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Major city · Canada

Varennes

Skip as a base: Varennes is a 30-min drive from Montréal with one riverside village, a quay and a summer river shuttle. Half a day, or a stop on the Route 132 run.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CAD
Best months
Jun–Sep for the river shuttle, quay and cycling; late Sep–Oct for vineyard and sugar-shack country
avoid Nov–Apr (cold, ice, most river activity closed); mid-winter unless you want the skating rink and sliding hill
Airports
YUL · YMX
Nights
0–1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
  • Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
  • Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.

Varennes is a small Montérégie town on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, 29 km east of Montréal along Route 132. Its draw is the river: a 10-km shoreline, a cluster of about twenty islands facing the town, a summer passenger-and-bike shuttle across to Pointe-aux-Trembles and Repentigny, and Vieux-Varennes, the old village between the water and the highway. Everything else is suburban: arenas, pools, sugar shacks and horse farms. Plan half a day, or one night if you want the river at sunrise.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Varennes, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeC$2.50–5 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Sit-down mealRestaurant main courseC$20–35 (≈ US$15–30)
  • Street or quick mealBreakfast diner plateC$14–22 (≈ US$11–16)
  • BeerDraught beer in a barC$7–10 (≈ US$6–8)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxicheckC$15–22 (≈ US$11–16)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekC$15–35 (≈ US$11–30)
  • Budget bedRiverside chalet (up to 6), a night, per roomC$220 (≈ US$160)
  • Mid-range bedGîte or B&B room, a night, per roomC$160 (≈ US$120)
  • High-end bedGîte or B&B room, a night, per roomC$240 (≈ US$180)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget C$70 (≈ US$55) · Mid C$130 (≈ US$95) · High C$230 (≈ US$170)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

St. Lawrence River shoreline and quayÎle Sainte-Thérèse and the Varennes archipelagoSummer river shuttle to Montréal and RepentignyVieux-Varennes and the Sainte-Anne churchSugar shacks and vineyards on the Cordon road
Airports
YUL Montréal–Trudeau (About 40 min by car via Highway 20 and Route 132; no direct transit link to Varennes) · YMX Montréal–Mirabel (Cargo and general aviation; not a practical arrival point)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Varennes: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−6°C

−15°C

14 rd

Feb

−4°C

−13°C

11 rd

Mar

2°C

−7°C

11 rd

Apr

11°C

1°C

11 rd

May

19°C

8°C

12 rd

Jun

24°C

13°C

12 rd

Jul

26°C

16°C

12 rd

Aug

25°C

15°C

12 rd

Sep

20°C

10°C

11 rd

Oct

13°C

4°C

12 rd

Nov

6°C

−1°C

13 rd

Dec

−2°C

−10°C

14 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the practical answer: sights are spread over 15 km of Route 132 and rang roads, and buses are thin. Route 132 and Autoroute 30 are the two spines. In summer a passenger-and-bike river shuttle links Varennes with Pointe-aux-Trembles (Montréal) and Repentigny — check the season's timetable before you plan around it. Cycling works on the flat riverside roads.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Montréalgo

Door to door: About 45–60 min

Drive Route 132 west then the Jacques-Cartier bridge, about 29 km

The obvious pairing: sleep in Montréal, come out to Varennes for the river.

Verchères

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Route 132 east along the river, about 15 km

Old riverside village with restored New France-era buildings; combine with Varennes in one afternoon.

Sainte-Julie

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Autoroute 30 west, then local roads

Pedestrian heritage circuit in the old village; good rainy-day substitute.

Saint-Amable

caution

Door to door: About 15 min

Route 229 south, about 12 km

Cycling, hiking and sugar shacks; mostly seasonal and car-dependent.

Contrecoeur

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Autoroute 30 east then Route 132, about 30 km

River town with a ferry crossing and industrial heritage.

Calixa-Lavallée

caution

Door to door: About 15 min

Route 229 north, about 10 km

Small rural municipality; only worth it if you are already on the sugar-shack road.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Vieux-Varennes (Sainte-Anne and Saint-Charles streets)

The old village between the river and Route 132; walk to the quay, church and restaurants. Very few beds.

Route Marie-Victorin / Route 132 strip

Motels and gîtes along the highway; you need a car for everything.

Montréal or Longueuil

Stay in the city and drive out for half a day; the honest choice for most trips.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
C$70–110 (≈ US$55–80) excl. bed
Mid
C$110–190 (≈ US$80–140) excl. bed
High
C$190 (≈ US$140)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Gîte or B&B room1 × 1 night × C$160C$160
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × C$130C$260
Car, one day (compact, with fuel)1 × C$85 · checkC$85
River shuttle crossing, one way2 × C$8 · checkC$16
eSIM, about a week of data2 × C$20C$40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeC$56
Trip total≈ C$309 per person per day, bed includedC$617≈ US$450

2026 estimate in Canadian dollars; car and fuel excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeC$2.50–5 (≈ US$2–4)
Breakfast diner plateC$14–22 (≈ US$11–16)
Poutine or fast-food comboC$12–18 (≈ US$9–14)
Restaurant main courseC$20–35 (≈ US$15–30)
Draught beer in a barC$7–10 (≈ US$6–8)
5 km taxicheckC$15–22 (≈ US$11–16)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekC$15–35 (≈ US$11–30)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Varennes is a low-crime suburban town and safe to walk in daylight. The real risks are the fast traffic on Route 132 and Autoroute 30, winter ice, and the fact that most services shut early — plan your last meal and fuel before 21:00.
  • Most river activity, the quay services and the shuttle run only in the warm months; check dates before travelling for them.
  • Route 132 and Autoroute 30 carry fast traffic; cross only at marked points.
  • Restaurants are few and close early on weeknights; check hours before driving out.
  • Sugar shacks operate mainly in late winter and spring — outside that window they are closed.
  • Winter ice on the St. Lawrence is not safe to walk on.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Info-Santé (health advice, 24 h)
811

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

VarennesVarennes

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

À cette adresse, s'il vous plaîtTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Info-Santé (24 h health line)811

Embassy

No embassies in Varennes; the US consulate-general and most others are in Montréal.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Taxi YUL → Varennes: C$70–95 (≈ US$55–70), about 40 min (check)
  • River shuttle Varennes → Pointe-aux-Trembles: about C$8 (≈ US$6) one way, seasonal (check)
  • Driving Montréal → Varennes: 29 km via Route 132 and the Jacques-Cartier bridge, about 30 min

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello (bon-ZHOOR)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-SEE)
  • Combien ça coûte ? — How much is it? (kom-BYEN sa KOOT)
  • Où est le quai ? — Where is the quay? (oo ay luh kay)
  • Puis-je payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card? (pweezh pay-YAY par kart)
  • Excusez-moi — Excuse me (ex-koo-zay MWA)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Varennes. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep for the river shuttle, quay and cycling; late Sep–Oct for vineyard and sugar-shack country · avoid Nov–Apr (cold, ice, most river activity closed); mid-winter unless you want the skating rink and sliding hill · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for YUL: taxi and rideshare bands to Varennes, last-bus fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Vieux-Varennes and the quay, Parc de la Commune and the Frayère, the Route Marie-Victorin strip, the Cordon vineyards and sugar shacks.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Sainte-Anne church, old quay, Parc de la Commune, Frayère St-Charles) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. River-shuttle season fixture so the summer crossing can go green or red.

Meanwhile

Back to Canada

Sources