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Major city · Canada

RenfrewRenfrew, Ontario

One night is enough: museum, hockey birthplace and a walk across the Swinging Bridge, then push on to Calabogie, Pembroke or Algonquin.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CAD
Best months
Jun–Sep for the museums and the river; Feb–Mar for snowmobiling and Calabogie skiing
avoid Nov and early Dec (grey, wet, little open); late Apr for mud season
Airports
YOW · YTA
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
  • Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
  • Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.

Renfrew is a town of about 8,200 on the Trans-Canada Highway, roughly 90 km west of Ottawa at the Highway 60 junction. It works as a half-day stop or a single night on the way to whitewater, skiing and Algonquin Provincial Park, not as a multi-day base. Two small museums, a 1930 cinema and a riverside downtown fill an afternoon; the outdoors around it fills the rest.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Renfrew, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee and a pastryC$5–9 (≈ US$4–7)
  • Street or quick mealBakery lunch (soup, sandwich)C$12–20 (≈ US$9–15)
  • BeerDraught beer in a pubC$7–9 (≈ US$6–7)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi within town limitsOut-of-town trips are quoted per destination.C$7 (≈ US$6) flat
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekC$20–40 (≈ US$15–30)
  • Budget bedFamily room (up to 4), a night, per roomC$160 (≈ US$120)
  • Mid-range bedB&B room, a night, per roomC$130 (≈ US$95)
  • High-end bedB&B room, a night, per roomC$180 (≈ US$140)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget C$90 (≈ US$70) · Mid C$160 (≈ US$120) · High C$260 (≈ US$190)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Birthplace NHA/NHL MuseumMcDougall Mill MuseumSwinging Bridge over the BonnechereGateway to Calabogie and Algonquin
Airports
YOW Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International (About 1 h 15 min by car east on Highway 417; the practical gateway.) · YTA Pembroke Airport (Personal aircraft only; no scheduled service.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Renfrew: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−6°C

−18°C

12 rd

Feb

−4°C

−17°C

10 rd

Mar

2°C

−9°C

10 rd

Apr

10°C

−1°C

10 rd

May

19°C

5°C

11 rd

Jun

24°C

10°C

11 rd

Jul

27°C

13°C

11 rd

Aug

25°C

12°C

11 rd

Sep

20°C

7°C

10 rd

Oct

13°C

2°C

11 rd

Nov

5°C

−4°C

12 rd

Dec

−3°C

−13°C

13 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the default: sights and the Bonnechere Falls are spread out and there is no local transit. In town, taxis run a flat rate within the town limits; out-of-town trips are quoted per destination. Ontario Northland coaches stop in Renfrew on the Ottawa–Sudbury run.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Calabogie

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Highway 508 west, about 30 km by car

Ski hill in winter, lake and trails in summer; the closest real outdoor day out.

Arnprior

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Highway 417 east by car, or Ontario Northland coach

Riverside town with a bigger grocery and restaurant choice; easy half-day.

Pembrokego

Door to door: About 45 min

Highway 17 west by car, or Ontario Northland coach

Best base for the eastern edge of Algonquin and Ottawa River paddling.

Algonquin Provincial Park (west gate)

overnight

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Highway 17 west, then Highway 60 west

Too far for a comfortable return day with hiking; sleep in the park or in Pembroke.

Barry's Bay

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Highway 60 west by car

Village on the Madawaska with a bakery stop and access to the park corridor.

Maynooth

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Highway 62 south by car

Thin on services; go only if you are heading into the Hastings Highlands anyway.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown Renfrew (Raglan Street)

Walk to the museums, cinema and cafés; a B&B or two on the side streets.

Highway 17 strip

Chain motels with parking and pools; you need a car for everything.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
C$90–140 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
C$140–220 (≈ US$110–160) excl. bed
High
C$220 (≈ US$160)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Highway motel double1 × 1 night × C$150C$150
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × C$160C$320
Car fuel, Ottawa return (about 180 km)1 × C$30 · checkC$30
Museum entries, both museums2 × C$15 · checkC$30
eSIM, about a week of data2 × C$25C$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeC$58
Trip total≈ C$319 per person per day, bed includedC$638≈ US$500

2026 estimate in Canadian dollars; sales tax is added at checkout. Flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee and a pastryC$5–9 (≈ US$4–7)
Bakery lunch (soup, sandwich)C$12–20 (≈ US$9–15)
Pub main (schnitzel, steak)C$18–32 (≈ US$14–25)
Draught beer in a pubC$7–9 (≈ US$6–7)
Cinema ticket at the O'Brien TheatreCheaper on Tuesdays and at matinees.C$8–11 (≈ US$6–8)
Taxi within town limitsOut-of-town trips are quoted per destination.C$7 (≈ US$6) flat
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekC$20–40 (≈ US$15–30)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A small, quiet town and safe for visitors. The real risks are winter driving on Highway 17, wildlife and ticks on trails, and long distances between fuel and phone signal.
  • Museum hours are short and seasonal: the mill museum is summer-only, the hockey museum drops to three days a week outside July–August.
  • Winter driving on Highway 17 is the real risk: snow squalls, black ice and long gaps between services.
  • Cell coverage is patchy on Highway 60 toward Algonquin; download offline maps before you leave town.
  • Ticks are present in the surrounding brush from spring to autumn; check after walks.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Ontario Provincial Police (non-emergency)
1-888-310-1122
Telehealth Ontario (24 h health advice)
1-866-797-0000

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

RenfrewRenfrew, Ontario

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • OPP non-emergency1-888-310-1122
  • Telehealth Ontario1-866-797-0000

Embassy

No embassies in Renfrew; the US embassy and most others are in Ottawa, about 90 km east.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Taxi within Renfrew town limits: C$7 (≈ US$6) flat (check)
  • Ontario Northland coach, Ottawa → Renfrew: about C$30–45 (≈ US$25–35), about 1 h 30 min (check)
  • Drive Renfrew → Ottawa (Highway 417): about 90 km, about 1 h 15 min

Say or show

  • Thank you / Merci — Thank you
  • Where is the washroom? — Where is the toilet?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • I need help — I need help

Tipping is expected: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Renfrew. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep for the museums and the river; Feb–Mar for snowmobiling and Calabogie skiing · avoid Nov and early Dec (grey, wet, little open); late Apr for mud season · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for YOW: last Ottawa–Renfrew drive times field-checked, coach fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Three walking clusters with rescue anchors: Raglan Street downtown, the Bonnechere riverfront and Swinging Bridge, the Highway 17 strip.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (McDougall Mill Museum, Birthplace NHA/NHL Museum, O'Brien Theatre, Bonnechere Falls) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Winter and hostile arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Canada

Sources