TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION

Montréal is a vibrant cosmopolitan city with European flair and North American pragmatism. It is set on an island in the Saint Lawrence with many green spaces, distinct neighborhoods and numerous outdoor festivals in summer, making it a tourism favorite. Its neighborhoods range from cobblestoned, French colonial Vieux-Montréal - with the Gothic Revival Notre-Dame Basilica at its center - to bohemian Plateau or the water front along the Canal Lachine. Montréal is a foodie city and loves its outdoor terraces — explore!

The weather in August is usually warm (25-30C) and sunny, temperatures at night can dip below 20C.

Arrival

International visitors should make sure to check the official Government of Canada website for visa requirements. Please contact us if you need an invitation letter for visa purposes.

Downtown Montréal can be reached from Montréal-Trudeau International Airport by bus, taxi, Uber or Lyft

The public bus #747 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The bus provides a direct line between the airport and downtown Montréal, where it stops at a handful of métro stations and hotels. The journey time is approximately 25-35 minutes to the Lionel-Groulx métro station and 45-70 minutes to the Berri-UQAM station, depending on traffic conditions. To catch the bus, head to the arrivals level.

Tip: Buy your ticket at one of the kiosks before you board! Only exact change (no paper bills) is accepted on board. In addition to the in-person kiosks, you can purchase tickets electronically on the Chrono or Transit apps. The fare is $12 for unlimited travel throughout the STM bus and métro network and is valid for 24 consecutive hours.

Montréal airport taxis offer fixed-rate fares from Montréal airport to downtown. A trip costs CA$49.45 plus tip, and there is no price difference for a day, night or weekend trip.

Getting around in Montréal:

Montréal has an excellent public transport system. The buses and métro (aka as ‘subway’ or ‘tube’ in other parts of the world) run regularly, even late at night, and are very safe. Montréal also has an extensive dedicated network of bike lanes (more than 900km), making it easy to travel all over the city, through parks, and along the river. BIXI Montréal is an inexpensive public bicycle sharing system with many bicycles (including electric ones) that can be easily rented. If you plan on using Bixi you might want to download the Bixi app. It easily allows you to find the closest available bike station (there are several within a few 100 meters from the conference site), unlock and pay for Bixi use.

Montréal is a very walkable city — McGill University is located in downtown within easy walking distance of many sights, hotels, restaurants and bars. Parking on campus is not available and generally difficult and expensive in down-town. We thus would not recommend renting a car.