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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Montreal
Montréal
Give Montreal 2–3 nights: base in the Plateau or Old Montreal, walk and Metro the centre, and skip a car — parking and traffic cost more than they save.
Montreal is Canada's second-largest city and the largest French-speaking city in the Americas, on an island in the St. Lawrence River. It is a walkable, bilingual city of neighbourhoods, festivals and food, best seen on foot and by Metro over 2–3 nights. Old Montreal holds the colonial core; the Plateau, Mile End and the Village hold the everyday city.
- Country
- Canada
- Local name
- Montréal
- Best months
- Jun–Sep (festivals, warm); late Sep–Oct for colour
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, snow, wind chill); mid-July if you dislike crowds
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–260 excl. bed · High C$280+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$3–6 |
| Bagel with cream cheese | C$3–5 |
| Smoked meat sandwich | C$12–20 |
| Poutine | C$10–18 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a dépanneur | C$8–10 / C$3–5 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | C$15–22 |
| Metro ride | C$3.75 (check) |
| Museum entry | C$15–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YUL · Montréal-Trudeau International
- About 20–60 min to the centre by car depending on traffic; the 747 bus and taxis use a reserved lane. See montreal airport transfer.
- YHU · Montréal Saint-Hubert
- Domestic flights only; east of the centre.
Typical fares
- 747 bus, YUL → downtown
- about C$11, 45–60 min (check)
- Taxi YUL → downtown
- C$45–55 fixed band (check)
- VIA Rail Montréal → Québec City
- from about C$47 advance, 3.25–3.5 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The Metro (STM) is the fastest way across the centre; buy a one-day or three-day pass if you ride three or more times a day. The centre is walkable, and the underground city links downtown stations in winter. A car is a liability in the core: park it and use transit. See montreal public transport.
See and do
Known for
- Old Montreal and the Old Port
- Mount Royal and its park
- Bagels, smoked meat and poutine
- Summer festival season
- Montreal Canadiens hockey
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Québec City | VIA Rail from Gare Centrale, 3.25–3.5 h | About 4 h |
| Ottawa | VIA Rail from Gare Centrale, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Laval | Metro to Montmorency, about 30 min from downtown | About 45 min |
| Mont-Tremblant | Car, about 1 h 45 min | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Old Montreal
- Historic riverfront, walkable to the Old Port; priciest, quietest at night.
- Plateau Mont-Royal
- Best all-round base: cafés, bars, Mount Royal on foot; 10–15 min by Metro to downtown.
- Downtown / Ville-Marie
- Hotels, museums, shopping and the main rail and Metro hub at Gare Centrale.
- Quartier Latin-Le Village
- Restaurants, UQAM and the gay village; Beaudry Metro is marked with rainbow pillars.
- Mile End
- Bagels, coffee and boutiques north of the Plateau; quieter, fewer hotels.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Can we speak English? | Pouvons-nous parler anglais ?poo-VON noo par-LAY on-GLAY |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH |
| Where is the Metro? | Où est le métro ?oo eh luh may-TRO |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Winter cold is real: −13 °C nights are normal in January, with about 2 m of snow a season.
- Sales tax is added at the till; posted prices are before tax.
- Tipping is expected: 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis.
- Start conversations with "Bonjour"; most people switch to English once they hear you.
- Summer festival weeks fill hotels early: book weeks ahead.
Montreal is a safe big city by North American standards; the real risks are winter cold and ice, petty theft around the Old Port and Berri-UQAM at night, and bars with no posted prices — ask the total before you sit. See is montreal safe.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Montreal yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Old Montreal and the Old Port
- Mount Royal and its park
- Bagels, smoked meat and poutine
- Summer festival season
- Montreal Canadiens hockey
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourisme Montréal (official): www.mtl.org/en
- STM — Montreal public transport: www.stm.info/en
- ADM — Montréal-Trudeau Airport: www.admtl.com/en
- VIA Rail Canada: www.viarail.ca/
- Wikivoyage: Montreal, revision 5337329 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5337329
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MontrealMontréal
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
The US has a consulate general in Montreal; most other countries keep embassies in Ottawa (check the address).
Tipping 15–20% at restaurants and bars, 10–15% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/montreal). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.