Montreal Transportation

In 2007, city police began cracking down on jaywalkers in an attempt to cut down on the number of accidents involving pedestrians. So when traveling by foot, be sure to cross only at the corner and only when you have a green light or a walk sign. The fine is C$37 (£19).

July 1: Citywide Moving Day -- Montréal is an island of renters, and close to 100,000 of them move from old apartments to new ones every July 1 -- on that date, and only that date. It coincides with Canada's National Day, ensuring that separatist-minded Francophone Québécois won't have time to celebrate a holiday they have no intention of observing anyway.

All but certain to be miserably hot and humid, July 1 is a trial that can, nevertheless, be hilarious to observe. You'll see families struggling to get bedroom sets and large appliances down narrow outdoor staircases, and watch as sidewalks become obstacle courses of baby cribs, bicycles, and overflowing cardboard boxes. A cacophony of horns arises as streets become clogged with every serviceable van, truck, and SUV.

Later in the day, hundreds of people arrive at their new digs and discover gifts of junk no longer desired by their predecessors -- busted furniture, pantries of old food, pitiful plants.

No one can explain why reason didn't prevail long ago in the form of a mandated staggered schedule. Unless you're interested in simply observing the mayhem, you'll want to either be someplace else on that day, or put on a strong backpack to wear while walking around for some good trash picking.

By Metro

For speed and economy, nothing beats Montréal's Métro system. The stations are marked on the street by blue-and-white signs that show a circle enclosing a down-pointing arrow. Although starting to show its age (the system has run at a financial deficit in recent years), the Métro is relatively clean, and quiet trains whisk passengers through an expanding network of underground tunnels. Information is online at www.stm.info.

Fares are by the ride, not by distance. Single rides cost C$2.75 (£1.40), a strip of six tickets goes for C$12 (£6), and a weekly pass, good for unlimited rides, sets you back C$19 (£9.65). Reduced fares are available to children and, with special Métro ID cards, seniors and students. Sales are cash only; buy tickets from the booth attendant in any station or from a convenience store.

Tourist Cards can be a good deal if you plan to use the Métro more than three times in 1 day. You get unlimited access to the bus and Métro network for 1 day for C$9 (£4.50) or 3 consecutive days for C$17 (£8.50). The front of the card has scratch-off sections like a lottery card -- you scratch out the month and day (or 3 consecutive days) on which you wish to use the card.

To enter the system, slip your ticket into the slot in the turnstile or show your pass to the booth attendant. If you plan to transfer to a bus, take a transfer ticket (correspondence) from the machine just inside the turnstile; every Métro station has one, and it allows you a free transfer to a bus wherever you exit the subway. Remember to take the transfer ticket at the station where you first enter the system. If you start a trip by bus and intend to continue on the Métro, ask the driver for a transfer.

The Métro runs from about 5:30am to 1am. If you plan to be out late, check the website at www.stm.info or call tel. 514/786-4636 for the exact times of each line's last train.

The system is not immune to transit strikes, and convenient as it is, there can be substantial distances between stations. Accessibility is sometimes difficult for people with mobility restrictions or parents with strollers.

By Bus

Bus fares cost the same as those for Métro trains, and Métro tickets are good on buses, too. Exact change is required to pay bus fares in cash. Although they run throughout the city (and give tourists the decided advantage of traveling aboveground), buses don't run as frequently or as swiftly as the Métro. If you start a trip on the bus and want to transfer to the Métro, ask the bus driver for a transfer ticket.

By Taxi

There are plenty of taxis run by several different companies. Cabs come in a variety of colors and styles, so their principal distinguishing feature is the plastic sign on the roof. At night, the sign is illuminated when the cab is available. The initial charge is C$3.15 (£1.60). Each additional kilometer (2/3 mile) adds C$1.45 (75p), and each minute of waiting adds C55¢ (30p). A short ride from one point to another downtown usually costs about C$6 (£3). Tip about 10% to 15%. Members of hotel and restaurant staffs can call cabs, many of which are dispatched by radio. They line up outside most large hotels or can be hailed on the street.

Montréal taxi drivers range in temperament from sullen cranks to the unstoppably loquacious. Some know their city well, others have sketchy knowledge and poor language skills, so it's a good idea to have your destination written down -- with the cross street -- to show your driver.

