Venue: Palais des congrès
The conference venue, Palais des congrès, located in the heart of the city, offers world-class facilities and is directly connected to the subway system. It is one of the first convention centres in the Americas to be fully carbon neutral. The Palais offers a safe environment full of activities. As a hub at the junction of the business district, the International district, Old Montreal and Chinatown, it makes it easy to discover Montreal’s main attractions.
About Montreal
Welcome to the second-largest French-speaking metropolis in the world, a city where hospitality has a very French tone.
Apart from the French language, don’t be surprised to hear more than 30 languages spoken in the streets of this culturally rich and diverse city. Such is the urban mosaic of this vibrant metropolis located on an island in the St. Lawrence River. The “joie de vivre” is synonymous with festivals, gastronomy, music, history, museums, tarmacs, street artists and espresso bars.
Montreal is known as the hub of creativity and innovation in the development of the arts, multimedia and software, and is a leader in scientific research.
Day and night, Montréal summers ooze welcoming charm, and we’re excited for you to soak up the irrepressible creativity, energy and hospitality that permeates the city—from strolling the streets, wandering by festivals for free music and performances, to shopping unique boutiques and savoring the restaurants that gave Montréal its global gastronomic reputation, including rooftop terrasse drinks before resting for new adventures tomorrow. Consistently ranked as North America’s premier host city for international conferences by the ICCA and UIA over the past decade, Montréal is safe, vibrant, and stylish, renowned for its rich culture, history, avant-garde character, and distinctive Euro-American flair, with friendly people and an open-hearted embrace of visitors from around the world, setting the perfect stage for fostering collaboration and creating lasting memories at the 34th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, the premier international gathering of researchers in AI!
Experience Montreal
Practical Information
Getting to Montreal
Plane
Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) is a 20-minute drive from downtown. Upon arrival at the airport, you will find many options for getting to your hotel or the Palais des congrès. Car rental, limousine and taxi services are available, as is the 24-hour 747 Express bus. This option will cost you $11 and will drop you off at one of nine downtown stops in about 40-60 minutes. Taxis from the airport will range between 50-60$ (this does not include tip).
Bus 747 route 1 from Montréal Airport to the Jeanne-Mance stop will leave you within 600m (8-minute walk) of the conference venue (a day pass is required at a cost of 11$).
Train
Montréal’s Central Station is located in the heart of the city. Connected to many Canadian and American cities, the station offers direct access to the underground pedestrian network as well as to the Bonaventure metro station and other public transportation such as buses and taxis.
Bus
Bus travelers will arrive directly downtown at Montréal’s central bus station, with access to the Berri-UQAM metro station (and from there to the underground pedestrian network) as well as to city buses and taxis.
Car
The island of Montréal is 75 kilometres (46 miles) from the US border and the Trans-Canada Highway runs through the city.
Traveller’s Tip: Canada uses the metric system, so the speed limit is indicated in kilometres per hour (km/h), and gasoline is sold by the litre (L). It is also important to mention that Montréal is located in a French-speaking province, so most road signs are in French. It is also strictly forbidden to turn right at a red light on the island of Montréal or to use a mobile phone while driving.
Additional Information
It is important that you contact your insurance company before you leave to ensure that you have adequate medical coverage while in Montréal. If you are not covered by provincial health insurance, you will have to pay for medical services either through private insurance or out of pocket.
The legal currency is the Canadian dollar (CA$). Banknotes are CA$5, CA$10, CAD20, CAD50 and CA$100. Coins are 5, 10 and 25 cents, as well as 1 and 2 dollars. Bank and credit cards are also accepted almost everywhere.
It is generally customary to tip restaurant waiters and taxi drivers 10% to 20% of the bill, before taxes. Grooms in hotels are usually given CA$2 per suitcase.
In the province of Québec, purchases are subject to a 14.975% sales tax, which includes the 5% federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the 9.975% Québec Sales Tax (QST). Additionally, a lodging tax of 3.5% per night applies to most hotel stays.
Please note: Most prices displayed in shops and restaurants do not include taxes, which will be added at checkout.
In August, the average temperature in Montréal ranges between 17°C and 25°C. The weather is generally warm, with mostly sunny days, though some rain is possible.