Three or four peak-hour trips, and that’s basically RTL 555
RTL 555 is a regional south‑shore commuter bus that happens to touch Montréal–Trudeau (YUL), but it runs only limited weekday peak‑direction trips, not all day. Schedules change, but think a small handful of runs tied to work hours, with long gaps where it simply does not show up. Transit folks on r/montreal are blunt: it’s “technically an airport bus” but not something tourists should build a plan around.
This route is operated by RTL (Réseau de transport de Longueuil) and is aimed at south‑shore commuters heading to or from the airport area on workdays, roughly Monday to Friday. Service is usually concentrated around the 07:00–09:00 and 16:00–18:00 bands, with almost nothing outside those windows. Miss your one relevant trip and you may be waiting more than an hour, or there may simply be no later bus at all.
Fares follow standard RTL pricing, so figure roughly the same cost as a regular RTL single ride, instead of the higher STM 747 airport fare of several dollars more. You pay using RTL media or cash in Canadian dollars, and you board like a normal off‑island commuter route, not an airport-branded shuttle with luggage racks and constant departures. Transit nerds on Reddit call it a trap for anyone who just sees “airport” in the route name and assumes frequent service.
Step-by-step from YUL using RTL 555 only works if your flight and schedule line up with those sparse trips.
- 1. Before you fly, check the official RTL timetable for route 555 for that exact weekday; screenshots from last month won’t cut it.
- 2. On arrival at Montréal–Trudeau, clear customs and baggage; budget 30–60 minutes depending on time of day.
- 3. Confirm in real time that the next 555 is actually running that day and isn’t a school-holiday cancellation or special schedule.
- 4. Follow YUL ground transport signs to the bus area and look for RTL branding and the 555 headsign.
- 5. Pay the RTL fare on boarding using the accepted card or cash amount shown for a Zone B/C-type trip on their current chart.
- 6. Ride to your south‑shore stop, then transfer to local RTL routes or walk the last 500–800 metres as needed.
Reddit regulars say they usually skip the 555 entirely and use STM 747 plus metro or REM, or just drive from the south shore, because those options run late evenings and weekends. One user complains that people “keep asking about the 555 for the airport but it barely runs; you miss the one bus and that’s it,” which sums up the risk.
Practical tip: treat RTL 555 as a bonus if your work‑hour flight lines up within 15–20 minutes of a scheduled departure; otherwise, default to the 747 or REM combo and don’t gamble your airport run on a bus that may only appear a few times a day.