Beginning Friday Jan. 21, Syracusans can hop on a bus and be in Ottawa by dinnertime.
Greyhound Canada announced Jan. 20 that direct bus service on Fridays and Sundays would begin the following morning. The routes will run from Syracuse Hancock International Airport to Ottawa on two schedules every Friday and Sunday. Leaving Syracuse, travelers will depart the airport at 1:30 p.m. Fridays and Sundays and arrive in Ottawa at 5:15 p.m. Coming home, the bus leaves Ottawa at 7:30 a.m. Friday and Sundays and arrives back in Syracuse at 11:15 a.m. Previously, to ride Greyhound from Syracuse to Ottawa meant an 11- to 16-hour trip with several transfers, according to the Greyhound website. The longer route traveled through Rochester, Buffalo and Toronto before arriving in Ottawa. The new, direct route cuts travel time significantly to just four hours and 15 minutes. One-way tickets for the trip cost $96, the same cost to take the trip on the longer routes. Crossing the border requires a United States passport or enhanced driver’s license. Travelers were able to purchase tickets for the new direct line on the Greyhound website beginning Friday morning. Visit greyhound.com for ticket and scheduling information.