By metro or bus in Montreal
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Fanfare for Copland
The sounds produced by electrical equipment when a Montreal Metro train is departing are actually the first three notes of Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland, although this is really just a coincidence.
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Montreal Metro train at Place-des-Arts station
The public transit system, run by Société de transport de Montréal (STM) , is safe, efficient, and pleasant to use. Tickets have been replaced by cards with magnetic stripe containing one trip, called an à la carte ticket. These are valid for one trip (including unlimited transfers in the same way for 90 min) on the metro and buses, costing $3.00 each (exact fare in coins is required on the buses but not on the metro) but are also available for less when you purchase six for $14.25 either from the metro agent or the automatic fare vending machine located in metro stations.
Note that metro tickets are not valid in Laval and Longueuil, and you will need to pay the same $3.00 at the agents there.
You need to keep your payment card as it is both your transfer and your proof of payment (correspondance); fare inspectors may give you a large fine if you are unable to show it when they request it.
If you are using cash to pay your fare on the bus, it is important to have the exact fare since the driver does not give change; you will receive an à la carte ticket, your proof of payment and your transfer. Pictures and specific instructions can be found here.
Tourist passes offer unlimited travel on the bus and metro for periods of one day ($8) or three days ($16) and are well worth it to avoid fumbling for change, checking transfer times and restrictions, and worrying about getting off at the wrong stop and having to repay. They are available from most downtown metro stations during the summer but only at Berri-UQAM, Peel, and Bonaventure stations off-season (Update 3-2011: tourist passes available pretty much everywhere there is an OPUS machine, pay cash or use Canadian credit cards only). Weekly ($22.00 regular, $12.75 for students under 18; valid from the nearest Sunday of purchase) and monthly ($72.75 regular, $41.00 for students under 25) passes are also available; unlike one day and three day passes, weekly and monthly passes must be loaded onto an OPUS card (see below) and are not available in paper ticket form. Only students studying at a recognized academic institution in Montréal may benefit from student fares, and a special card must be obtained from the STM.
The OPUS card is a smart card with a chip that contains your fare and transfer information. The OPUS card can be purchased at all metro stations and transit fare points of sale. As of December 2010, the card costs $6. You can find your nearest seller here.
OPUS cards can be refilled at metro stations using the automated machines or at the ticket booth.
The STM website offers an online trip-planner service. Trip planning can also be done using Google Maps. Free bus and Metro system maps are available from the ticket booth at most metro stations. These are useful to find where you are on the island.
At each subway station, directions are not indicated by compass directions, such as westbound or eastbound. Instead, trains go in the direction of a subway line's terminus. The green line runs from Angrignon in the west to Honoré-Beaugrand in the east. If you were to travel eastbound, for example, you would look for Honoré-Beaugrand on the platform. If you were to travel westbound, you would look for Angrignon. There are four interchange stations at which commuters can change subway lines without extra charge: Snowdon (blue/orange), Lionel-Groulx (orange/green), Berri-UQAM (green/yellow/orange), and Jean-Talon (orange/blue).
Bicycles are permitted aboard metro trains outside of the rush hours such as: 10:00am to 3:00pm and 7:00pm to end of service on weekdays and all day Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. Bikes are only allowed in the lead car of the train up to a maximum of 6. STM staff may deny bikes aboard the metro for safety reasons such as special events that might generate a high level of ridership. Bike riding inside stations or the Underground City is strictly prohibited.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Montreal
