Visit the flourishing historic city of Montreal and discover a culture lying at the
crossroads between the French and English of Canada. From the exquisite 19th-century
Museum of Fine Arts and the greenery of its central mountain, Mont
Royal, to buzzing nightclubs on the Plateau, Montreal truly has something
to offer everyone.
Background
Once inhabited by Iroquois native Canadians, Montreal lies on a hilly island in the
St Lawrence River. With a simple grid layout, it's a great city
to explore no matter what the season. Bundle up in winter for a frosty walk along
the Old Port, which creates the southern edge of the city. Jutting north
you'll find Boulevard St Laurent, which divides the city between
east and west, and changes from Chinatown to the Plateau along the
way. Go west to explore Westmount, with upscale residential areas, shops and
restaurants. Head east to Saint-Denis, a relatively Francophone area, with
lively bistros, bars and fashion boutiques. In the centre of it all is Mont
Royal, the small mountain from which Montreal gets its name.
First-time visit
Hike up to the top of 233-metre-high Mont Royal and revel in the
city's mix of 17th-century churches and modern-day architecture. Explore
the history of this, Canada's second largest city, at the Centre
d'histoire de Montréal. After all that, enjoy a
melt-in-your-mouth smoked meat sandwich for lunch at one of the city's
famed Jewish delis. Dance the night away at a Plateau after-hours club
boasting some of the best sound systems in North America, then relax the next day at
a spa on Westmount's well-to-do high street.
Return visit
Coming back to Montreal for more? Venture up to the Jean Talon area to check
out the bustling marketplace of Little Italy. Or learn about
Montreal's working-class history at the Écomusée du
fier monde museum, which is housed in a stunning Art Deco former public bath
house. Try your luck at Casino de Montreal and then spend your winnings in
the boutiques of the Saint-Denis area.
Canada's third-busiest airport, Montreal-Trudeau (officially Montreal-Pierre
Elliott Trudeau International Airport) transports 12 million passengers a year. From
the airport it takes 30-45 minutes to travel downtown, depending on traffic.
A central public area links the domestic, transborder and international jetties of
the terminal.
Airport parking
Short-, medium- and long-stay parking is available. There are shuttle buses to the
economy lots. Valet parking is available.
Time zone
GMT -5 (-4 in summer).
Useful tips
Queues for customs and immigration can be unexpectedly long - especially for smokers,
since the terminal is non-smoking. ATMs are limited - try the Departures level if
necessary. Traffic and major roadworks near the airport may cause delays. Confirm
your flight status in advance if there's heavy snowfall or icy rain.
Please note that you won't be able to make changes to your hotel or car booking. If you want to change your booking you will have to cancel your current booking and make a new booking. This can be done on ba.com.
We cannot guarantee that the same hotel room or car rental option will still be available if you have to cancel and make a new booking.
