Overview
Montreal is the closest thing to a European city trip most Americans can drive to. It sits on an island in the St. Lawrence River, about an hour north of the New York and Vermont borders, and it runs mostly in French. It is also a big, relaxed, fairly affordable North American city with a subway, a mountain park in the middle, and one of the best food scenes on the continent.
The city was founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, on land the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) know as Tiohtià:ke (see Indigenous Canada). Old Montreal keeps its 18th- and 19th-century streets, but most of what makes a visit memorable happens in the neighborhoods: Mile End bagel shops, Plateau rowhouses with outdoor spiral staircases, Jean-Talon Market and long bring-your-own-wine dinners.
Three days covers the main sights at a comfortable pace. Add a day or two for a trip to Quebec City, the Eastern Townships or the Laurentians (see Quebec regions).
French and English in daily life
French is the official language of Quebec, and in Montreal it is the default for signs, menus, announcements and the first word out of most people's mouths. The standard greeting in shops downtown is "Bonjour-Hi", which is your cue to pick a language. Answer in English and most people will switch without a second thought, especially downtown, in Old Montreal, in hotels and in the west of the island, where many residents are anglophone.
Starting with "Bonjour" and finishing with "Merci" goes a long way, and nobody expects more from a visitor. Useful words: dépanneur (corner store), sortie (exit), l'addition, s'il vous plaît (the check, please). Our French for travelers page has more, with pronunciation.
Quebec's language law was tightened in 2022 by Bill 96. For visitors, the practical effect is that signs and many websites put French first or show only French. Nothing stops you from speaking English to anyone.
Different from home
Road signs in Quebec are in French only: Arrêt means stop, Est/Ouest/Nord/Sud are east, west, north and south, and Rue barrée or Détour means the street is closed. Speed limits are in km/h, so the common highway limit of 100 km/h is about 62 mph. Most important of all, right turns on red are illegal everywhere on the island of Montreal, even though they are allowed elsewhere in Quebec. See Driving in Canada.
Neighborhoods and where to stay
Stay in Old Montreal for atmosphere, downtown for convenience and hotel choice, or the Plateau and Mile End for neighborhood life. All are on or near the métro. Tiers are per night for two, before the 14.975% sales tax and Quebec's lodging tax (about 3.5%), and rates peak during the Grand Prix, the jazz festival and summer weekends.
Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal)
Cobblestones, stone warehouses turned boutique hotels, and the basilica and Old Port on your doorstep. It is the most romantic base and the most touristy, and quiet at night. Good choices include Hôtel Nelligan and Auberge du Vieux-Port $$$, and Le St-James $$$$. Place-d'Armes and Square-Victoria–OACI métro stations are at its edges.
Downtown (Centre-ville)
The widest range of hotels, from chains to the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth $$$ (above Central Station, handy if you arrive by train) and the Ritz-Carlton on Sherbrooke Street $$$$. You can walk to the Museum of Fine Arts, Sainte-Catherine Street and the foot of Mount Royal. The HI hostel near Lucien-L'Allier station is a solid $ option.
The Plateau (Plateau-Mont-Royal)
The neighborhood people picture when they think of Montreal: rowhouses with exterior staircases, Saint-Denis Street and Mont-Royal Avenue lined with cafés and shops, Parc La Fontaine, and BYOB restaurants on Duluth Avenue. Hotels are few, so stays here are mostly small inns, B&Bs and apartment rentals; Hôtel de l'ITHQ, run by Quebec's hospitality school on Saint-Denis, is a good-value $$ pick at the Plateau's southern edge.
Mile End
North-west of the Plateau, with the two famous bagel bakeries, record shops and some of the city's best coffee. There are almost no hotels, so stay in a licensed rental or on the Plateau and walk over. Laurier station on the orange line is 10–20 minutes on foot.
Griffintown
A former Irish working-class district turned condo neighborhood beside the Lachine Canal, with restaurants on Notre-Dame Street West, the canal bike path and the Atwater Market nearby. Hôtel ALT Montréal Griffintown is a reliable $$ base.
Little Italy (Petite-Italie)
Built around Jean-Talon Market and Saint-Laurent Boulevard, with old-school espresso bars, pizzerias and food shops. It is mostly residential with few hotels, so it suits apartment renters. Jean-Talon and De Castelnau métro stations are close.
Watch out
Quebec requires every short-term rental to display a provincial registration number, and Montreal limits short-term rentals in most of the city to hosts' primary residences, with tight seasonal limits. Listings without a registration number may be illegal and can be cancelled on you. If you rent, check for the number in the listing. See Where to stay.
