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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 taxi3.1 mi 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)
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.