Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau Intl Airport (YUL) Flights & Information

Montreal is one of the world’s great cities and one of my favorite places to visit. Its airport 12 miles (20km) to the west of the city is handy, but can get crowded – although there are clever ways to beat the lines.

Good news: there’s only one terminal, so you don’t need to worry when getting picked up and dropped off. There’s also US preclearance if you’re flying to the US, so you can do all the passport and customs formalities before departing – and then land as a domestic flight, giving you a quick exit at your destination. Here’s everything you need to know about flying through Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport.

US transborder and international zones in YUL

The layout of Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (named for the former prime minister, and with airport code YUL) is one single terminal building, split into three zones inside, with separate security and passport checkpoints.

These three zones serve flights either domestically within Canada, transborder to the United States (which has US customs and immigration preclearance), and to other international destinations.

Canadian and non-US international flights use security checkpoint A, while the US transborder zone is via security checkpoint C.

Arriving in Montreal YUL

I find YUL to be helpfully compact and relatively easy in terms of arrivals. It’s pretty efficient overall, and its single-terminal layout makes for a simple process.

If you’re not a US or Canadian passport holder, you’ll need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for Canada before you travel.

All travelers arriving in Montreal from another country also need to go through Canadian passport control, immigration and customs. This is pretty straightforward, and the lines have reduced quite a lot over the last few years. I like to use the ArriveCAN app to fill out my arrival declaration card on the plane, to avoid any lines for the automated passport control kiosks.

NEXUS (Canada) and Global Entry (US) are both fast-track options arriving into Montreal, if you’re already signed up.

Getting to and from Montreal Trudeau by public transit

The cheapest way to get into downtown Montreal is to take the Line 747 bus. These run every 10 to 15 minutes and come in two varieties: the 747 1 Centre-Ville (Downtown) and the 747 2 Metro.

The 747 1 goes all the way into downtown, stopping three times: the metro station Lionel-Groulx, several stops on the central René-Lévesque Boulevard, and then to Berri-UQAM metro station, before terminating at the Gare d’autocars (the main city bus station). It takes between 45 and 70 minutes, depending on your destination.

The 747 2 just shuttles to Lionel-Groulx, about half an hour from the airport, from where you can change to metro lines 1 or 2 and continue your journey.

Unless your hotel is right next to one of these stops (in which case the 747 1 to downtown makes a lot of sense), I reckon it doesn’t really matter which one you take.

You can pay onboard if you have exact change in coins, or you can use the Chrono or Transit apps – I prefer Chrono, and think either of them is a good idea to download if you’re planning to use Montreal’s excellent public transit during your visit.

There are also several local buses that serve the airport, but unless you’re visiting a friend’s place or staying well away from downtown, you’re unlikely to need them.

If you’re staying at an airport hotel, some have their own free shuttles. Head for door 8 at the departures level and look for the screen with the hotel’s phone number: you’ll probably need to call the hotel for pickup.

How to get to and from Montreal YUL by car, taxi and Uber

If there are several of you, or if you have a lot of luggage, you may find a taxi or rideshare service makes sense.

Uber works locally, and that’s what I tend to recommend for anyone on a short visit who already has an Uber account.

For taxis, follow the signs. There’s a flat rate to an area covering most of downtown Montreal, but if you’re staying elsewhere make sure you ask for a rough price based on the metered rate, and that the driver uses the meter. Cabs are required to take both cards (Visa, Mastercard and American Express) and cash. If you need a cab adapted for passengers with limited mobility, speak to the dispatcher.

For Uber and other rideshare services, head to the standard pickup location, which is at door 28 on the arrival level. It’s pretty well signed.

It should only take about 20 minutes from downtown Montreal, outside of rush hour (generally afternoons and into the evening). If you’re being dropped off at the airport during rush hour, you might find that the express drop-off zones make sense to use, with their frequent shuttles faster than waiting in traffic.

Security lines

Montreal’s security lines, especially heading to the US, can be really long, so I never try to cut it close. You can check the estimated wait times online to get an idea.

I always go for the YULExpress, the pre-booked security fast track that’s bookable up to 72 hours before departure. Simply enter the number of passengers (up to 10), your day of travel, destination, airline and flight.

The system will then offer you 15-minute timeslots at the correct security checkpoint for your flight. You can arrive at security up to 15 minutes before or after your timeslot. The system will send you an email with a QR code that you need to present on your phone (or printed out) to access the YULExpress fast track.

Montreal airport US preclearance

One of the great things about flying from Montreal to the US is that you pre-clear US immigration and customs in Montreal. This means your flight arrives in the US like a domestic flight, meaning no passport checks or lines on arrival.

If you’re signed up to NEXUS (Canada) or Global Entry (US), you can use those fast-track lines. Eligible US citizens and a few other types of travelers can use the free Mobile Passport Control app departing Montreal for the US, and then get a separate fast-track line that’s just as good as Global Entry. I use Mobile Passport Control wherever I can – it’s great and it’s free.

Connecting at Montreal YUL

Thanks to the US preclearance, connecting from an international flight to a US destination via Montreal can be a real time-saver compared with connecting within the US, for several reasons.

The first is that when connecting in a US airport from an international flight, you have to collect and re-check your luggage – you don’t need to in Montreal. I love how much time this saves.

You also get to do all the customs and immigration formalities during your connection time rather than at the first airport you arrive at in the US, so you’re not wasting time there. It’s also a single terminal connection, which is very much not the case at larger US international hubs.

Lastly, and this is especially important if you happen to not be a US citizen (or are traveling with someone who isn’t), the lines for non-US passport processing are much shorter in Montreal.

The process is a little weird but is pretty well-signed. First, check you’ve filled in all the forms (or use the Mobile Passport Control app). Then follow the Connections signage to the baggage validation station, where you validate your baggage tag. Next is a quick security check, which very rarely has any line at all. After that, it’s the automated passport kiosk, then head to the waiting area and keep an eye on the screens for your turn to see the US agent.

You then exit into the US transborder zone of the terminal, where there are shops, lounges and eateries, before heading to your gate.

Free Wi-Fi at Montreal Trudeau Airport

The “YUL Wi-Fi” network is free and works well, with each email-authenticated session giving you 60 minutes of browsing time. If you need more time, just restart the process.

Lounges at YUL

Montreal’s airport highlights are in its connections rather than its lounges – this isn’t an airport where I plan to arrive earlier than necessary to lounge hop, and for a late flight I’ll usually investigate late check-out at my hotel.

Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounges – for Air Canada and partner airline business class passengers, plus Star Alliance Gold-level frequent flyers with airlines including United – are small and often crowded.

The domestic Maple Leaf Lounge is near gate 2, the US transborder one is near gates 73-75, and the international one is near gates 52-53. Genuinely, I prefer to find a spot in the terminal or, if flying internationally, head for the Air France lounge.

Priority Pass members only have lounges in the international section. The first (and, to my mind, best) option is the Air France-KLM. The second lounge is branded by Canada’s National Bank.