Travel Information for 2010 Workshop on Scheme and Functional Programming

Directions

The Scheme workshop will be held in Montreal at the Université de Montréal campus. All activities including registration, presentations, breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks will be in the pavillon Jean-Coutu (building 21).

On the following campus map, which you can click to have a detailed map of the surrounding neighborhood, you see the heart of the Université de Montréal campus.

The pavillon Jean-Coutu (building 21) is just behind the pavillon André-Aisenstadt (building 20), which houses the CS and math departments. Those are slightly to the right and behind the pavillon Roger-Gaudry (building 14), the main building with its distinctive tower (since the campus is on the Mount Royal mountain, it is easy to spot from far away or from airplanes landing at the Pierre-Elliot Trudeau airport).

Here are some reasonable options to get to Montreal:

Car. Montreal is a 5 to 6 hour drive from Boston (either with US highway 93 then 91 or US highway 93 then 89). It is a 6 to 7 hour drive from New-York (with US highway 87).
Airplane. Montreal is connected to most major North-American and European cities through the Pierre-Elliot Trudeau international airport. Here are approximate airfares for various points of departure as found through Orbitz.com on July 15: New-York=$338, Boston=$521, Chicago=$549, San-Francisco=$587, Salt Lake City=$617, Frankfurt=$718, Amsterdam=$772, Paris=$836. You can travel to/from downtown Montreal in a taxi (20 minutes, $38) or with public transit (35 minutes, $7), or you can rent a car.

Once in Montreal there are several ways to get to the workshop site:

Walking. If you have a hotel room on-campus at Les Studios Hotel, you are staying in building 10 (on the detailed map) and a 10 to 15 minute walk from the workshop site. If you have a room at the Terrasses Royale Hotel, you are staying on Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges close to building 31 and also a 10 to 15 minute walk from the workshop site (uphill however).
Driving. The main parking garage is Building 24 (rate: about $10/day). I'm often able to find on-street parking near the parking garage (but please check the parking regulation signs). Driving is not recommended. Public transit is easier and faster.
Public transit. Montreal has a decent public transit system with underground trains (metro), buses, and even self-serve bicycles (bixi system). You can pay your fares with cash or with tickets which can be bought at metro stations. You should get to the Université-de-Montréal metro station, which is on the blue metro line, and on bus line 51. Exit the metro station and follow the red arrow on the map (tip: take the moving carpet to go up the hill). I've found this interactive map to be useful to explore travel options.

Accommodations

Les Studios Hotel (10 to 15 minute walk)

The closest and cheapest option is Les Studios Hotel, which is on campus (building 10). Prices range from $35/night to $100/night:

$35/night: Single bed, shared bathroom
$45/night: Double bed, shared bathroom
$45/night: Two single beds, shared bathroom
$55/night: Double bed, private toilet
$80/night: Double bed, private bathroom
$90/night: Queen bed, private bathroom, kitchenette
$100/night: Queen bed, private bathroom, kitchenette, living room

When making online reservations under the Event heading, please select 2010 Workshop on Scheme and Functional Programming -- DIRO.

Terrasses Royale Hotel (10 to 15 minute walk)

The Terrasses Royale Hotel is also not too expensive and close to the workshop site, in an interesting neighborhood with bookstores, coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, etc. For $109/night you get 2 double beds, or 1 Queen, or 1 King, plus free wifi, plus kitchenette, plus living room (single or double occupancy).

Downtown hotels (30 minutes by public transit or 10 to 15 minutes by taxi)

Montreal has many good hotels, mostly in the downtown area. Please plan about 30 minutes to get to the workshop site by public transit (the metro is probably the best option). There are too many hotels to list here, but using your favourite search engine should give you a long list of options.

Here are a few that I've heard good things about.

Marriott Residence Inn Montreal Westmount: rooms starting at $119/night.
Hotel Maritime Plaza: rooms starting at $123/night.
Best Western Europa - Downtown Montreal: rooms starting at $129/night.
Le Méridien Versailles: rooms starting at $159/night.
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth: rooms starting at $249/night.

Tourism

Montreal is a multicultural city with a French and British heritage. The city is well known for its many festivals, culture, nightlife, restaurants, history and sights. The 2010 Workshop on Scheme and Functional Programming will be held at the Université de Montréal, the largest french speaking University in north-america. Montreal is the second largest city in Canada (after Toronto) and the second largest french speaking city in the world (after Paris).

You might want to take a look at the official Montreal tourism site if you plan some time off in Montreal around the workshop. Other sources of ideas:

Here are some pictures to wet your appetite!