Bus 204 plus Exo Vaudreuil‑Hudson gets you from YUL to Dorval station in about 15–20 minutes
If you live along the Vaudreuil‑Hudson line, this is the airport play: STM bus 204 or the free VIA Rail minibus from Montréal–Trudeau to Dorval station, then Exo commuter rail home. It skips a detour downtown, but only works when your flight lines up with rush‑hour trains.
The key detail: there is no train platform at YUL. You either ride STM bus 204 or 209 from the terminal area to Dorval station, paying a regular STM fare, or you catch the free VIA shuttle if you have a VIA ticket. From there, the Exo Vaudreuil‑Hudson line runs west toward stops like Pointe‑Claire, Île‑Perrot, and Vaudreuil.
Exo Vaudreuil‑Hudson is a classic commuter line: dense in rush hour, thin the rest of the day. Reddit regulars complain that off‑peak headways can stretch close to 60 minutes, and weekend service is limited enough that one missed train can mean sitting at Dorval for “ages.” Plan around the timetable, not vibes.
A r/montreal user says they “take the STM 204 from YUL to Dorval and then Exo Vaudreuil‑Hudson back home” and that it’s “fine if your flight matches the rush‑hour trains, useless if it doesn’t.” Another calls the line “great when it works with your schedule,” underlining how punishing those off‑peak gaps can be.
Step‑by‑step: using Exo Vaudreuil‑Hudson from YUL
- 1. On arrival at Montréal–Trudeau, follow signs to the public bus stops outside the terminal and find STM bus 204 (or 209 if that fits better).
- 2. Buy an STM ticket or tap your OPUS card; the ride to Dorval station usually takes around 10–15 minutes, traffic depending.
- 3. At Dorval, enter the Exo station building and check the Vaudreuil‑Hudson timetable for the next westbound departure.
- 4. Tap your Exo pass or buy a zone‑appropriate ticket from the machine, then head to the correct platform before boarding.
- 5. Ride the Vaudreuil‑Hudson train to your stop, which could be as close as Pine Beach or as far as Vaudreuil or beyond, depending on your commute.
What regulars do: they build their whole flight plan around the Exo timetable, landing in the morning or late afternoon peaks and tapping a monthly Exo pass like any other workday. If their ETA drifts into late evening or weekend windows, they bail on the train and grab the 747 bus or a car instead. One practical tip: before you book your ticket, pull up tomorrow’s Vaudreuil‑Hudson schedule for Dorval and ask if you’d be happy waiting that long with a suitcase.