Getting there from the US
Flying into YUL
Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) is in Dorval, about 12 miles (20 km) west of downtown, with nonstops from most large US cities on Air Canada and the major US airlines (see Flights). On the way home, YUL has US preclearance: you go through US customs and immigration before you board, and land in the US as a domestic passenger. Allow extra time for it, especially on Sunday afternoons and holiday weekends.
The 747 bus
The STM's 747 express bus leaves from door 28 on the international arrivals level, generally every 10–15 minutes in both directions, and runs around the clock. It stops at Lionel-Groulx métro station, along René-Lévesque Boulevard (close to many downtown hotels), at the Gare d'Autocars (the intercity bus station) and finally at Berri-UQAM métro. Expect 45 minutes to over an hour depending on traffic.
The fare is C$11 (about $8), and it includes a 24-hour pass for buses, the métro, the REM and exo trains in Zone A, which covers the island. You can buy it from vending machines at door 28 (cash, debit or Visa/Mastercard), on the Chrono app with a credit card, or pay on board with exact change in coins only, since drivers cannot take bills.
Save money
Land in the evening and your 747 ticket carries you through most of the next day on the métro. Taxis to downtown charge a flat fare, posted at the taxi stand; it costs several times the bus.
What about the REM?
The REM is Montreal's new driverless light rail. Its airport station is still under construction and is expected to open by the end of 2027, so for now you cannot take a train from the terminal. In summer 2026 the STM ran a seasonal shuttle, route 815, between the airport and the REM's Des Sources station; it ended for the season on October 19. Until the airport station opens, the 747 is the simplest transit option.
By train
Amtrak's Adirondack runs once a day each way between New York Penn Station and Montreal's Central Station (Gare Centrale). It is slow, roughly 11 to 12 hours, but beautiful along the Hudson and Lake Champlain. Northbound, Canadian border officers inspect the train at the border; southbound, the train sits for about an hour at Rouses Point, New York, while US customs officers process everyone on board. Book on Amtrak.com, and bring your passport book or passport card. VIA Rail connects Central Station with Ottawa, Toronto and Quebec City.
By car
From New York City, take I-87 (the Northway) to the Champlain–Lacolle crossing, then Autoroute 15 north; the drive is about 370 miles (600 km) and six hours without delays. From Boston, take I-93 and I-89 through Vermont to the Highgate Springs–Saint-Armand crossing, about five hours. Check live wait times and read our border crossing guide before summer Fridays and holiday Mondays, when waits at Lacolle can run long.
Once you arrive, a car is more burden than help. Hotel parking adds a hefty nightly charge, street parking signs are complicated, and construction detours are constant. Park it and use the métro.
The métro, buses and BIXI
The métro has four lines: green, orange, yellow and blue. It runs on rubber tires, is quiet and generally clean, and covers downtown, Old Montreal, the Plateau, Little Italy, the Olympic Park and Parc Jean-Drapeau. Trains run from about 5:30 a.m. to roughly 12:30–1 a.m., a little later on Saturday nights. A single fare costs a few Canadian dollars; check the STM site for current fares and multi-day passes.
Pay with a reloadable OPUS card from station machines, with the Chrono app, or with single tickets. Buses use the same fares, and a fare covers transfers for 120 minutes. See Getting around Canada for transit in other cities.
BIXI bikes
BIXI, the city's bike share, has thousands of regular and electric bikes in stations across the central neighborhoods, and the city's protected bike lanes make it a pleasant way to get between the Plateau, Mile End, Little Italy and the Lachine Canal. You unlock bikes in the BIXI app. A one-way pass costs C$1.60 (about $1.15) to unlock plus C$0.21 a minute on a regular bike or C$0.36 a minute on an electric one, before tax, with a C$100 security hold on your card. A monthly membership is C$24 (about $17), with unlimited regular-bike rides up to 45 minutes. Memberships run from mid-April to mid-November; check the app for any winter service. A 30-minute e-bike ride on a one-way pass comes to about C$12, so for several rides the monthly membership quickly pays off.
What to see
Old Montreal and the Old Port
Start at Place d'Armes, walk down Saint-Paul Street and Place Jacques-Cartier to the Bonsecours Market and the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, then out to the waterfront. The Old Port (Vieux-Port) has a long riverside promenade, the Clock Tower, a Ferris wheel, a zipline, the Montreal Science Centre and, in winter, an outdoor skating rink. Across the water you can see Habitat 67, Moshe Safdie's stacked-box housing complex from Expo 67.
Notre-Dame Basilica and AURA
The Gothic Revival basilica on Place d'Armes has a deep blue, gold-starred interior. Visit by day, then return for AURA, an evening light-and-music show inside. Tickets are sold through the basilica's website; a combined daytime visit and AURA ticket starts at C$43.50 (about $31). A long restoration began in 2020 and is expected to continue for years, so parts of the building may be screened off.
