Longueuil
Introduction
Longueuil is a city in Quebec, Canada, sitting on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and the central city of the urban agglomeration of Longueuil.
As Montreal's second largest suburb, Longueuil makes an easy base for exploring the wider region while staying on the south shore of the river.
Before you go
Longueuil sits across the river from Montreal, and a large part of its workforce commutes into the city, so plan your days around the same rush-hour rhythms if you're crossing back and forth. The city is a major centre for Canada's aerospace industry: it's home to the headquarters of Pratt & Whitney Canada and Héroux-Devtek, and the Canadian Space Agency's John H. Chapman Space Centre is located here too, next to Montréal/Saint-Hubert Airport.
Winters here are long, running from November to March, so pack accordingly if you visit in that stretch. Spring and autumn are both short, in April–May and September–October respectively, while summers in June through August are average. For local listings and trip planning, the Discover Longueuil website is the tourist information source to check before you arrive.
Getting there
Longueuil is well connected to Montreal and the surrounding region by road, rail and public transit. The city is served by Autoroutes 20 and 25, Route 132, Route 116, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge and Taschereau Boulevard, and the Trans-Canada Highway passes through it. If you arrive by plane at Montréal-Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport, take the 747 bus toward downtown Montreal and then transfer to the metro's yellow line to reach the Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke station. Montréal Saint-Hubert Longueuil Airport is much closer to the city and is served by RTL bus 28, which runs directly to Terminus Longueuil via Chemin Chambly and St-Charles Street, the city's two main commercial and historic streets.
The yellow line of the Montreal Metro crosses under the St. Lawrence River to its Longueuil terminus, stopping at Île Sainte-Hélène along the way, and the Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke station sits inside the Terminus Longueuil building on Place Charles-Le Moyne. Via Rail connects downtown Montreal to Mont-Saint-Hilaire with a stop at the Longueuil–Saint-Hubert railway station on rue Patrick, and commuter trains on the Mont-Saint-Hilaire line serve the St-Lambert and St-Hubert stations. Orléans Express also runs bus service from Quebec City. By water, the Longueuil Marina on chemin de la Rive and the Nautical Club of Longueuil offer mooring, with pleasure boating active around the Sainte-Hélène and Boucherville islands in summer.
Getting around
Longueuil's transit is anchored on a single hub: Terminus Longueuil, where the Montreal Metro's yellow line terminates at Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke station and most Réseau de Transport de Longueuil (RTL) buses depart and arrive. Because the metro station and bus terminus share the same building, this is where you start and end most journeys, whether you are crossing from Montreal or connecting between one part of the city and another. The yellow line also stops at Île Sainte-Hélène on the way, useful if you are heading to or from the river islands. One route worth knowing is RTL bus 28, which runs directly between Montréal/Saint-Hubert Longueuil Airport and Terminus Longueuil via Chemin de Chambly and St-Charles Street, the city's two main commercial and historic streets, so the ride doubles as a quick orientation. Commuter rail also serves the city: the Mont-Saint-Hilaire line stops at St-Lambert and St-Hubert stations, and Via Rail connects Montreal's central station to Mont-Saint-Hilaire with a stop at the Longueuil–Saint-Hubert railway station near Chemin Chambly and Saint-Hubert Airport. Match your fare to your trip: a broader regional fare covers public transit across Laval, Montreal and Longueuil (except St-Bruno-de-Montarville, which needs a different fare), while a train-specific fare covers only the commuter rail network in those areas. Check current fare details before you travel.
Walking works best as your mode for exploring a specific neighbourhood rather than crossing the city. Old Longueuil, Chemin de Chambly and St-Charles Street are the most rewarding places on foot, and the riverfront includes a linear recreational park along the Saint Lawrence with the Longueuil Marina integrated into it. Beyond those pockets, expect a spread-out, car-oriented layout: Longueuil is essentially a suburb of single-family post-war homes, and distances between its three boroughs — Le Vieux-Longueuil, Saint-Hubert and Greenfield Park — are not really walkable for a casual visitor, so use transit or a car to move between them. If you arrive at Montréal–Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport, reach Longueuil by taking the 747 bus to Downtown Montreal, then transferring to the metro and riding the yellow line to Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke station. The source does not document specific taxi companies or ride-hailing availability, so confirm those locally rather than relying on published figures.
Where to stay
Longueuil offers a handful of places to stay, most of them convenient to the city's main arteries and transit. If you want to be close to the action, Le Dauphin sits near the Jacques-Cartier bridge and the Longueuil metro station, making it easy to cross into Montreal or explore the area on foot; your rate includes a continental breakfast, and pets are not permitted. In Old Longueuil, Refuge Du Poete occupies a house built in 1854, and you can request a vegetarian or gluten-free breakfast when you make your reservation.
- Le Dauphin — near the Jacques-Cartier bridge and Longueuil metro station; continental breakfast included; no pets.
- Refuge Du Poete — a house built in 1854 in Old Longueuil; vegetarian and gluten-free breakfast available on request at reservation.
- Motel La Siesta — on Taschereau Blvd in Greenfield Park; in-room breakfast.
