24 hours in Montreal
My partner(James) was up in New Hampshire for work and they offered to fly me up as well (um, awesome!) and while I was there I realized…
…we are 4 hours from Montreal
…WE ARE FOUR HOURS FROM MONTREAL?!
SO, we were on our way to Montreal THAT next Saturday for a 24 hour trip!
On the way, I booked an Airbnb for $30. Isn’t working technology grand? It wasn’t the most glamorous apartment, but it was the entire place and the host communicated so well from the beginning. Plus, it seemed like a steal in comparison to the hotels in the area ($200+ a night). Once we had a place to sleep, we enjoyed the drive. It was absolutely beautiful with little stops in beach towns along the way. The border crossing was well marked and simple. The agent quickly asked us a bunch of questions, checked our passports, and waved us through. We arrived in Montreal close to dinner time and because we were starving, we opted for the nearest kebab shop. We were delighted with our random, thrifty choice and ready for the evening.
As a surprise, James found tickets to see Peking Duk live at the Ministere. Did we know who Peking Duk was or where the Ministrere was? Nope! But for $20 a ticket we decided to risk it. We found free parking in a hardware store lot near our Airbnb and ditched the rental car. We Googled directions, bought 24 hour public transit passes for $10 each and made our way there. Peking Duk was an impromptu dance party and the energy picked us up from the long drive. Afterwards, we cooled off (all that dancing!) and explored St. Laurent street. It was bumping!
When we finally made it back to the Airbnb, I spent 20 minutes or so planning for the next day.We had to pick wisely because time was limited.
Our list:
We woke up the same morning and hit up the small grocery store next to our Airbnb for a piece of fruit and bottle of water. Later on, we ended up buying cans of maple syrup from that same store as it was a little cheaper than at the market.
First on the list was Notre-Dame. The photographs don’t do it justice. We managed to get in just before they closed for a wedding. Can you imagine? A wedding there?! Our entry fees were $6 each. Highly recommend!
After that we were still craving brunch, so we headed to the Jean Talon market. If you are into delicious sensory overloads, this is a must see…and taste!
Next to the market was a cute little coffee shop. How do you do Montreal in 24 hours? Espresso! Lots of it!
After we were all fueled up, we took the bus to the starting point at the bottom of Mont Royal. Apparently there’s a road/easier path up the mountain, but we were so excited we took the stairs. The short hike was worth it because the view was beautiful on a clear day. At the top is a public piano, a souvenir shop/visitor center and a perfect place for a picnic. There was no entry fee to see this amazing view of the entire city!
On the way back we LOVED waiting at the bus stop which included a swing! ALL bus stops should be this fun!
Our last stop was Square Saint Louis and Rue Denis. I enjoyed photographing the colorful houses and the walk in the park was oh so lovely.
After our 24 hours we were a little tired, but happy. We really wanted to try the Quebec poutine we kept hearing about at La Banquise, but the line was so long and parking was scarce. So, we opted for a different sort of poutine experience outside of the city. I am pleased to report that our experience was delicious and less crowded. The girl who took our order was very confused as to why we came there for poutine (why would a tourist come out this far…for poutine?), but she touted how delicious everything on the menu was and helped us get set up with the classic dish. It was yum and a perfect way to end our 24 hours in Montreal.
Montreal, we will be back! Thank you for a wonderful 24 hours! See you again soon!
Psst, total costs: Airbnb $30, Transit tickets x 2 @ $10 each $20, Concert tickets @$20 each x 2 $40, Drinks $9, Parking free, kebabs $16.8, grocery store snack $4, brunch at the market $13, coffee at the market $6, takeaway lunch $8, Notre Dam tickets @ $6 each $12, Poutine $5.50 = $164.3 for two people
