Arriving & Departing

By Plane

The Aéroport International Pierre-Elliot-Trudeau de Montréal (tel. 800/465-1213 or 514/394-7377; www.admtl.com; airport code YUL), known less cumbersomely as Montréal-Trudeau Airport, is 23km (14 miles) southwest of downtown. A C$716-million (US$623-million/£308-million) expansion was completed in 2006, although work is currently underway to build a new area that will encompass U.S. Customs and a pre-boarding screening checkpoint. Wi-Fi is available throughout the airport. Aéroport Mirabel, 55km (34 miles) northwest of the city, is an all-cargo facility.

Montréal-Trudeau is served by the shuttle bus L'Aérobus (tel. 514/631-1856; www.laerobus.qc.ca), which travels between the airport and four downtown stops, including Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth (Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth) hotel at 900 bd. René-Lévesque ouest. One-way fares are C$14 (US$12/£6) for adults, C$13 (US$11/£5.60) for seniors, and C$11 (US$9.55/£4.75) for children. Free minibuses take passengers to 39 major hotels from the last stop at Station Centrale Berri (also known as the Station Centrale d'Autobus, the city's main bus terminal). Buses from Montréal-Trudeau run approximately every 20 to 30 minutes between 7am and 2am daily. The ride to the Fairmont stop is about 25 minutes if traffic isn't tangled.

A taxi trip to downtown Montréal is a flat fare of C$35 (US$30/£15) plus tip.

By Train

Montréal has one intercity rail terminus, Gare Centrale (Central Station), 895 rue de la Gauchetière ouest (tel. 514/989-2626), below Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel. The station is connected to the Métro subway system (Bonaventure Station).

By Bus

The central bus station, called Station Centrale d'Autobus (tel. 514/842-2281), is at 505 bd. de Maisonneuve est. It has a bar, a cafeteria, and an information booth. Beneath the terminal is the Berri-UQAM Métro station, the junction of several important Métro lines and a good starting point for trips to most quarters of the city. (UQAM -- pronounced "Oo-kahm" -- stands for Université de Québec à Montréal.) Alternatively, taxis usually line up outside the terminal building.