Montreal Airport X Via Rail

[Elisinha 1]

Hi guys,

Here our situation:

My fiance is attending the interview with me, he is coming from the states. We both DONT know Montreal that much, I have been there just once and it was a quick tour. I need to pick up my fiance at Montreal Airport and I will be leaving from the Via Rail station.

How to get to from Via Rail station to the Airport? Which station should I get off? My departure is from Toronto.

How to get from the Airport to the Consulate?

We don't know which hotel we will be staying yet, but definitely as closer as possible of the consulate.

Thanks in advance!

[SapphireDreams 71]

The airport is actually very out of the way of the city. When you take Via Rail, you'll actually be right downtown and only a few blocks from the consulate (it's an easy walk).

Is there any particular reason why you have to pick him up? Can he just meet you in the city? That would be a LOT easier for you and probably save you a lot of time and hassle.

Although, if you really you really need to meet him, you can probably take the train and get off at Dorval, and it looks like there is a shuttle service to the airport from the train station. Then you'll need to just figure out how to get from the airport to city. I think you can actually take public transportation if you are looking for a low budget option. If you google, you can probably find out what the taxi fare is as well (which is probably more convenient, pending traffic).

[pocheros 101]

Seconding your fiance take a taxi to your hotel. The VIA station is very close to the consulate (I took the train as well).

[SF2007 48]

Depends who gets there first, but really, I concur; your fiance should either take a cab or look into public transport to meet you downtown. Montreal is bilingual, he won't have any issue with that. Most can now accept credit cards, he just need to ask the driver prior getting in the cab (so no carrying around Canadian dollars)

It looks like VIA Rail makes a stop at the airport, but I would call them and make sure you can connect there: http://www.viarail.ca/en/useful-info/related-services/montreal-airport-shuttle. Otherwise, you want to go downtown and get off at the Montreal downtown stop on ''de la Gauchetiere''. There is a subway stop right in the building, you could meet your fiance there.

You can find an interactive subway map for Montreal here: http://www.stm.info/english/metro/a-mapmet.htm. Pretty easy to use and get around but if you have an early morning appointment, buy your tickets 1 day ahead. Automated booths in stations are often not in function.

[canafornia 7]

He can get a ticket at the airport for the 747 bus (airport express) it will take him downtown and is good for the rest of the day on buses and the metro. You could get one yourself and use it both ways if you want to be there when he arrives. It's only $8, a taxi will run you closer to $50. You can find the schedule on the stm website, it stops a few places downtown but you have to buy the ticket at berri-uqam or Lionel-groulx metros or have the correct change. Also if you planned on buying a weekly or three day pass for transit they will work for the 747 but you will have to buy his downtown as they only sell the $8 ticket at the airport.

[pocheros 101]

Also, before I went to Montreal I plugged in the consulate and VIA station to google maps and then printed it off. I printed off a larger map with the major roads and then a smaller map showing all the side streets. This helped me a lot and prevented me from getting lost.

A taxi is expensive, to be sure- it's just a convenience. The airport should have some kind of public transit area, though, with a shuttle going downtown, as other VJers have mentioned. If your fiance is unsure before boarding a bus, chances are the driver speaks English (many people in Montreal do) and he could ask just to be sure.

Edited April 4, 2012 by pocheros

[Elisinha 1]

Hi guys, thank you so much for your replies. We both are heading to Montreal Sunday Morning, well, I will try to get the VIA on Saturday to travel during the night and get there in the morning.

I think, I spoiled him a little because every time he came to Toronto I picked him up at Person, he wants me to do the same, but thing is I did not now it was that complicating and he either. So, I will search all the suggestions you guys gave me and we will figure this out. I will come back if i have more question

Thanks

[SapphireDreams 71]

I also just realized you wanted to travel overnight and I don't think Via Rail offers any overnight train service from Toronto to Montreal, so just something to consider.

[Elisinha 1]

You are right, I just checked and thats what it says.

What is name of the Airport in Montreal?

From what I see it seems like all the flights are TOO early on Sunday morning and my fiance has to work Sun to have Monday OFF to come to Montreal.. Just wanna make sure i have the right name, otherwise, it will be easier to flight to Toronto and we both get the train. Pretty much the same $$$ if he gets the cab..

Complicating!!!!

