Bonjour Montreal: A Traveler’s Guide to Canada’s Most European City
Living in New Hampshire for well over a decade did provide one unique thing: the ability to drive four hours to what felt, looked, and tasted like Europe. I am talking about, of course, the Canadian city of Montreal. Belle Montréal (beautiful Montreal, that is). It is a very large, modern city with just shy of two million people. It is Canada’s second largest city behind Toronto, and the eighth largest in North America. If it were an American city, it would be the fifth largest, behind Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. Like most cities, Montreal is made up of several neighborhoods. Old Montreal and Old Port, Downtown, and Quartier des Spectacles tend to be very popular.
Neighborhoods
Old Montreal
Old Montreal, like the name suggests, is old, featuring buildings dating back to the late 1600s. The streets are cobblestone, and everywhere you turn you can’t help but want to take a photo. Restaurants overlook the Saint Lawrence River. Sites like Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal overlook the city, and new attractions like La Grande Roue de Montréal, a large ferris wheel, have become a recognized feature of the city. St-Paul Street is the main road to walk down and take it all in. The cobblestones date back to 1672. If you are looking for a walkabout city or neighborhood, you have found it. A car here, especially in Old Montreal, is more of a nuisance than a convenience. Even if you don’t stay in this area, the city has good public transit and rideshares are easy to grab.
Downtown
Downtown Montreal is where you will transport back to the current year, for the most part. Like most cities, downtown is full of business, fun, nightlife, and more. Skyscrapers look down from above onto the packed streets. If you are looking for something to shop for, eat, or be entertained, you’ll find it here. One of downtown’s biggest attractions is the underground city. It is a city within a city, with over 20 miles (32 kilometres) of underground dining, shopping, walking, and trains, all entirely underground. According to Tourisme Montréal, around half a million people use it daily. Another must when downtown is Mount Royal. Mount Royal Park opened in 1876 and was designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. It’s a great spot to take in a wide range of plants and birdlife, or just enjoy time outdoors, right in the heart of Montreal.
Quartier des Spectacles
Quartier des Spectacles, which in English would mean Entertainment District. The website for the neighborhood states that it has the “greatest concentration and diversity of cultural venues in North America.” I don’t question this bold statement at all, as Montreal is a very diverse city. The entertainment area in Montreal is also home to many public spaces.
Visiting
Montreal, while a bit tucked away in the east above the US state of Vermont, is not that challenging to get to. Here are a few direct and indirect but unique ways to approach your visit:
- Simply fly into YUL (Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport) – a very large international airport close to the city center. Find the best options on Google Flights
- Take a train – If you happen to be in a different part of Canada or want to combine a few cities, take a look at Via Rail. I have taken this trip the short distance from Ottawa to Montreal and I would do it again. Taking it from Toronto is around five hours.
- Drive from the US – If you are looking to make a bit of a road trip, this can be easily done from many Northeastern US cities. Several do it from New York City and weave their way north. I personally recommend Boston as the starting point, especially during the autumn months. You’ll start in Boston, navigate north into New Hampshire, Vermont, and into southern Quebec. I have done this drive, and you won’t regret it. A one-way flight into Boston with a one-way rental car and then a return out of Montreal is ideal in this situation, unless you’re looking to make a large circle back to Boston, which obviously takes more time but allows a lot more to be seen.
I am always asked if you need to know French when visiting Montreal. The answer is very simply, no. The city and its immediate suburbs are very diverse, with English spoken daily. That said, if you’re looking to get adventurous and head far outside of the city, English drops dramatically, and you’ll want to touch up on your French. Even in Montreal, however, as you can see from this article, there are many streets, businesses, and neighborhoods in French. Most every restaurant will have a menu in both English and French. I would load up the Google Translate app and have it handy.
Where to Stay and What to Eat
This part is best done in list form. Here are my favorite spots to stay and eat in The City of Saints:
Food & Drinks
3 Brasseurs – several Montreal locations
Website: https://www.3brasseurs.ca/en/
- McGill: 732 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Montréal, QC H3B 4J8
- Crescent: 1356 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Montréal, QC H3G 1P6
- Saint-Paul (Old Montreal): 105 Rue Saint-Paul E, Montréal, QC H2Y 1G7
- Saint-Denis: 1658 Rue Saint-Denis, Montréal, QC H2X 3K4
- Anjou: 7225 Boul. des Galeries d’Anjou, Montréal, QC H1M 2W2
NYK’S Bistro Pub
1250 Rue de Bleury, Montréal, QC H3B 2W4
Website: https://www.nyks.ca/
Vieux-Port Steakhouse
39 Rue Saint-Paul E, Montréal, QC H2Y 1G2
Website: https://vieuxportsteakhouse.com/en/
Flyjin
417 Rue Saint-Pierre, Montréal, QC H2Y 2M4
Website: https://flyjinmtl.com/
C’ChoColat (dessert)
1255 Rue Bishop, Montréal, QC H3G 2E3
Website: https://en.cchocolat.ca/
BAR – Big in Japan
4175 Boul. Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2W 1Y7
facebook.com/Biginjapan.bar
Caribou Gourmand
5308 Boul. Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2T 1S1
Website: https://www.caribougourmand.com/en-ca
McLean’s Pub
1210 Rue Peel, Montréal, QC H3B 2T6
Website: https://www.mcleanspub.com/pub/?lang=en
Places to Stay
HoMa Loft (Airbnb) – Old Port
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/9841328?source_impression_id=p3_1784046582_P3FEcWvOuFbYuDBQ
Embassy Suites by Hilton Montreal
208 Rue Saint-Antoine O, Montréal, QC H2Y 0A6
Website: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/yuldnes-embassy-suites-montreal/
Ômage Hotel, Montréal/Laval, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel (formerly the Hilton)
2225 Autoroute des Laurentides, Laval, QC H7S 1Z6
Website: https://omagehotel.com/en/
Remember, there are many more places to eat, stay, and things to do. The purpose of my blog is to provide you the information and foundation. Go explore, learn, and find something even better. Make Montreal yours, it’s worth it!
No. English is spoken widely throughout Montreal and its suburbs, and most restaurants offer menus in both English and French. If you plan to travel outside the city, though, it helps to know a few French phrases or have a translation app handy.
You can fly directly into Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL), take a Via Rail train from cities like Toronto or Ottawa, or drive up from the northeastern United States, with Boston being a popular starting point for a scenic road trip.
The Underground City is a network of more than 20 miles of connected shopping, dining, and transit space beneath downtown Montreal. Around half a million people use it daily, according to Tourisme Montréal.
Old Montreal dates back to the late 1600s, and some of its cobblestone streets, including St-Paul Street, were laid as early as 1672.
Not really. Old Montreal in particular is best explored on foot, and the city has reliable public transit and easy access to rideshares, making a car more of a hassle than a help in most neighborhoods.