Waterloo travel guide
Waterloo Tourism | Waterloo Guide
You're Going to Love Waterloo
With a population of 97,475, Waterloo is a must-see destination in Ontario, Canada. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Waterloo has to offer.
Where to Eat in Waterloo
If you’re looking for affordable options, The Bauer Kitchen (187 King St.) and Loloan Lobby Bar (14 Princess St W) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Wildcraft (425 King Street North) and Sole Restaurant (83 Erb Street West Building Two) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Waterloo.
When to visit Waterloo
How to Get to Waterloo
Plane
When flying to Waterloo, you’ll arrive at Toronto Kitchener-Waterloo (YKF), which is located 7 miles from the city center. The shortest flight to Waterloo from the United States departs from Nashville and takes around 1h 59m.
Train
VIA Rail Canada is the most popular train carrier serving Waterloo, followed by AccesRail. The train journey from Waterloo to Ottawa takes 4h 04m and costs around $40 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Windsor, expect to pay about $40 for a 4h 09m trip.
Car
Another option to get to Waterloo is to pick up a car rental from Toronto, which is about 58 miles from Waterloo. You’ll find branches of Economy Rent a Car and Hertz, among others, in Toronto.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Waterloo, including Rider Express, Bus and FlixBus. From London, the bus ride to Waterloo takes 130 miles and will cost you around $33. From Ottawa, the ticket costs about $37 for a journey of 220 miles. Waterloo’s bus station is located 1.7 miles from the city center.
Airports near Waterloo
Airlines serving Waterloo
Where to stay in Waterloo
Average rates range from around $127 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $118 and up for a 5-star experience.
Where to stay in popular areas of Waterloo
Most booked hotels in Waterloo
Renting a car in Waterloo
Renting a car in Waterloo costs $35 per day, on average, or $106 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Budget, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Thrifty are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Waterloo is the Enterprise Rent-A-Car branch at 379 Weber St. N., which is 1 mile from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 1% cheaper than airport locations in Waterloo.
Expect to pay $5.34 per gallon in Waterloo (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $64.05 and $85.40. The most frequently booked car type in Waterloo is Full-size (Ford Expedition or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Toyota Corolla or similar) are, on average, 49% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.