Mount Royal (Mont Royal)
The city's namesake hill, a large wooded park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park fame. Walk up from Peel Street downtown or from Parc Jeanne-Mance on the Plateau to the Kondiaronk Belvedere for the classic skyline view (about 45 minutes uphill, with stairs). On summer Sundays, drummers gather at the George-Étienne Cartier monument for the "tam-tams". Saint Joseph's Oratory, Canada's largest church, is on the western slope.
Biodôme, Insectarium and Botanical Garden
Space for Life (Espace pour la vie) groups the city's natural science museums around the 1976 Olympic Park in the east end. The Biodôme recreates five ecosystems, from rainforest to sub-Antarctic islands, inside the former Olympic velodrome, the redesigned Insectarium reopened in 2022, and the Botanical Garden covers about 185 acres (75 hectares), including Chinese and Japanese gardens and the fall Gardens of Light lantern event. The Planetarium is next to the Biodôme. Tickets are timed and sold online; Quebec residents pay less than visitors. Take the green line to Viau or Pie-IX.
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
One of Canada's most visited art museums, spread across five connected pavilions on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile, with strong Quebec and Canadian, Indigenous, decorative arts and international collections, plus major touring exhibitions. Check the museum's site for its current hours (it closes on Mondays), prices and any free or discounted times.
Pointe-à-Callière
The city's archaeology and history museum stands on the spot where Montreal was founded. You walk underground through excavated remains of early buildings, the first Catholic cemetery, Fort Ville-Marie and the city's first collector sewer. It is the best place to understand how the city grew, and the rooftop has a good view of the Old Port. It is at 350 Place Royale.
Jean-Talon and Atwater markets
Jean-Talon in Little Italy is one of North America's largest open-air markets, best from late spring to fall when Quebec farmers sell berries, corn, maple products and cheese; it is enclosed and smaller in winter. Atwater Market, in an Art Deco hall by the Lachine Canal in Saint-Henri, is more compact with excellent butchers, bakeries and cheese shops. Both are great for picnic supplies.
The underground city (RÉSO)
More than 20 miles (about 32 km) of tunnels and passages link métro stations, malls, office towers, hotels, universities and the Bell Centre arena. It is less a sight than a winter tool: on a 5°F (-15°C) day you can cross much of downtown indoors. Follow the RÉSO signs.
With more time, add the Lachine Canal bike path, the murals of Saint-Laurent Boulevard, and a Canadiens hockey game at the Bell Centre (October to April).
Food and drink
Montreal eats well at every price. Menu prices are before tax, and tipping works as in the US: 15–20% at sit-down restaurants, chosen on the card terminal. The drinking age in Quebec is 18. See our food and drinks pages for more.
The classics
Bagels
Montreal bagels are smaller, denser and sweeter than New York's: boiled in honey water and baked in wood-fired ovens. The two rivals are St-Viateur and Fairmount, a few blocks apart, both open around the clock and both cheap.
Smoked meat
Brisket cured with spices, smoked and steamed, piled on rye with yellow mustard. Schwartz's on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, open since 1928, is the famous one, with a line out the door at peak times; order the sandwich "medium" (a fattier cut) with a pickle and a black cherry soda. Lester's in Outremont and the Main Deli across from Schwartz's are good alternatives with shorter waits.
Poutine
Fries, squeaky fresh cheese curds and brown gravy. La Banquise on the Plateau, open 24 hours, offers dozens of versions and is the classic late-night stop.
Bistro and Quebec cuisine
For a long-running Parisian-style bistro, L'Express on Saint-Denis has been serving since 1980. Joe Beef in Little Burgundy and Au Pied de Cochon on the Plateau made the city's reputation for rich, generous Quebec cooking (book well ahead). In Old Montreal, Olive et Gourmando is a beloved bakery-café for breakfast and lunch $.
BYOB restaurants
Look for Apportez votre vin on the door: the restaurant has no liquor license and you bring your own wine. Dozens cluster on Duluth Avenue and Prince-Arthur Street on the Plateau. Buy wine beforehand at an SAQ (the provincial liquor store) or a dépanneur, and ask about corkage when booking; most charge none.
Terraces
From May to October Montreal lives outdoors. Terrasses (patios) spill onto sidewalks, and streets such as Mont-Royal Avenue go pedestrian-only for summer. Rooftop bars in Old Montreal fill fast on warm evenings.
Insider tip
Dinner runs later than in much of the US: 7:30 or 8 p.m. is a normal reservation time. Book popular restaurants a week or more ahead for Friday and Saturday, and use Mondays and Tuesdays for walk-ins, since some independent restaurants close one or both of those days.
