I am off to Montreal from Sept.13-17. I am travelling solo and would like a decent hotel in the range of $100-$130CDN for a single centrally located. Any advice here? <BR> <BR>Also, is Montreal a good place for a single mid-30's traveller who cannot converse in French? I love a good pub (not nightclub) with a variety of beers on tap and a good, warm feeling to it where one doesn't feel much like a stranger. <BR> <BR>Tours? What about a boat ride or cruise on the St. Lawrence? gOOD WALKING TOURS? <BR> <BR>I have heard so many fabulous things about Montreal, I really can't wait! <BR>Thank-you from Alberta!

Hi DarylD <BR> <BR>I can't help you with hotels much, but as to the second half of your question: you can have a great time in Montreal with no French, although I can't deny that you'll be missing out on a large part of the city's culture. <BR> <BR>The lines of the city, while blurred, mostly follow the trend that west of boulevard Saint Laurent, English is more predominant, east of boulevard Saint Laurent, French is more predominant. Mind you, with most Montrealers bilingual, there is a lot of crossover, less so the further east or west you go. <BR> <BR>I think you will like McKibbin's Irish Pub (on Bishop?), Hurley's (on Crescent), Brutopia (Crescent)...these are on the west side of town and you'll be surrounded by fellow anglophones. For a more French ambience, Bieres & Compagnie has some great beer from around the world (on Boul St. Laurent below Prince Arthur OR Boul St. Denis near Marie-Anne). <BR> <BR>Enjoy, maybe others can help you more with your tours also. Montreal IS fabulous. <BR> <BR>DAN

First, you're going to love Montreal. Great time of year to be going. I'm not sure about hotels either. Why not try Priceline? <BR> <BR>You do not have to worry about not speaking French. The language is exactly 50/50 and the locals speak both. <BR> <BR>As far as good pubs, I would head to an area called Crescent St. There is a three block area there is lined with bar after bar and restaurant after restaurant. Lots of different styles in each one so pop in and out see what interests you.

Daryl, Daniel's post is a great point of reference for the east side/west side feel to Montreal. Crescent Street and the surrounding area have more 'pub' type places, whereas St. Denis has more French style cafes and clubs. In general I find the dining spots near Crescent to be a bit more expensive than the ones on St. Laurent and St. Denis. My favorite area for eating out is Duluth Street, which has some interesting byob spots. A nice itinery would be to dine on Duluth, stroll down St. Denis for a drink, continue on thru Square St Louis along Prince Arthur for some peoplewatching and street entertainment, and then head down St. Laurent to check out the clubs.

HI <BR> <BR>Just to correct Wyn...Montreal is too complicated to consider it 50/50 English/French. While many Montrealers considered themselves bilingual (around 65% of both francophones and anglophones), the French-speaking population is still in the majority. 70% of greater Montreal considers French their first language and about 55% on the island of Montreal itself. The rest of the population considers another language (I think it's about 25% English on the island of Montreal and less for greater Montreal) as their first language. <BR> <BR>Incidentally, there are pockets of Montreal where people are more unilingual...it would be challenging to get service in English (in the east on Montreal island, parts of the south shore, east Laval)...and others to get service in French (in the west on Montreal Island, McGill Ghetto). At some corner stores (depanneurs), a nod, smile and exchange of money will be all that will happen, and occasionally some cashiers won't know English OR French. <BR> <BR>Have a great time! Anywhere downtown Montreal, Rue Crescent and Boul. Saint Laurent, for sure, you will have no trouble with only using English. Even on rue St. Denis, you'll be fine... <BR> <BR>DAN

Thanks for the advice. Has anybody stayed at the Hotel Abri du Voyageur on Ste. Catherine Street? I have booked the single studio for $85 a night. <BR> <BR>Also, I am a photographer and love to photograph old, industrial type of buildings. Are there areas along the St. Lawrence that you can recommend for this? <BR>Thank-you again, <BR>DarylD

If you take one of the boat rides on the St. Laurent, you will see lots of old industrial type buildings, grain elevators, etc. These boat rides are not exactly scenic, but would meet your photo requirements!