Montreal Trip Planning

Montreal Trip.

Hotel Bonaventure Montreal

900 Rue De La Cauchetiere West Montreal H5A1E4 QC CA [phone]

• Clean, quiet and relatively modern (well, 1960s!), the metro system is key to a hassle-free exploration of the city. Buses supplement the system.
• On public transit be sure get a transfer ("correspondence") from a machine beyond the turnstile at your first station (or ask the bus driver) to use connecting services for free.
• Avoid talk of Québec independence; locals either have strong opinions or are tired of this divisive subject.
• Using a little French will be appreciated in most parts of Montreal — even if you immediately end up switching to English, since most Montrealers are bilingual.
• The Montréal Museums Pass offers entry into 38 city museums and covers use of public transit. Valid for 72 hours.
• Left-luggage lockers/check-rooms at the central bus station and main train station will take your luggage for a reasonable fee per day.

 

Day 1 (8/14/2016, Sunday) Drive, depart 9:30 AM , 6 hours to Montreal

Day 2 (8/15/2016, Monday)

1. Old Montreal(1-2 hours): Start where the city itself began, exploring a mix of cobble streets, Station Place-dArmes is the closest metro station to the area; the district lies east and is focused around Place Jacques Catier. Return at night to see the district gracefully illuminated.
2. Norte-Dame Basilica (less than 1 hour): Built 1656, this is Montreal’s oldest church and a key Old Montreal landmark. Inside, the blaze of carving, sculptures and stained glass may be a little gaudy for some tastes, but they are certainly impressive and unmissable.  The church is a regular venue for extravagant sound and light shows, organ recitals and choral performances, check it websites for the most recent schedule.    Address: 110-Norte Dame Street West Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1T1 Canada.
3. Old Port of Montreal(1-2 hours): Once the city's commercial hub, the Old Port is now a very stroll-able area, not least because special events often take place here. But there's always an interesting cityscape to appreciate too: from gritty defunct port buildings to pretty venerable old townhouses, plus there are views over the expansive St-Lawrence river towards the iconic Jacques Cartier Bridge. River cruises depart from here in summer, while in winter there's outdoor ice-skating. Address: De La Commune West Montreal, Quebec. 1 514-283-5256
4. Pointe-a-Calliere Museum (opening hours: 10AM-6PM, rates: adult $20, Youth: $14), for a rewarding look at the city’s humble beginning, visit this archaeology and history museum. The collection includes all sort of First Nation and early settler artifacts, as well as some excavated city foundations. The lookout tower and restaurant can be visited free of charge.  Address: 350 Place Royale Montreal, Quebec

 

Day3 (8/16/2016, Tuesday)

1. Olympic Park (less than 1 hour): Montreal's Olympic Park hails back to the 1976 games and while nothing much of the games themselves remains, its remarkable leaning tower makes it well worth a stop-off. It's the world's largest inclined structure (190 meters at 45º) and views from the top are breathtaking. Tours of the complex are offered and you can travel up a funicular to the top of the tower for impressive city views. A huge swimming complex is located here, too. Address: 4545 Pierre-de Coubtin Montreal Quebec   1514-252-4141
2. À la carte" package: (4-5hours, rates: adult: $34.25, youth:$17).: Biodome, Botanical Grden/insectarium, Rio Tinto Alcan Planetaruim): Free shuttle from Biodmoe to Botanical Garden
3. Crosieres AML boat trips (1-2 hours)

 

Day4 (8/17/2016, Wednesday)

1. Plateau Mont-Royal (less than 1 hour), great neighbourhood. Address: 170 Prince Arthur Rue St-Denis Montreal
2. Mont Royal (2-3 hours): The city's own mini-mountain, Mount Royal is really three adjacent peaks that rise about 200 meters, just east of Downtown, to provide fantastic views of the city. It's Montreal's central park, so it's appropriate that it shares the same designer (Frederick Law Olmsted) with its New York cousin. The path up from Mount Royal's northern side is named after him and the ideal route up from the Plateau neighborhood to the Kondiaronk Lookout at the top. Depending on the season, you can rent paddleboats or ice skates at Lac des Castors, a lake near the summit of the mountain. Address: 1260, Chemin Remembreance Montreal, Quebec
3. McGill University (1-2 hours): Montreal's prestigious McGill University lies on the eastern foot-slopes of Mount Royal, on land donated by Scottish-born fur trader James McGill. The campus was built in grand Victorian style in the early 19th-century and is worth walking through along Rue Peel, which leads Downtown. The university museum, Musée Redpath, is a creaky old institution, but it's free and its natural history section includes a dinosaur skeleton and Egyptian mummies far from home. Address: 805 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal Quebec
4. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (opening hours: 10AM-9PM, rates: adult :$10, youth: free): Arguably Montreal's finest museum, this is a must for art lovers, with all sorts of European heavyweights and Old Masters represented (including Rembrant, Picasso, Monet). It's also strong on Canadian art from Inuit artifacts to the likes of Paul Kane and the Group of Seven.

Day5 (8/18/2016, Thursday): check out and drive back home