Montréal is a great weekend trip from the US. We felt like we were in Europe without crossing any oceans, and the flight from Washington, DC was only a little over an hour!

What makes Montréal unique is that the city is in the Canadian province of Québec, which has a distinct French-speaking culture, language, and history. Québec has also had a long history of political movements seeking greater autonomy from the rest of Canada. Visiting Montréal offers a different cultural experience from visiting many other major Canadian cities.

We found the historic centers of Montréal and Québec City to have the most history, interesting sights, and picturesque streets for walking and photos. That said, lodging is generally more expensive in these areas. In Montréal, we opted to stay downtown, about a 30-minute walk from Old Montréal, where we found a nice hotel for a bit less than staying directly in the historic center.

Both Montréal and Québec City are best explored on foot. Ubers are easy to call, and taxis are clearly marked. We occasionally used Uber at the end of long walking days or to get to Marché Jean-Talon, which was a few miles away, although we walked back. There are several pedestrian-only streets worth exploring that you might otherwise miss.

All prices reflect what we paid during our visit and may have changed since then. Costs are shown in USD and CAD where available.

Montréal, Canada

Where to Stay and Transportation

Arriving in Montréal

You'll likely fly into Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL). During our visit, a ride share between the airport and downtown Montréal or Old Montréal cost approximately 40 CAD ($30 USD). We made this trip twice, and the price was about the same both times. The journey took approximately 30 minutes.

We found Montréal slightly less expensive than many major US cities, although prices in tourist-heavy areas were higher. Since we spent most of our time in Old Montréal, many of the restaurants we visited catered to tourists.

One thing we noticed was that restaurant bills included more tax than we were used to. During our visit, Québec's sales taxes included:

• GST: 5% federal Goods and Services Tax.
• QST (TVQ): 9.975% Québec provincial sales tax.
• Accommodation Tax: Our original trip notes listed a 3.5% hotel accommodation tax. Hotel tax rules and rates can change, so check current charges when booking.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel Downtown for three nights, including breakfast and taxes, for 1,400.64 CAD ($1,037.30 USD).

The hotel was approximately a 20 to 30-minute walk from Old Montréal and only a five-minute walk from Sainte-Catherine Street, a popular shopping and entertainment street with pedestrian-friendly sections.

Staying downtown gave us convenient access to restaurants, shops, and attractions while saving some money compared with accommodations directly in Old Montréal.

Top Experiences

Old Montréal Walking Tour

We took The Free Old Montréal Tour, which was a wonderful introduction to the historic district.

The two-hour English-language walking tour included the city's history, major landmarks, and plenty of recommendations from our guide.

There was a booking fee of 5 CAD ($3.75 USD) per person, and we tipped an additional 20 CAD per person.

Best Streets to Explore in Montréal

One of our favorite things to do in Montréal was simply walk through the different neighborhoods, stopping at cafés, shops, and restaurants along the way.

• Rue Saint-Paul: One of our favorite streets in Old Montréal, with plenty of bars, restaurants, and historic architecture.
• Rue Notre-Dame: Home to the famous Notre-Dame Basilica, along with shopping and other attractions.
• Rue Saint-Laurent: A great street outside Old Montréal with shops, cafés, restaurants, and plenty of local activity.
• Rue Saint-Denis: Another excellent street for shopping, restaurants, and exploring different neighborhoods.
• Sainte-Catherine Street: A major downtown shopping street with pedestrian-friendly areas.

Marché Jean-Talon

Marché Jean-Talon is a wonderful market where you can get a glimpse of everyday life in Montréal. It's filled with vendors selling fresh produce, cheese, and other foods, with cafés and restaurants around the edges.

We took a ride share to the market because it was several miles away, then walked back toward downtown along Rue Saint-Laurent.

Our Montréal Itinerary and Costs

Friday: Arrival, Old Montréal, and Local Breweries

• The Free Old Montréal Tour: Two-hour English-language walking tour with a booking fee of 5 CAD ($3.75 USD) per person, plus a 20 CAD tip per person.
• La Cave à Manger: Large chocolate and almond croissant for 7 CAD ($5.20 USD). This was one of the stops on our walking tour and one of the best pastries we've ever had!
• Les 3 Brasseurs: Two beers and a cassoulet for 44.27 CAD ($32.79 USD). The cassoulet was made with duck and local beer, and the service was excellent. Great spot for people watching on a busy pedestrian street.
• L'Annexe Brewskey: Two beers and macaroni and cheese with brisket for 51.72 CAD ($38.31 USD). This small brewery had plenty of outdoor seating and a relaxed atmosphere. You order inside at the bar and sit wherever you like. We didn't find many breweries in Old Montréal, so this was a great discovery.

