5 things to know before visiting Montreal
Often called as “The Paris of Canada”, Montreal is the second largest city of Canada after Toronto. The historial and the ultra-modern buildings blend seamlessly in this city; which makes its own unique charm. There are so many things you can do in this iconic city: from strolling through Old Montreal, visiting the Mont-Royal…etc. When I visited Montreal last year (in summer 2018), I quickly became intoxicated with this city’s captivating and creative vibe. But there are a few things I wish I had known before going there, and I want to share them with you today. So here are 5 things to know before visiting Montreal.
5 things to know before visiting Montreal
1.Practice your French
When I went there, I thought that people there only speak English but thank God I know how to speak French, so that I can communicate with people. Because just to let you know, Montreal is a bilingual city, and it’s required by law that French comes first on any menu or sign. However, as long as you’re polite, people all over will happily bust out the English. If you do try to speak French, be advised that Montrealers often switch back and forth between languages even among themselves, so don’t necessarily take it as a sign you’ve mixed up verb tenses again.
2.The best time to visit Montreal
I went to Montréal in September 2018, and apparently it was a very good weather there at that time, not too cold and not too hot. As you may not know, Montreal has winters so cold that people take refuge for months at a time in the underground city (a network of tunnels beneath Downtown), and summers so hot you’re in a near-constant sweat. For ultimate comfort, aim for a spring trip, or autumn just like I did when the rewards include colorful leaves and fresh maple syrup.
3.North is not quite north
When you’re figuring out directions around the city and trying to orient yourself, it’s important to remember that north isn’t quite north there. Indeed, the way that locals talk about directions is one of the quirks of Montreal’s geography. For example, the St. Lawrence River is locally interpreted as flowing from west to east, even though in reality it flows north or northeast past the island. As a result, directions along streets that run parallel to the river are referred to as “west” and “east,” and those along streets perpendicular to the river are called “north” and “south.” Strictly speaking, “north” is actually northwest in most of Montreal, and in some areas, it’s even due west. Because of this quirk, Montreal has been referred to as “the only city where the sun sets in the north.”
4. The “metro” means the subway
“Metro” that’s French, folks, yeah!!! In Montreal, the public transportation system is officially named the STM. In common parlance, however, locals will say that they’re taking either the metro or a bus, depending on the situation. This might be mildly confusing to people hailing from nearby cities like Toronto, where the underground train is called the subway and people will also say more generally that they’re “taking the TTC,” which is the city’s public transportation company. In Montreal, the company’s initials are not used in the same way.
5. The best places to stay in Montreal:
In the first night, because we didn’t know the city very well, we stayed in a hotel for 200$ a night. But then the next morning, we looked for another hotel in the same area with only 60$ per night. That’s crazyyy!!
Hotels in Montreal average about $165 a night but vary by season, while apartments on Airbnb usually clock in under $100 dollars. But obviously, you can find much cheaper than that, so it all depends on your budget!
