Train from Ottawa to Montreal

Train from Ottawa to Montreal at a glance

Everything passengers ask about the train from Ottawa to Montreal in one place. VIA Rail Corridor runs the route direct, with no change of train, with a journey time of about 2 hours over roughly 200 km, several a day. Trains leave from Ottawa Station and arrive at Montreal Central Station (Gare Centrale). Haqqi Tours provides the ticket in the class you choose and confirms the exact departure, the seat and the cost in the WhatsApp chat before you commit to anything.

• Route: Ottawa to Montreal (about 200 km)
• Operator: VIA Rail Corridor
• Journey time: about 2 hours
• Connection: direct train
• Frequency: several a day
• Departure station: Ottawa Station
• Arrival station: Montreal Central Station (Gare Centrale)
• Classes: Economy and Business
• Booking: form on this page, confirmation on WhatsApp, e-ticket by message

The VIA Rail train from Ottawa Station to Montreal Central Station is the easy way between Canada's capital and Montreal, with no highway traffic and Wi-Fi onboard.

Cheapest train ticket from Ottawa to Montreal: how to pay less

Getting the lowest fare on the train from Ottawa to Montreal is a matter of timing and flexibility. These are the levers Haqqi Tours pulls to find you a cheap train ticket:

• Let us know if your dates are flexible - moving by a day, or by an hour, often halves the fare
• Ask about children's, youth and senior fares - most operators on this route discount them
• Book both directions together - a return or two singles, whichever comes out cheaper on your dates
• Choose a fixed-departure ticket if your plans are certain; flexible tickets cost more
• For families and groups, ask about group fares - four or more travellers often unlock a lower rate
• Book early - fares on this route open weeks or months ahead and the lowest tiers sell first

When you complete the form, mention if you are flexible. We compare the fares across the day and send the cheapest Ottawa to Montreal train ticket first, then the alternatives.

How to book train tickets from Ottawa to Montreal with Haqqi Tours

Booking a train from Ottawa to Montreal with us takes a few minutes and one conversation. Fill in the short form on this page with your travel date, whether you want a one-way or a return, how many adults and children are travelling and the class you prefer. Our booking desk then messages you by WhatsApp to check your booking: we confirm the departures available on that day, the seats and the cost. You choose, we book, and the e-ticket arrives in the same chat, ready to show on your phone or print.

• Step 1 - send the form: date, one-way or return, adults and children, class
• Step 2 - we message you through WhatsApp with the available departures, the seats and the cost
• Step 3 - you confirm the departure you prefer and we arrange payment in the same chat
• Step 4 - we issue the electronic ticket and send it to you; we stay in touch until you arrive in Montreal

Because a person books the ticket, not a machine, we can do the things a booking site cannot: hold seats together for a family, pick the coach nearest the luggage racks, choose a quiet carriage, or line up the Ottawa to Montreal train with a transfer from your hotel to Ottawa Station and another from Montreal Central Station (Gare Centrale) to your hotel in Montreal.

Timetable of the Ottawa to Montreal train

Several a day - that is how frequently the train from Ottawa to Montreal runs with VIA Rail Corridor. The fastest services take about 2 hours; some departures are a little slower where they make extra stops. The first trains of the morning suit a full day in Montreal; the late-afternoon departures are popular with passengers who want to sleep in their own bed and arrive in the evening.

Our advice for the timetable: choose the departure that fits your day in Montreal, not the cheapest one blindly - though we tell you both. A train that arrives at Montreal Central Station (Gare Centrale) in the early afternoon gives you the evening in Montreal; a late one lands you after dinner.

Is there a direct train from Ottawa to Montreal?

There is a direct train from Ottawa to Montreal operated by VIA Rail Corridor, and it is the one we book unless you ask for something different. One ticket covers the whole journey; you keep your seat from Ottawa Station to Montreal Central Station (Gare Centrale); children and luggage stay in one place. It runs several a day.

Departure: Ottawa Station

The train from Ottawa to Montreal leaves from Ottawa Station, in Ottawa - ottawa is Canada's capital, with Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal and a string of national museums. Plan to be at the station about 20 to 30 minutes before departure: enough to find the platform on the boards, pass any ticket gate or security check the station uses, and board without hurrying. Getting there: From the airport the 97 bus and the light rail connection run to the downtown at fixed times and stops, which is fine with a light bag; a private car goes straight to the hotel, avoids the rail change with luggage and is simpler for families, late arrivals and day trips to Gatineau Park, Montreal or the Thousand Islands.

