Welcome to Montreal

Montreal City Guide

Population:	1.7 million
Language Spoken:	French & English
Currency Used:	Canadian Dollar
Emergency Contact Number:	911
Country Calling Code:	+1
Time Zone:	UTC-05:00
Student Population:	N/A

Montreal is a French-speaking city in the Canadian provence of Quebec. It is situated in the south-east of Canada, close to the US border. After Toronto, Montreal is the second largest city in Canada, with a population of 1.7 million. Two-thirds of the population speak French! Montreal is a very important commercial and cultural city within Canada, and boasts a thriving tourist industry. Montreal has the highest percentage of students in the whole of North America, making it the perfect place to study abroad!

GETTING TO MONTREAL
Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL), the home of Air Canada, is located 12 miles from the city centre, and welcomes daily domestic and international flights. Several regular bus services, connect the airport to the city, or you can call one of the local taxi companies. If you are arriving by bus or train, Gare d'autocars de Montréal and Central Station are located on Berri street in the city centre. (TIP: another option for international students is to fly to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) and connect to Montreal by bus or train.)

GETTING AROUND MONTREAL
Public transport in Montreal consists of a metro system, trains and a bus network. The bus network (which runs throughout the night) and metro are operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and service the city centre. The metro has 4 lines operating within the city, while commuter trains service the surrounding areas of Montreal. Tickets are inexpensive, and there is a range of ticket options available including an Opus card, which is a rechargeable travel card. Montreal also operates the Bixi bike service, which is a bike hire system with numerous stations throughout the city. Many students walk or cycle.

STAYING IN MONTREAL
For short term accommodation, use one of the city's excellent hostels. For longer term student accommodation, check out our dedicated section for student accommodation in Montreal.

EATING OUT IN MONTREAL
More coming soon.

GOING OUT IN MONTREAL
More coming soon.

THINGS TO DO IN MONTREAL
Montreal is one of the most visited cities in Canada and has many attractions. Spend a few hours at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum or the Notre-Dame Basilica, visit the Montreal Science Centre, or enjoy a show at the Rialto Theatre. If you are a sports fan, there is 'NHL' ice hockey at the Bell Centre, 'MLS' football at the Saputo Stadium, and 'NBL' basketball at the Centre Pierre Charbonneau. If you fancy going for a stroll, there are plenty of great walks along the Old Port of Montreal or through the Botanical Gardens. We also recommend a visit to the Montreal Planetarium and the 'Habitat 67' community.

SHOPPING IN MONTREAL
Montreal offers a variety of shopping experiences. Popular streets in the city centre include, Rue Sherbrooke, Rue Sainte-Catherine and Les Cours Mont-Royal. These streets are filled with trendy boutiques and all of the latest fashion stores. The city is home to a number of very impressive shopping malls. Try Place Alexis-Nihon, Westmount Square and the Eaton Centre, all of these boast scores of high street brand stores and eateries. For something more traditional, we recommend the Jean-Talon Market, and why not spend some time at the eccentric and intriguing Plaza St. Hubert, which offers a variety of street shopping under canopies! 

STUDYING IN MONTREAL
Montreal is home to a number of universities and colleges, and as previously mentioned, has the highest percentage of students than any other North American city. Universities include McGill University, the Université de Montréal and the Concordia University. For more infomation on studying at any of these, please visit the university section of the website.