zipadee

Thank you both. I had looked at airfare on Air Canada from YUL to TQB but it was quite pricey. How is the rail? Are their flight alternatives to Air Canada? And how is the coach tour? Good? Recommended?

Great ideas, thank you so much.

And I'd love Place D Armes but looks to be unavailable for one of my dates

Max007

A relatively cheap alternative is simply to take the inter-city coach bus (http://www.orleansexpress.com/Default.aspx) . For roughly 85$/pax round trip it's a decent price and only 2.5-3 hours depending on traffic.

It's quicker and cheaper than the train and when you factor in all the time you wait at the airport it's actually not that much slower. You can catch one from Central Station in YUL and it'll drop you off either in the suburbs or right in downtown Quebec City. From there you can easily walk to one of the many hotels in the area; or catch a taxi

Max

zipadee

Thank you so much!

zipadee

Back from a lovely time in Montreal. We really, really liked the city. Would love to go back but it didn't grab our hearts the way Salzburg and Munich did so we'll probably wait a couple of years before going back.

We loved how walkable Montreal was and how efficient the subway and airport were. We were surprised at how expensive it was. We didn't expect alcohol, particularly beer, to be so expensive. I had read about the high cost of alcohol but still didn't expect it to be so high.

Best meals were a bistro in Chinatown, Hurley's Chez Suzette and Bonaparte House. Would happily go back to all three. Worst was 3 Brassueres (spelling?) had a three-hour meal at Europea. The food was good. Some of it was extraordinary. The cheese presentation was amazing. Our junior server was quite nice. But our main server was what I can hate about upscale restaurants. Very snotty with a total attitude. Contrast that with the underlining and the efficient and personal service at Napolean House.....considering we dropped $225 there (American) I don't think we will be going back not when there are other places to try and had such a great time at Bonaparte House.

We stayed at the W. First night was in a king bed wonderful room. We had a not so wonderful view into a conference room and the shower wasn't what I had expected. Got upgraded for the rest of the stay to a mega room. Simply sexiest hotel room I've ever been in. Loved it. Would recommend the hotel. Loved the easy access to the subway from the basement of the hotel and its convenience to all of Montreal via walking. However, I think next time we'd like to stay in Vieux Montreal.

We enjoyed Hurley's for dinner one night and returned for drinks a second night.

We took a limo from the airport for $50 Can. We got a taxi at the hotel for the return. It was $38. Both drivers were quite good.

Worst thing about the entire stay? Upstairs Jazz Club. Considering the time I've spent in jazz clubs in New Orleans and Kansas City, I highly recommend avoiding the Upstairs club. I wish we hadn't wasted our time because they surely don't care about their patrons.

Happy to answer any questions and thanks to everyone for their thoughts and suggestions in helping us have such a fabulous time in Montreal. C'est magnifique!

YVR Cockroach

High taxes on alcohol, which is pretty much the story in the rest of Canada. Quebec is actually a little bit cheaper than B.C., with the plus that restaurants who can't be bothered to obtain an expensive liquor licence allow you to bring your own ("apportez votre vin"). Supposedly, restaurants pay more for their alcohol than consumers would/do.

You weren't at Bonaparte on Friday evening by any chance, were you?

ordogg

Hi - I'm going to be in Montreal this Saturday (18 Feb 12), arriving at 0900 and departing at 1945 (part of the SN BRU deal). This is my first visit to Montreal, and I realize 8-9 hours does not do it justice, but wanted to see what I could do with my limited time (I may be hanging out with some other FTers). I have the following ideas / parameters:

1. Want to try poutine - Chalet BBQ or La Banquise?
2. Want to try Schwartz's deli.
3. How much time in Old Town?
4. Would like to hit a Roots store.
5. An area with good pubs to hang out for a beer or two.
6. If we have 4 people, should we just do the limo rather than the 747 bus?

Many thanks!

EtoileFilante

I was in Montréal in September and it's one of my favorite places. Definitely experience all the food in Montréal... La Banquise is arguably the best place for Poutine (I've never heard of the other place you mentioned, so I'd skip it), and Schwartz's is MUST. I almost died when I tasted that brisket, it was so good and my mouth is actually watering as I sit here typing about it. I also highly suggest you taste a Montréal-style bagel. They are made in wood ovens and are simply divine. I come from a Jewish area in Chicago and know my bagels, so when one of my colleagues (a Montréal native) suggested I go to Fairmount Bagel to try one, I laughed at her. I took her advice, although I thought it was silly. I've had quite a few bagels in my life, and I thought it was ridiculous that she'd say it's the best bagel ever. I didn't regret it - in fact, the bagels I had there were the best ones (if not the best) I've had in my life. Make sure you get one fresh from the oven if possible. I'd also suggest going to one of the main marchés (markets), either Atwater Market (which is right on the canal) or Jean Talon Market (the more relaxed of the two and the one that has a very "local" feel to it), so you can check out the local specialties and even take some home at affordable prices. I highly suggest you try to take some maple butter home with you if you've never had it, it's like peanut butter but with a maple flavor.

