Moving to Montreal, One of Canada's Most Beautiful Cities

U-Haul has named Montreal the #2 Top Destination City in our 2014 Canadian Migration Trends Report 
Read more about things to do while living in Montreal

Get a little taste of Europe in North America. With its unique blend of French and English traditions, Montreal offers a wide variety of exquisite dining options and a renowned nightlife. Many decide to call Montreal home due to its distinct blend of cultures, relatively low cost of living, and growing technology industries. Whatever your reasons, you’ll be sure to enjoy living in one of Northern America’s most energetic cities.

Tips for future Montreal residents

We have 20 U-Haul locations within the Montreal area to help you meet your moving and storage needs. Our locations have a wide array of services and products to you minimize your time on the road. For an even easier transition, our MovingHelp® labor services can help facilitate your move by doing the loading and unloading for you.

• Moving Day - While most Canadians are celebrating Canada Day on July 1st, the people of Quebec choose to honor a different tradition, Moving Day. Unique to the province of Quebec, Moving Day coincides with the date when most leases begin, July 1st. The majority of those moving throughout the city will be doing so on this day, so be sure to plan ahead accordingly!
• Parlez-vous Francais? – After Paris, Montreal is the second largest French-speaking city, so knowing a bit of the language can come in handy. However, as many residents are bilingual, speaking fluent French is not a necessity. The U-Haul website has both French and English to help you move in the language you are most comfortable with.
• What Borough Fits You? – This cosmopolitan, multilingual city is composed of 19 large boroughs, each further subdivided into smaller neighborhoods. Choosing where to live in Montreal depends on your personal needs and preferences, but the following neighborhoods are some of the most appealing for newcomers to the city: Plateau-Mont-Royal, Mile End, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, McGill Ghetto, Griffintown, Westmount, Côte-des-Neiges, Old Montreal, Verdun, Outremont, and Saint-Henri.
• Room Count – Apartments and houses are described by the total number of rooms in that particular living space, not by the number of bedrooms. For example, an apartment with one bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom (counts a half a room) is a 3 ½.
• Enjoy the Seasons - The weather in Montreal cycles through four very distinct seasons. Spring is generally short, leading into hot, humid summers. An explosion of orange and brown covers the area during the autumn months. Going into winter, expect snow and sub-zero temperatures. However, don’t let that discourage you too much should you decide to move in the wintertime. The city’s snow removal operation moves quickly, plowing the snow off the streets as soon as 2.5 cm of snow falls to the ground, allowing traffic to resume promptly.
• Traffic & Parking – Traffic and parking can get congested in the city. Because Montreal is on an island, there is limited access in and out of the area. Additionally, the streets are narrow and fit very few cars, so parking after 7PM can be a challenge.
• Public Transportation – Luckily, Montreal has a safe and clean public transit system consisting of bus lines and the métro, which is operated by the Société de Transport de Montréal. Alternatively, there is the BIXI bike sharing system, which is available from April to November. With more than 5,000 bikes and 400 stations, it can be useful for traveling short distances within the city.

Find nearby Moving Help® and truck rental locations in Montreal.