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Montreal: What to See and Do

HorizonXPHorizonXP Registered User regular
edited July 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
Hey guys,

So the GF and I are heading to Montreal this Thursday, for 5 days. We'll be taking the train into town, and staying in a bed and breakfast called Au Gitann. She's looking online, and through a travel guide to figure out what to see and do, but I thought I'd ask the PA community for some suggestions and opinions. Thanks for the help!

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HorizonXP on

Posts

  • TaGuelleTaGuelle Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    What are you looking to see and do? Partying, clubbing, sightseeing? Let me know and I can help you guys out more.

    TaGuelle on
  • HorizonXPHorizonXP Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Looking to do a club one night, either Friday or Saturday. Rest of the time, sightseeing.

    HorizonXP on
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  • Kate of LokysKate of Lokys Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Simple, but mandatory: drive up Mont Royal, park near the top, then go for a walk. There are trails that go all around the crown of the mountain, with some absolutely spectacular views of the city.
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    Take a picnic lunch or something, and spend a couple of hours just sitting and looking out at the world. It is neat.

    Kate of Lokys on
  • TaGuelleTaGuelle Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Aight. Well there are three party districts. Crescent is the english college students, St. Laurent and St. Denis are more French and for students and yuppies alike. I prefere St. Laurent for clubbing and going out but Crescent can be fun as well. I second the drive/trip up Mt. Royal. The biodome can be alittle depressing but is really cool. They have a lot of penguins, I mean a lot of penguins. The old city is worth a look, you could probably spend a day there. The olympic park is also neat but kind of boring. St George's oratory(I think thats what its called) is really big, I've never been inside it though. There are some pretty cool neighborhoods. Chinatown, the Gay village, the Plateau, Mile end, NDG, so on and so forth, that are worth checking out. If you want quelquechose, let me know and I can help you out with that.

    TaGuelle on
  • HorizonXPHorizonXP Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I like the Mont Royal idea, but we don't have a car. Planning to take transit around. Feasible to hike it?

    Any help with transit would be great. Also, any restaurants, or markets we should visit? We're planning to eat out once a day, with the other meals being from markets or groceries.

    HorizonXP on
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  • DortmunderDortmunder Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I would recommend walking up Mt Royal instead of driving - but ymmv.

    If you'll be in town Sunday morning (and not hungover...or even if you are), you should check out Tam Tams. It's a wonderful free-form music jam session with all kinds of drums, on the lower east slope of Mt Royal, corner of Parc avenue and Mont-Royal avenue, here.

    La Ronde can be fun if amusement parks are you kind of thing.

    If you're not clubing on Saturday night, I recommend you take in the free fireworks show. They close down the Jacques Cartier bridge to vehicle traffic, and people swarm from all around up there to watch the lights. Starts at 10:00 PM Saturday night, you can get there from either Papineau or Longueil metro. You may want to bring a windbreaker.

    Dortmunder on
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  • DortmunderDortmunder Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    HorizonXP wrote: »
    I like the Mont Royal idea, but we don't have a car. Planning to take transit around. Feasible to hike it?

    Any help with transit would be great. Also, any restaurants, or markets we should visit? We're planning to eat out once a day, with the other meals being from markets or groceries.

    Yes you can hike it. Bring a bottle of water.

    The metro is your friend when it comes to transit. A weekly pass will set you back 20$ each. You can pick those up at Berri UQAM metro station, just a couple blocks from your hotel.

    The Jean Talon market is pretty nice, close to 2 metro stations.

    Lots of good restaurants...not sure what to recommend though. Take a walk up St-Denis between the Mount-Royal and Sherbrooke metro stations, you'll see all kinds of stuff.

    Dortmunder on
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  • sYnistersYnister Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    thirding the ideas for Tam Tams, fireworks, mount royal and taking the bus/metro (subway) everywhere.
    as for where to eat, you have to go get some smoked meat at Schwartz's (http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/) and if you can, some bagels at Saint Viateur Bagels. be sure to try some Poutine before you leave, preferably from a worthwhile place, maybe la Banquise on Rachel Street

    sYnister on
  • DjiemDjiem Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    For sightseeing, Mt.Royal is a must. Also, it's not only feasible to hike it but actually preferable. It's really not that hard to walk up.
    St-Denis and Ste-Catherine are two good streets for shopping, and St-Denis has a lot of nice cafés and terrasses.
    The old port of Montréal is also quite a sight, and a pretty good walk, since it's long and there are lot of little things to see there.

