3 ways to get from Toronto to Montreal

Relatively close to each other compared to other places in sprawling Canada—only 336 miles apart—Toronto and Montreal are easy to combine into one city-hopping vacation. Getting from between the two is a breeze, whether you choose to drive, take the bus, ride the train, or fly. The right option just depends on how much time you have, your budget, and your travel preferences. To help you pick, we’ve rounded up three different ways to travel between Toronto and Montreal—and what to know about each.

Driving from Toronto to Montreal offers the greatest flexibility—you can leave whenever you want and make stops as you please. The most direct route is via Ontario Highway 401, also known as the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway, which runs along the northern shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Though it depends on the traffic, driving the 401 from Toronto to Montreal takes around 5.5 hours.

If you’re not strapped for time or you simply prefer a leisurely road trip, you can also drive from Toronto to Montreal on Highway 2, which runs parallel to the freeway and passes through a variety of charming small towns like Port Hope, Napanee, and Gananoque.

No matter which highway you take, there are some fun stops to make along the way. About 90 minutes into your drive to Montreal, pull off in Colborne and spend some time at the world’s largest apple-shaped structure. Affectionately named Mr. Applehead, the massive, smiling fruit is actually an observatory with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. You'll find a bakery, pie factory, cidery, restaurant, and mini amusement park, complete with a petting zoo, lawn bowling, ping-pong, and other fun activities on-site, too.

A few minutes up the road, you’ll find Presqu'ile Provincial Park, a 2,000-plus-acre natural area in Brighton that’s ideal for a picnic. With more than a mile of sandy Lake Ontario shoreline and 10 miles of hiking trails to explore, the park is also a great place to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. While you’re at it, keep an eye out for the hundreds of bird species that call the park home, or go see the second-oldest operating lighthouse in Ontario.

If you’re a history buff or traveling with kids who just can’t get enough of airplanes, drive 15 minutes more to the National Air Force Museum Of Canada, which teaches about Canadian military aviation history. While you scope out the museum’s 35 aircraft, you may see (and hear!) planes flying overhead on their way to and from the nearby Trenton military base.

Another great stop for little ones: Prehistoric World in Morrisburg, which one Tripadvisor community member described as a “toddler paradise.” Nestled among the trees, this park features realistic sculptures of various dinosaurs, all connected by walking paths. Ten minutes away, Upper Canada Village is a unique living history museum, complete with more than 40 historical buildings and interpreters dressed in period garb from the 1860s.

If you’d rather let someone else do the driving, you’re in luck. Megabus operates a regular Toronto-to-Montreal route, with multiple departure times each day. By bus, the journey takes approximately seven hours and includes several stops. One-way fares are typically between $50 and $70.

For a quick and comfortable journey between Toronto and Montreal, book a VIA Rail Canada train, which can make the trip in as little as five hours.

Passengers in all classes, whether economy or business, have access to power outlets and free Wi-Fi at their seats, so you can catch up on work while in transit (or watch a movie, if you prefer). One-way fares range from $50 to $300, depending on the date and service class. Some trains run nonstop from Union Station in Toronto to Montreal Central Station, while others require a short layover in Ottawa, so pay close attention when booking your ticket if you’re in a hurry.

On the day of your trip, get to Union Station early so you have time to explore the 30 shops, restaurants, markets, and vendors before boarding your train. Built in 1927, the building itself is also worth checking out—a National Historic Site, it’s considered one of the best examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in Canada.

You can also fly from Toronto to Montreal. Multiple airlines—including WestJet, Air Canada, Flair, and Porter—offer regular nonstop flights between Toronto Pearson Airport and Montréal-Trudeau International Airport. Flights take about an hour and 20 minutes, with one-way prices generally under $150.

From downtown Toronto, the drive to the airport takes between 30 and 45 minutes. You can also hop on the Union Pearson Express train (or UP Express for short), which makes the journey from Union Station to the airport in about 25 minutes. Trains depart every 15 minutes between 4:55 a.m. and 11 p.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

When you touch down in Montreal, expect a 20- to 30-minute drive to get downtown. Montreal also offers a convenient public bus—the 747—that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week between the airport and downtown. The 747 short route runs nonstop from the airport to the Lionel-Groulx metro station in about 22 minutes; the long route makes 11 stops between the airport and the Berri-UQAM station in about 45 minutes.

When you factor in these transit times and the recommendation to arrive at the airport two hours before domestic flights, flying likely won’t save you much time. But, depending on how you like to travel and your schedule, it may still be the best option for you.