're travelling on an ordinary ticket and need to change buses to complete your journey, ask for a (free) transfer at the point of embarkation. Incidentally, to reach Hull's prime attraction, the Musée Canadien des Civilisations , take OC Transpo bus #8 from the Central Transitway.

As regards to taxis , these can only be boarded at ranks, which are mostly located outside major hotels and nightspots. Cycling is popular in Ottawa too - the city boasts over 100km of cycling trail - and there are several cycle-hire companies, the most central of which is Rent-a-Bike, 1 Rideau St, at the back of the Château Laurier hotel (tel 241-4140) more