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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Moncton
Give Moncton 1–2 nights: Magnetic Hill and the tidal bore are the draws, and it is the road and rail hub for southeastern New Brunswick.
Moncton is New Brunswick's largest city and the transport hub of the Maritimes: the Trans-Canada Highway, VIA Rail's Ocean and Maritime Bus all meet here. The city itself is small and flat, easy to walk, and its two headline sights — the Magnetic Hill optical illusion and the Petitcodiac tidal bore — are half-day stops. Most travellers use it as a base for Shediac's beaches, the Tantramar marshes and Fundy National Park.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, snow), Nov–mid-Jan (stormiest weather)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–240 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire and ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$2–5 |
| Lobster roll | C$18–28 |
| Beer: draught in a pub / can at a store | C$7–9 / C$2–4 |
| 5 km taxi ride3.1 mi taxi ride | C$15–20 |
| Museum entry (Resurgo Place adult) | C$12 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YQM · Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport
- In Dieppe, about 15 min by taxi from downtown; direct flights from Toronto, Montréal and Ottawa.
Typical fares
- Taxi YQM → downtown
- about C$20, 15 min (check)
- Codiac Transpo single fare
- C$3 cash or app, free transfers (check)
- VIA Rail Moncton → Halifax
- about 4 h 15 min, 3 trains a week (check)
Get around
Downtown Moncton is flat and walkable; Main Street and the Riverfront Trail cover most of what a visitor needs. Codiac Transpo buses run seven days a week, roughly 7:00–22:00, with a flat cash fare and free transfers. A car is worth it for Magnetic Hill, Shediac and Fundy. Taxis are metered and take cards.Downtown Moncton is flat and walkable; Main Street and the Riverfront Trail cover most of what a visitor needs. Codiac Transpo buses run seven days a week, roughly 7:00 AM–10:00 PM, with a flat cash fare and free transfers. A car is worth it for Magnetic Hill, Shediac and Fundy. Taxis are metered and take cards.
See and do
Known for
- Magnetic Hill optical illusion
- Petitcodiac River tidal bore
- Resurgo Place and the Transportation Discovery Centre
- Acadian Museum at the Université de Moncton
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Shediac | Route 15 east by car, about 25 min | About 30 min |
| Tantramar marshes and Sackville | Trans-Canada Highway east by car, about 35 min | About 40 min |
| Fundy National Park and Alma | Route 114 south by car, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Hopewell Rocks | Route 114 and Route 915 by car, about 45 min | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Downtown / Main Street
- Walk to Tidal Bore Park, the Capitol Theatre and restaurants; best for a car-free stay.
- Magnetic Hill area
- Motels and the zoo, water park and casino; needs a car, 10–15 min drive from downtown.
- Dieppe
- Francophone suburb next to the airport; quiet, good for an early flight.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| Hello | Bonjourbon-zhoor |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-byen sa koot |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-let |
| Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ?pweezh pay-yay par kart |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moiex-koo-zay mwa |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- The tidal bore is a ripple, not a wall of water — check the times board at Tidal Bore Park before you go.
- Swimming advisories for fecal bacteria at Parlee Beach are posted weekly in summer; check before you swim.
- Winter driving: snowfalls of 20–30 cm are normal and roads can ice over.
- Lock your bike downtown; bike lanes are limited outside a few streets.
Moncton is a safe city for visitors; the real risks are winter driving, tide timings and swimming advisories at the beaches. Lock your bike downtown and keep to lit streets at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Moncton yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Magnetic Hill optical illusion
- Petitcodiac River tidal bore
- Resurgo Place and the Transportation Discovery Centre
- Acadian Museum at the Université de Moncton
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Moncton: moncton.ca/
- Destination Moncton Dieppe: destinationmonctondieppe.ca/
- Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport: cyqm.ca/
- Codiac Transpo: www.codiactranspo.ca/
- VIA Rail — Moncton station: www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/stations/atlantic-canada/moncton
- Maritime Bus: www.maritimebus.com/en/
- Wikivoyage: Moncton, revision 5334411 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5334411
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Moncton
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire and ambulance911
No embassies in Moncton; the US consulate is in Halifax and most embassies are in Ottawa.
Moncton is bilingual; French is common in Dieppe and at the Université de Moncton.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/moncton). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.