- Auberge Objectif Sante — on Chambly Road; rooms come with a refrigerator, microwave, kitchenette, private bathroom and wireless internet, plus an outside entrance and parking in front of the room.
Food & drink
For casual local eating, head to Alfa Restaurants on Chemin de Chambly, where you'll find poutine, steamie dogs and other Quebec fast-food favourites. If you're after something more substantial, Copains Gourmands on rue Saint-Charles Ouest serves French-Quebecois cuisine built on local produce with flavours drawn from around the world, while Pêche Matinal, also on Saint-Charles Ouest, is a French bistro-style spot known for its breakfast and lunch dishes. For Mediterranean cooking with a gourmet touch, Restaurant Méridional on Chemin Chambly draws on French, Spanish and Moroccan traditions inspired by the French Riviera, the Costa del Sol and Casablanca. To drink, make for Le Barrage - Brasseurs in the Longueuil Public Market. This brew pub seats around sixty and pours sixteen beers on tap, with a range of sandwiches and snacks to go with them.What to see and do
Start your visit in the Old Longueuil sector, where the Co-Cathedral of Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue anchors the historic core at the corner of rue Saint-Charles and chemin de Chambly. Built in the late 19th century in a new-Gothic style, it is filled with polychrome decoration and topped by a stained-glass cupola resting on a metallic armature; a small museum occupies the basement. Nearby on rue Saint-Charles Est stands Maison Daniel-Poirier, a stone house from the mid-18th century and the only home in Vieux-Longueuil built under the French regime to keep its original appearance — visits are by appointment, so call ahead to reserve. Elsewhere in the city, the Museum of Women occupies a 1950s bungalow and works to raise awareness of women's contributions to Quebec and Canada, with all visits by reservation at least 48 hours in advance, while the Théâtre de la Ville on rue De Gentilly Est hosts performing arts productions across its two halls.
For green space, Parc Michel-Chartrand is a regional park with extensive bike paths, hiking and jogging trails, cross-country skiing, artificial lakes, a marsh developed for nature observation, picnic areas and plenty of deer. Parc Marie-Victorin stretches along the south shore of the St. Lawrence with views toward Montreal, and Parc de la Cité in Saint-Hubert combines a long artificial lake, wooded areas and peat bogs with paths for walking and cycling. The Boisé-Du Tremblay nature reserve protects rare Western Chorus Frogs and offers a hiking trail, and in summer a ferry links the municipal beach on Île Charron with the landing stage at Promenade René-Lévesque. Golfers can head to Le Parcours du Cerf and its two courses. Throughout the year, municipal libraries and the Marcel-Robidas cultural centre mount exhibitions, the University of Sherbrooke campus hosts exhibitions near the Longueuil-Université de Sherbrooke Metro Station, and yoga, meditation and other seminars take place nearby. Time a late-September visit for Lumifest on rue Saint-Charles Ouest in Vieux-Longueuil, an all-digital fair of immersive projections, DJ and VJ performances, shadow theatre and digital graffiti, with a culinary side of Lumibouchées coupons for local restaurants. Quebec's National Day brings large-scale festivities, including outdoor music and fireworks, to Parc de la Cité.
When to go
Longueuil follows a four-season northern pattern, and the seasons are far from evenly divided. Winter is the dominant stretch, settling in from November and holding through March — nearly half the year. If you visit during these months, expect cold, snowy conditions, and plan your trip and any outdoor time around winter weather rather than against it.
- Winter (November to March): The longest season by far. Cold and snowy, so build your plans around winter travel and outdoor time.
- Spring (April and May): Brief and quick to pass. A visit now catches the transition out of winter rather than settled warm weather.
- Summer (June to August): Average by local standards, and the warmest stretch of the year — the months for outdoor activities.
- Autumn (September and October): Short, lasting only two months before the long winter returns in November.
The practical upshot: the other three seasons are compressed into the months outside winter, so spring and autumn give you only a narrow window each. Summer offers the most reliable conditions for being outside, while winter demands that you prepare for the cold and snow that define most of the year here.
Three days in Longueuil
Day one: Start your visit in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from Montreal. Get your bearings along Taschereau Boulevard and the Route Jacques Cartier Bridge, the main arteries that connect the city to Montreal and the wider Montérégie region. If you arrive by air, Saint-Hubert Airport serves the area. Winters here, from November to March, are bitterly cold, so plan indoor stops; spring from April to May and the stretch from September to October are milder, while June through August is warm and humid.
Day two: Turn to the city's aerospace and technology side. The Canadian Space Agency's John H. Chapman Space Centre is in Longueuil, and Pratt & Whitney Canada and Héroux Devtek also have a presence in the area. Use Discover Longueuil to plan how you move between these sites and the rest of the city, and rely on Autoroutes and the Trans-Canada Highway for longer hops.
Day three: Slow down and take in the riverside setting along the Saint Lawrence River, with Montreal visible across the water. As Montreal sits just opposite, Longueuil works well as a quieter base for the region. It is an easy place to end a short stay before you continue through Quebec or onward across Canada.