If you are settled in Montréal and are looking for a fun-filled weekend away with friends or family, New York is the perfect city break destination. The ‘Big Apple’ is bursting with life and energy; with its vibrant history and myriad cultures interwoven throughout the city there will always be new areas to explore, activities to get involved in, and culinary delights to experience. With its close proximity to Montréal, it will be easy for you to make the trip…no doubt more than once! Here are some useful tips for your trip to New York, New York.

There are a number of transportation options to make the 600km journey, including coach, car, plane and train.

By coach:

Coaches between Montréal and New York can be a great option if you have time to spare and are looking for a relatively cheap fare. Coaches are frequent between the Gare d’autocars de Montréal and Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, and there are even night buses which will allow you to arrive first thing in the morning – and hopefully sleep while you travel! Many coaches offer free Wifi for passengers, as well as other entertainment including movies, TV, news and games, so there are plenty of ways to pass the time.

The main operators along this route are Greyhound and Trailways NY. Both Greyhound and Trailways offer transit times ranging from 7hr 45min to 9hr 30min, and costing from approx. $72 to $110* each way depending on which type of ticket you choose (e.g. Economy or Flexible), or if you require extra luggage. Some companies will accept tickets purchased through other operators: for example, Trailways will honour tickets written by most other bus companies, including Greyhound, but do check this before you travel.

*Please note the fares above are based on a return journey outbound on a Friday, inbound on a Sunday, booked a week in advance in April (2018), and are subject to change.

When travelling via coach from Canada to the USA (and vice versa), do remember that you will need to bring various travel documents, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will stop coaches at the border to check these. Documents required may include: passport; Canadian Permanent Resident Card; Enhanced Driver’s License/Enhanced Identification Card; NEXUS, FAST/EXPRESS and SENTRI enrollment cards. For non-Canadian citizens you will generally need a passport and a visa to enter the USA, unless you are a citizen from a country eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, VWP, where only a valid passport is required. Check the U.S. CBP website for further information.

By car:

If you fancy a road trip, why not travel by car – a relatively inexpensive and fast way to get to New York. The most direct journey takes approximately 6hr 30min via the I-87 motorway, and your expenses will include fuel and tolls along the way. Depending on the route you take, the trip can be incredibly scenic (check out U.S. Route 9W north of Poughkeepsie, State Route 9D or the Palisades and Taconic parkways).

As with journeying by coach, you will need to provide the correct travel documents when you reach the USA/Canada border in your car, so please check the requirements before you travel.

Remember to consider parking in New York when planning your trip, especially if your hotel/accommodation for your stay doesn’t include parking. There are plenty of parking options in the city, including free and metered on-street and garage/lot parking. You can look here for more information. There is also the option of parking further afield, for example in White Plains (approx. 35km north of Manhattan), and taking the train to Grand Central Terminal; this 40min train journey will save you over an hour (minimum) of navigating central New York in your car!

By plane:

Travelling by plane may be the fastest option for travelling between Montréal and New York, but not by much when you take into consideration the time spent getting to/from the airport, time in the airport at either end, and the 1hr 30min flight duration (direct). It is also likely to be your most expensive option, with prices ranging from $275 to over $400 for a round trip. The most popular operators on this route are Air Canada, Delta and American Airlines.

By train:

It is possible to take the train from Montréal to New York with Amtrak, the American national rail company. On board Amtrak’s Adirondack trains (numbers 68 and 69), you will journey through the scenic Hudson Valley and enjoy wonderful country views, stopping at various cities along the way. In fact, Adirondack has been rated a “Top 10 Most Scenic Train Ride in the World”. Comforts on the Adirondack include a Café Car, as well as free Wifi.

Although tickets for the train are relatively cheap, the Adirondack service only runs once per day (leaving in the morning and arriving in the evening in both directions), with a duration of 10 to 11 hours. You can see the timetable here. A journey from Montréal Gare Centrale/Central Station to Penn Station, NY, costs approximately $69 to $100 each way, depending on the type of ticket purchased (e.g. Value or Flexible). It is also possible to buy a multi-city ticket, which will allow you to break up your journey, to travel over a couple of days and explore new places along the way.

Again, when crossing the US/Canada border on the train, do make sure to have all your required travel documents to hand.

However you choose to make the journey to New York, we hope you enjoy the ride as much as your stay in the city itself!

Learn more

For more information about living and traveling in Canada, check out these helpful articles and links:

Photo Credits : Wikipedia