Montreal Questions
 

What is the best inexpensive way to get from the airport to downtown? How much wine can I bring into Canada from the US for personal consumption? Thanks.

Sorry, I can't give you a more definitive answer but I guess you can use this info as a baseline:
Taxi to downtown is a set rate of $35 (before tip). I've only taken a taxi but I'm assuming that there's got to be some kind of "limousine" shuttle bus to the downtown hotels.
Personal exemption coming back to Canada is two bottles of wine (1.5L).

You choices:

Aerobus: $14 per person one way, $24 round trip. Runs every 20-30 minutes. It stops at a few different hotels in downtown before ending at the Berri bus terminal. On the return trip, you must buy a ticket at the Berri bus terminal or have one from a round trip purchase; they do have a free shuttle from downtown hotels to the Berri bus terminal (call to reserve it).

Taxi: $35 per cab to downtown.

Limosine: $50 per limosine to downtown

Public transportation: local bus to Gare Dorval, commuter train into downtown Montreal Vendome or Bonaventure station, Metro subway if needed to the closest Metro stop to your destination.

Rent a car, drop off at the rental company's lot in the city (keeping it in the city is too much hassle with respect to parking).

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/

Thanks for the replys. Cant wait to get out of this brutal Florida heat of 105-110 heat index to a cooler climate for vacation.

I wouldn't count on much improvement, I would expect a heat index in the 85-95 range for the next little while, it's currently 86 and heading up.

If I can temporarily use and abuse your thread for a moment...

Is it reasonably practical or too extreme, weatherwise, to stroll around the latin (?) quarter of Montreal in early January?

Just looking at options for our RTW stops from Dublin to Chicago.
FTers in the *A forum suggested DUB-yvr-ORD (Toronto?) but I'd love to get to Montreal for a walk/eat-around during a day or evening.

I guess it will be a shock for an Aussie, but we'd have been cold and wet in Dublin for a while so will be conditioned for cold, short days.

If it is worth it as a mileage-run style quick visit, please recommend some options for a <24hr stop.
We'd likely take a return bus, as suggested, but not stay overnight.

Many thanks!

YVR = Vancouver
YYZ = Toronto
YUL = Montreal

Cold and wet in DUB and Freezing and snow in YUL are two distinct things. As much as I love telling people they should visit Montreal, a good January cold-snap is probably the worst thing you can get. Averages are around -16 degrees Celcius so a good winter jacket is essential or you just wont enjoy it.

That said, Montreal is just a great place to see. If you're here for a day, I'd strongly suggest Old Montreal where you'll get to see the historical district (Churches, buildings, etc.) and can find some great restaurants. I'd stay away from any restaurant around Place Jacques-Cartier (which are mainly touristy and not that great) and would try one of the following:
- Pierre-du-Calvet (French)
- Bonaparte (French)
- Gibbys (Steak)
- Brasserie Holder (French Bistro is between Old Montreal and Downtown)
- Cabaret du Roy (which attempts to recreate food and ambience of New France but best experienced as a group)

What you probably want is called "old Montreal"/"Vieux-Montréal", there is an area called the Latin Quarter too, an area of restaurants and galleries along Rue St. Denis that also has it's charms but if what you want to see is old stuff then it's Vieux-Montréal you want.

If appropriately dressed sure. Given that you are headed for ORD next where it can be as cold although generally less snowy you're going to need a winter coat/boots/hat/gloves anyway.

YVR is Vancouver, don't think they would necessarily allow that as it's backtracking.

Some additions to that from a regular visitor to Montreal:

Old Montreal: Le Muscadin - one of the largest wine cellars in Quebec (lots of Italian wines)
Out of town if you have a car: 40 West (same owner or used to be as La Queue de Cheval) for a great steak

And yes, I agree, Gibbys is a great place too.

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

To the OP if you are traveling by yourself the Aerobus is fantastic.
If traveling with more than yourself then a taxi starts to make sense dollar wise.
I am a frequent visitor to Montreal and love the Aerobus,but on my last trip their was a group of three german tourist travelling together with a lot of luggage-they would have been much better of in a cab IMO since their hotel was not one of the scheduled stops so they had to offload their many pieces of luggage and wait for the transfer to thier hotel.

To the ft'er wanting to visit in winter.It is very very very cold.And ICY!!!Walking those cobblestone streets of old town is not a lot of fun IMO
But it is picture postcard beautiful and their are fantastic hotel rates in January.
DON"T even think about driving!I know the locals do when they must-but unless you are skilled in driving in such conditions(as a native Californian I know I am not)it is nothing to even think about.

Some of the previous posters have speculated that you are interested in "Vieux Montreal" or the old part of the town. The term "Latin Quarter" is also sometimes used to refer to the area around the "Gay Village" that runs along Ste Catherine Street East.

Regardless of your desired location, the temperatures will be chilly enough that I don't know that you will want to "stroll" very much. But you can certainly visit. I have been to Montreal many times in January, and find it a beautiful city any time of the year.

One thing for a non-native to watch our for in the winter - they remove snow from the sidewalks with these small bulldozers. City workers drive these things around on the sidewalks like they are on a Formula 1 track. It is a bit of an exaggeration to say that pedestrians are diving for cover when one comes down the sidewalk, but it is certainly a good idea to pay attention when you hear one coming.

My purpose is to see a picture postcard city en route to ORD, so if we can get a bus into the old city to a decent restaurant and maybe a museum or see a little of the city I will be happy.

Alex0683de kindly noted in the StarAlliance forum that DUB-yul-ORD is almost direct, so the feasibility of a stop depends on the flight times and layovers.

Could anyone suggest a minimum and preferred amount of time to experience just a little of the city? I would hope for 2-3hrs in the city, so where do I find out about frequency of Aerobus, rail or taxi services?
Based on the info above, maybe a car service or taxi each is the better option for a couple. If it's a price-fixed service, what is the customary additional tip?

We will bring heavy coats and hats I guess, as we hope to stop in Chicago and will need them anyway.

Perhaps there are areas close to the skybus stops that we could see?
Thanks again for your advice, for all of the questions in this thread. :)

Info on the Aérobus:
http://www.admtl.com/passager/acces_...?langtype=1033

Disembark at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth; from there, you can use the RES underground walkways through Place Bonaventure to get to Square-Victoria -- roughly at the southwest corner of Old Montreal:
http://www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca/info...info_toura.htm

...and, if it's really too frigid to leave the indoors, I suppose you could make your way up to 737, the restaurant atop Place Ville Marie.

I usually give $40 total on the set $35 taxi fare between YUL and the Fairmont QE/Downtown.

Word of caution: I kind of yucked up the cuff region of a few pairs of pants walking around Montreal in the slush and didn't have a chance to launder them during my trip. Use common sense in choosing what pants you'll be wearing for your walk.