Travel and Transportation
Local Transportation
Guelph Buses
All students automatically pay a set fee for unlimited use of the Guelph Transit bus system. The fee is paid along with your other fees to the University of Guelph. Your Student ID Card serves as your bus pass – just show the valid sticker on the front and you can ride anywhere in Guelph. You will receive your bus sticker during the first week of classes – during the week before classes start there is a grace period and students can ride the bus for free without having a sticker as long as you show your Student ID card.
You will receive a bus Route and Schedule Guide in the free agenda planner that the Central Students Association gives to all students during the first week of classes. You can also see all the bus routes and schedules online.
Taxis
You will likely want to avoid taking taxis or cabs unless you absolutely have to, as they are quite an expensive form of getting around. The price of a taxi ride is determined by a meter and not by the driver, and therefore can't be negotiated. The fare will be displayed on the electronic meter in the front beside the driver. There are two main taxi services used in Guelph:
Red Top Taxi, Tel: 519-821-1700 Canadian Cab, Tel: 519-824-3110
Travel Outside Guelph
Via Rail is the main passenger train service for getting around Canada and makes connections to Amtrak, the United States rail service. You can purchase train tickets directly online through ViaRail or at the ViaRail station in downtown Guelph, and can get a discount on the price of train fare if you have an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) which is also available for free to all University of Guelph students through the Central Students Association office.
GO Bus - these green GO (Government of Ontario) buses are commuter buses into the Greater Toronto Area. They have regular service into Toronto from the main bus loop in front of the University Centre and from the bus station in downtown Guelph. A Presto card for this service can be purchased at the kiosk on the bus loop in front of the University Centre.
MegaBus – this bus company offers very good deals for long distance trips between Toronto and several major cities such as Montreal and Buffalo, New York. For the cheapest deals, it is best to book your ticket well in advance.
Travel Across Canada
If you plan to explore the rest of our beautiful but large country, you may need to fly. The three major airlines in Canada are Air Canada, West Jet, and Porter Airlines.