Travel to Montreal

Flying to Montreal

Canada’s national airline Air Canada (www.aircanada.com) operates direct flights to Montreal from Belgium, Germany, USA, Mexico, China, France, the Bahamas, Switzerland and the UK. Other airlines operating direct flights to Montreal from the UK include Air Transat and British Airways. Among the airlines offering direct flights from the USA are American Airlines, Delta and United. Cheap flights are available to Montreal during winter and spring. The peak summer time is the most expensive time to visit the city. Consider visiting in the autumn when temperatures are still pleasant.

Flight times

From London - 7 hours; New York - 1 hour 20 minutes; Los Angeles - 5 hours 10 minutes; Toronto - 1 hour 10 minutes; Sydney - 20 hours 30 minutes (including stopover).

City Airports: 
Telephone:+1 514 633 3333
Website:www.admtl.com
Location:

Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport is located 20km (12 miles) west of Montréal.


Money:

ATMs and bureaux de change are positioned throughout the terminal, including one that dispenses Euros and another US dollars.


Luggage:

There are no left-luggage lockers at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, but a cloakroom (tel: +1 514 633 2076) is located in the arrivals area. The lost and found office (tel: +1 514 633 2076) is also located in this part of the terminal. If an item has been lost on the airplane, the airline in question should be contacted. Luggage trolleys are available free of charge and porters (tel: +1 514 212 4944) are also on hand to assist.

Travel by road

Summary:

Traffic drives on the right. The minimum driving age is 16.

Montreal is well served by a network of autoroutes (motorways). 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).

An International Driving Permit is recommended, although it is not legally required for visits of less than six months. You must carry proof of insurance. 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: +1 514 873 7620; www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca) provides further information.

Information on road conditions is available from the Transports Québec (tel: +1 888 355 0511; www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca).

Emergency breakdown service:

CAA-Québec (tel: +1 514 861 1313 or +1 800 222 4357).

Routes:

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 Toronto - 5 hours; Ottawa - 2 hours; New York City - 7 hours.

Coaches:

Buses depart from Gare d'autocars, 1717 rue Berri.

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 USA.

Trailways of New York (tel: +1 800 858 8555; www.trailwaysny.com) runs direct coaches from New York City.

Megabus (tel: +1 866 488 4452; www.megabus.com) operates coaches between Montreal and various destinations in Ontario, including Toronto.

Travel by rail

Services:

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.

Operators:

VIA Rail (tel: +1 514 989 2626; 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).

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 three days a week in each direction. Amtrak runs daily trains from New York.

Journey times:

To Halifax - 22 hours; Quebec City - 3 hours 30 minutes; Ottawa - 1 hour 50 minutes; Toronto - 5 hours 10 minutes; New York - 10 hours 30 minutes.




Visa and passport information is updated regularly and is correct at the time of publishing. You should verify critical travel information independently with the relevant embassy before you travel.