    As someone else said, while kind of boring, the Olympic Park is neat if you plan a little picnic or you just want to relax.

    If you feel adventurous, you could pretty much take a metro ticket, look up the metro map, choose any station near the middle of the map (or at least not in the far ends), and you'll find something interesting there.

    Djiem on
  • DmanDman Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    There is "La Ronde" if your into amusement parks.

    If you like Nature type stuff there is the insect museum and the Biodome, both near the giant stadium affectionately nicknamed the toilet-bowl (because of all the cash flushed down it).

    Dman on
  • KrisKris Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    TaGuelle wrote: »
    If you want quelquechose, let me know and I can help you out with that.

    Is this some sort of french drug? :|

    Kris on
  • HorizonXPHorizonXP Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Kris wrote: »
    TaGuelle wrote: »
    If you want quelquechose, let me know and I can help you out with that.

    Is this some sort of french drug? :|

    quelquechose translates to 'something' in English, my Western Canadian friend. i.e. If there's something else you need help with...


    Thanks for all the suggestions! Going to run these all by the GF, and see what she's willing to do. My guess is most of them.

    Another question: Any museums I should check out?

    HorizonXP on
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  • ZoolanderZoolander Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    There's also the Just for Laughs comedy festival happening: http://www.hahaha.com//en/festival/10/?date=2008-07-17&nav=1

    Craig Ferguson is performing Friday.

    Zoolander on
  • DmanDman Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    This links to the lonely planet web-page for montreal, decent guidebook

    http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/canada/montreal/sights?ec_s_name=asc

    This was the result when I searched "museum"...spoilered for horrible format&length...just take the link
    Armoury of the Mount Royal Fusiliers
    3721 ave Henri-Julien Plateau du Mont-Royal fortress
    museum
    war-related
    Biodôme
    4777 ave Pierre-de-Coubertin Olympic Park museum
    observatory/planetarium
    zoo
    garden
    Biosphère
    Île Ste-Hélène museum
    garden
    Black Watch Highlanders Regimental Museum & Archives
    2067 rue de Bleury Downtown museum
    war-related
    Centre Canadien d'Architecture
    1920 rue Baile Downtown museum
    Centre d'Histoire de Montréal
    335 Place d'Youville Vieux-Montréal museum
    Château Ramezay
    280 rue Notre-Dame Est Vieux-Montréal government
    museum
    Écomusée Du Fier Monde
    2050 rue Amherst The Village museum
    Fur Trade In Lachine National Historic Site
    1255 boul St-Joseph Lachine museum
    Holocaust Memorial Centre
    5151 ch de la Côte-Ste-Catherine Côte-des-Neiges monument
    library/archive
    museum
    Maison St-Gabriel
    2146 Place Dublin Pointe St-Charles museum
    significant house
    McGill University
    845 rue Sherbrooke Ouest Downtown library/archive
    museum
    Moulin Fleming
    9675 boul LaSalle LaSalle museum
    Musée d'Archéologie et d'Histoire Pointe-à-Callière
    350 Place Royale Vieux-Montréal museum
    Musée d'Art Contemporain
    185 Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Downtown art gallery
    museum

    Dman on
  • JeanJean Heartbroken papa bear Gatineau, QuébecRegistered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Go eat some smoke meat at Schwartz's (3895 St Laurent) . Best. smoke meat. EVER.

    Also go try some poutine at La Banquise, 994 Rachel Est (métro Sherbooke or Mont Royal)

    Jean on
    "You won't destroy us, You won't destroy our democracy. We are a small but proud nation. No one can bomb us to silence. No one can scare us from being Norway. This evening and tonight, we'll take care of each other. That's what we do best when attacked'' - Jens Stoltenberg
  • TaGuelleTaGuelle Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    If you like Thai food, best Thai food I've ever had on St. Catharine by St Marc, authentic and everything.

    TaGuelle on
  • ApexMirageApexMirage Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    mil_ferry_corsten_web.jpg

    http://www.wantickets.com/EventDetail.aspx?e_id=43281

    Fucking DIRT CHEAP tickets to Ferry? What more could you want? =D

    Assuming this kind of thing is your bag, after all.

    ApexMirage on
    I'd love to be the one disappoint you when I don't fall down
  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    edited July 2008
    sYnister wrote: »
    ...as for where to eat, you have to go get some smoked meat at Schwartz's (http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/)

    MichaelLC on
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