Wow is all I can say at the prevalence of homelessness in Nth America compared with Australia. It's very sad and I feel a little guilty even trying to decide on a warm comfortable hotel compared with the predicament of the less fortunate. Sobering.

A few comments as ex montrealer

Old port is fine in winter. I would never go there in summer as too touristy and crowded, better in winter. Walkways aren't that bad, it's hills you want to be carefull of in winter.

The underground city is just a trashy mall with subway access

The hyatt place is not a great location

There are amazing places to eat breakfast in Montreal, I doubt the hyatt is one of them

For the poster who's staying at the Hyatt Place, it's worth stepping over/around the junkies on Ste.-Catherine to get breakfast at Chez Cora in the Village. It's a Montreal institution.

Thanks all. I have read between the lines and cancelled Hyatt. Will now be staying at the Fairmont. I have enough Accor All points to take the sting off the total price for the 5 nights. I'll save Hyatt points for another time. All your input has been really valuable, cheers.

You should still consider Chez Cora for breakfast if you happen to be out that way.

Also, you can't make a first visit to Montreal without getting smoked meat at Schwartz's. It's cash-only and can get crowded, but it's a classic institution and well worth a visit.

Not anymore - the pandemic saw to that. It is still delicious, though.

Oh, interesting. Thanks for the info! Do they take credit cards, or are they one of those places that only accept Interac?

Interac, VI, MC, if I recall correctly.

Dunn's Famous is also a good place for smoked meat, and it's like 2 minute walk from Fairmont. They also have a website that takes online order.

I know Schwartz's is perhaps a little touristy but it's still been my favourite smoked meat out of all of them that I've tried. I've had locals tell me they swear by Snowdon Deli but I still prefer Schwartz's. Medium fat with fries, a pickle and a black cherry soda, please!

My recommendations of things to do (these are my favorites, in no particular order):

If the weather is nice (above freezing), outdoor activities:

1. Vieux port
2. Place Jacques Cartier
3. Ile Sainte Helene
4. Parc du Mont Royal
5. Rue Ste Catherine in front of Place des Arts
6. Plateau Mont Royal, centered on the corner of St Laurent and Mont Royal
7. McGill University Campus

Indoor activities:

1. Eglise Notre Dame (the nicest church in North America, in my opinion)
2. Musee des Beaux Arts
3. A performance by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal
4. Oratoire St. Joseph (Montreal's Montmartre)
5. Biodome

A short drive on A-15 Nord:

1. Mont Tremblant ski resort (a mini-Whistler, highly recommended)

I would also add that in my opinion Montreal is the safest large city in North America. Though there is some minimal violence, it's almost always targeted (gangs, organized crime and domestic disputes). Random violence is almost unheard of. I cannot think of a single area of the city where I would feel unsafe. This includes St Catherine between St Laurent and Beaudry. Enjoy your stay!

I also recommend taking the metro (subway), especially the blue line. Most stations are very well designed and look like an art gallery or museum. I have visited all the stations in the network.

I also enjoy walking around the small towns in Québec as most of them give a very different vibe from the typical towns in rest of the Canada. Lots of churches and heritage buildings, and they are well decorated around Xmas. A few of them are a short drive away and can be reached by public transit.

I agree, particularly as to the small towns. I recommend St. Sauveur, not far from Montreal in the Laurentides mountains. I am sure there are others, but this is my favorite among all small towns that can be reached within an hour drive of Montreal.

Regarding the subway, I would add that the Lionel Groulx station was used in the movies "The Jackal" and "Catch me if you Can." In The Jackal, it was purported to represent Metro Center station in Washington DC.

Contrecœur, St-Hyacinthe, Chambly, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield on the South Shore, L'Assomption, Ste-Thérèse, St-Eustache on the North Shore are the ones I visited and really liked, and they are all accessible by public transit. Most of them are not far from highways either. Rigaud is really nice too but driving is recommended. I prefer these small towns over the touristy part of Québec City.

I believe Radisson also appeared in some movies and its brutalist architecture is quite unique, but it's quite far from downtown and there isn't much interesting stuff around, other than the traffic jam on A25 near LaFontaine tunnel... One time I visited half of the blue line stations by walking to the next station then taking train to the next station and repeat. The area from Côte-des-Neiges to Outremont is quite nice to walk around and there are many interesting shops and restaurants in Outremont and along Jean-Talon.

I agree on all counts and among the small towns you listed I would vote for St. Eustache -- a favorite of mine.