Montreal lodging neighborhood help, please!
 

We will be in Montreal next week, planning to visit the botanical gardens, old town, any suggested art museums, cathedrals, green markets, etc. and need help with lodging! We will be driving, are in our late late 60's, can use the metro and do some walking. Is city driving easy? Can anyone recommend a hotel or b&b with breakfast or good restaurants nearby? It's our first visit, and will stay two or three nights. Also is mid-week or weekend best? Thanks so much!
bbobo

Q: Is city driving easy?

A: I'd say not especially but you can hit things at quiet times where it wouldn't be too bad (Sunday morning for example). Construction can be a headache. More cyclists than most cities to contend with, one-way streets, parking's a pain. My reco: park your car near your hotel and leave it.

Q: Also is mid-week or weekend best?

A: Both have advantages and disadvantages. I'd say weekend as Montrealers are *more* out enjoying life which creates a certain exciting energy (Tam-Tams on Mont Royal on Sunday, musicians, circus performers out in Parc Lafontaine), but then again mid-week certain more popular places (Jean Talon Market, Atwater Market) you might have less crowds, which you might enjoy. Some sights (leaf-peeping on Mont-Royal in fall for example) are especially lovely mid-week with much fewer crowds.

Can't help with hotel or B&B.

Enjoy! Dan

As Dan mentioned, driving is not too bad, but really not necessary. All the things you want to see can be accessed by Metro. Montreal is also a good, safe walking city.
As for places to stay, first decide which neighborhood you prefer -
the picturesque and touristy old city, the busy downtown, or the European feeling plateau. We go to Montreal several times a year, and usually stay on the Plateau, which is famous for it's cafes, ethnic byob retaurants, and funky shops. There are many nice b&b's in this area, as well as small hotels.
A few suggestions - Pierre & Dominique's b&b, Welcome b&b, Hotel Argoat.
If you choose the downtown there are many 3* chain hotels on Sherbrooke, which is a nice area. The old city has many nice small hotels and b&b's also. Check out bbcanada for lots of b&b options. You won't have any problem finding good restaurants no matter where you stay!

thanks so much to you both! really looking forward to this adventure!
bbobo

For a great hotel try the ;Le Dauphin in the rue Bleury.Great rooms with full computer breakfast included and a large parking lot for the car opposite the hotel on the corner.Paul

I like going to museums in other cities.

I used the $50 Museum card with the transportation option:

http://www.suite101.com/content/mont...ms-pass-a56178
The prices mentioned are still valid: $50 with transportation, and $45 with museums only. I bought mine from the concierge at the hotel on arrival and billed to my room.

You have to visit something around 4 museums to break even. Unlike mega museums in Europe, most museums in Montreal are small so hitting many museums don't take time.

Some notes:
- The Fine Arts Museum, when there is no temporary exhibit, is free.
- The transportation part is a scratch-off card similar to the ones they use on San Francisco MUNI. What this means when taking METRO is that you CANNOT use the electronic turn styles but have to go to the manned booth next to the turn styles and show the pass. There is usually a short line of people refilling their electronic tickets.
- The Notre-Dame is not included.

While there is a public transit in the Parc du Mont-Royal, bus # 11 http://www.stm.info/english/bus/GEOMET/A-GEO11.htm , you probably want to drive.

We stayed right in Old Montreal and never had to move the car once we got there. We stayed at Hotel Bonaparte and loved it. Check trip advisor. We love Montreal.

Hi There,

I wouldn't worry about renting a car...Montreal's metro system is quite good and will take you everywhere you want to go. Besides, driving in Montreal is not always the most pleasant experience. I am a local and find the city drivers quite aggressive and can make it stressful if you are unfamiliar with the city.

As for weekday vs weekend I would definitely recommend coming over a weekend. Montrealers live for their weekends so the city really comes alive after 5pm on Fridays. Montrealers work to live and don't live to work...weekends are a great in Montreal regardless of the time of year!