Montreal Review
I’ve always wanted to see Montreal, and I finally got a chance to go in October 2018.
Here is what you can do. I was there for six days, and it was cold, but I was told that it was not as cold as it would be in January.
Montreal is in Quebec, Canada. For those of you who don’t know, think of Quebec as California, and Montreal as Los Angeles.
Here are the things you can do.
Transportation and Lodging in Montreal Canada
How To Get From the Airport to Downtown
The main airport in Montreal is Trudeau Airport. Once you get there, you can take the 747 ATM bus to downtown. The bus costs $10 for a day pass and $19 for a 3-day pass. This pass will also give you access to the Metro system. I suggest getting a 3-day pass so you can use it the following day if you want to take the Metro. The 747 bus will drop you off at the Berri-UQAM stop.
Note: The 747 Bus seemed to be a designated Bus for Airport transportation to and from Downtown.
Where to stay
I stayed downtown at an Airbnb at Sainte Catherine Street and Cresent Street. This is one of the most popular areas in downtown Montreal.
Language in Montreal:
French is spoken about 75% in Montreal, but everyone in Montreal also speaks perfect English.
Montreal is not like Vancouver where English is spoken everywhere just like in the US.
Basically, every conversation will start with “Bonjour,” but if you speak English, they will immediately switch to perfect English.
Montreal Tourist Things to do:
1. Mount Royal Lookout Montreal Canada
One of the things I wanted to do when I got to Montreal was to see the beautiful views of the city on top of Mount Royal mountain (technically an old extinct volcano). To me this is the best tourist attraction in Montreal.
The way to get to the start is to get to the Peel Street Metro Station stop. From there you can walk about 1 mile to the entrance of Mount Royal Park.
Note: When I went in October of 2018, the road construction made it very confusing to find the entrance to the trail up the mountain.
When you get to the entrance of the park, it will take about 45 minutes to walk to the top. You don’t have to be in great shape, nor do you need hiking or jogging shoes, but the walk is uphill. I saw that there were a few different ways to get to the top, but I went the most direct way which was the most difficult.
2. Basilica Norte Dame
Normally when I travel, I don’t go into many churches. However, if you go to Montreal, this is one church that you must visit. When you walk in you are immediately struck by the altar and everything in the church.
It does cost 7 Canadian dollars to get in, but it is well worth it.
3. Old Montreal
Old Montreal gives you a taste of old European streets and narrow passageways. There are many restaurants, shops, and great coffee spots here. If you get a chance, try the donut-like pastries at Mr. Puffs.
Social things to do in Montreal
1. Kampai Garden
While Montreal lives up to its reputation as having some of the best looking girls in North American, they are not that much better girls in Scottsdale, Los Angeles, or Miami. They do get a few more points for their French accents.
Kampai Garden was the best bar I went to in Montreal. Especially if you are in your 20s, you will like this place.
2. Thursday Bar
Thursday Bar is located on Cresent Street which has a handful of cool bars. Thursday Bar and Sir Winston Churchill are cool bars for the over 30 crowd.
In Thursday Bar, there are two bars and a restaurant upstairs. I’m not sure about weekdays, but on the weekends, the downstairs turns into a club. The club was not very good.
These are a few of the things I remember about my six days in Montreal, Canada.
It is definitely worth a visit.
