Traveled: June 2016

Want to get to Europe but can’t afford to cross the ocean? Go to Montreal! With it’s French speaking, old town living, and delicious food eating, you will feel as though you have been transported.

Currently the exchange rate between the US and Canada is very much in the US’s favor. Basically you can look at everything in Canada as a 20% discount! This makes it about as affordable as it gets. I took my sister there as a birthday present to see the F1 race (See my post: F1 Canada Grand Prix).

Where to stay:

Due to it being race weekend, everything was more expensive! I initially checked on vacation rentals and hotels, but nothing was remotely in my price range. So I checked out the local hostels. I found a great hostel right in Old Montreal on HostelWorld.com. It is the Auberge Alternative du Vieux. We got a girls only dorm with 6 beds. The room included a lockable cabinet under the bed and linens. It was a bit hot but a fan was provided. There were two showers and two toilets on our level and rarely were they being used. The hostel was very clean and the staff friendly and helpful. The main room had a well stocked kitchen, plenty of tables and a comfortable lounge area. Nothing big, had a great atmosphere.

The location couldn’t have been better, just a couple of blocks from the Metro and was right off of the main drag in old town.

Where to eat:

All the food/drinks we had were top notch. Not one thing was bad or disappointing. If anything we were constantly impressed by each new place. Here is a list of where we went:

L’Gros Luxe |

I LOVED this place. The atmosphere was upbeat and friendly. The waitstaff and bartenders were fun and the food! We had the classic poutine. If you are questioning what that is, go to Canada and order some right now! Especially at this place! We also got a grilled cheese sandwich (with beets) and veggie tacos. It was all better than the last. The most interesting part of this place was the Smoked Meat shot. Think tequila shot done by Canadians, specifically Quebecians (sp?).

Au Pain Perdu |

Savory or sweet? That is always a struggle when it comes to breakfast crepes. I chose the savory and couldn’t be happier. So many flavors! They only have French menus but the staff was very friendly and helpful. Plus their wifi let me use my google translate. The atmosphere is bright and colorful but not too eccentric for a non-morning person breakfast. (P.S. My sister went sweet and it was also amazing).

La Binerie Mont-Royal |

I always like to try the local grub in any place I am at. But the big question was, what is the local grub in Montreal? French food? Canadian food? Luckily a suggestion list in our hostel recommend the Binerie as home-made local fare. It is a very small place, squeezed in a strip of other stores and restaurants. Upon sitting the owner/server came right over with menus. He explained the cooking style (nothing fried, only baked) and the menu items. The one that stuck out was the local specialties including meatballs, beans and dessert. It tasted like I had stepped into my grandmothers kitchen (if she were french-canadian). We could have easily shared, there was plenty of food. Nothing fancy about this place but I still highly recommend it.

St Laurent Boulevard |

This one isn’t a restaurant, it is a street. But a very lively street. No cars, just locals with booths and art all along. I suggest it for food because I got a local bagel and mango on a stick and both were delicious. I suggest walking down the boulevard and just eat whatever looks tasty, you won’t leave hungry. (Bring cash)

How to get around:

The metro of course! There are multiple fare options but the pricing is pretty standard for a metro pass. We paid $18 for a 3 day pass (but we were told this was a special for the race weekend). If you are confused what would be the best option, the staff at the booth was surprisingly, extremely helpful. We just went up to him because the auto machine had a long line. He told us (gently) that we were getting the wrong thing. Explained our best options and got us all set for our entire stay.

Things to Do:

Mont-Royal

“Which way?” “Up” This is how to navigate Mt. Royal. It is basically a big hill covered in trees just a few blocks off the Metro. Not sure which of the myriad paths through we were “supposed” to take, so up was my answer. I don’t think it would be possible to go a wrong way here. It is beautiful area and even venturing off path turned into a mild adventure. I suggest to head to the Chalet. That is where the views are. And the views are amazing! If you have the time, also make your way to the giant cross at the top. Even in daylight it was spectacular. Resist the urge to climb it.

Old Town

The one answer I got when asking friends/coworkers about Montreal was: “go to Old Town”. Because of that I won’t go on about it. But I want to mention it because it is the place that you will feel “Europe.” Luckily for us our hostel was right off of the old town area. We visited a cafe and a restaurant along the route and were not disappointed.

Festival/Event

I hate it when “see an event” is listed as a top thing to do in a city. But here I am, being hypocritical. I am giving myself a break on this one because I don’t believe it is possible to end up in Montreal when there is nothing to do. We specifically went for the Grand Prix (which is a major event in itself). But we also came across a giant French music festival (literally a major thoroughfare lined with booths and concerts on every block), a Mural festival (never really figured out what that was but there were INCREDIBLE murals all around town) and most of the hostel patrons had come for other concerts/events. So just head there and ask around, if you stay in a Hostel, look for the local happenings.

Tips:

As we came in from the US, we did not have cell/data service unless we had wifi. I highly suggest using the download local map feature on your google maps app. It lets you download a specified area so that you do not need internet connection. While not everything is available in this version, it is extremely handy for finding metro stops and figuring out where you are.

If you like coffee (everyone, right?) then Montreal is great for you! I have contemplated writing a whole blog on it but honestly it goes like this: All the coffee we purchased (nice cafe, random cafe, corner store) was perfectly dark.