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Montreal Facts
Population: 3.4 million
Area: 61 sq. miles
Time: Eastern Standard Time (When it is 12:00 Noon in New York City; it is 12:00 Noon in Montreal.
When to Go
Summer and fall are popular because of the mild weather and a number of festivals: the 10-day Festival International de Jazz in late June, the International Fireworks Competition in late June and July, and the World Film Festival and Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in August. For winter sports enthusiasts, December - March are the months of choice. Fierce weather is never a problem in Montreal - visitors can always retreat to the pleasant year-round climate of the Underground City! Montreal is beautiful at any time of the year.
Holidays
New Year's Day, (January 1)
Good Friday, Easter Monday,
Victoria Day (third Monday in May)
St. Jean Baptiste Day (June 24) is a provincial holiday.
Canada Day (July 1)
Labour Day (first Monday in September)
Thanksgiving (second Monday in October)
Remembrance Day (November 11)
Christmas, and Boxing Day (December 25, December 26)
Banks & Offices
Most banks in Canada are open Monday through Thursday 10-3 and Friday 10-5 or 6. Some banks are open longer hours and also on Saturday morning. All banks are closed on national holidays. Banks, shopping malls, many large hotels, and some gas stations have automated teller machines (ATMs) that are accessible around the clock.
Museums & Sights
Hours at museums vary, but most open at 10 or 11 and close in the evening. Some smaller museums close for lunch. Many museums are closed on Monday; some make up for it by staying open late on Wednesday, often waiving admission.
Churches are usually closed and locked (to prevent vandalism) except during scheduled religious services The Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal, however, is open daily, usually from 9-6.
Arriving & Departing
By Air
Dorval International Airport (YUL) (975 blvd. René-Vachon, Dorval, 514/394-7377), 221/2 km (14 mi) west of the city, handles all scheduled foreign and domestic flights and some charter operations.
Mirabel International Airport (YMX) (12600 rue Aérogare, Mirabel, 514/394-7377), 541/2 km (34 mi) northwest of the city, serves most charter traffic.
Passengers departing Montréal must pay a $15 airport-improvement fee before they can board their plane.
Flying time to Montréal is 11/2 hours from New York, 2 hours from Chicago, 6 hours from Los Angeles, and 61/2 hours from London.
Transfers Between the Airport and Town
By Bus
L'Aerobus ( 514/931-9002) offers shuttle service into town from Mirabel and Dorval. Shuttle service from Mirabel to the terminal next to the Gare Centrale (777 rue de la Gauchetière) is frequent
By Bus
Greyhound Canada ( 800/661-8747) has service from Toronto and points west in Canada.
All buses arrive at and depart from the city's downtown bus terminal, the Station Central d'Autobus Montréal (505 blvd. de Maisonneuve Est, 514/842-2281), which connects with the Berri-UQAM Métro station.
By Car
Montréal is accessible from the rest of Canada via the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1), which enters the city from the east and west via Routes 20 and 40. The New York State Thruway (I-87) becomes Route 15 at the Canadian border, and then it's 47 km (29 mi) to the outskirts of Montréal. U.S. I-89, from New Hampshire and Vermont, becomes Route 133 at the border, eventually joining Route 10 to reach Montréal. I-91, from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, becomes Route 55 at the border and also joins up with Route10.
By Train
The Gare Centrale, on rue de la Gauchetière between rues University and Mansfield (behind Le Reine Elizabeth), is the rail terminus for all trains from the United States and from other Canadian provinces. It is connected underground to the Bonaventure Métro station.
Amtrak ( 800/872-7245) Adirondack leaves New York's Penn Station every morning for the 101/2-hour trip through scenic upstate New York to Montréal. The Vermonter, which travels between Washington, D.C., and St. Alban's, Vermont, is also connected with Montréal, via a through bus connection provided by Amtrak.
VIA Rail ( 514/989-2626; 888/842-7245; 800/361-5390 in Québec) connects Montréal with all the major cities of Canada, including Québec City, Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
By Bus
Société de Transport de Montréal ( 514/288-6287), (STM), administers the buses as well as the Métro, so the same tickets and transfers (free) are valid on either service.
By Car
Car Rentals
Rental cars are readily available in Montreal.
Insurance.
For insurance information, contact Insurance Bureau of Canada ( 416/362-9528; 800/387-2880 in Canada, www.ibc.ca).
Gasoline
Gasoline is always sold in liters (a gallon=3.8 liters). Lead-free is called sans plomb.
Rules of the Road
Road signs are in French in Québec. The speed limit is posted in kilometers; on highways the limit is 100 kph (about 62 mph), and the use of radar-detection devices is prohibited : possession of such a device in a car, even if it is not in operation, is illegal in Québec. Québec law forbids you to turn right on a red light.
By Subway
The Métro, or subway, is clean, quiet, and safe and it's heated in winter and cooled in summer. The Métro is also connected to the 18 miles of the Underground City. Each of the 65 stops has been individually designed and decorated. Free maps may be obtained at Métro ticket booths.
By Taxi
Taxis in Montréal all run on the same rate.
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