Getting from Toronto to Montreal (and return)

Toronto is the capital of Ontario and also the most populous city in Canada. Located on the shores of Lake Ontario , the city offers a lot of things to do. You can spend some time on the beach or try water sports. You can walk in the city, visit the museums or the zoo.

Montreal is the economical capital of Quebec province and the second largest city in Canada. It is the second largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris. Located on the banks of St. Lawrence River , the city has plenty of things to show the visitors. Spend some time in Old Montreal and visit the historical buildings. Try winter or water sports, depending on the season you plan to visit. Or just relax in one of the many parks.

Quick summary

When planning to travel between the two cities, take into account the budget and the available time. Flying is definitely faster and with single fares starting at CAD $79* , it’s not even that expensive. Train tickets are almost as expensive as airfare, but the journey time is close to traveling by bus.
The budget option is the bus with single fares starting at CAD $15 and journey times at 5h 45min.

Flights from Toronto to Montreal

While Toronto is served by three airports located in Canada, flights to/from Montreal are operated only on two of them:

• Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), located about 23 km from the city center , is the busiest airport in Canada. It is hub for Air Canada, Air Canada Express, Air Transat, CanJet, Sunwing Airlines and WestJet.
• Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ) , also known as Toronto Island Airport, is the third busiest airport in Quebec. It is hub for Porter Airlines and Air Canada Express.

Montreal is served by Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (YUL) , located 20 km from the city center. Trudeau is the busiest airport in Quebec and the third busiest airport in Canada. It is hub for Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz, Air Transat, CanJet and Sunwing Airlines.

Flights from Toronto Pearson to Montreal are operated by: Air Canada, Air Transat and West Jet; while from Toronto Island , you can choose between Porter Airlines and Air Canada Express. The flight time is little over 1 h.

Flights from Toronto Pearson to Montreal start at CAD $149 one way on Air Canada , if you want to fly in late December 2011. In mid-March expect to pay from CAD $111 one way on West Jet .
Flights from Toronto Island to Montreal start at CAD $79 on Porter Airlines one way if you plan to fly for the winter holidays. In mid-March 2012 expect to pay from CAD $89 one way.

Trains from Toronto to Montreal

VIA Rail Canada operates direct service between Toronto Union Station and Montreal Central Station (Gare Centrale). There are seven departures per day from Toronto. The first train leaves at 6:45 a.m. and the last at 6:35 p.m. The travel time is between 4h48 min and 5 ½ h.
The adult single fare is CAD $77.97.
Trains from Montreal leave at 10:10 a.m., 11:40 a.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6:10 p.m. The travel time is between 5h and 6 h. The round trip fare is CAD $155.94.

Buses from Toronto to Montreal

Direct buses between Toronto and Montreal are operated by the following companies:

• Mega Bus : offer 13 departures per day from Toronto , the first being at 00:30 a.m. and the last at 9 p.m. The travel time is between 5h 45 min and 6 ½ h. There are nine departures per day from Montreal, the first being also at 00:30 a.m. and the last at 9 p.m. The single adult fare ranges from CAD $15 to CAD $45, depending on the time of departure.
• Greyhound Canada offers 8 buses per day leaving from Toronto, all with transfer in Ottawa. The first bus leaves at 00:30 a.m. and the last at 9:15 p.m. The travel time is between 7h 40 min and 10 ½ h. There are also 8 buses per day leaving from Montreal (via Ottawa). The first bus is at 6 a.m. and the last at 11:59 p.m. The 4-day advance purchase single adult ticket is CAD $37.00, while the web only single adult ticket is CAD $50.40.

Driving from Toronto to Montreal

You can rent a car and drive the 542 km between Toronto and Montreal on ON-401 E. Part of the road is along the lake shore, so you’ll be rewarded with superb views.

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Note: * at the time the article was written

Photo credits: Toronto Union Station , Montreal Airport