Getting Around Longueuil: A Visitor's Guide
Longueuil sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, directly across from Montreal, and functions largely as a residential, commercial and industrial suburb of its larger neighbour. For a visitor, that geography shapes everything about how you move: most of the region's rapid transit funnels through a single hub on the Longueuil side of the river, and the rest of the city is served by an extensive local bus network. The practical upshot is that Longueuil is easy to reach and reasonably easy to cross by public transit, but you should plan your trips around the Terminus Longueuil hub rather than expecting a dense, walkable grid everywhere.
The Metro and the Longueuil Hub
The backbone of transit access to Longueuil is the Montreal Metro's yellow line, which runs under the Saint Lawrence River and terminates on the south shore. Its Longueuil terminus is the Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke station, and it is housed inside the Terminus Longueuil building at 100 Place Charles-Le Moyne. The line also stops at Île Sainte-Hélène along the way, which is useful if you are heading to or from the islands in the river.
Because the metro station and the bus terminus share the same building, this is the natural place to start and end most journeys. If you are coming from Montreal, you simply ride the yellow line across the river and arrive directly at the hub. If you are starting in Longueuil, you go to the terminus and choose between the metro and the buses waiting there.
Buses and the Local Network
Local transit within Longueuil is managed by the Réseau de Transport de Longueuil (RTL), which operates a wide network of public transit buses. Most of these routes depart from and arrive at Terminus Longueuil, so the hub doubles as the place to make connections between one part of the city and another.
One route worth knowing for visitors is RTL bus 28, which runs directly between Montréal/Saint-Hubert Longueuil Airport and Terminus Longueuil. It travels via Chemin de Chambly and St-Charles Street, described as the two main commercial and historic streets in the city, so the ride doubles as a quick orientation to Longueuil's core.
Trains
Longueuil is also served by commuter rail. The Mont-Saint-Hilaire commuter line (sometimes called the purple line) stops at the St-Lambert and St-Hubert stations within the city. In addition, Via Rail connects Montreal's central station in downtown Montreal to Mont-Saint-Hilaire with a stop at the Longueuil–Saint-Hubert railway station, located at 2505 rue Patrick, near Chemin Chambly and close to Saint-Hubert Airport.
On fares, the source notes that a "Tram 3" fare covers all public transit across Laval, Montreal and Longueuil (with the exception of St-Bruno-de-Montarville, which requires a "Tram 5" fare), while a "Train 3" fare covers only the commuter train network in those same areas. In other words, if your trip mixes buses and metro across the region, you want the broader fare; if you are only riding the commuter train, the train-specific fare applies. Check current fare details before you travel, as these structures are the kind of thing that gets updated.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The source material for Longueuil does not document specific taxi companies, ride-hailing availability, or their fares. As a general matter, taxis and ride-hailing apps are widely used in the Montreal region, and a visitor can reasonably expect to arrange a car from the Terminus Longueuil area or from the airports, but you should confirm availability and pricing locally rather than relying on published figures.
Walkability
Longueuil is described as incorporating some urban features but being essentially a suburb, with most buildings being single-family homes constructed in the post-war period. That character matters for walking: the older core around Old Longueuil and the commercial and historic streets such as Chemin de Chambly and St-Charles Street are the most rewarding places to explore on foot, and the riverfront area 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. The city consists of three boroughs — Le Vieux-Longueuil, Saint-Hubert and Greenfield Park — and distances between them are not really walkable for a casual visitor. Treat walking as your mode for exploring a specific neighbourhood, and transit or a car as your mode for getting between neighbourhoods.
Arriving by Air
Longueuil is served by two airports, and the choice between them significantly changes your onward trip.
- Montréal/Saint-Hubert Longueuil Airport (YHU): This is the much closer option, offering flights from regional locations in Quebec, including Jean-Lesage Airport in Quebec City. From here, RTL bus 28 runs directly to Terminus Longueuil via Chemin de Chambly and St-Charles Street. This is the simplest airport-to-city connection for Longueuil itself.
- Montréal–Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport (YUL): This is the larger airport, with flights from numerous popular destinations including New York City, Paris and London. To reach Longueuil from YUL, take the 747 bus to Downtown Montreal, then transfer to the metro and ride the yellow line to the Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke station. A single fare of $10 on the 747 includes free use of the rest of the STM's public transit network, including the metro, for the remainder of the day. A three-day STM pass, which costs $18, is also valid for this journey.
Arriving by Train, Bus, Car and Boat
If you are coming from further afield, Longueuil is well connected by road and by intercity services.
- By car: The city is particularly accessible via Autoroutes 20 and 25, Route 132, Route 116, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge and Taschereau Boulevard. The Trans-Canada Highway passes through Longueuil, and Autoroute 25 links Autoroute 40 in Montreal with Autoroute 20 in Longueuil.
- By intercity bus: Orléans Express provides service from Quebec City (Ste-Foy).
- By train: As noted above, Via Rail and the Mont-Saint-Hilaire commuter line both serve stations in Longueuil.
- By boat: Pleasure boating is active on the river in summer, particularly around the Sainte-Hélène and Notre-Dame islands and around the Boucherville islands. The Longueuil Marina at 101 chemin de la Rive is integrated into the riverfront recreational park, and the Nautical Club of Longueuil is at 601 chemin de la Rive.
Practical Tips for Visitors
- Anchor your plans on Terminus Longueuil: the metro terminus and most RTL buses meet in the same building, so it is your connection point for almost everything.
- If you are flying into YUL and heading to Longueuil, budget for a two-step trip — 747 bus, then metro — and take advantage of the combined fare that covers the rest of the day's STM travel.
- If you are flying into YHU, the single RTL bus 28 ride into the city is the straightforward option.
- Match your fare to your trip: a regional fare covering Laval, Montreal and Longueuil for mixed bus and metro travel, or the train-specific fare if you are only using the commuter rail.
- Plan to walk in Old Longueuil and along the riverfront, but use transit or a car to move between the city's three boroughs.