By Car in Montréal

By Car

Montréal is accessible from the rest of Canada via the Trans-Canada Highway, which crosses the southern part of the island as Route 20, with Route 720 leading into downtown. Route 40 parallels Route 20 to the north; exits to downtown include St-Laurent and St-Denis. From New York, take I-87 north until it becomes Route 15 at the Canadian border; continue for another 47 km (29 mi) to the outskirts of Montréal. You can also follow U.S. I-89 north until it becomes two-lane Route 133, which eventually joins Route 10, an east-west highway that leads west across the Champlain Bridge and right into downtown. From I-91 through Massachusetts via New Hampshire and Vermont, you can take Route 55 to Route 10. Again, turn west to reach Montréal. At the border you must clear Canadian Customs, so be prepared with proof of citizenship (with photo ID) and your vehicle's ownership papers. On holidays and during the peak summer season, expect to wait a half hour or more at the major crossings.

Once on the island of Montréal or its surrounding boroughs, public transportation is far and away the best and cheapest way to get around. Finding your way around Montréal by car is not difficult, since the streets are laid out in a fairly straightforward grid and one-way streets are clearly marked. Parking isn't easy, however, and the narrow cobbled streets of Vieux-Montréal can be a trial. It's much easier to park near a Métro station and use public transit.

In winter, remember that your car may not start on extra-cold mornings unless it has been kept in a heated garage.

Parking

The City of Montréal has a diligent tow-away and fine system for cars double-parked or stopped in no-stopping zones downtown during rush hours and business hours. A parking ticket costs between C$42 and C$100. If your car is towed after being illegally parked, it will cost an additional C$62 to C$88 to retrieve it. Be especially alert in winter: Montréal's street plowers are ruthless in dealing with parked cars in their way. If they don't tow them, they'll bury them. When parking in residential neighborhoods, beware of the alternate-side-of-the-street-parking rules.

Rules of the Road

In Québec the road signs are in French, but the important ones have pictograms. Signs with a red circle and a slash indicate that something, such as a left or right turn, is prohibited. Those with a green circle show what is permitted. Parking signs display a green-circled P with either the number of hours you can park or a clock showing the hours parking is permitted. It's not unusual to have two or three road signs all together to indicate several different strictures. Keep in mind the following terms: centre-ville (downtown), arrêt (stop), détenteurs de permis (permit holders only), gauche (left), droit (right), ouest (west), and est (east).

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. There are heavy penalties for driving while intoxicated, and drivers and passengers must wear seat belts. New York, Maine, and Ontario residents should take note: your traffic violations in the province of Québec are entered on driving records back home (and vice versa).

If you drive in the city, remember three things: Montréal law forbids you to turn right on a red light (though Québec allows the practice in the rest of the province), Montrealers are notorious jaywalkers, and the city has some potholes the size of craters.