Vieux Montréal (which I assume is what you mean by Old Town) is great, not sure how long you'll need there (depends what you wish to see there), but I went there multiple times during my week there (I've lived in Europe and really appreciated the old world ambiance in that neighborhood). There are walking tours from Notre Dame cathedral that will show you all the major sites in that part of town within a few hours; although you can find your way around the area without that tour, I greatly enjoyed it and thought it worth the money. Be warned though, that food, drink, and souvenirs are very costly in that part of town! I also highly suggest Château Ramezay if you like history or wish to find out more about the story of Montréal. Lots of people overlook this landmark but it was among my favorite things that I did there. Also, across the street from the Château is city hall, which features some very beautiful gardens - check those out also, and be sure also to look at the gardens in the back of the Château (they are beautiful and free to the public). Also, if you have time, check out Marché Bonsecours - it's an indoor market which has stands outside also. If nothing else, go to the stands outdoors and be sure to stop by the iced wine table. They give free samples in hopes of getting you to buy a bottle and also try some of the crème d'érable, which kind of like Bailey's, but maple-flavored. In my opinion, the other two I mentioned (Atwater & Jean Talon) are better; however, if you are in the neighborhood anyway, you can check out this one as well.

I don't know anything about Roots, sorry. However, if you feel like shopping, check out La Baie. It's a huge Canadian department store, kind of like a Macy's, and the one in downtown Montréal is huge. Arguably, the best shopping in Montréal is on Rue Catherine, which is right downtown, and La Baie is right there.

About pubs, Rue Crescent is apparently the place to be and the center of Montréal nightlife. I didn't make it there in September, but I did make it to another pub...I cannot remember where it is unfortunately. I do know that the Mile End area (which is where Fairmount bagel is) does have some nice cafes, so perhaps you could try to find some pubs there.

Regarding transport form the airport - if you can swing it, I'd suggest the limo or a taxi. The bus will get you where you need to go, but unless you are very familiar with the city, you run a (high) risk of getting lost. The stops are not well indicated at all and once you get off, you may get lost on your way to your final destination, as I did.

One last thing - if you do go to Atwater market by the canal, I highly suggest you take the Canal tour which is run by Parks Canada. It's a bit expensive but well worth it - you get to ride in a little boat with other tourists & there's a guide who tells you the story of the canal in both French & English. It's very fun and definitely a good photo op - beautiful views of the water and of the city from the boat.

I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer (I'm not a Montrealer, but I do love the city if you couldn't tell )

longwaybackhome

Hey, I was in Montreal over the weekend, and I can help answer a few of your questions.

1) There's only one Roots store downtown, and it's at 1025 Ste-Catherine W. I do recommend that whomever likes shopping hang out on that street.

2) If you like Irish pubs, definitely go to Hurley's, on Crescent. I was there on Saturday night, and the band, Solstice, was amazing. I had to leave my friends early because I'd seen concerts on Thursday and Friday and was absolutely exhausted, and a band Saturday was my tipping point. However, I don't think you'll make it for the band since they started at 10/2200!

3) It was my third trip to Montreal in 18 months, so I didn't get lost from the bus, but I recommend a limo or taxi if there are four of you.

4) I could just spend hours and hours wandering around Vieux Montreal, so I recommend spending the large majority of your time there. I hope it's not -25 C again next week though.

ordogg

Had a great day in Montreal last Saturday before my flight to BRU.

We arrived at around 9 am, caught the 747 bus into town. For $8 CDN, it is a bargain, since it includes an all day transit pass, including a ride back to the airport. The bus was fine, except not all stops were announced, but we made it to the Berri / UQAM metro ok.

Made it to Schwartz's at 1030, just in time to partake the hot meat sandwiches. They were so good, we split a second one. Would like to spend more time in Mont Royal - seems like a fun neighborhood to hang out.

We ended up walking down Blvd. St. Laurent to Sherbrooke then into the center, making road stop at a Tim Horton's on the way for a coffee and donut. Made it to Roots, then was mistaken for a local when someone asked for directions

We then trekked up Mount Royal - a little hard in the slush and with a heavy messenger bag, but totally worth it. After walking around to the east / NE side, we made our way down to chinatown and Old Montreal. Both were charming and used the walking tour suggested by the LP guide. By then it was 3 pm and we were sort of beat (had a 6 am flight), so we took the metro to the Lionel / Groux (sic) stop where we walked by the Atwater market before catching the 747 bus back to the airport (where we had a good 3 hours in the int'l MLL).

All in all, would love to come back in the summer. One question, what's the deal with all the spray paint?