Festivals and events
Montreal's festival calendar is the busiest in Canada, and many shows are free and outdoors. The big ones, with dates to confirm for 2027 on our festivals page:
- Igloofest (January–February) and Montréal en Lumière (February–March): outdoor winter parties and light shows.
- Canadian Grand Prix: Formula 1 on Île Notre-Dame, moved to late May from 2026. Hotel prices spike.
- Montreal International Jazz Festival (late June–early July): hundreds of concerts, many free outdoors in the Quartier des Spectacles.
- Just for Laughs (July), Osheaga (early August, Parc Jean-Drapeau) and Fierté Montréal (Pride, August).
Different from home
June 24 is the Fête nationale, Quebec's own national holiday, with big parades and concerts. July 1 is Canada Day, and in Quebec it is also "moving day", when many apartment leases end. Expect streets full of moving trucks and furniture on sidewalks around that date, and avoid driving in residential areas if you can.
Montreal in winter
Montreal winters are cold and snowy. Average January highs are around 23°F (-5°C), lows often near 5°F (-15°C), and a typical season brings well over 6 feet (about 2 m) of snow. The city copes well: sidewalks are plowed, and the métro and underground city keep you moving.
Dress for it and winter is a fine time to go. Hotels are cheaper outside holidays and festival weekends, and you can skate at Beaver Lake or the Old Port, cross-country ski on Mount Royal, and warm up at Nordic spas such as the Bota Bota spa-boat. Pack insulated waterproof boots with good grip, a warm hat and real gloves; see our winter page.
Watch out
Icy sidewalks cause plenty of falls; walk slowly and consider slip-on ice cleats. Americans are not covered by Quebec's health plan, so hospital care is billed at non-resident rates; carry travel medical insurance (see Health). If you drive, obey temporary no-parking signs for snow removal, or your car will be towed.
Day trips
Quebec City
The walled old city works as a long day trip by VIA Rail or car, but deserves a night. See Quebec City.
Mont-Tremblant and the Laurentians
A pedestrian ski village with lakes, hiking and fall color from late September. See Quebec regions.
Eastern Townships
Farmland, vineyards and lakeside towns like Knowlton and North Hatley, easy to combine with a drive from Vermont.
Ottawa
Parliament Hill and the national museums; better with a night. See Ottawa.
A sugar shack
A cabane à sucre feast of pea soup, ham, beans and maple everything, with maple taffy on snow. Book ahead. See our food page.
Itineraries for 2 to 4 days
- Day 1
Old Montreal and the Old Port
Breakfast at Olive et Gourmando, then Pointe-à-Callière to get the city's backstory. Walk Saint-Paul Street, Place Jacques-Cartier and the Bonsecours Market, and spend the afternoon along the Old Port. Visit the Notre-Dame Basilica late in the day, and book AURA for the evening show. Dinner in Old Montreal.
- Day 2
Mount Royal, the Plateau and Mile End
Walk or bike up Mount Royal from downtown to the Kondiaronk Belvedere, then down the far side to the Plateau. Smoked meat at Schwartz's for lunch, then wander Saint-Laurent, Saint-Denis and Mont-Royal Avenue. Late afternoon, head to Mile End for bagels at St-Viateur or Fairmount. Dinner at a BYOB on Duluth Avenue.
- Day 3
Museums and markets
Morning at Jean-Talon Market and a coffee in Little Italy. Take the métro to the Olympic Park for the Biodôme and Botanical Garden, or stay downtown for the Museum of Fine Arts and the underground city. End with a drink on a terrace, or a Canadiens game in season.
- Day 4
Canal or day trip
Ride a BIXI along the Lachine Canal to the Atwater Market for lunch, or take a day trip. With only two days, do Day 1 and Day 2.
Practical tips and costs
- US citizens need a passport book to fly; a passport card, NEXUS card or enhanced driver's license works by land and by Amtrak. See Entering Canada.
- Prices are shown before the 14.975% combined sales tax. See Money for cards and exchange rates, and Staying connected for phone plans.
- Theft from parked cars and bike theft are the main crime issues; leave nothing visible in a car. See Safety.
- Shops often close around 5 p.m. on weekends, earlier than in many US cities.
Save money
Eat your big meal at lunch, when many good restaurants offer a fixed-price table d'hôte menu for much less than dinner. Use BYOB restaurants for dinner, buy picnic supplies at the markets, and stick to the métro. Outside festival weekends and the Grand Prix, November and January to March bring the lowest hotel rates.
Add it to a route in the trip builder, or ask us to plan the hotels, trains and guides for you.