Car Rental at Montreal Airport

Airport travel guide

For many travelers, Montreal is the best destination to visit in Canada. In addition to a fascinating history, the city also boasts an equally diverse cultural scene and has plenty of ways to keep a visitor entertained. These are some of Montreal’s most interesting destinations both in the city and nearby:

• Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. One of the finest cultural institutions of its kind in Canada, if not all of North America, MMFA (or MBAM, as it is abbreviated in French) welcomes about 1.3 million visitors every year. Partitioned into five giant pavilions, the museum has exhibitions on everything from classical European masters to important Canadian creators, to Inuit and other Indigenous Canadian art. Visit its official homepage to learn more.
• Atwater Market. Open since the 1930s, this might be one of the most interesting market places in all of Canada. Located in a unique Art Deco building, it offers the produce of local farmers from all over Quebec, but the experience of visiting the place is just as interesting as buying something. The market is in the Saint-Henri neighborhood, alongside the Lachine Canal.
• Montreal Planetarium. One of the youngest in the family of Montreal museums and cultural institutions – it celebrates its 15th birthday in 2028 – the Planetarium has almost immediately become one of the most popular all-family attractions in the city. Immediately recognizably for its futuristic building, it is made up of the Milky Way Theater (dedicated to science) and Chaos Theater (dedicated to a more artistic and imaginative understanding of the universe). The museum’s exhibitions cover such varied topics as the origins of life, meteorites, and Aurora Borealis or northern lights, the phenomenon common in North Canada. Visit the planetarium’s homepage to learn more.
• Parc du Mont-Royal. Surrounding the Royal Mountain, the triple-peaked hill that gave the city its name, this park both has a symbolic importance in the mythology of Montreal and remains a popular green oasis for locals and visitors alike to enjoy. The park is also home to several monuments and other landmarks such as the Mount Royal Chalet which houses artworks and serves as the site for various cultural events.
• Mont-Tremblant National Park. Located about a two-hour drive to the northwest of Montreal, the Trembling Mountain and the territory that surrounds it is one of the most interesting protected areas in Quebec. It is known for its great skiing in winter and hiking in the summer, and the village of Mont-Tremblant is, interestingly, also home to a Buddhist monastery.

Top international routes

• Toronto
• New York City
• Ottawa
• Chicago
• Vancouver
• Calgary
• Halifax
• Winnipeg
• Paris
• London

Main airlines

The airport is a hub for Air Canada, the country’s flag carrier. It connects Montreal with major Canadian cities along with major American cities and cities in Europe and Asia. Air Inuit is based at the airport and connects Montreal to Nunavik, Labrador, and Nunavut in the extreme north of Canada. Air Transit is also based at the airport with connections to many vacation destinations. Many major European and America airlines also serve the airport.

Terminals

The single four-story terminal is divided into four zones — the public area (departures and arrivals halls), the domestic jetty, the international jetty, and the transborder jetty. You can easily get between them.

Location

Montreal Airport is about 20 km (12 mi) from central Montreal. Autoroutes 20 and 720 are the main roads connecting the airport to the city. The drive usually takes less than 30 minutes, though it can be longer if traffic is particularly bad.

Most popular types of rental car

• Large cars - from $34 per day
• SUVs - from $35 per day
• Medium cars - from $34 per day
• Small cars - from $46 per day
• Vans - from $63 per day
• Premium cars - from $90 per day

Car rental desks

Alamo’s desk is located un the Short Term parking lot on the ground floor level of the airport’s terminal.

Discount and Economy are located on Michel Jasmin Avenue. Both companies provide shuttles from the airport.

Services and facilities

You’ll find many bars, restaurants and fast food outlets, as well as different kinds of shops. Duty-free stores are in the departures area. There are also ATMs, an on-site hotel, a children’s play area, baby changing rooms, a pet relief area, an observation deck, art exhibitions, a spa, and an interfaith prayer room. A cloakroom for luggage storage, open 4 am - 12 am, is located in the domestic area. The airport is for the most part well equipped for travelers with reduced mobility. You can find more information on the airport's official website.

Nearest gas station

An Esso station at 395 Avenue Dorval is the closest station to the Airport. It is only a seven-minute drive from the airport (for Alamo renters) and even less from the locations of Discount and Economy Rent a Car. There is another gas station located next to Economy and Discount, though it is a small full-service station and therefore usually more expensive.

Popular one-way rentals

• Ottawa (183 km / 114 miles)
• Quebec City (276 km / 171 miles)
• Toronto (526 km / 327 miles)
• New York City (602 km / 374 miles)
• Boston (509 km / 316 miles)
• Kingston (272 km / 169 miles)