You are right, I just checked and thats what it says.

What is name of the Airport in Montreal?

From what I see it seems like all the flights are TOO early on Sunday morning and my fiance has to work Sun to have Monday OFF to come to Montreal.. Just wanna make sure i have the right name, otherwise, it will be easier to flight to Toronto and we both get the train. Pretty much the same $$$ if he gets the cab..

Complicating!!!!

[moemac59 192]

Depends who gets there first, but really, I concur; your fiance should either take a cab or look into public transport to meet you downtown. Montreal is bilingual, he won't have any issue with that. Most can now accept credit cards, he just need to ask the driver prior getting in the cab (so no carrying around Canadian dollars)

It looks like VIA Rail makes a stop at the airport, but I would call them and make sure you can connect there: http://www.viarail.ca/en/useful-info/related-services/montreal-airport-shuttle. Otherwise, you want to go downtown and get off at the Montreal downtown stop on ''de la Gauchetiere''. There is a subway stop right in the building, you could meet your fiance there.

You can find an interactive subway map for Montreal here: http://www.stm.info/english/metro/a-mapmet.htm. Pretty easy to use and get around but if you have an early morning appointment, buy your tickets 1 day ahead. Automated booths in stations are often not in function.

I found this on Via's website. Hope this helps

The free shuttle service from the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport to the Dorval rail station runs every 20-30 minutes. To take the shuttle, passengers need to call at 514 633-0975 in order for the shuttle to come and pick them up. The shuttle is located at the arrivals level at column #2 (go outside the arrivals area at the second curbside by the Best Western and VIA Rail sign). Approximate travel time is 10 minutes.

[SapphireDreams 71]

You are right, I just checked and thats what it says.

What is name of the Airport in Montreal?

From what I see it seems like all the flights are TOO early on Sunday morning and my fiance has to work Sun to have Monday OFF to come to Montreal.. Just wanna make sure i have the right name, otherwise, it will be easier to flight to Toronto and we both get the train. Pretty much the same $$$ if he gets the cab..

Complicating!!!!

You are right, I just checked and thats what it says.

What is name of the Airport in Montreal?

From what I see it seems like all the flights are TOO early on Sunday morning and my fiance has to work Sun to have Monday OFF to come to Montreal.. Just wanna make sure i have the right name, otherwise, it will be easier to flight to Toronto and we both get the train. Pretty much the same $$$ if he gets the cab..

Complicating!!!!

That's actually what we ended up doing! My husband just flew to Toronto and we made a visit out of it, took the train together (which was quite nice actually, it was good to travel together and spend time together) the day before, and then just took the train back to Toronto the afternoon after the interview. We booked a 3 p.m. train to be safe. We had plenty of time to sightsee before and after too, which was nice!

[Elisinha 1]

Yeah, we noticed that the tickets are very EXPENSIVE now, high season, sucks!!!!

We still have to figure out, to make sure we will have enough time to each transportation.

Its an expensive trip for just a couple of hours, I am going to try to convince my fiance to stay and cheers for me.

We both are nervous and excited.. well, he is calmer than me.

Thanks guys..

moemac59, your info is very useful. Thanks

[Elisinha 1]

Porcheros,

On your post above you mentioned it was close from Dorval VIA Rail to the Consulate. How far is it? What transportation did you use to get there?

Thanks,

[Elisinha 1]

Actually which station is closest to the Consulate.. Central Station QC OR Dorval Station?

Thanks

[pocheros 101]

Actually which station is closest to the Consulate.. Central Station QC OR Dorval Station?

Thanks

It's not dorval, it's central station. Central station is dowwntown montreal, dorval is farther away.

The consulate is less than a 10 minute walk from central station. If you plug in directions from "montreal central station" to "american consulate montreal" on maps.google.com it'll give you directions. It's almost a straight line.

There's a lot of construction going on (well, there was one year ago when I went... but Montreal isn't the kind of city to hurry up with construction) so when you emerge from the VIA station to the surface streets the entrance is barely noticeable. I got slightly lost on my way home because I couldn't find the VIA entrance at first I -think- central station is attached to a hotel, the Fairmont Elizabeth, but don't quote me on that.

If you wanted to make things super easy, you could get a room at that hotel. But it might be expensive, and there's cheaper alternatives in Montreal