I will be traveling to Montreal for the first time next week (7/31/14) and was looking for any advice, interesting sites, things to do, travel tips (exchanging money, using cell phone, etc...) that anyone may have.

We will be staying in downtown Montreal and this is a group of 10 guys going for a bachelor party trip.

7/24/2014 3:22:05 PM

http://www.joebeef.ca/

7/24/2014 4:32:12 PM

Enjoy some of the best strip clubs in the world!

7/24/2014 5:02:39 PM

I'm heading there for a week for work Aug 4th so this is definitely relative to my interests. Wouldn't mind an update post/mid trip.

7/24/2014 5:14:59 PM

Dont wchange money. Just use atms.

7/24/2014 6:10:26 PM

Verizon phones roam there. I would assume the same for other lesser carriers. Buy a temporary extended coverage plan and cancel when you return to US. I think it's an extra $40/month, but worth it.
I think you can just exchange US dollars for Canadian dollars straight up when making change. AMEX might be the only credit card not to charge foreign transaction fees.
Brush up on basic French so you can blend in better.
Be prepared for a shit-ton of road construction.
That's all I remember for now.

7/24/2014 6:19:25 PM

The Trick to Avoiding ATM Fees Overseas: Charles Schwab Investor Checking Account
http://millionmilesecrets.com/2014/05/13/charles-schwab-debit-card/

Top Travel Credit Cards That Waive Foreign Transaction Fees
http://thepointsguy.com/2014/02/top-travel-credit-cards-that-waive-foreign-transaction-fees/

7/24/2014 7:35:07 PM

Quote :

"Brush up on basic French so you can blend in better."

This goes a long way. Making the effort to say "Bonjour, hello" when entering a place, even if you then launch into English, will get you better service than just walking in and saying hi. Believe me, they know English and are fluent, but a cursory attempt to respect the fact that you're in a french-canadian-speaking city goes a long way.

As everyone else said, just go to ATMs, don't change money.

Go to Schwartz's and eat a ton of smoked meat.

YUL is far from downtown and the taxi ain't cheap, so if you are travelling with someone or meet them at the airport that would be optimal (to share cost).

7/27/2014 9:44:52 AM

^I disagree. don't bother saying these small french words if you won't understand what the person says back, as it turns into a pain and wastes time.

there is a bus that goes from the airport to the bus terminal downtown.

If you like to ride bikes, try a bixi. you can use your credit card to rent one, return it anywhere there's a rack, and pick up a new one when you're ready to move on.

Check if you'll be in town long enough to watch the fireworks competition on the Jaques Cartier bridge. http://montreal.about.com/od/montrealevents/a/fireworks_mtl_2.htm


A trip to the top of mount royal will give you an appreciation for the area's geography. If you'd like to see the river, rent a kayak in the old port, or take a cruise to the rapids.

For the real montreal nightlife, take a trip to Rue st-laurent and wander between the open air restaurants and night clubs. college kids flock to crescent. The best stuff on st-catherine is actually in the gay village.

7/27/2014 2:47:22 PM

Take the 747 bus from the airport to downtown. It's $11 and your ticket is good for 24 hours on the subway/buses. Schwartz is a must. La banquise is really good poutine - open 24/7. Joe Beef/Liverpool house is the best restaurant in town but very pricey. Might be too late to get a table. Hotel nelligan has a nice roof top terrace in the old port. Jardin Nelson is in the old port too - very cool atmosphere. The casino was just renovated. It's in the middle of the F1 track. Osheaga is going on that weekend so I would avoid parc jean-drapeau. If you're in town on Sunday - I highly recommend going to the Tam-Tam's. Usually gets going around 2 pm on the side of Mount Royal. Take a cooler. Also, don't jaywalk downtown.

7/27/2014 3:49:36 PM

joe beef is NOT the best restaurant in town, and it's far away from most of the hot spots. If you were in that area, the place just across the street, the burgundy lion, is fantastic and way less stuffy.

it's not even the best place in town for steak-- that'd be queue de cheval, if they'd ever finish reopening... they have a new burger spot there, though, that's gotten good reviews.

Another interesting place, especially for lunch, is Aux Vivres-- a vegan place that has gotten wildly popular.

If you want a real gastronomic experience, try toqué, club chasse et peche, pied du cochon or au cinquième peché. I suggest making reservations asap for any of those places. for a more modest budget, i've gotten great seafood at Helena's on mcgill.


If you've ever been interested by beef tartare or horse meat, try frite alors, which is also reasonably priced.


I've re-read the post, and honestly, if no reservations are made, a group of 10 will probably have a hard time getting seated almost anywhere decent, especially on the weekend-- and that might include the stripclubs. it might not be too late to call a party planning service, who probably have some reserved tables at a few places. some of the services even include party girls, who generally know where to get stuff for the party, if required.

7/27/2014 4:43:00 PM