There are 6 ways to get from Ottawa to Nelson by plane, bus, train, car, or car ferry
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly to Castlegar Airport, bus
best- Fly from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) to Castlegar Airport (YCG)plane YOW - YCG
- Take the bus from Frank Beinder Way at Hwy 3A to Nelson Exchange Bay Bbus
21h 40m$257–1,107Bus, train
- Take the bus from Ottawa to Torontobus
- Take the train from Toronto Union Station to Jaspertrain
- Take the bus from Jasper to Calgary Downtownbus
- Take the bus from Calgary Delta Hotel to Abbotsfordbus
- Take the bus from Abbotsford to Nelsonbus
4d 12h$1,331–2,499Drive 3,727.8 km
- Drive from Ottawa to Nelsoncar 3,727.8 km
44h 14m$673–972Fly to Kelowna International Airport, bus
- Fly from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) to Kelowna International Airport (YLW)plane YOW - YLW
- Take the bus from Orchard Park Mall - Kelowna to Nelson Visitor Centrebus
12h 46m$264–981Fly to Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport, drive, car ferry
- Fly from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) to Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC)plane YOW - YXC
- Drive from Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC) to Kootenay Bay, BCcar
- Take the carferry from Kootenay Bay, BC to Balfour, BCcarferry
13h 19m$278–1,140Train, bus
- Take the train from Ottawa to Toronto Union Stationtrain
- Take the train from Toronto Union Station to Vancouvertrain
- Take the bus from Vancouver to Nelsonbus
4d 17h$1,294–2,666
Ottawa to Nelson by bus, train, and foot
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Ottawa to Nelson is to fly and bus which costs $260 - $1,000 and takes 12h 46m.
The fastest way to get from Ottawa to Nelson is to fly and bus which takes 12h 46m and costs $260 - $1,000.
The distance between Ottawa and Nelson is 3204 km. The road distance is 3727.8 km.
The best way to get from Ottawa to Nelson without a car is to bus and train which takes 4 days 12h and costs $1,300 - $2,500.
It takes approximately 21h 40m to get from Ottawa to Nelson, including transfers.
Nelson is 2h behind Ottawa. It is currently 8:23 AM in Ottawa and 6:23 AM in Nelson.
Yes, the driving distance between Ottawa to Nelson is 3728 km. It takes approximately 44h 14m to drive from Ottawa to Nelson.
There are 25+ hotels available in Nelson.
What companies run services between Ottawa, ON, Canada and Nelson, BC, Canada?
There is no direct connection from Ottawa to Nelson. However, you can take the line 105 bus to Airport, walk to Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) airport, fly to Castlegar Airport (YCG), walk to Frank Beinder Way at Hwy 3A, then take the bus to Nelson Exchange Bay B. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Ottawa to Nelson via Toronto, Toronto Union Station, Jasper, Jasper, Calgary Downtown, Calgary Delta Hotel, and Abbotsford in around 4d 12h.
- Website
- aircanada.com
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Castlegar Airport via Vancouver
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 3m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $250–1,100
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Castlegar Airport via Winnipeg, Vancouver
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 18m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $250–1,100
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Castlegar Airport via Toronto, Vancouver
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 33m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $260–1,100
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Castlegar Airport via Montreal, Vancouver
- Ave. Duration
- 22h 48m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $270–1,100
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Castlegar Airport via Calgary, Vancouver
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 48m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $300–1,200
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Castlegar Airport via Edmonton, Vancouver
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 48m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $300–1,200
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Kelowna International Airport via Toronto
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $190–850
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Kelowna International Airport via Calgary
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $180–800
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Kelowna International Airport via Montreal
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 58m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $200–850
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Kelowna International Airport via Vancouver
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 23m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $210–900
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport via Vancouver
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 35m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $310–1,300
- Website
- westjet.com
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Kelowna International Airport via Edmonton
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 15m
- When
- Sunday
- Estimated price
- $140–2,600
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Kelowna International Airport via Calgary
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 20m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $140–2,600
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Kelowna International Airport via Winnipeg
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 35m
- When
- Monday
- Estimated price
- $140–2,600
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport via Calgary
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 22m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–1,600
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport via Vancouver
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 20m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $360–1,400
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport via Winnipeg, Calgary
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–1,600
- Website
- flyporter.com
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Kelowna International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 55m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $280–850
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Kelowna International Airport via Toronto
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 59m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $280–850
- Website
- pacificcoastal.com
Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport via Kelowna International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 20m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $350–1,300
- Phone
- +1 888 842-7245
- Website
- VIA Rail
Train from Toronto Union Station to Jasper
- Ave. Duration
- 2d 21h
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $800–1,700
- Website
- VIA Rail
- Escape
- $800–1,700
- Business
- $900–1,400
- Business Plus
- $950–1,400
- Economy
- $900–1,700
- Economy Plus
- $1,000–1,700
Train from Ottawa to Toronto Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 24m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $100–320
- Website
- VIA Rail
- Escape
- $100–250
- Business
- $150–310
- Business Plus
- $160–320
- Economy
- $110–260
- Economy Plus
- $120–270
Train from Toronto Union Station to Vancouver
- Ave. Duration
- 4d
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $1,000–2,100
- Website
- VIA Rail
- Escape
- $1,000–2,100
- Business
- $1,100–1,800
- Business Plus
- $1,100–1,800
- Economy
- $1,100–2,100
- Economy Plus
- $1,200–2,100
- Phone
- +1 855 993 3100
- [email protected]
- Website
- West Kootenay
Bus from Frank Beinder Way at Hwy 3A to Nelson Exchange Bay B
- Ave. Duration
- 38 min
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- $3
- Website
- West Kootenay
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- Flixbus USA
Bus from Ottawa to Toronto
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 25m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $60–90
- Schedules at
- Flixbus USA
- Phone
- +1 866 606 6700
- [email protected]
- Website
- Brewster Express Homepage
Bus from Jasper to Calgary Downtown
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 45m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- $200–250
- Website
- Brewster Express Homepage
- Adult
- $200–250
- Phone
- +1 833 583 3636
- [email protected]
- Website
- Rider Express
Bus from Calgary Delta Hotel to Abbotsford
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $100–230
- Website
- Rider Express
- Standard
- $100–230
- Phone
- +1 778 382 7729
- [email protected]
- Website
- Home Mountain Man Mike's
Bus from Abbotsford to Nelson
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 10m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $170–230
- Website
- Home Mountain Man Mike's
Bus from Vancouver to Nelson
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 40m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $190–250
- Website
- Home Mountain Man Mike's
- Phone
- +1 778 760 1891
- [email protected]
- Website
- Fritz Travels
Bus from Orchard Park Mall - Kelowna to Nelson Visitor Centre
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 50m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- $95–120
- Website
- Fritz Travels
- Book at
- Fritz Travels
- Adult
- $95–120
- Phone
- 1 800 663 7867
- Website
- www2.gov.bc.ca
Car ferry from Kootenay Bay, BC to Balfour, BC
- Ave. Duration
- 35 min
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Schedules at
- www2.gov.bc.ca
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