Getting Around Montreal Airport: Domestic, International and U.S. Gates

Unlike Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau puts everything under one roof: a single two-level terminal serves every airline. What changes from flight to flight is the sector your gate is in, and how much process stands between the kerb and your seat.

The three sectors

Domestic flights within Canada use their own jetty and gates, reached through Security Checkpoint A. International flights (everywhere except the United States) use the largest sector, also through Checkpoint A. Transborder flights to the U.S. use their own gates and their own Security Checkpoint C, followed by U.S. preclearance.

Because it is one building, a connection at YUL never involves a terminal train or shuttle. What it can involve is changing sectors, which means passing immigration or security again; connection times posted by airlines account for this.

U.S. preclearance, and why it changes your timing

Flying to the United States from YUL, you clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection before departure. The sequence is check-in, Checkpoint C security, then preclearance, and each stage queues independently. On busy mornings the transborder sector is the slowest part of the airport, which is why airlines ask transborder passengers to arrive up to three hours early.

That is also what makes the Marriott Montreal Airport In-Terminal Hotel unusually useful: it is connected to the U.S. departures terminal, so an early transborder start begins with an elevator ride rather than a shuttle in the dark.

Where the hotels fit

For domestic and international departures through Checkpoint A, any of the Dorval shuttle hotels works equally well: the Sheraton (24-hour shuttle every 30 minutes), the Fairfield Inn & Suites (under a kilometre away), the Aloft (one kilometre) and the DoubleTree (under 10 minutes by shuttle). The Novotel, a 15-minute drive away in Saint-Laurent, suits travellers with a car.

Related guides

Once you know your sector, see showers and lounges for what waits airside, and sleeping in Montreal Airport if your flight leaves at dawn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Montreal Airport have more than one terminal?

No. Montréal-Trudeau is a single two-level terminal divided into three sectors: domestic flights, international flights, and transborder flights to the United States. There is no terminal transfer to plan; every airline and every hotel serves the same building.

What is U.S. preclearance at Montreal Airport?

Passengers flying to the United States clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection at YUL before boarding, in the transborder sector. You then land in the U.S. as a domestic arrival. Allow extra time: you pass airport security (Checkpoint C) and then U.S. preclearance in sequence.

Which hotel is best for an early U.S. departure from YUL?

The Marriott Montreal Airport In-Terminal Hotel, which is connected to the U.S. departures terminal. You can walk from your room to transborder check-in and Checkpoint C in minutes, without a shuttle.

Information last verified: August 4, 2026