General Information

Airports
Montreal is a gateway city with two airports

Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport (formerly named DORVAL) is the main airport handling domestic and international flights. It is located 25 minutes from downtown Montreal, just 18km west from the downtown. Taxi fare from downtown Montreal to Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport is CAN$25.

Pierre Eliot Trudeau International Airport - (Dorval) Montreal, Quebec
Trudeau Airport
975 Romeo-Vachon North
Dorval, Quebec
H4Y 1H1
1-514-633-3105

Mirabel International is located in the Laurentian's region, and it takes about 50 minutes from downtown. Taxis fares to Mirabel taxis fares can be over CAN$60. Alternatives are shuttles from the major hotels downtown.

Mirabel Airport - Mirabel, Laurentians, Quebec
600 Commerce Street A4
Mirabel, Quebec
J7N 1E1
1-514 476-3010

L'Aerobus provides shuttle services between downtown Montreal and the two major airports.

Currency and Banking
The unit of currency in Canada is Canadian Dollars (CAD).
All major currencies can be exchanged at banks and currency exchange offices. Currency exchange offices can be found in major hotels, airports, some supermarkets, train and bus stations. Most establishments accept major credit cards including Euro Card, MasterCard, Visa and American Express (upon legal identification with picture). Travellers’ cheques are widely accepted by retailers and can also be exchanged in banks and currency exchange offices. ATMs can be found throughout the city.

Climate and weather conditions
Montreal's climate varies a lot over the year. The city is known for its cold winters, but the summers are hot and generally sunny. Fall in Canada is a beautiful time of year with the changing colours of the leaves and comfortable temperatures. Evenings will often remain a little chilly except on the hottest days. Average temperatures vary from 10-25°F (-13°-5°C) in January to 65-80°F (18°-27°C) in July.

Conference Venue

The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth
Located at the center of Montreal's vibrant cultural and commercial district, above the train station (Via Rail and AMTRAK) and connected to the extensive underground city of thousands of boutiques this Montreal hotel reflects the city’s distinct elegance and charm.

The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth
900 Rene Levesque Blvd. W
Montreal, Quebec
Canada
H3B4A5
Tel: 1-5148613511
Fax: 1-5149542296
E-mail: queenelizabeth.hotel@fairmont.com
Website: www.fairmont.com/queenelizabeth

Electricity
The electrical current in Canada is 110 volts AC, 60 Hz. Two parallel flat blades are standard Canadian plugs.

Time Difference
Montreal is five hours behind of Greenwich Mean Time and six hours of Central European Time.

Emergency phone numbers
The most important telephone numbers in an emergency is 9-1-1 at any time. Operators are in contact with emergency firefighter, police and ambulance services at all times. Québec Poison Control Centre: 1 800 463-5060

Entry requirements / visas
You must have a valid passport, and in some cases, you may need a visa. To find out more, visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada website. If you are an American citizen, please note that there are new requirements in effect for all United States nationals returning home. For more information, consult the U.S. Department of State website. For details on what you are allowed to bring in your baggage (gifts, merchandise, etc.), go to: Canada Border Services Agency.

An official invitation letter will be sent upon request. This letter however does NOT involve any commitments by the Conference Organizers to cover fees, accommodation, travel expenses or other costs connected to the participation in the Meeting. ILCA will not be held responsible for visa not granted.
Official invitation letters can be requested to Julen Bastarrika at least three months in advance.

Insurance / Liability
The ILCA is insured only to meet claims arising from incidents caused by the organizers and their equipments. Participants, exhibitors and visitors are strongly recommended to be properly insured against accidents they may suffer when travelling and during the Conference.

Language of the Conference
The official language of the Conference is English. No simultaneous translation will be available.

Public transport
Montreal has an excellent public transit system, the STM (Société des transports de Montréal) operating the Metro subway system (see map) and 170 daytime bus routes and 20 night routes.

You can also click on this link urban transit for information on city buses, commuter trains, subway or other urban transportation in Montreal.

Restaurants
Montreal has some of the finest restaurants and bars in North America. The city features an outstanding choice of restaurants and pubs, offering cuisine from all around the world, including Italian, Chinese, Indian, French, Russian, Thai, Canadian and American. This is one of the reasons why Montreal is considered as a lively and cultural city. Restaurants are of various types, from buffets to burgers, fine dining to fish and chips. For great meal ideas in Montreal, you can check the following links: www.tourisme-montreal.org/Cuisine/Restaurants or www.montrealkiosk.com

Shopping
There are a number of trendy and interesting shopping areas which are perfect for outdoor strolling and which feature a wide range of malls and boutiques.

Train
The main train terminus, Gare Centrale, is located in the downtown area. The station is just south of Rene Levesque Blvd, on La Gauchetiere street, between Mansfield street and University street.

VIA Rail is Canada's national rail service provider while services from the USA are operated by Amtrak

From Toronto, six daily trains run downtown to downtown in four to five hours. Four trains run daily between Montreal and Ottawa, a two-hour trip. There are three trains from Quebec City taking three hours each way.

Useful links
For more information about Montreal you can easily connect to the following website pages:

www.tourisme-montreal.org/
www.montreal.com/
wikitravel.org/en/Montreal