On the St. Lawrence River about an hour from the U.S. border lies the bustling Canadian city of Montreal, the largest city in the province of Quebec. As part of the region once settled as “New France,” Montreal is full of quaint streets and historic French-influenced architecture. It’s a perfect destination especially if you want to feel like you’re in Europe without actually crossing the Atlantic!
What to Know
The locals in Montreal primarily speak Canadian French, but most also speak English and are willing to speak with you in English. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give French a try! At least make sure you know some of the conversational and directional basics.
Similarly, a lot of places will accept U.S. currency (especially since the U.S. dollar is currently stronger than the Canadian). However, I recommend getting a small amount of Canadian currency to have on hand even if you plan on using credit cards most of the time. It makes it easier (and cheaper for you in the end) if you do end up needing cash for something.
Getting Around
There is a bus line that runs between downtown and the airport, but you definitely have to account for traffic depending on what time of day you are traveling. The bus route uses a highway that gets pretty backed up around rush hour – I was sweating it a little getting to the airport for my departure flight.
Downtown Montreal is pretty walkable, but the metro operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is easy to navigate and a great way to get around the city.
Accommodations
Hotels in downtown Montreal can be pricey for a budget traveler, but luckily this quaint city is full of cozy independent hotels and B&B’s. I ended up staying in the Maison Brunet, a no-frills hotel in an old Victorian house in the Ville-Marie neighborhood. The neighborhood itself wasn’t the nicest and I avoided walking back late at night, but for a place to shower and crash, the hotel itself suited my needs and for a really cheap price.
Attractions
On my first day in Montreal, I took the STM’s Green Line up to visit the Montreal Botanical Garden. Consisting of over 22,000 plant species, this National Historic Site of Canada is known to be one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world. One of the most breathtaking views is the Dream Lake at the Chinese Garden with its dragon coming up out of the water.
On your way to the Botanical Garden, you won’t be able to miss Montreal Olympic Park, located adjacent to the garden. You can go up into the observatory at the Montreal Tower, or simply stop to take your best champion shot like I did:
If there’s one thing you hands-down need to see in Montreal, it is the stunning Notre-Dame Basilica. Located in Old Montreal, this basilica is the first Gothic Revival-style church in Canada and is iconic to Quebec history and heritage. You’ll be in awe taking in the mesmerizing colors and details of the altar. The church is a masterpiece from floor to ceiling.
The Old Montreal and Old Port areas are the perfect places to simply wander. Be sure to take a walk down Rue St. Paul, a charming street lined with shops and restaurants.
You can’t visit Montreal without visiting the city’s namesake. Montreal is built around the small mountain of Mont Royal. If you want to say you climbed a mountain but don’t actually like climbing mountains, this one might be for you! I got to the chalet at the top by climbing a set of stairs from Rue Peel. The stairs certainly might remind you how out-of-shape you are (I was a little winded, TBH) but the mountain is only 764 feet at its peak. And, it’s 100% worth it because the lookout at the chalet offers the most incredible panoramic views of Montreal.
In Montreal I learned that the best way to start conversation with the locals was to wear a hockey shirt that was anything but local! I walked around Montreal in one of my Philadelphia Flyers shirts all day and was stopped numerous times, especially wandering down near the Bell Centre where the Canadiens play. The only time my Flyers shirt probably set me back was when I tried to haggle a ticket scalper down on a ticket for the Canadiens’ preseason game that night!
While I didn’t get in to see a Canadiens play live, I had a ton of fun watching the game at some local bars. I tried some great local beer at Tre Brasseurs brewpub right near the arena. You can read more on the local beers that I tried in my full post on Quebec beer!
At La Cage Sports Bar on Rue St. Paul, I met some friendly locals who bought everyone at the bar (including the bartender) multiple rounds of jaegerbombs! They barely spoke English but they included me in their group like I was part of the gang. It’s probably one of my favorite travel memories.
Eat & Drink
Once you try poutine, you will probably end up eating it for every meal while you’re in Quebec. This dish of french fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy originated in the Quebec region in the 1950s and has become an important part of Quebec cuisine. I stopped in to Montreal Poutine located on Rue St. Paul in Old Montreal and fell in love with the outdoor courtyard. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a beer and an indulgent meal of gravy-smothered fries.
On Place Jacques-Cartier sits the restaurant Jardin Nelson, where I went with one thing in mind: dessert. Ok, I had actual dinner here too – a broccoli and chicken-filled crepe – and it was delicious. But the real prize was the dessert of pouding chomeur, a traditional Quebec cake dish that dates back to Great Depression-era female factory workers who created the recipe with the simple ingredients that were available to them (it literally translates to “unemployed man’s pudding”). It’s a cake bathed in warm maple syrup and best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I would actually fly myself back to Canada just to have this dessert again.
It might seem a little silly but I was actually pretty excited to try Tim Horton’s when I was in Montreal. It’s pretty much the Canada equivalent of a Dunkin Donuts – a fast-food coffee and breakfast chain that is on just about every corner in Montreal. But we don’t have them near me in Philly so I had never tried one! The coffee and bagels there were great, especially the morning after my jaegerbomb session with the locals! I ended up frequenting Tim Hortons quite a few times over the course of my time in both Montreal & Quebec City.
Montreal is an amazing and immersive city that’s great to start with if you’re someone who is nervous about starting to travel internationally by yourself. It’s also easy and affordable to get to Quebec City from Montreal, so it’s completely doable to hit both of these charming cities in the same trip.
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