Montreal, Quebec — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Montréal - Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Tel: (514) 394 7377 or 1 800 465 1213.
Website: www.admtl.com
Montréal-Trudeau is located 25km (15 miles) west of the city center.
Airport facilities: Facilities include bureau de change, ATMs, restaurants, cafes, bars, newsagents, duty-free and other shops and tourist information. A valet parking service is also available. Car hire is provided by Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty.
Transport to the city: L'Aérobus airport shuttle service (tel: (514) 842 2281) links Montréal-Trudeau Airport with the Montreal Bus Central Station. From the central bus station, passengers can take the complimentary shuttle service (tel: (514) 631 1856) to major downtown hotels. Taxis and limousines are also available.
Approximate flight times to Montreal: From London is 6 hours; from New York is 1 hour 20 minutes; from Los Angeles is 5 hours; from Toronto is 1 hour 10 minutes and from Sydney is 20 hours 25 minutes.
Getting There By Road
Montreal is well served by a network of autoroutes (motorways). Traffic drives on the right. Road signs are international but are usually in French. Maximum speed limits are 100kph (62mph) on motorways, 80kph (50mph) on rural highways and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. It is illegal to turn right at a red light on the island of Montreal; however, these turns are legal elsewhere in the province (unless posted otherwise). The minimum driving age is 16 years. An International Driving Permit is recommended, although it is not legally required for visits of less than six months. Proof of insurance must be carried. Non-residents may be covered for compensation under the province's no-fault insurance if driving a vehicle registered in Quebec or a province or US state with a reciprocal arrangement. The Société de l'Assurance Automobile du Québec (SAAQ) (tel: (514) 873 7620; www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca) provides further information. Information on road conditions is available from the Ministère des Transports (tel: 1 888 355 0511; www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca).
Emergency breakdown services
CAA-Québec (tel: (514) 861 1313 (Montreal area only); CAA/AAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357 or 222 from most mobile phones).
Routes to the city
Highways 20 and 40 (the Trans-Canada Highway) are the main east-west routes through the city, arriving from Quebec City to the east and Toronto (via Highway 401) and Ottawa (via Highway 417) from the west. US I-87 from New York City becomes Highway 15 at the border, south of Montreal.
Driving times to the city
To Toronto - 5.5 hours; Ottawa - 2.5 hours; New York City - 7.5 hours.
Coach services
Buses depart from Station Centrale (Central Station), 505 boulevard de Maisonneuve East (tel: (514) 842 2281; www.stationcentrale.com/en). Facilities include ATMs, a bureau de change, bars and restaurants, car hire, Internet access, left luggage and coach passes. Orléans Express (tel: 1 888 999 3977; www.orleansexpress.com) is the main coach company within Quebec. Greyhound Canada (tel: 1 800 661 8747; www.greyhound.ca) runs services from Canadian destinations west of Ottawa as well as the United States. Other coach operators include Adirondack Trailways (tel: 1 800 776 7548; www.trailwaysny.com) from New York City and Coach Canada (tel: 1 800 461 7661; www.coachcanada.com) from Toronto.
Getting There By Rail
Rail Services
Montreal is located along the Quebec City-Windsor railway corridor. Both economy and first-class (VIA 1) cars are available on corridor trains, which link Montreal with Quebec City to the east, and Ottawa and Toronto to the west. The carriages are clean and quiet, with large windows that confer a sense of the country's vastness; VIA 1 fares include a surprisingly good meal and complimentary Canadian wines. The Ocean is the Montreal-Halifax train, which offers departures six days a week. The Montreal-Gaspé train is another scenic overnight trip, with three departures a week. Amtrak runs daily trains from New York and Washington, DC. Montreal's Gare Centrale (Central Station), 895 rue de la Gauchetière West, offers a food court and is directly linked to the Metro and the city’s underground network of shops and hotels. Trains arriving from the west also stop at the basic Dorval Station, near the airport.
Rail Operators
VIA Rail (tel: (514) 989 2626 or 1 888 842 7245; www.viarail.ca) is Canada's national rail service provider. Services from the USA are operated by Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com).
Connections
To Halifax - 23 hours; Quebec City - 3.5 hours; Ottawa - 3 hours; Toronto - 5 hours; Windsor - 9 hours.
Getting Around in Montreal, Quebec
Public Transport
Montreal is served by a métro system, an extensive bus network and commuter rail services. Public transport services for Montreal are run by the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) (tel: (514) 786 4636; www.stm.info). Commuter rail and off-island bus services are co-ordinated by the Agence Métropolitaine de Transport (www.amt.qc.ca). The Montreal métro is clean and efficient, and consists of four lines and 68 stations , 10 of which are linked to Underground City. The average wait time between trains is eight minutes and three minutes during rush hour. It is integrated with the STM bus routes that crisscross the island. The métro and buses run approximately 05:30-12:30 and are supplemented by a limited system of 20 night bus routes. You can transfer between the métro and bus at no extra cost, using the same magnetised ticket and within 120 minutes. Off-island buses have separate fare structures. Ideal for tourists are the one-day and three-day fare cards, which provide unlimited use of bus and métro systems, including the 747 airport shuttle.
Taxis
Hailing a taxi is never a problem in Montreal and there are obvious taxi ranks dotted about. Tipping is expected. Two recommended taxi companies are Taxi Diamond (tel: (514) 273 6331) and Taxi Hochelaga (tel: (514) 256 9033).
Driving in the City
Montreal drivers have a bit of a reputation with the rest of Canada as being somewhat reckless. If you choose to drive, stay alert and don’t be afraid to use your horn. Parking can be pesky and pricey. Street parking costs $1-$3 per hour, 0900–1800 and parking lots charge between $10-$20 per day.
Car Hire
In general, drivers must be at least 21 years old and possess a national driving license, credit card and insurance. An International Driving Permit is not required. Car hire firms in Montreal include Avis (tel: (514) 866 2847 or 1 800 321 3652; www.avis.com); Discount (tel: (514) 798-7235; www.discountcar.com); Hertz (tel: (514) 938 1717; www.hertz.com) and Thrifty (tel: (514) 845 5954; www.thrifty.com).
Bicycle Hire
Montreal has an extensive network of cycle routes and a popular bike hire scheme known as BIXI (www.bixi.com/home). Cyclists (residents and tourists alike) can rent a bike for a fixed time at a small fee.