• Arrive 20-30 minutes early; the platform is shown on the boards shortly before departure
• Keep the e-ticket on your phone and the ID used for booking together - some operators check both
• Luggage travels with you: racks at the coach ends and above the seats, no weighing, no fees
• Cafés, kiosks and left-luggage are available at Ottawa Station for early arrivals

Arrival: Montreal Central Station (Gare Centrale)

Arrival is at Montreal Central Station (Gare Centrale), and this is the moment the train wins over the plane: no baggage belt, no passport queue, no airport bus. Montreal is Canada's French-speaking city, with Old Montreal, Mount Royal and a famous food and festival scene. We can have a Haqqi Tours driver at the exit with your name, or simply tell you the best way to your accommodation by metro or taxi.

Many travellers continue from Montreal to somewhere else the next day. We provide those tickets too, so one WhatsApp conversation covers the whole itinerary.

Classes and what it is like on board the Ottawa to Montreal train

Tickets on the train from Ottawa to Montreal are sold in Economy and Business. The lower class is comfortable and is what most passengers book; the upper class adds wider seats, more legroom, quieter coaches and, on some services, a welcome drink or at-seat service. VIA Rail Corridor's trains on this route have luggage racks, power sockets at most seats, toilets in every coach and, on longer services, a café or bar coach. Haqqi Tours explains the difference for the exact train you are booking so you pay for what you will actually use.

• Quiet coaches and family areas on selected services - let us know when booking
• Bicycles, pushchairs and large luggage accepted within the rail company's rules, which we clarify
• Pets are allowed on many services with a small ticket - tell us if one is travelling
• Reserved seats with tables, power sockets and luggage racks

Children, luggage and groups on the Ottawa to Montreal train

Three things people worry about on the train from Ottawa to Montreal and need not: children, bags and groups. Children get their own fare band and a seat next to you; suitcases go on the racks free of charge; groups sit together in reserved blocks. Put the numbers on the form and we handle the rest - including a transfer with enough room for everyone at each end.

Things to do in Montreal after the train

The reasons travellers take the train to Montreal are Jean-Talon Market, Olympic Park and Biodôme, Montreal Botanical Garden, Underground City and Saint Joseph's Oratory. Montreal is Canada's French-speaking city, with Old Montreal, Mount Royal and a famous food and festival scene. Eat tourtière meat pie, maple syrup treats and Quebec cheeses while you are there.

We offer tours and transfers in Montreal as well as the train ticket - one conversation, one plan for the whole trip.

Best time to take the train from Ottawa to Montreal

The train from Ottawa to Montreal runs all year. Summer brings long festival evenings and busy terraces; autumn colours peak in late September and October; winter is snowy and cold, with winter tyres compulsory from December to mid-March, and road works can slow the highways in summer. If you can travel outside those weeks, the same seat costs less and the train is quieter. Whatever the month, early booking is the single biggest saving.

Train, plane or bus from Ottawa to Montreal?

For most passengers the train is the best way to get from Ottawa to Montreal: about 2 hours centre to centre, no change, no airport time and no baggage fees. A flight only wins when the distance is very long; a bus is cheaper on some days but slower and less comfortable, and arrives at a bus station rather than the centre. Haqqi Tours offers flights and transfers as well, so if the train is not the right answer for your dates we say so.

Return train from Montreal to Ottawa

Coming back? Say so on the form. A return train ticket from Montreal to Ottawa booked with the outbound is often cheaper than two separate bookings, and it keeps the whole trip on one WhatsApp thread with one point of contact.

How much does the train from Ottawa to Montreal cost?

"How much is the train ticket from Ottawa to Montreal?" is the first question we get, and the honest answer is that it depends on when you travel and when you book. Fares open months ahead at their lowest level and rise as seats sell; peak days, holidays and the first and last departures of the day sit higher; first class and flexible tickets cost more than a fixed second-class seat. Haqqi Tours arranges the current cost for your travel date within minutes of receiving the form - no estimates, the actual fare.

Let us know for two or three departures and we send the cost of each, so you can see how much the time of day changes the Ottawa to Montreal train fare. We also flag family and group fares when they apply, which is where most people save the most.

Why book your Ottawa to Montreal train ticket with Haqqi Tours

Haqqi Tours is a licensed tour operator that books train tickets from Ottawa to Montreal week in, week out. We provide the ticket in your name, the seats you want, the cheapest fare for the date you travel, and a human in the WhatsApp chat in Arabic and English before, during and after the journey. Around the train, we offer transfers, tours and hotel-to-station drivers in both cities. Fill out the form on this page; we message you with seats and the price; you decide.