Burlington,, VT vs Montreal for airport?

[sckal]

Has anyone flown into Burlington, VT instead of Montreal for a Canada/New England cruise? If so, how do you get to Montreal from Burlington? We are considering flying into Burlington the day before our HAL ship sails next May for a Canada/New England cruise because the airfare is significantly cheaper. However, I will be traveling with an elderly relative who is not crazy about "doing things outside the norm," so this can't be too complicated or it will upset her.

Any thoughts? Thanks for any help. I know there's some good advice out there for me!

[Spikesgirl]

I'm originally from Vermont and have flown in and out of Burlington many, many times. I don't find the airport all that tough - the hardest part is finding the stupid freeway. if you are driving, make sure you get a map from the rental car place before leaving the airport.

 

Basically the airport has two levels - the upper flight level, where the gates and the restaurant are located and the lower lever where the luggage, gates, shops or rental car places are placed. It's a pretty straight forward airport and isn't all that large.

 

If you have specific questions, ask away or you can email me at charliekirby@comcast.com and I'll try to help.

 

Cheers!

 

Charlie

[megr1125]

You might want to ask this on the cruise air board as well......fromwhat i have heard it is a nice small airport....

 

http://www.vermonttransit.com/fares.html

 

if you call it seems that this bus company goes from Burlington to Montreal...

 

you could possibly rent a car and drive....

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=burlington+vermont&daddr=montreal+canada&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=28.943777,81.738281&ie=UTF8&z=8&om=1

 

it is maybe 2 hours depending on the boarder crossing...and it's a pretty nice drive...

 

not sure where you are coming from, but you could possibly try amtrak from NY Penn to Montreal....10 hours, they don't have business class seats on the train, but t is a nice ride......we usually pack a lunch and maybe have a snack on the train....it's fun....

 

hope some of that helps...

[sckal]

Thanks to both of you! I think I'd like to try this. I suspect we will be taking the public transportation as I really prefer to "leave the driving to us(others)" when it comes to other countries.

I will check those websites and keep your e-mail. Thanks again! Hope I can return the favor someday!

[mar872]

I would say to check out Plattsburg International Airport in Northern New York. They are served by both Alligent Air and Delta and is actually closer to Montreal than Burlington. http://www.plattsburghinternationalairport.com

 

Also, another idea is to check into flying into the capital of Ottawa (YOW). They have a "shuttle" service linking up to downtown Montreal (offered by VIA Rail).

 

http://www.ottawa-airport.ca/

 

http://www.viarail.ca/

 

I believe with Via Rail, you would need to actually take a taxi or something downtown (but maybe someone on here from Ottawa/Montreal can tell you otherwise).

 

However, I think one of the nice ways to go is by Amtrak if you have the time and if you are from the Northeast.

 

Good luck, and I hope that these two options also help as well! :D

[CDNcruisers]

I live in Ottawa and would recommend you fly to Burlington or Plattsburg. Pricing could be better that way. And I do like the suggestions of taking a train from the States into Montreal. Ottawa is nice if you wish to spend time here to visit our Capital. Otherwise, you will have to shuttle to Via Rail station in the east end of town from the airport (approx. a half hour), then have a 2 hour train ride which does bring you right into downtown Montreal. You could find it roomier and more comfortable than a bus ride from Burlington.

 

Many Canadians also opt to drive to Burlington in order to get better flight prices. Hope this helps!

Have a great trip!

[CDNcruisers]

Did'nt know that Plattsburg has new facilities...will consider going out from this airport next time I head south!

 

“A sleepy college town of 19,000 on the shores of Lake Champlain hardly seems the place to go for a dose of Québec culture. But pay a visit to its brand new airport – complete with bilingual signs, a French-English website, and even the tag line “Montreal’s U.S. Airport” – and you’ll find just that. About an hour’s drive south of Montreal, Plattsburg International Airport targets Canadian flyers…somebody in Montreal still has to make their way there; it’s not right next door. But when winter hits Montreal, and a ticket to Florida’s just US$79, an hour’s drive may seem like a very small sacrifice.” (quoted from Macleans magazine, Nov. 5 ’07)

 

Louise

[Sandyrella]

I would not recommend taking a train from NY Penn to Montreal, especially in the summer months. I had some friends do this round trip from Montreal a few years ago, all in their 30's, and they said they would never do it again. 10 hours on the train is a long time when the air conditioning is not working. If you are travelling with elderly passengers, then flying into Burlington is a good option and then taking a luxury liner bus from Burlington would be a very comfortable option. You may have to take a taxi from Burlington airport to downtown Burlington to catch the bus but it is a very small city so it would not be more than 10-15 minutes.

 

I'm also not sure that a car rental from Burlington to Montreal would work as I'm not sure (I could be wrong) that you can cross the border with a rental and leave it there. This info in based on the fact that during 911, DH and DS had to rent a car to drive from Florida but I had to pick them up at Burlington airport, where they dropped the car off. They were not allowed to bring it into Canada. It may have been due to the circumstances the week following the tragedy but I seem to think that it is a general rule. Anyways OP has already said that they would prefer to leave the driving to someone else. I only posted the info for future ref.

 

Ottawa could also be a good alternative if you get a good fare. The taxi ride from the airport into downtown to catch the train is a minor inconvenience. The train ride is very comfortable. Again, if you have the time, staying a night or two in Ottawa would be a nice addition. Ottawa is a beautiful city!

We are actually driving from Montreal to Ottawa in March to get to Miami because we are flying on points and got a MUCH better deal than flying out of Montreal.

Lastly, Plattsburgh is the closest to Montreal but the airport is BRAND new. I don't like to fly small planes and that is what Delta is flying so most of their options are not good for me but it depends what you want.

 

Good luck with your decision....:)