Destination: Montreal
Conference venue:
Maison Ludger-Duvernay
82, Sherbrooke West (between Saint-Laurent and Saint-Urbain streets)
Montreal (QC), Canada
Preliminary information for international travelers
- Language
Canada is bilingual, French and English being the two official languages. Although in the province of Quebec French is the only official language, in Montreal it is no problem to get service in both languages and every establishment serves customers in both languages on a daily basis. Travelers who wish to extend their stay must know however that other cities in the province of Quebec may not have English-speaking staff everywhere, and cities in other provinces (such as neighboring Ontario) may not have fluent French speakers everywhere as well.
- Currency
Canada uses the Canadian Dollar (CAD) as its currency. Most shops will accept payment in Canadian dollars, and have equipment allowing use of Interac debit cards, and Mastercard and Visa credit cards. It is strongly advised to plan your trip accordingly, as while some will accept American Express as well, most other options such as the Discover or Diners' Club credit cards, cashiers' checks or personal checks, or foreign currency (including the U.S. dollar and Euro) will not be accepted in the majority of places.
The Canadian Dollar is worth approximately, as of February 16th, 0.80 USD and 0.63 EUR. Also be advised that while bills of 5$, 10$, 20$, 50$ and 100$ exist, many smaller shops will not accept 50$ and 100$ bills. These should be saved for expensive purchases (hotel checkout, fashion shopping, groceries, fine restaurants, etc.) or you could ask before buying something if the store accepts these bills, and take the opportunity to get rid of one.
Visiting Montreal
For general information on visiting the city, please turn to Tourisme Montréal.
- Transportation
Montreal has a single airport called Montreal-Trudeau (formerly known as Dorval), international airport code YUL). The airport is approximately 30-45 minutes away from the downtown area where the conference is held. A shuttle, L'Aérobus, travels from the airport to downtown Montreal (the Berri-UQAM metro station) and back every 30 minutes between 9 AM and 9 PM, or every 60 minutes otherwise. The cost is 15$CAD for a one-way ticket and 25$CAD for a 2-way ticket. Passengers are advised to plan 45 minutes for the trip. Visit the Aérobus section for more details on the shuttle. Taxis are also available at a 38$CAD flat fare for downtown, or a fare by the meter for any other destination. Please visit the Montreal-Trudeau Airport Website for more information regarding your arrival or departure.
Moving around the city is best done via public transit. The Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) website has all the necessary information on fares, schedules, and maps for buses and the subway (metro) network, as well as a convenient and reliable Trip Planner utility which we recommend using. Regarding costs, weekly passes (CAM-Hebdo) are a good option for those planning on moving around a lot, but a simple stack of 6 tickets should be enough for most, especially considering that the conference venue and recommended hotel are both located downtown, in walking distance from everything from small shops, shopping malls and any-budget restaurants, to movie theatres, bars, pubs, and concert halls. Those staying farther away from the conference venue can reach it via bus line 24, or with a 10-minute walk from the Sherbrooke and Saint-Laurent metro stations on the orange and green metro lines, or alternatively a 15-minute walk from the Berri-UQAM central metro station. (Refer to the metro network map for more details.) It is not recommended to rent a car, as the downtown area is a maze of one-way streets with limited and expensive parking space, and is easier to walk than to drive in.
Many streets (including Sherbrooke, on which the conference venue and hotel are both located) are divided in East and West parts, each with their own addresses. The Saint-Laurent street, called “the Main”, runs from South to North and acts as the dividing zero ground between West and East. All addresses are calculated from 0 from there, increasing in number as they go further East or West. Also note that in French East is Est, but West is Ouest, so streets are usually labeled accordingly. Therefore, the 20 Sherbrooke E. and 20 Sherbrooke O. (West) addresses are located only a few blocks apart on either side of the Saint-Laurent street, but the 6000 Sherbrooke O. and 6000 Sherbrooke E. are more than 13 kilometers apart! If you want to reach a particular destination, make sure to keep an eye on the cardinal direction of the street name so that you move in the right direction.
- Accommodation
The organizing committee recommends the Armor Manoir Sherbrooke hotel. Situated only minutes (5 blocks / 300 meters) away from the conference venue, it is perfect for quick traveling. An arrangement has been taken with the hotel management for the conference. Simply state while making your reservation that you are attending the Thinking After Dark conference to get the special conference pricing, which will get you a Superior Quality Room for the price of a Standard one (99$CAD per night).
Armor Manoir Sherbrooke
157 rue Sherbrooke Est,
Montréal, QC, H2X 1C7
Tél.: 514.845.0915 Fax: 514.284.1126
Website : http://www.armormanoir.com/
Travelers facing tighter budget restrictions may want to look for cheaper accommodation. Beds and Breakfasts and Youth Hostels are both possible alternatives (they can be researched on the Tourisme Montreal website), although conference participants must make sure to plan their transportation accordingly if settling on an off-site location. Make sure to properly evaluate the distance using the street addresses and Google Maps or other means, as the Sherbrooke street for instance is over 30 kilometers long.
- Weather
The average temperature for the month of April in Montreal is between 1 and 11 degrees Celsius. Visitors can expect at least some rain about 11 days out of 30 in April. Weather forecasts during your stay can be obtained here
What to pack for Montreal in April:
- Warm, water-resistant outerwear
- Umbrella
- Comfortable closed-toe shoes and water-resistant footwear, especially if you're going to be outside of the city.
- Sunhat, sunscreen (be optimistic)
- A range of clothing, including t-shirts, sweaters, light pants, heavy slacks.
Dressing in layers is a good idea. Daytimes can be warm, but evenings can still be chilly.
