A Montreal taxi fare is easy to estimate once you know which of two systems applies. From Montreal-Trudeau (YUL) to downtown, taxis charge a fixed fare: C$49.45 between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. and C$56.70 overnight. To anywhere else, the meter runs: a C$4.10 start, C$2.05 per kilometre and C$0.77 per minute by day, with higher rates at night. Those are the numbers Aeroports de Montreal publishes on its taxi page.
This guide turns those rates into worked estimates for the trips travellers actually ask about, then sets them beside the alternatives: the 747 bus, rideshare and a pre-booked car from Elly8.net at a fixed, all-in price per vehicle. For one person going downtown, the taxi is usually the sensible choice. The calculation changes with distance, group size, the hour and how much the trip matters.
How do you estimate a Montreal taxi fare?
For YUL to downtown, use the flat fare: C$49.45 by day, C$56.70 from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. For other trips from YUL, add C$4.10 plus C$2.05 per kilometre by day (C$4.70 and C$2.35 at night), then allow extra for time in traffic at C$0.77 a minute (C$0.89 at night).
The flat fare covers the trip from the airport to downtown Montreal and already includes a C$1.05 fee, according to the airport. The meter rates apply to every other destination and come with a minimum charge of C$21.65 by day and C$24.75 at night. Taxis from YUL wait at door 23 on the arrivals level, where a dispatcher sends you to the next car, and no booking is needed.
See Montreal prices and reserve
The published rates, in one table
| Charge | Day (5 a.m. to 11 p.m.) | Night (11 p.m. to 5 a.m.) |
|---|---|---|
| YUL to downtown, flat fare | C$49.45 | C$56.70 |
| Meter start | C$4.10 | C$4.70 |
| Per kilometre | C$2.05 | C$2.35 |
| Per minute | C$0.77 | C$0.89 |
| Minimum charge | C$21.65 | C$24.75 |
Source: the Aeroports de Montreal taxi page, checked in October 2026. Taxis there accept Canadian cash, debit and the main credit cards. The airport points travellers to the Commission des transports du Quebec for anything beyond the airport rules, and the province sets taxi rules across Quebec.
Two practical points come out of the table. First, the night premium is real but modest: about 15% more per kilometre. Second, the per-minute charge is where estimates go wrong. A route that takes 25 minutes at 10 a.m. can take twice that at 5 p.m. on a weekday, and the meter records the difference.
Worked estimates from YUL
The figures below are arithmetic on the published day rates, using road distances from routing software: the start fee plus the per-kilometre charge. They leave out the per-minute portion, which grows when the car is crawling in traffic, and the small C$1.05 fee the airport says is built into its flat and minimum fares, so treat each one as a floor rather than a quote. Tips are extra and at your discretion.
| From YUL to | Road distance | Distance part of the day meter | Elly8.net fixed fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Montreal | about 18 km (11 mi) | flat fare C$49.45 | from US$120 business sedan |
| Westmount | about 14 km (9 mi) | about C$33 plus time | quoted in the web booker |
| Laval (Carrefour Laval area) | about 20 km (12 mi) | about C$44 plus time | quoted in the web booker |
| Longueuil, South Shore | about 26 km (16 mi) | about C$58 plus time | quoted in the web booker |
| Mont-Tremblant village | about 134 km (83 mi) | about C$279 plus time | from US$350 business sedan |
| Ottawa, Parliament Hill | about 187 km (116 mi) | about C$387 plus time | quoted in the web booker |
| Quebec City | about 269 km (167 mi) | about C$555 plus time | quoted in the web booker |
Elly8.net prices are in US dollars and taxi figures in Canadian dollars, so compare them at the exchange rate on your card. For short trips inside the island, a metered taxi is clearly cheaper. For the long runs, the gap narrows, and the fixed fare includes things the meter does not: a chauffeur waiting inside arrivals, the gratuity, and a price that does not move with traffic on Highway 15.
Why the meter number moves
A meter estimate depends on four things you cannot fully control.
Traffic. The per-minute charge is the part of the fare that grows when the car is crawling. Weekday afternoons on Highway 20 and around the Turcot interchange, and the long Montreal construction season, add minutes. The airport has also been flagging night work around the arrivals drop-off area tied to construction of the future REM station.
The hour. The night rates start at 11 p.m. A flight that lands at 10:40 p.m. and clears customs at 11:15 p.m. pays the night tariff.
The route. Bridges to the South Shore and to Laval are frequent pinch points. A detour around a closed ramp adds kilometres and minutes.
The destination. The flat fare only covers downtown. If your hotel or meeting is in the Plateau, Outremont, Westmount or out of town, the meter applies.
None of this makes the taxi a bad choice. It means the estimate is a range, and the top of the range arrives on the worst day.
The other ways in from YUL, with real numbers
The STM 747 bus. The 747 airport shuttle runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the STM says it runs every 10 to 15 minutes during the day. The best fare is the 24-hour pass at C$11.25, which also works on the bus and metro network for the rest of the day, and the bus has a dedicated luggage space. For one traveller with a suitcase and time to spare, nothing beats it on price.
The train. Not yet. The REM light-rail branch to a YUL station is under construction, and REM says commissioning of the airport branch is scheduled for 2027.
Rideshare. Uber publishes an average price on its YUL page: when we checked in October 2026 it showed about CA$41 for UberX and CA$70 for UberXL from Montreal to YUL over the previous month, with a clear note that these are averages, not fixed or guaranteed prices. At the airport, most Uber and Lyft rides are picked up at the Leigh-Capreol area via door 28 on the arrivals level. Prices rise with demand, which at YUL means late evenings, Grand Prix weekend and the first sunny Friday of the summer.
