Howdy folks, is there anybody here from the Montreal area who can help me answer some questions about the Metro and the Montreal area. A friend and I will be bike touring around Lake Champlain and will be staying in St. Jean sur Richelieu (a bit east of Montreal proper) for a day when the F1 Grand Prix is in town. We're very interested in checking out the practice sessions while we're there and would need transportation to Ile St. Helene's Metro station and also a place to keep our bikes. We are wondering how far outside Montreal does the Metro run? I have a street map of Montreal and I can see the Metro line on the streets but it only includes the downtown and major sections of Montreal so I do not know if the Metro goes outside the city itself? We are considering either biking to downtown Montreal, finding a bike shop to keep our bikes and then taking the Metro to the Island where the Grand Prix is. Can anybody help me with finding a bike shop near a metro station, perferable on the east side of Montreal as close to Richelieu as possible... I'm seeing if I can find anyone with a website, so far all I have is long distance phone numbers... jay
The metro system in Montreal only has a single station off the island. Luckily, it's the one you'll be using, the one in Longueuil on the South Shore. You can park your bikes at the Longueuil metro station and travel to Parc Jean-Drapeau, the next station on the line where the Grand Prix is held. However, there are a few items you need to know. Be patient. Even the Grand prix practice sessions are extremely popular. You may want to check if general admission tickets are still available. If you're planning to visit the downtown area, because of the crowds expected during the Grand Prix, you won't be allowed to bring your bikes in the metro. This is not that much of a problem since downtown Montreal is easy to visit on foot. If you do want to bring your bikes on the island, your best bet is to take one of the small ferries that travel at different points between Old Montreal and the South Shore. They're cheap and they were designed to serve bike riders. The link for the Montreal transit system is http://www.stcum.qc.ca . As for information on the ferry and the way to get there, check with your hotel. They should have all that information readily available. VERY IMPORTANT! The geographic composition of the area may be confusing to new visitors. The problem is the island of Montreal is on a slant in reference to true North, and the early settlers never took this into account when they divided the island in their East and West components. Our reference to North actually points towards the Northwest. On the South Shore, the slant is even worse; their reference to North actually points West! Because of this inconsistency, many visitors wonder why the South Shore is known that way when it's actually located East of the island of Montreal. Once there, you have to head South to go to the Eastern Townships, and head West to go to the United States! Enjoy your stay and watch out for the potholes!
Thanks Francois, I'm not to sure I'm keen at locking my bike at the Metro stations..I did read that they have lockable bike racks at the Metro stations, however, since we're touring, we're gonna be packed with full rear panniers and all my stuff in it. I'm not to keen of leaving that in the open, hence my idea of finding a bike shop who would keep our bikes for the day, at worse, maybe even in our hotel. You're right about the tickets, I haven't even checked the availability. The only other F1 in the US is in Indianapolis so I guess Montreal must be popular for the F1 crowd.. I'll have to check soon. I printed out the Metro map and I see that Jean Drapeau seems to be on the Isle St. Helene so thanks for the heads up, perhaps we could bike to Longueuil and find a bike shop near there, then take the quick and short train to jean Drapeau and from there, it's supposed to be within walking distance. Jay
From the Jean-Drapeau station, you simply cross a small bridge to Notre-Dame island. The track surrounds the entire island. Just follow the crowds, you can't miss it. You can even drop by the Casino for a quick wallet drain! For a local bike shop, you'd better ask the hotel. I'm not very familiar on that item. As for locking up the bike at the station's bike racks (it's not as hazardous as it may sound), that might also be impossible because of the Grand Prix.
