Montreal Travel Guide (Montreal, Quebec)

The two international airports serving Montréal are operated by Aéroports de Montréal (tel 394-7377 or 1-800/465-1213, www.admtl.com ). The main one, Aéroport de Dorval , 22km southwest of the city, is the arrival point for international and Canadian flights. Passengers departing from Dorval must pay an Airport Improvement Fee (AIF) of $10, to be handed over in cash to an attendant or by credit card at one of the machines at the entrance to the security checkpoint. The Aérobus airport shuttle service (tel 931-9002) runs every 20 minutes from 7am to 1am daily, linking Dorval Airport with the Station Centrale d'Autobus Montréal and the Gare de l'Aéroport, adjacent to the train station (35-45 min; $11 one-way, $19.75 return). Passengers can take the complimentary shuttle service to major downtown hotels from the latter; some hotels also have vans that pick up guests directly from the airport - ask on making a reservation. Several local buses also connect Dorval to downtown but they take ages. A taxi downtown is $28.50, plus tip.

Montréal's second airport, Aéroport de Mirabel , 55km northwest of the city, is used solely for charter flights. From Mirabel to the same locations downtown takes just over an hour by bus, although the service is irregular, based on flight arrival times (tel 931-9002; $18 one-way, $25 return). The taxi fare is around $72, including tip.

Montréal's main train station , Gare Centrale, is below the Queen Elizabeth Hotel on the corner of boul René-Lévesque and rue Mansfield, and is entered at 895 rue de la Gauchetière ouest. The station is the major terminus for Canada's VIA Rail trains from Halifax, Toronto, Ottawa, Québec and the Gaspé as well as US Amtrak trains from Washington and New York. The Bonaventure Métro station links it with the rest of the city. An international student card (ISIC) gets 40 percent off regular train fares; but even if you don't have one you can still get a discount by booking six days in advance to get 30 percent off return-trip fares and 20 percent off one-way tickets.

Long-distance buses arrive and depart from Station Centrale d'Autobus Montréal at 505 boul de Maisonneuve est. The Berri-UQAM Métro is right below the station. Orléans Express (tel 842-2281, www.orleansexpress.com ) is the province's main coach company. Students and senior citizens receive a 25 percent discount with proper identification.