BY TIM SIMPSON
Montreal, QC – Located one and a half hours north of Downtown Montreal, QC in the Laurentians, Mont-Tremblant is the second-oldest Ski Resort in North America that offers the best skiing and snowboarding in Eastern North America. Founded in 1939 by America Joe Ryan and later purchased and updated by Intrawest in 1991, this charming resort is reminiscent of skiing the Alps without the expensive plane ticket to get there.
Tremblant is consistently rated as the #1 ski-resort on the Eastern Seaboard by Ski Magazine and offers 630 ski-able acres with 96 runs on four distinctive slopes:
- Versant Sud
- Versant Soleil
- Versant Nord
- Versant Edge
And although you’ll get bigger skiing and snowboarding out west, Tremblant is a year-round resort that offers a more intimate slope-side village with world-class food and an amazing après-ski atmosphere.
How to Get There
The best way to get Mont-Tremblant is to take a flight into Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) grab a car and drive 90 minutes north:
- Take Route 520 East towards Montreal
- Merge onto Autoroute 40 East and take Exit 70 for Autoroute 15 North
- Drive about an hour on Autoroute 15 North until it becomes Route 117 North
- Take Exit 119 (Montée Ryan) and drive towards the mountain and make a right onto Chemin Duplessis and follow signs for Mont-Tremblant Resort.
From Toronto/Ottowa:
- Head East on Autoroute 50 towards Montreal
- Take Exit 210 for Quebec 323 towards Mont-Tremblant
- Turn Left onto Route 117 North
- Take Exit 119 (Montée Ryan) and drive towards the mountain and make a right onto Chemin Duplessis and follow signs for Mont-Tremblant Resort.
A quick search online will also offer shuttles from Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) or Downtown Montreal to Mont-Tremblant as well.
During the Winter, Air Canada offers direct flights to Mont-Tremblant International Airport (YTM) from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) from LaGuardia (LGA). Those two airports should give enough options for those flying from around the world to Tremblant. More information can be found here. Shuttle service is available once you get to Mont-Tremblant Airport (YTM) that can take you to participating hotels and offer other premium services like luggage valet and express check-in.
Tips and Tricks
- Mont Tremblant is often fairly busy and getting up the Mountain can take more than half an hour if not longer if you are loading up from the village. If you have a car and you’re with a group of more experienced skiers and snowboarders, take Chemin Duplessis to the North Side of the Mountain. It’s less busy, has ample parking, and you’re practically in front of the lifts (Duncan Express and Expo Express).
- Mont Tremblant is the largest mountain on the East Coast and can be the busiest. Bring a sack lunch to eat up the mountain or head to the village around 2pm for world-class food. Either way, you’ll find very empty hills around lunch time.
- Quebec Winters are BRUTAL. Pay attention to weather forecasts at the Base of the Mountain as well as the Summit. Don’t get caught up top without the proper gear. You’ll hate yourself for it.
- Follow the Sun. Ride the North Side (technically the East Side) in the morning and after lunch, ride the South Side (towards the main village). Check out our list of Top 10 Skiing and Snowboarding Goggles to make sure you’ve got the right lenses on.
- If it’s a windy day, stay on the North Side.
- If you plan on going to Mont-Tremblant or any other Quebec Ski Resorts for an extended amount of time consider purchasing the Ski-Passe Partout Card.
- 70 participating ski areas offering 5 discounts each.
- 1 x 40%, 2 x 35%, 2 x 30% off at most of the ski resorts.
- 1 x 35%, 2 x 30%, and 2 x 25% off at Mont-Tremblant, Le Massif de Charlevoix, and le Mont-Sainte-Anne.
- $44.99 plus tax. You’ll more often than not make your money back after two days on any of the mountains. This is perfect for anyone who lives in Quebec, Ontario, Upstate New York, and Vermont.
- Available at Sports Experts or Intersport.
- 70 participating ski areas offering 5 discounts each.
Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort: At a Glance
| Location | Mont-Tremblant, QC |
|---|---|
| Nearest Major City | Montreal, QC |
| Vertical | 645 m (2,116 ft) |
| Top Elevation | 875 m (2,871 ft) |
| Base Elevation | 230 m (755 ft) |
| Skiable area | 630 acres (255 ha) |
| Runs | 96 20 – Beginner 31 – Intermediate 35 – Advanced 10 – Expert |
| Lift system | 14 total 2 gondolas 12 high-speed quad chairlifts 9 chairlifts 3 magic carpets |
| Lift capacity | 27,230 skiers/hr |
| Snowfall | 39.5 m/year (156 in.) |
| Snow-making | (181 hectares), 71% |
Best Ski and Snowboarding Helmets for 2022-2023
First things first. Wear a Helmet. The great debate between all...
Read More
Best Ski and Snowboard Jackets for 2022-2023
Once you’ve got your most of your gear set up...
Read More
Best Ski Roof Racks and Snowboard Roof Racks for 2022-2023
Skiing and Snowboarding is always fun when you do it...
Read More
