Road access and driving distances
 

Distances From major Canadian and US cities
	Montreal
	km	mi
Baltimore	883	549
Boston	499	310
Fredericton	834	518
Halifax	1249	776
Hartford	529	330
Moncton	1024	636
Newark	637	396
New Haven	699	434
New York	615	382
Philadelphia	755	469
Saint-Jean, N.-B.	940	584
Toronto	554	344
Washington, DC	977	607

To know the exact distance between cities in Quebec, go to the distance calculator of the ministère des Transports du Québec!

See also : Aerial access et Québec's Roads.

Transportation

A vast network of regional airports links all parts of Québec. You can travel by train not only between Montréal and Québec City, but also to Gaspé and Jonquière (Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean). Buses and private automobiles remain the most common means of transportation, however.

Those who wish to travel throughout Québec by air can choose from a number of airlines. In fact, considering the sheer size of Québec's territory, this option is pretty useful! For instance, you can fly to the Îles de la Madeleine in just a few hours. You can also get to many Basse-Côte-Nord (Duplessis) and Nunavik villages that are inaccessible by road. Several airlines offer scheduled service to various Québec cities, and some enable you to charter a plane to the destination of your choice.

There are many ferries offering year-round or seasonal service on the St. Lawrence and other major rivers (Saguenay, Richelieu, Ottawa). You can travel between Montréal and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine on a passenger/cargo ship, and from there to Prince Edward Island by ferry. A passenger/cargo ship connects the entire Lower North Shore between Rimouski, Île d'Anticosti, Havre-Saint-Pierre and Blanc-Sablon. It is best to reserve, particularly during the peak season.

Montréal, Québec City, Gatineau, Laval and other large cities in the province have safe and convenient public transit systems. There are plenty of car rental agencies, and most of them have outlets at airports and railway stations.

Right turn on red

Making a right turn on a red light is permitted throughout Québec, EXCEPT in Montréal. Drivers are nonetheless required to make a complete halt before turning right on a red light, as well as to give the right of the way to any vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians already using the intersection. However, for safety reasons, right turns on a red light continue to be prohibited at all times at certain clearly marked intersections. Failure to comply could result in a fine ranging from $100 to $200. For information on the new signage, visit the Website of the Ministère des Transports du Québec.

Canadian and international connections

Nearly 50 airlines serve the international airports in Montréal (Trudeau and Mirabel), Québec City and Ottawa. Québec is also linked to other provinces and the United States by rail and bus.

VIA Rail offers a Canrailpass, valid for one month, entitling holders to 12 days of train travel across Canada. For more information, contact your travel agent.

From May to October, the Rout-Pass is another option, offering holders unlimited bus travel for 7, 14 or 18 consecutive days in Québec and Ontario. For more information on the Rout-Pass card, call (514) 842-2281 in Montréal, or (418) 525-3000 in Québec City.

Driver's licences and automobile insurance

Most foreign licences are valid in Québec. Non-resident drivers and passengers of automobiles licensed in Québec are entitled to the same compensation from the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec as Québec residents if they are injured in an accident in the province. Other non-resident accident victims, including pedestrians, cyclists and drivers of cars not licensed in Québec, can be compensated in inverse proportion to their responsibility for the accident.

Owners of vehicles driven in Québec must have at least $50,000 in liability coverage. For additional information, contact the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec.

Wheelchair access

For information regarding hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions in Québec with wheelchair access, contact Kéroul

Highway Safety Code

Would you like to know the main rules of conduct governing our roads? You'll be well prepared by consulting the Happy Motoring in Québec guide from the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (Québec's automobile insurance corporation), available in PDF format. Happy motoring!