With my mom-in-law visiting us for 6 weeks (hello mom-in-law if you’re passing by), we had to find activities to help her discover as much of Canada as possible. And what better way than to take advantage of a holiday day to visit Montreal? Montreal offers the perfect combination of American architecture and European influence in the Province of Quebec. So it was the ideal opportunity for us to go back for a second time and, bonus, to eat some French cuisine! In this travelogue dedicated to Montreal, I’ve listed the stuff do to in Montreal.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Beginning of our journey in Montreal
June 30, 2023 | Temperature: 17°/28°C | Weather: Cloudy
At 9:30 a.m., we head for Avis to pick up our rental car. Much to our surprise, we end up with a bright red Dodge Charger. Yes, because we’d asked for a “standard” vehicle. And so we set off on our 550-kilometre journey on Highway 401, which links Toronto to Montreal. Like most Canadian highways, Highway 401 is free.
On the way, we stop at 2 highway rest areas. The thing about highway rest areas in Canada is that they all look the same! So, after a 6h30-7h drive, we finally arrived at our Airbnb. It’s a 10-minute drive from the city center and has on-street parking on a first-come, first-served basis. The apartment is clean, conforms to the photos, has independent arrival and the beds are very comfortable!
We now head for downtown Montreal. We parked for free on this street before walking down Notre Dame Street. Having not eaten buckwheat pancakes in ages, we headed for Crêperie Spanel. And there, pure happiness! Between the kir royal and a classic buckwheat pancake, I was the happiest woman in the world (yes, I’m content with very little). The waiter, a bit high, but very nice, told us the best way to buy maple syrup: in cans in supermarkets.
Day 2: Mont-Royal, Old Montreal and the Old Port
July 1, 2023 | Temperature: 20°/24°C | Weather: Rainy/Stormy
On the second day, we got up and headed for downtown Montreal. To avoid driving around for dozens of minutes to find a parking space, we used Clicknpark. This application allows you to reserve your parking space in advance for a price that is generally lower than the average.
Exploring Mont-Royal: Iconic Stuff to Do in Montreal
So it was how we started our day with breakfast under the rain on our way to the famous Mont-Royal. It took all our strength to climb to the top! We took the Stairs on Peel Street, which provide an easy ascent to the viewpoint. Rest assured, we were still pretty out of breath by the time we reached the top. Nevertheless, the panoramic view of Montreal soon makes you forget the 339 steps you’ve just climbed. Indeed, the Kondiaronk belvedere offers a breathtaking view, even if I have to admit that the weather conditions weren’t the most clement.
After spending a few minutes at the Belvedere admiring the breathtaking view over the city, we took one of the many hiking trails to Beaver Lake. With rain still in the forecast, we quickly circled the lake before heading back down to the town center. We end up on Saint Catherine Street, famous for its many stores and restaurants. It’s at La Cage that we decide to stop for a drink and nachos. Just what you’d expect from a sports bar!
Chinatown, Old Montreal and the Old Port
We then headed for Chinatown (Saint-Urbain Street), where we discovered a small pedestrian street full of Asian stores and restaurants. A stone’s throw away, we head for my favourite district: Old Montreal. With its cobbled streets, little boutiques, stone buildings and many restaurants, this neighbourhood has a real charm all of its own! I really feel like I’m strolling through the Marais in Paris. We were also able to admire the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal. A stone’s throw away is the Old Port. There are many stalls selling a variety of items, as well as attractions such as a zip line or A Grande Roue. We took the opportunity to buy the famous maple syrup. Surprisingly, it was much cheaper than what we’d seen in stores or supermarkets.
Afterwards, we had a drink at Seasalt, an elegant bistro in Old Montreal. The cocktails were delicious! We then headed for Brasserie 701, a restaurant offering refined French cuisine in elegant surroundings. The dishes on offer are classics of French cuisine, very well executed.
Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal
My mom-in-law is a church fan, so we surprised her by booking the Aura experience. This show of dynamic lights and orchestral music reveals all the beauty and splendour of the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal. For my part, not being a big fan of visiting monuments, this experience “forced” me to take an interest in the details shown through the experience. And, I really enjoyed it! The show lasts 20-25 minutes, and at the end, you can stay to visit the Basilica for a few extra minutes. Ticket price: C$34 per person.
