Getting to Montréal
Bon SecoursMontréal is on an island in the Saint Lawrence river, close to the Canada/U.S. border. With a metropolitan population of 3,360,000, it is the largest city in the Province of Québec, and the second largest city in Canada. Official Montréal city web site.
You will need a passport
All international travellers (including U.S. citizens) should carry a passport when visiting Canada. Canada also requires
visitors from some countries to obtain a visa. The U.S. will require passports for U.S. departure and re-entry. We recommend American attendees
apply for a passport now rather than wait until the last minute.
Driving
You can get driving distances and directions from
Google maps or
Mapquest. Mapquest’s ‘State’ code for Québec is QC.
GPS to
1001 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montréal (Québec), Canadaor
159 rue Saint-Antoine Ouest, Montréal (Québec), Canada
Visit our
Driving page for directions to your hotel instead of the convention center.
Rail
Anticipation has designated
VIA Rail Canada (serving British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia) as its official railway service provider.
Between August 1st and August 15th, 2009, Anticipation attendees can claim a 10% discount off the best available round-trip fare to Montreal in Comfort Class/VIA1 or Sleeper Class. The discounted fare is restricted to a maximum of two passengers per party, and no stopovers are allowed except on trains 001 and 002, which allow one stop.
When booking your travel, you must create a login profile, then reference our event confirmation number,
11469, during booking to get the discount.
Also, the Amtrak ‘Adirondack’ service runs daily between NY city and Montréal. The arrival station is at the Hilton Bonaventure, one of our Worldcon hotels.
Flying
Anticipation has designated Air Canada as its official airline service provider. Anticipation attendees may be eligible for a 10% discount for travel to Montréal-Trudeau airport between August 3rd and August 13th, 2009. Anticipation members will receive notice of the promotion code. If you are a member and do not receive notice by May 29th, please contact registration@anticipationsf.ca.
The airport web site will tell you what to expect when you arrive.
YUL Airport link
Note - When searching the web for flights, “YMQ” is NOT a Montréal airport. It signifies the Montréal metropolitan area. Look only for flights to YUL.
Getting from Airport to Hotel
So you’ve claimed your bags and made it through Customs. How do you get to Anticipation?
Local transportation
What can you do in Montréal?
Besides the Worldcon, of course. There are lots of places to discover in Montréal, and we have a whole page of things to see and do and dine. IN addition, Tourisme Montréal has kindly set up a Montréal page for Worldcon members.
Canada Sightseeing Tours
Montréal is a great city, but there’s more to Canada. Plans are being made for 9 to 14 day sightseeing tours of Canada in conjunction with the Worldcon. These aren’t officially part of Anticipation, but your tour-mates will be Anticipation members, and the tour guides are long-time SF&F fans. Canada Tours.
Crossing the border
Citizens or permanent residents of the United States can usually cross the border without difficulty or delay. However, both Canada and U.S. Immigration required certain types of identification.
For native-born Americans and/or U.S. citizens, Canadian Immigration requires either a passport or a birth certificate, supported by photo I.D.
For return entry, U.S. Immigration officials require a passport. A permament resident who is not a citizen is required to possess a 1551 or 1151 form (The Green Card) by both U.S. and Canadian Immigration.
Citizens or permanent residents of other countries must have a valid passport and/or a valid visitor visa and should contact their local Canadian Embassy/Consulate or High Commission Office for further qualification.
If you require more information, please contact your local Canadian Embassy or Consulate office, or visit the following web-site:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1082.html