By Car

Montréal is an easy city to navigate by car. Visitors arriving by plane or train, though, will probably want to rely on public transportation and cabs. A rental car can come in handy for trips outside of town or if you plan to drive to Québec City.

Terms, cars, and prices for rentals are similar to those in the U.S., and all the larger American companies operate in Canada. Basic rates are about the same from company to company, although a little comparison shopping can unearth modest savings. A charge is usually levied when you return a car in a location other than the one in which it was rented.

If you'll be doing much driving in the city, you may want to pick up the pocket-size atlas by JDM Géo. It's published by MapArt (www.mapart.com) and sold at gas stations throughout Canada. The map offers more detail than most, especially in the areas outside the primary tourist orbit. The company also sells good maps for the Laurentians and Cantons-de-l'Est regions discussed in chapter 12.

It can be difficult to park for free on downtown Montréal's heavily trafficked streets, but there are plenty of metered spaces. Look around before walking off without paying. Traditional meters are set well back from the curb so they won't be buried by plowed snow in winter. Parking costs C$3 (£1.50) per hour, and meters are in effect weekdays until 9pm and weekends until 6pm.

If there are no parking meters in sight, you're not off the hook. New computerized Pay 'N Go stations are quickly replacing meters. Look for the black metal kiosks: They're columns about 6 feet tall with a white "P" in a blue circle. Press the "English" button, enter the letter from the space where you are parked, then pay with cash or a credit card, following the on-screen instructions.

In addition, check for signs noting restrictions, usually showing a red circle with a diagonal slash. The words LIVRAISON SEULEMENT, for example, mean "delivery only." Most downtown shopping complexes have underground parking lots, as do the big downtown hotels. Some hotels don't charge extra if you want to take your car in and out during the day -- which is useful if you plan to do some sightseeing by car.

The limited-access expressways in Québec are called autoroutes, distances are given in kilometers (km), and speed limits are given in kilometers per hour (kmph). Because French is the province's official language, some highway signs are only in French, though Montréal's autoroutes and bridges often bear dual-language signs.

One traffic signal function often confuses newcomers: Should you wish to make a turn and you know that the street runs in the correct direction, you may be surprised to initially see just a green arrow pointing straight ahead instead of a green light permitting the turn. The arrow is just to give pedestrians time to cross the intersection. After a few moments, the light will turn from an arrow to a regular green light and you can proceed with your turn.

A blinking green light means that oncoming traffic still has a red light, making it safe to make a left turn.

Turning right on a red light is prohibited on the island of Montréal, except where specifically allowed by an additional green arrow. Off the island, it is now legal to turn right after stopping at red lights, except where there's a sign specifically prohibiting that move.

By Bike

The city has a great system of bike paths, and bicycling is common not just for recreation but for transportation as well.

Most Métro stations have large bike racks, and in some neighborhoods, sections of the road where cars would normally park are fenced off for bike parking.

Passengers can take bicycles on the Métro from 10am to 3pm and after 7pm on weekdays and all day on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. This rule is suspended, however, on special-event days when the trains are too crowded. Bikers should board the first car of the train, which can hold a maximum of four bikes (if there are already that many bikes on that car, you have to wait for the next train).

The nonprofit biking organization Vélo Québec (tel. 800/567-8356 or 514/521-8356 in Montréal; www.velo.qc.ca) has the most up-to-date information on the state of bike paths and offers guided tours throughout the province (vélo means bicycle in French).

Several taxi companies participate in the "Taxi+Vélo" program. To partake, call one of them, specify that you have a bike to transport, and a cab with a specially designed rack arrives. Up to three bikes can be carried for an extra fee of C$3 (£1.50) each. The companies are listed on a PDF at www.velo.qc.ca (search the French-language pages for "taxi") and include Taxi Diamond Montréal (tel. 514/271-6331) and Taxi Union Longueuil (tel. 450/679-6262).

Bicycle rentals are available from ÇaRoule/Montréal on Wheels (tel. 514/866-0633; www.caroulemontreal.com) at 27 rue de la Commune est, the waterfront road bordering Vieux-Port.

In June 2008, the city announced that it will soon start testing a self-service bicycle rental program. This is similar to programs in Paris, Barcelona, Munich, and Berlin, where users pick up bikes from one station and then drop them off at another for a small fee. Projections call for 2,400 bikes to be in operation by spring 2009 with some 300 stations in Montréal's central boroughs. Find out more at www.statdemtl.qc.ca/en/bike.