We left the Basilica wide-eyed. July 1st being Canada’s national holiday, we had originally planned to end the day in style by going to see the fireworks. However, as the rain was still coming down, it was unfortunately cancelled. Nonetheless, we decided to take one last stroll down Saint Catherine Street, where we stumbled upon an open-air jazz festival! With this festive experience behind us, we head back to our Airbnb.
Day 3: Stroll around Plateau-Mont-Royal, Mile-End and Little Italy
July 2, 2023 | Temperature: 20°/26°C | Weather: Cloudy
Plateau-Mont-Royal
For our last day in Montreal, we headed for the Plateau-Mont-Royal. We park downtown, still using the Clicknpark app. Our first stop is Le Village, Montreal’s gay district. The atmosphere here is very…special. Many of the restaurants and shops were closed, and the crowds were not very welcoming (homeless, drugs, etc.). So I don’t recommend a visit.
And so we continued walking towards the Plateau-Mont-Royal, arriving at Avenue Mont-Royal. Here, the atmosphere is much warmer! It’s the perfect place to stop for brunch on a terrace (yes, that’s the link to a bookshop. It’s the bookshop right next door to the restaurant, which doesn’t seem to be listed yet).
Mile End and Little Italy
Afterwards, we headed for Montreal’s hipster Mile-End district. Here, we felt the artistic and trendy soul of the area. It’s the perfect place to stop for a coffee.
We then walked on to Little Italy, Montreal’s Italian quarter. There’s not much to see on the road from Mile End to Little Italy. Nevertheless, Little Italy is a very charming neighbourhood. As you might have guessed, this is the place to go for Italian food.
Old-Montréal: best stuff to do in Montreal
Finally, being so far away, we decided to turn back to our favourite neighbourhood: Old Montreal. After being turned away from several restaurants because we didn’t have a reservation, we ended up at Méchant Boeuf. As the name suggests, it’s a steakhouse offering quality meats. The setting was very nice and we ate extremely well.
Exhausted by the day’s 20km walk, we return to our Airbnb for a good night’s sleep.
Day 4: End of the weekend in Montreal
July 3, 2023 | Temperature: 20°/28°C | Weather: Cloudy
Today is spent driving back to Toronto. After a quick breakfast at Micro Espresso Ndg, we headed home in our sports car. It took us about 7h15 to get back, as there was a lot of traffic on the approach to Toronto. We stopped twice, once to eat a poke bowl we’d picked up at Poké Station. It was very good and saved us from the endless queues at the fast-food joints on the freeway.
What we spent
| Expenses | Amount for 2 people (taxes included) | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | C$928.98 | Price for 3 nights |
| Rental car – Avis | C$697.44 | Price for 4 days |
| Fuel | C$155.19 | We travelled about 1,150 km |
| Parking | C$51.24 | |
| Aura Experience | C$102.00 | Ticket: C$34 per person |
| Restaurants / Bars | C$994.12 | Well, we love to eat. This budget can be reduced. |
| Total for 3 | C$2,928.97 | |
| Total for 1 | C$976.32 | |
| Total per day per person | C$244.08 |
A budget is very personal and will depend on your activities and your way of travelling. As you may have gathered by now, we love eating out. Hence the rather high budget for this type of expense. Nevertheless, I hope this will help you prepare your own budget for a weekend in Montreal.
Last Words
Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or an extended stay, there are plenty of exciting stuff to do in Montreal that cater to all interests. However, I’ll conclude with an unpopular opinion. Apart from Old Montreal and the restaurants, which are admittedly much better than in Toronto, I didn’t fall under Montreal’s spell. I’d already had this feeling on my first visit and it was confirmed by this second stay. My feelings are very personal, but I wasn’t enchanted by this city. Perhaps in winter, under the snow, the atmosphere is very different, but at the time, I didn’t fall in love with it at all. Nevertheless, it’s still a must-visit city in Canada, and I’m thinking that maybe the surrounding area is a lot nicer. I’ll give it a try next time!
Tell me what you think of Montreal, and if you don’t agree with me, share with me your spots to discover!
La Bise,
0 Comments