When you come to university, a big part of your experience will be going out, exploring, and trying new things!
Your university residence may be a lot of fun, but there will be a lot to see and do outside of residence and even off-campus that you won’t want to miss. Whether it’s shopping for groceries and clothes, going out with friends, or just exploring the city, it’s important to know the best ways to get around town without a set of wheels.
Whether or not you’re coming to school with the privilege of a car, there are still so many other ways to get around town. In this article I’m going to give you the ins and outs of alternative transportation!
How to get around town and why you should
Take the bus
The first, and perhaps most obvious, way to get around Waterloo is by using our bus system. The Grand River Transit, or GRT, runs throughout Kitchener and Waterloo and is a great way to get from point A to point B.
One of the best things about the GRT is that if you’re a Waterloo student, then your student card (WatCard) also doubles as a bus pass and the cost is included in your student fees. What’s also great about the GRT is that it has stops right here on campus, which means you can easily hop on if you’re staying in residence.
Find someone else to drive
There are many ways you can get to where you want to go using a car through apps like Uber and Lyft.
However, if you’re on a budget in first year or don’t have an Uber account, you can use the Waterloo rideshare page on Facebook. The page is basically people who are looking for rides to somewhere in Ontario or are already heading that way and are offering to give a ride to people also interested in going that way.
It’s a good way to carpool, it’s relatively cheap, and it can be a great way to meet people!
Go on two wheels
If you want to help save the planet and still get to where you need to go, then you should bike! Kitchener-Waterloo is a super-safe city for biking and has tons of trails you can take either for fun or as a way to get to different places across the city.
Biking is also great exercise and is probably the cheapest transportation option!
All aboard!
Train rides are also another great way to get around town! With the new ION LRT (Light Rapid Transit), it’s an easy and quick way to get across town.
Trains are also great if you want to get out of Waterloo and check out Toronto, which is only 100 km away.
Ekin, a current grad student at Waterloo, talked about her preferred modes of transportation. “I try to take advantage of the GO bus, GO train, and Via Rail to go back and forth between Waterloo and Toronto. Especially during the week, I prefer to use the train since there’s no traffic in that case and the trains are very comfy and silent.”
There's a whole world beyond campus!
With two universities and a college, there’s no doubt that Waterloo Region is a student-centric area with plenty of activities and things to do year-round.
In my opinion, student towns often have really good food. On University Ave, just off campus, you can find sushi, pizza, Indian and Mediterranean food, and, of course, all your favourite chains. And better yet, often these places will have special pricing just for students!
Lots of beautiful places
Close to campus is Waterloo Park, which has a nice little petting zoo in the warmer months and tons of space to play sports or to sit down and study or hang out. Further afield, there are some really beautiful small towns and conservation areas. If you’re looking for a day trip, I’d definitely recommend you check out Elora and St. Jacobs.
So many experiences to be had
In Uptown Waterloo, there are tons of different places to check out. To start, there’s an abundance of cool little restaurants and shops to visit, and there’s always lots going on. For example, in the winter the square turns into an ice-skating rink! There are also tons of different festivals that happen throughout the year, like Tacofest, the Blues Festival, the Busker Carnival, and Oktoberfest!
At the end of the day, don’t fret if you won’t have a car at university. It’s honestly so easy to get from one end of Waterloo to the other, and there are always so many options.
Whether you want to just pick up some groceries or explore all that the city has to offer, you can do it all safely, inexpensively, and easily!