Quebec
Montreal
Base between historic Old Montreal and the lively Plateau, ride the 747 bus in from Trudeau, and expect French-first service before staff switch to English.
Best length
3-4 nights
Airport
Montreal-Trudeau (YUL), ~20km west of downtown
Airport to centre
747 express bus ~45-70 min; flat-rate taxi ~30 min
Best base
Plateau/Mile End for value; Old Montreal for atmosphere
In short
Montreal at a glance
Montreal is best as a 3- or 4-night city break and the most European-feeling stop in Canada: base yourself in Old Montreal for atmosphere or the Plateau for the best-value eating, take the 747 bus in from Trudeau rather than a taxi, walk and metro rather than drive, and lean into the French-first culture instead of fighting it. It is also the cheapest of Canada's big three for food and drink, so it is where a long-haul budget stretches furthest.
The short version
- Stay in the Plateau or Mile End for the best-value restaurants and a local feel; Old Montreal for cobbled-street atmosphere at a premium.
- Take the 24-hour 747 express bus from Trudeau (CA$11, ~£6) over a flat-rate CA$48 taxi — the fare also covers 24 hours of city transit.
- Service defaults to French in Quebec; a 'bonjour' opener goes a long way, and most central staff switch to English happily once you start.
- Montreal is the cheapest big Canadian city for eating out, so spend your food budget here rather than in Toronto.
- Three full days covers Old Montreal, Mont Royal, the Plateau and one museum or the Underground City in bad weather.
Montreal is the stop that surprises UK visitors who expect generic North America and get something closer to a French city dropped onto an island in the St Lawrence. The trade-off is real, though: French is the working language of Quebec, so service, signage and small talk default to it, and travellers who barrel in expecting English-first treatment can read frostiness into what is really just a culture that values the opening “bonjour”. Lead with that and the city opens up fast. The other first-trip mistake is treating Montreal as just a Toronto add-on rather than the place your food budget should land - it is the cheapest of Canada’s big three for eating out, and the Plateau, not the Old Port, is where that value lives.
Three full days is the practical minimum: one for Old Montreal and the river, one for Mont Royal and the Plateau’s bistros, and one for a market, a museum or - if the weather bites - the Underground City. Four nights lets you slow down or bolt on Quebec City by train. Below, the structured planning - where to stay, how to get in from Trudeau on the 747, what each sight actually costs, and a realistic budget in pounds - picks up from here.
Plan your Montreal trip
Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.
Top things to do in Montreal
Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal
Decide first which experience you want: the daytime self-guided visit shows off the deep cobalt-blue, gold-starred interior in normal light, while the separately-ticketed evening AURA show floods that same nave with projected light and an orchestral score. They are different tickets at different times — you cannot use a daytime ticket for AURA. Book the daytime ticket online ahead in summer to skip the door queue, and book AURA days in advance because individual shows sell out. Allow about 45 minutes to an hour for the daytime visit and roughly 45 minutes for AURA.
Mont Royal
Mont Royal is the hill Montreal is named after, a wooded park rising over the downtown grid. The reward is the Kondiaronk belvedere beside the chalet, where the classic view sweeps over the skyline and out to the St Lawrence River. It's free and open access, and far better at golden hour than under flat midday sun. Walk up through the park's paths or take the bus near the top if you'd rather save your legs.
Where to stay first
The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.
Plateau Mont-Royal
££ mid-rangeWhere Montrealers actually eat and drink: spiral-staircase terraces, BYOB bistros, bagel shops and the best-value restaurants in the city. A short metro or 20-minute walk from downtown, residential and easy at night.
Best for: Food-led trips, value, repeat visitors
Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal)
£££ premiumCobbled streets, the Old Port and the basilica on the doorstep, with the most atmosphere and the highest room rates. Lovely to stay in but quieter for everyday eating; expect tourist pricing on the main squares.
Best for: First-timers wanting atmosphere, couples
Downtown (Ville-Marie)
££ mid-rangeCentral, on the metro, walkable to the museum and the Underground City, and the most practical base in winter when the indoor network matters. Functional rather than charming, but well connected to everything.
Best for: Winter trips, convenience, shorter stays
Mile End
£ valueThe Plateau's hipper northern edge: independent cafés, vintage shops and the two rival 24-hour bagel bakeries. Further from the headline sights but the most local-feeling base and good value.
Best for: Cafés, a local feel, longer stays
Airport to city centre
| Option | Time | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 747 express bus to downtown (Berri-UQAM) | ~45-70 min | CA$11 (about £6), runs 24/7 | Fare also covers 24h of city transit |
| Flat-rate taxi to downtown | ~25-35 min | fixed CA$48 (about £26) | Best with luggage or late arrivals |
| REM light-rail (when extended to YUL) | ~20 min to Central Station, check it is open | around CA$4-7 | Verify the airport station is running before relying on it |
| Uber / ride-hail | ~25-35 min | usually CA$40-55 | Pickup at a designated airport zone |
When to go
Sweet spot: Late May to June and September to mid-October are the sweet spot: warm enough for terrace season and Mont Royal walks, with the autumn colour peaking on the mountain in early October. Summer is festival-packed (Jazz Fest, Just for Laughs) but busy and pricier.
Summer is terrace-and-festival season - lively but the most expensive and crowded. Autumn brings the colours and cooler walking weather at better value. Winter (December-March) is genuinely cold, often below -10C, which is when the heated Underground City and indoor museums earn their place; come for it only if you want snow, or pick downtown as a base. Spring is slushy and variable but cheap.
What it costs
UK return flights to Montreal Trudeau run roughly £400-£650 in the shoulder months (May, September-October) and £700+ in the July-August peak; Air Canada, British Airways and Air Transat fly direct from London at about 7 hours. Booking months ahead matters most for summer and the autumn-colour weeks.
Daily budget per person
The easiest way to overspend is eating on the tourist squares of Old Montreal. Walk 15 minutes up to the Plateau or Mile End and the same meal is noticeably cheaper - Montreal is the best-value big Canadian city for food, so use it.
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