The airport limousine kiosk. Door 24 on the arrivals level runs an on-site limousine service. The airport lists sedans from C$85 and SUVs from C$104, booked at the kiosk on arrival only. It is a good walk-up option, but it cannot be reserved before you land.
A pre-booked Elly8.net car. YUL to downtown Montreal costs from US$120 in a business sedan, US$160 in a business SUV and US$210 in a first class sedan, up to US$315 in an Executive Sprinter for a group. The price is per vehicle, fixed and all-in: chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet. Tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Honest verdicts by traveller
| Traveller | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One person, carry-on, daytime, no deadline | 747 bus | C$11.25 including a day of transit |
| One or two people, downtown hotel, walk-up | Taxi at the flat fare | Fixed C$49.45 by day, no booking |
| Couple heading to the South Shore at rush hour | Taxi or rideshare, or a fixed car if timing matters | Meter time charges are the risk |
| Family of four with car seats and six bags | Pre-booked business SUV | Seats fitted before arrival, one vehicle |
| Executive landing at 11:30 p.m. for an 8 a.m. meeting | Pre-booked business or first class sedan | Chauffeur in arrivals, invoice ready |
| Group of 9 to 12, ski or wedding trip | Executive Sprinter | One vehicle, fixed price, room for bags |
| Anyone going to Mont-Tremblant | Fixed transfer | US$350 sedan vs a meter floor near C$279 plus time |
The rule of thumb: the cheaper the trip and the smaller the party, the more the taxi or bus makes sense. The longer the trip, the bigger the group and the later the hour, the more a fixed price is worth. For a fuller side-by-side on these trade-offs, see chauffeur vs taxi and chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft.
Per person, for groups
Elly8.net prices are per vehicle, never per person. Dividing a vehicle price by the people in it is only arithmetic for comparison, but it shows why groups book differently. Four people sharing a US$160 business SUV from YUL to downtown is US$40 each, before currency conversion. Ten people sharing a US$315 Executive Sprinter is US$31.50 each. Ten people in taxis need at least three cars at the flat fare, plus the wait to fill them, and nobody is guaranteed to arrive together.
Long trips: where an estimate becomes a budget
Most fare-estimator searches in Montreal are about the airport, but the expensive questions are the long ones. Mont-Tremblant, Quebec City, Ottawa and the drive south to Vermont are all metered distances from YUL if you take a taxi, and the meter keeps running in a snowstorm on Highway 15 or a Friday queue at the bridges.
For Mont-Tremblant, our Mont-Tremblant car service page lists a fixed YUL transfer from US$350 in a business sedan to US$910 in an Executive Sprinter, the same price in either direction. For Quebec City and Ottawa, enter the addresses in the web booker for a fixed quote before you pay, or see city to city car service. Our separate guide to Burlington to Montreal costs covers the cross-border run, where a meter estimate is least useful.
Travellers spending a day in the city rather than crossing it can book hourly chauffeur service in Montreal from US$110 an hour in a business sedan, three-hour minimum.
Rideshare premium tiers and the Black question
Many travellers comparing taxi fares are really deciding between a taxi and a premium rideshare. Uber's own published average for its Black category from Montreal to YUL was about CA$112 over the month before we checked, which puts it closer to a pre-booked car than to a taxi. Our guide to Uber Black in Montreal explains what you get at that price and what you do not, including availability late at night and the airport pickup door.
How to book a fixed Montreal fare
- Enter the pickup and drop-off. For a YUL arrival, add the flight number so the desk can track it.
- Choose the vehicle: business sedan, business SUV, first class sedan, first class SUV or Executive Sprinter. Seats and bag space are on the fleet page.
- Press Reserve now on a priced route, or use the web booker for any other address. Confirmation arrives by email.
Rides in Montreal are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Your chauffeur waits inside arrivals with a name board, and you get complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. Every route and package is listed on all prices and packages, and the Montreal list is on the Montreal limo service page.
Elly8.net is a member of LWD, LAI, HWD and VWD: LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi from Montreal airport to downtown?
The airport publishes a fixed taxi fare from YUL to downtown Montreal of C$49.45 between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. and C$56.70 between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., including a C$1.05 fee. Tips are extra. An Elly8.net business sedan on the same route is a fixed US$120, all-in, with the chauffeur meeting you inside arrivals.
Is there an official Montreal taxi fare calculator?
The airport publishes the rates rather than a calculator: C$4.10 to start, C$2.05 per kilometre and C$0.77 per minute by day, and C$4.70, C$2.35 and C$0.89 at night, with a minimum charge. Multiply the distance by the per-kilometre rate, add the start fee, then allow extra for time in traffic.
Do Montreal taxis charge more at night?
Yes. From 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the start fee rises to C$4.70, the distance rate to C$2.35 per kilometre and the time rate to C$0.89 per minute, and the YUL to downtown flat fare rises to C$56.70. Elly8.net fares are the same at any hour.
Is a taxi or an Elly8.net car cheaper for a group?
For one or two people going downtown, the taxi is cheaper. A group that would need two or three taxis often pays less per person in one vehicle: four people in a US$160 business SUV is US$40 each, as arithmetic only, since Elly8.net prices are per vehicle.
How much is a taxi from YUL to Mont-Tremblant?
There is no flat taxi fare for Mont-Tremblant, so the meter applies. On the published day rates, the distance part alone comes to about C$279 for the 134 km drive, before time charges and tip. An Elly8.net business sedan is a fixed US$350, all-in, in either direction.
Can you book a Montreal taxi in advance?
The YUL taxi stand at door 23 works on a first-come basis and does not need a booking, and the airport limousine kiosk at door 24 books on arrival only. If you want a car confirmed before you fly, with a chauffeur tracking the flight, book a fixed Elly8.net transfer.
