Keys to the City

Facts & Fundamentals

What do you get when you cross Old World charm and Canadian enterprise with French joie de vivre? Why Montréal, certainment! Situated on an island between the Riviers des Prairies and the St. Lawrence, the city itself is a confluence of modern ubanity and the quaintly historical. From humble beginnings as a "discovery" of an Iroquois settlement by the French explorer Jacques Cartier, this island city has grown to become the second largest metropolitan area in Canada and, as well over half the population speak French as their first language; it is the second most populous French-speaking city in the world. Nearly two million people call Montréal home, and thousands of them take to the streets to enjoy the surprisingly sultry temperatures and celebrations that accompany the city's many festivals in summer. Visit year round and experience sweet indulgence in early spring with maple sugar running, fall for the glorious autumn leaves or ski the slopes and shop the underground malls in winter.

Coming & Going

Montreal's truly cosmopolitan flair is only enhanced by its accessibility, connected globally by major airlines and only an hour and a half from New York City, two from Chicago and six from London. Please note that the airport (16 miles west of the city) officially changed its name to Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International in 2004 and boasts a new international jetty completed in 2005.

Rail service comes directly into Gare Centrale (Central Station) from New York and Washington and has connections available to eastern and western Canada and an underground passage to the Bonaventure metro station. Board the bus downtown which is also connected to the metro at the Berri-UQAM station.

Making Your Way

Good news for travelers and residents alike, Montreal can be easily navigated on foot, bicycle or with public transportation. In fact, many of the sights and neighborhoods are within walking distance of each other. In old Montreal, some of the streets such as Place Jacques Cartier and La Gauchetiere are closed to traffic which is fortunate since they are often crowded with pedestrians. The Montreal Urban Community Transport Commission has complete information on the metro and bus service. Taxis are also plentiful and reasonably priced.

News & Views

Montrealers stay connected through the more than 200 newspapers and magazines and over 60 AM, FM and internet radio stations. Chose from 24 Heures, Canoe, L'Express, or Le Magazine for news and cultural happenings. For business travelers interested in local economics, Journal L'Edition in French. For English readers, The Gazette offers a wide swath of national and international news. For those seeking the alternative, check out Mirror or Club Culture.

Quirks & Curiosities

It can be difficult to get directions straight in Montreal. Just keep in mind that the dividing line separating east and west is St-Laurent Boulevard which runs north-south (it's also known as the Main). Street numbers on east-west streets are all in reference to St-Laurent Blvd. It has been observed that people drive very fast here and whizz past stop signs and red lights. Speaking of stop signs, they look familiar but they don't actually say "stop" or "Arrêt." No right turns are permitted on red.

Though French is the national language, don't worry about not being able to speak it. Most residents are bilingual, museums offer tours in English, and most menus and newpapers are printed in both languages.

A word about BYOB: many restaurants offer the option of having patrons bring their own wine, and they will uncork and serve it at no extra charge. This is especially helpful for those on a budget since purchasing wine can be quite expensive.

Getting Your Bearings

Visit one of the well-equipped Tourist Information Centers at 1001, Square Dorchester or in Vieux-Montréal at 174 rue Notre-Dame Est Québec and 12 rue Sainte-Anne.

If you should run into trouble, the emergency number is 911 and
directory assistance can be dialed at 411or 0 for the operator.

There are Bell Prepaid phone passes: The LaPuce card (1-800-404-PUCE) is used in payphones and is offered in $10, $20 and $50 denominations. The HELLO! card (1-800-549-Allô) is used at public or private phone and it costs $10, $20, $50 or $100. Both are good for local and long distance calls.

Necessities - Post Offices

The main branch of the post office is located at 1250 University corner of Cathcart (one street south of Ste-Catherine street) dowtown. If you're burning to send postcards home from your trip, check out the Canada Post Corporation web site: www.canadapost.ca for all the information on rates for domestic and international postage.

Common Courtesies

Tipping is not an exact science, but is customary if you consider the service to your satisfaction. Waiters, bartenders and taxi drivers consider 15 percent the standard, unless a gratuity is already included in your bill. Baggage handlers at hotels and airports should be given one Canadian dollar per bag, a hotel doorman, 50 cents to one Canadian dollar for loading or unloading luggage (or other similar service) and the maid should be left one to two Canadian dollars per day. Look out for the initials T.P.S. and T.V.Q. next to prices. These are government taxes, not VAT (value added tax) like in Europe that allows you to skip tipping.