Located roughly 12 miles (20km) from downtown Montreal, Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL) serves Greater Montreal, along with parts of northern New York and Vermont.
The third-busiest airport in Canada, Montreal-Trudeau processes nearly 13 million passengers each year. Although the airport has state-of-the-art facilities and is pleasant enough, there are frequent complaints about long, slow-moving queues, disorganized customs and security processing, and a lack of adequate staffing.
Flights to Montreal Pierre-Elliot Trudeau International Airport are available from all over the world, including Mexico City, Barbados, Brussels, Barcelona, Cancun, Calgary, Paris, Toronto, Dallas, Chicago, London, New York, Rome, Amsterdam, Casablanca, Doho, Lisbon, Munich and Panama City, among others. While flights may be convenient, don’t plan on quick stopovers at Montreal-Trudeau as the long queues may turn into a missed connection.
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There is only one terminal building, so you can walk between gates, but keep in mind that you may need to clear customs if you are connecting to or from an international destination.
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Train: VIA Rail Canada operates an intercity service from the VIA station in Dorval. There is a free minibus service there from the airport, about 1.2 miles (2km) away.
Bus: Express Bus 747 runs from the airport into downtown Montreal 24 hours a day. The trip takes 35 minutes, and stops at the Lionel-Groulx Metro Station, and along Boulevard Rene-Levesque. It costs CA$8. The regular STM routes 204 and 209 also serve the airport, although the trip is not as quick or direct. The fare is CA$3 (almost £2), and exact change is required.
Taxi: Taxis are available near the central exit on the arrivals level. There is a fixed fare of CA$38 (£24) to downtown Montreal, and all other destinations are charged by meter with a minimum fare of CA$16.25 (about £10).
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There are several parking options at Montreal-Trudeau Airport. Express Parc on the ground level is good for dropping off passengers, charging CA$4 for the first 20 minutes and CA$40 per day (£2.50 to £25). Proxiparc and Hotel Parc are good for short-term parking, charging CA$6 for 30 minutes and CA$19 and CA$23 per day, respectively (£4, £12 and £14). Econoparc, connected to the terminal by shuttle, is the best choice for long-term parking at CA$14 (almost £9) per day and CA$75 (£47) per week. Valet parking is also available for CA$30 (£19) per day.
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Money and communications: The airport has banks, ATMs, foreign exchange and public phones available.
Luggage: There are porter services available, and a lost and found. There is also a cloakroom in the arrivals area. Trolleys are available free of charge.
Conference and business: There are Internet kiosks throughout the terminal. Photocopying is available at the currency exchange office on the departures level.
Other facilities: Shoeshine services, a florist, prayer room, breastfeeding room, first-aid services, a children’s game area, strollers, tour operators, handicapped facilities, and self-service check-in.
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is available throughout the terminal in free, one-hour sessions.
Shopping: Whether you need sunglasses, chocolates, a new suitcase or an iPod, you’ll be able to find it at Montreal-Trudeau. There are also duty-free shops in the international and trans-border areas (near gates 52 and 75).
Food and drink: There are many restaurants, bars and fast-food places in all areas of the airport. Whether it’s Tim Horton’s, Burger King, Subway, Starbucks, or Bagel Bar you’re after, there are choices before and after security, including sit-down restaurants and two sushi bars.
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