I had heard great things about Montreal and have wanted to go for a while now.  I had no idea it was only a 5-6 hour drive from NYC. But why spend so much time in the car, when you can fly for less than $300! My friend and travel partner Natalie and I packed our bags and headed out for a weekend “abroad.” We did minimal planning in advance for this trip, but still managed to fill our days without difficulty and had a great time.

Accommodation

We stayed in an Airbnb in Old Montreal. The location was fantastic, literally a 3 minute walk to Notre Dame. The apartment was great, a one bedroom with a pull out bed in the living room, a spacious bathroom and an updated kitchen and dining room. I’m starting to understand more why people like Airbnb, because you and get more room than a hotel, the apartments are in great locations and you feel more like a local, but it has its limitations. We didn’t leave until the evening on the day we checked out and had no place to store our luggage. Thankfully we had a row of hotels near us where we were able to store our luggage for the day (thanks Embassy Suites!). From the little bit I looked, prices for hotels and Airbnb’s were comparable, therefore plan where you stay based on the location you prefer and the price.

Getting Around

Montreal is a very walkable city. It also has a Metro that seemed pretty easy to navigate, although is a little pricey per ride ($3). However you can purchase a weekend pass for $13, which last from Friday through Sunday, which seems more worth it. Uber is also widely available, of which we took advantage. We were told at the airport that Uber is cheaper than a standard metered cab, so make sure you have the app downloaded before you arrive.

For our day tour to Quebec City, we used Grey Line tours. They were knowledgeable and the tour was great. Much easier than renting a car and driving yourself for a day away. Quebec City is also very walkable.  However, the city is spilt between the Upper Town and the Lower Town.  You can walk up/down several flights of stairs to go to and from, or you can take the Funicular,  an elevator that goes between the two, which costs $3 one-way. We decided we’d take the Funicular up and walk back down, which was a nice way of experiencing both.

Food

Montreal has a great food scene. This is the one area I wish I would have done slightly more research in before leaving because I think we probably missed out on some great restaurants, but regardless we ate well. We spent the first day sightseeing, then stopping for food and drinks, repeating this throughout the day. Below are a few of my favorite places we visited.

3 Brasseurs
A microbrewery with a great food menu. Right on Rue Saint Paul, with ample indoor and outdoor seating. We tried the famous Canadian poutine here. Nat tried and enjoyed the beer. A fun place to stop.

Tommy
A cute, trendy cafe and coffee shop on Rue de Notre Dame. We had a delicious Nutella cronut, a spinach omelette, coffee and mimosas. A local vibe. Loved it.

Jardin Nelson
In the Place Jacques-Cartier, a square in Old Montreal. Great outdoor seating, live jazz music and yummy drinks. I’d recommend the rose sangria. A great spot for people watching.

Terrasse Place d’Armes
A rooftop bar with fantastic views of the Place d’Armes and Notre Dame.  We ordered maybe the best sangria I’ve ever had (gives the Yeatman Hotel rooftop bar in Porto a run for its money). Pricey but def worth it for a cocktail, especially if it’s nice outside.

La Cage Sportive Brasserie
I’m fairly certain this would be like an “Applebees” in the US, but they had outdoor terrace seating, FREE UNLIMITED POPCORN and a decent menu. The food was good but I’m sure you could find better places in Montreal. However, we were tipsy and starving and it hit the spot.

Dunn’s Famous Smoked Meats
Montreal is known for their smoked meats and Dunn’s is one of the original spots to serve it, since 1927. It’s conveniently located downtown near the Peel Street Metro station. We ordered the smoked meat club sandwich and more poutine. We decided that although we enjoy fries, cheese curds and gravy as individual entities, we are not the biggest poutine fans. It’s not terrible, but we just felt that all three are better when served separately. The smoked meat however, was great.

General Tips

1 – Canada uses the Canadian dollar. The exchange rate makes everything about 25% cheaper, which really does make a difference when shopping. Most places take credit cards, but bonus….they will also take USD so you don’t even need to take out or exchange for any Canadian dollars!

2 – We got lucky with our weather in early May, but as you can imagine it can get pretty cold in Canada. During the day it was mid 60s but at night the temp dropped into the high 40s. Definitely pack layers and a decent jacket because at some point you’ll most likely need it.

3 – Pack comfortable shoes. Both Montreal and Quebec City are walking cities. You can easily get most places in both cities within a 10-20 minute walk.  However, there are hills and many cobblestone streets, so plan your shoe choices accordingly.

4 – They aren’t kidding when they say French Canadian. I had no idea that everyone would speak and all the signage would be in French. Every menu was in French with the description written in English below. Thankfully, almost everyone also speaks English, so communication really wasn’t an issue. Regardless, I would suggest learning a few French words before you go.  The locals appreciate the effort and it’s fun to communicate a little in another language.

A long weekend is definitely sufficient in taking in the highlights of Quebec. We had originally only planned on staying in Montreal, but I’m so happy we decided to take a day to explore Quebec City as well, because it was so quaint and picturesque. Montreal is also beautiful and both cities give you a taste of Europe without leaving North America. Take advantage of how close Quebec is and go explore! 🇨🇦