Montréal, Québec Hotels and City Guide

Montréal - Getting There

Flights

Montréal is serviced by several airports, but passengers are handled by Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, known as Aéroport International Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau de Montréal or simply Montréal-Trudeau. You may also see it abbreviated to YUL. The airport is 22.5 kilometers (14 miles) from the core of the city and is the busiest in Quebec and the third busiest in Canada. In 2008, over 2.8 million passengers arrived at Montréal-Trudeau from all over the world.

Approximate flight times to Montréal: from New York 45 minutes; from Toronto 1 hours 10 minutes; from London 7 hours 30 minutes; from Tokyo 12 hours 56 minutes (shortest flight durations given)

Montréal Airport Information

Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)

YUL is full-service, world class international airport. Visitors can expect to find a variety of services and accommodations geared towards making their travels as smooth and hassle-free as possible. YUL is also one of eight Canadian airports that have a preclearance agreement with the United States for added convenience. The airport features ATMs and money changing counters (bureau de change) so you can exchange money or get a bit of cash for food or shopping. Numerous bars, lounges, cafes, and restaurants provide refreshment. These are located in the Departure and Arrival areas, as well as in the jetties.

Guests may spend their time waiting for connecting flights or transportation into Montréal by shopping at duty-free shops or other retailers in the Departure and jetties, dining, or using free wireless internet. A prayer room offers a quiet, peaceful atmosphere for reflection and meditation.

YUL has several parking options, including the Econoparc and long-term lots. Complementary shuttles take passengers to these lots every 15 minutes. You may also choose valet parking, which is available outside of the terminal. With convenient public transportation, shuttles, taxis, and rental services available, coming in to Montréal via YUL is easy.

Getting Into Montréal

From YUL

Taxis: All taxis from the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport must charge $38 for all fares to the Downtown area. On each taxi, you will find a sticker which illustrates the boundaries of the flat fee area. If you wish to travel to areas outside of this boundary, you will pay a metered fare, which is likely to be more. It may be less expensive to simply go downtown and hop on a bus or subway if you don’t have a lot of luggage to carry. Remember, the standard fares are $3.30 for the pickup, $1.60 per kilometer, and $0.60 for each minute spent waiting.

Aérobus: This is a shuttle that takes you to a number of Downtown hotels. It runs every 20 minutes from 7:00am to 1:00am. One-way tickets are $15 and round-trips are $25. This is less expensive than a taxi and very convenient if your lodgings are on the route.

Bus: STM’s bus #204 picks up passengers every 30 minutes to the Gare Dorval, or the Dorval Train Station. Once there, you may transfer to the 211/221 Express to Lionel-Groulx train. This option is $2.75, and you can transfer to the metro for free with your transfer stub (remember to grab this as you leave from the bus station). Make sure you have exact change if you pay in cash because drivers do not give back change.

VIA Rail AirConnect: This brings you from the terminal at YUL to the Downtown area using both shuttle and train. It runs less frequently than the aréobuses, so check on the times. It costs only $11. Dorval Station, which is close to the airport, offers the same trip for $4.25, but that requires you to first get to Dorval Station! You can do this by taking the bus.

Car: Enterprise, National, Alamo, Avis, Hertz, Thrifty, Budget, and Dollar Rent A Car can all be found in Montréal-Trudeau on the ground level of the multilevel parking area. To get into the city, exit YUL and take Highway 40 West (oust).

Travelling to Montréal by Rail

Many travelers, particularly those from other areas of Canada and the United States, choose to come into Montréal via train. VIA Rail Canada offers passenger services in Quebec and Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Booking early will save you as much as 50 percent. VIA-1 trains, which have first and business class sections, accommodate travelers by providing meals, drinks, snacks, and for-fee wireless internet. VIA also offers an “Ocean” service. These run between Montréal and the rest of the Quebec Province and feature bedroom and sleeper cars.

Amtrak brings passengers from New York, Washington, DC, and other points in the United States daily with its “Adirondack” service. The ride from New York is about 13 hours, but you do see some lovely scenery. Both Amtrak and VIA trains arrive at Gare Centrale or Montréal Central Station, which is located at 895 Rue de la Gauchetiere Ouest.

Travelling to Montréal by Road

Visitors from Quebec, Ontario, and the States of Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, and New York, often arrive in Montréal by bus. Lines include Greyhound and Greyhound Canada, Coach Canada, Adirondack Trailways, Voyageur, Vermont Transit, and Orléans Express. Buses don’t have the best reputation for speedy travel, but you will generally arrive more quickly if you take the Greyhound into Montréal as opposed to Amtrak. It is a bit more expensive, but a few dollars is worth it so you can begin your vacation that much sooner. Greyhound offers an overnight express bus from New York that only takes seven hours, compared to almost twice that for the Amtrak train.

Buses arrive and depart from the Station Centrale d’autobus at 505 Boulevard de Maisonneuve Est, above the Berri-UQAM metro station. For information on fares or schedules, call 514.842.2281.

Many opt to drive into Montréal. Here are the most common routes:

From Toronto: Travel on Highway 401 until it becomes Autoroute 20 in Quebec. From there, it is about an hour into Downtown. Follow signs for Centre-Ville and turn onto Highway 720.
From Ottawa: Travel east on Highway 471. In Quebec, this becomes Autoroute 40.
From Quebec City: Travel west on Autoroute 20 or 40.
From New York City: Take I-87 North through Albany. Cross the border near Plattsburgh, New York and continue on Highway 15. This leads into Downtown.
From Boston: Take I-93 to I-89. Cross the border near Burlington, Vermont. Travel on Highway 133. Highway 10 intersects 133. Take this west to go into Downtown.

Note: Be aware that Montréal’s signs will be mostly in French.

Hotels in Montréal, Québec