Transportation in Montreal

Montreal moves on the STM metro and bus network, fast, clean, and cheap enough that locals treat it like tap water. Grab an OPUS card from any station machine; it's reloadable, works on both metros and buses, and spares you the exact-change dance. The four metro lines (Green, Orange, Yellow, Blue) form a tight downtown grid. Outside rush hours they run every 3-5 minutes, so waiting feels optional. Buses fill the gaps. But if you see a route number starting with "4xx" you're on an overnight owl, handy after last metro at 1 a.m. (2:30 on weekends). For the airport run, the 747 express bus is the insider choice: it leaves from Berri-UQAM and Lionel-Groulx stations, takes roughly 25-30 minutes to YUL, and costs a fraction of a taxi. Skip the curbside hustlers offering "flat rates"; the official taxi queue outside Arrivals is metered and usually faster. If you land after the 747 stops (around 1 a.m.), the taxi becomes the sensible splurge, just confirm the meter is running before you roll.