Saturday: Markets, Bagels, Poutine, and More Exploring

• Marché Jean-Talon: Explored the market and enjoyed the local atmosphere. We took a ride share there and walked back toward downtown.
• Saint-Viateur Bagel: A traditional Montréal bagel for 1.40 CAD ($1.04 USD). Montréal bagels are known for being slightly denser than many other bagels, although we didn't notice a huge difference. There was a line, but it moved quickly. During our visit, this location accepted cash only and had an ATM inside.
• Siboire St-Laurent Microbrasserie: Two beers and chicken poutine for 44.84 CAD ($33.21 USD). The poutine was 22 CAD and the beers were 8.50 CAD each before additional charges. This was another great people-watching spot, with indoor and outdoor seating and a wall that opened to the street. We're not usually huge fans of poutine, but we both really enjoyed this one.
• L'Annexe Brewskey: Returned for two beers costing 24.56 CAD ($18.19 USD).
• Sabrosa at Place Jacques-Cartier: Two beers and two large taco plates for 85.73 CAD ($63.49 USD). This is a touristy restaurant on the busy Place Jacques-Cartier square, but the tacos were delicious and it was a good place to relax after a long day of walking.

Where to Eat and Drink in Montréal

We found plenty of French-inspired cuisine, including steak frites and mussels, as well as Italian, Mexican, Indian, and Japanese restaurants.

Poutine is one of the most popular local dishes and appears on menus throughout the city. We also heard that traditional meat pies were popular, although we had trouble finding them during our visit.

Our favorite food and drink experiences included the chocolate and almond croissant at La Cave à Manger, the chicken poutine at Siboire St-Laurent, and the casual brewery atmosphere at L'Annexe Brewskey.

Québec City, Canada

Getting to Québec City from Montréal

We decided to visit Québec City as a day trip from Montréal. We booked a full-day tour with Concord Tours and Travel for 131 CAD ($97 USD) per person.

The bus journey took approximately two to three hours each way. When we arrived in Québec City, we had a 50-minute guided walking tour followed by three hours of free time to explore independently.

There was also an optional 1.5-hour cruise, but we decided to skip it because we wanted more time to walk around the city.

If you prefer to travel independently, you can also take the train between Montréal and Québec City. When we researched tickets, round-trip economy fares were approximately 152 CAD ($112.57 USD) per person. Many departure times were already sold out, so we recommend booking ahead.

Top Experiences

Explore Old Québec

Old Québec is a beautiful historic area with charming streets, colorful buildings, shops, and restaurants. The downtown historic area is relatively compact, making it easy to explore on foot.

There are plenty of pedestrian-friendly streets and picturesque places to stop for photos. We especially enjoyed wandering through the old city and discovering its restaurants and shops.

One thing to keep in mind is that Old Québec can be extremely crowded. A cruise ship was in port during our visit, and many of the streets and restaurants were packed. Be prepared for slower walking in the busiest areas.

Our Québec City Day Trip and Costs

Sunday: Guided Tour, Historic Streets, and Local Restaurants

• Concord Tours and Travel: Full-day Québec City tour for 131 CAD ($97 USD) per person. Included round-trip bus transportation, a 50-minute guided walking tour, and approximately three hours of free time.
• Chocolato: Chocolate-dipped ice cream cone with Oreo for 10.04 CAD ($7.44 USD). This was a delicious way to start our visit. So much chocolate upon chocolate!
• Restaurant Rafaella: Two house wines and a pizza for 47.95 CAD ($35.51 USD). Restaurants were very crowded that day, but Rafaella had a spacious outdoor seating area and was one of the few places with an available table. The pizza was delicious, and we appreciated being able to order wine since many nearby places seemed to focus on beer.
• Le Pape George's Bistro: Seafood pasta and two beers for 54.21 CAD ($40.15 USD). We stopped for a quick meal before the long bus ride back to Montréal. The seafood pasta was excellent, and the restaurant was in one of the cutest and most colorful areas of Old Québec.

Planning Your Own Adventure?

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