Help with trip in Montreal please!
 

Hi!

My boyfriend and I are flying into Montreal at the end of June. We only have 1 or 2 nights in Montreal and I'm trying to decide if we should stay there for 1 or 2 nights.

Our "must sees" in Montreal are: Biosphere & Olympic Stadium (which are apparently close to each other), and Mount Royal Park & Oratory St. Joseph (which are also apparently near each other.)

We'll have a rental car. Do you think that it's possible to see those 4 sights if we just stay 1 night in Montreal? Or should we stay 2? I don't really know distances of things in Montreal so I'm unsure of what to do. I'm planning to book our hotel in Downtown Montreal (as it looks most near to our 4 must see sights.)

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

All of those places are must sees in Montreal and they are more or less nearby each other. The Olympic stadium is probably the furthest away so I recommend taking the metro for that. For the other locations your can always cab but it is nice to walk around as downtown Montreal is definitely a walking city. The weather will most likely be nice because your coming at the end of June, walking around will probably take 20-30 minutes and it's nice to do because you get to see all the cites in the city. There is always lots of shopping to do.
Old Montreal is another place you should definitely go see while you are here.

Did you and your boyfriend want to experience the nightlife one night?

Thanks for your reply!

We're renting a car from the airport.. would you recommend taking the metro to Olympic Stadium instead of rental car?

Our version of night activity would just be more sighseeing. We aren't really into clubs.

Biodome and the Olympic stadium are near each other. The Biospere is on the old Expo 67 site. I assume you mean Biodome.

One night or two would depend on your arrival time and day of week.

Mark

Montreal is one of my favorite cities - however I wouldn't consider it a city of 'must see' sights. Montreal is all about soaking in the European style ambiance - exploring interesting neighborhoods, eating at eclectic restaurants, going to a street fest, biking it's wonderful trails, strolling around Jean Talon and Atwater markets, having a glass of wine at an outdoor cafe. If I were to choose some must sees, perhaps Old Montreal, Basilica Notre Dame, Jean Talon Market and the Botanical Gardens (across the street from the Olympic Park). The Olympic Park and Biodome are great photo ops, but I wouldn't base my trip around them. Mt Royal Park is very pleasant on a warm day, and the view from the lookout is memorable. Oratory St. Joseph is another good photo op, but the inside is nothing special.
Just FYI, the Montreal Jazz Fest starts June 28. It's one of the largest music festivals in the world. Lots of free music downtown, and very large crowds. It can make getting a room difficult.
I would definitely try and spend two nights in this wonderful city. No need to drive once you arrive, public transportation is safe and efficient, and you can easily walk or bike all over.

Hello kmccutch,

I second and agree with everything zootsi wrote. Picking between one or two nights, I'd go with two nights, although Montreal is a place one could easily enjoy much more. The Biosphere (which I think is more interesting than the Biodome) is on Ile Sainte-Helene between Montreal and the South Shore. I could spend an hour or two happily at the Biosphere (and I've been before). With views of rushing water, Ile Sainte-Helene is also terrific for picknicking, cycling, etc.

The St. Joseph Oratory is handsome from the outside but I find it little more than a photo-op; the inside has escalators and is quite bare, not what you might think. The Olympic Stadium is also not much more than a photo-op, but I can while away hours in the Botanical Gardens. Mount-Royal Park if you want to really enjoy it for the urban oasis that it is, is a space one could spend 2 hours.

In my opinion, you'd be running around like a chicken with its head cut off with the goal of seeing the St. Joseph Oratory, Mount-Royal Park, the Biosphere and the Olympic Stadium highlights in one day. Instead, as zootsi wrote, enjoy 2 nights, and do take time and savour the unique ambience rather than planning to hold firm to some list of sights. (And consider checking out Old Montreal, Boulevard St. Laurent, Boulevard St. Denis in your plans.)

Best wishes, Daniel

Driving around is obviously the fastest way to get from point a to point b however you will have to consider paying for parking on the street when you go to each location.
Walking, biking, public transit, metro is most probably the best way to get around. Plus you get to see a lot than if you were driving around.

We're flying into Montreal June 28th and have to be in Trois Rivieres by July 1st. So unfortunately we have to "time crunch" our trip. I wish we could spend more time in Montreal!

Because we're going to Trois-Rivieres after, we're renting a car. So, I don't think we can avoid the parking fees of Montreal, we'll just have to budget for it. We could park the car at the hotel and bike around the city or use the metro though since it sounds easy to use.

Thank you for your advice everyone! It's great to hear from people who have been to and experienced Montreal before.

Another idea for you - if you stay at one of the b&b's in the Plateau area (my favorite part of the city), free on street parking is usually readily available. You are also near the main biking lane on Rue Rachael, which takes you right to the Olympic park, an easy 25 minute bike ride.

Great to know, thanks so much!

Are bike rentals easy to come by?

A few years ago the city installed automated bike rental racks every few blocks along the bike friendly streets. There are also several bike shops if you want to rent a more hi-tech bike. Montreal is probably the best bicycling city in North America. The free Montreal city maps show all the bike lanes.

Just an FYI - It'll be Jazzfest when you get there, the city will be packed and there will be lots of road closures in the centre. But it's a really fun time! And if you don't have to go to Trois Riveries (sp?) til the 1st, why rush through Montreal? It's such a great city especially in the summer.

http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/default-en.aspx

Re Biosphere vs. Biodome. I am another who is a fan of the Biosphere but not so taken with the Biodome. The biodome is the one near the Olympic stadium and I would consider a trip to see them less interesting than exploring the downtown, Old Montreal and/or Plateau areas. Basically I agree with zootsi's and Daniel_Williams' posts.

You don't sound very history-oriented, but if you want some information on the history of the city I strongly recommend the
Pointe-à-Callière museum of Archeology and History
http://pacmusee.qc.ca/en/home

You don't need a car. What you need is to get the bus tour with on/off and you see the entire city. Then you can hone in on what you want to see more of. Totally agains a car rental in Montreal.

We stayed at Auberge Les Passants du Sans Soucy and it was in a good location, great breakfasts included and very clean. Fairly priced for Montreal also..Old Montreal location is best and that's where this place was. If you love food, you have to make time to get to Schwartz's. Great young dining spot Holder. Go to Jean Talon Market. Terrific.

I agree about the car. Why could you not rent it as you leave Montreal for Trois Rivieres? Having a car in downtown Montreal is not a positive thing, in my opinion. Are there not downtown agencies where you could pick up the car?

I do agree with zootsi's and Daniel's suggestions but I think you should rent an furnished appart with a parking on airbnb.com Ideally in Little Italy, close to Market Jean Talon, and to subways. You definitly need 2 nights in Montréal, and could drive to Trois Rivière after, to be there on time.Have a good trip!