Stay in Montreal

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This former Olympic City is a must see – only if it is to experience something totally different in your North American travels. The city below the Mount Royal is the only French-speaking metropolis in North America and the second-largest French-speaking city in the world.

Montreal is a tolerant, vibrant and surprisingly diverse city, which has been voted the world’s most liveable city several times. In fact, even English is tolerated in many parts of Montreal (unlike many parts of Paris), especially the area around the English speaking McGill University.

Much of Old Montreal is a walking museum and its attractions cannot be covered in the following small snippets. However, some essential precincts are worth visiting more than others. Just south of the St Lawrence River is Old Montreal, with contains the Basilique Notre-Dame-De-Montreal, one of the most beautiful churches in North America; Rue St-Denis and the Quartier Latin, with its rows of French restaurants, cafes, bistros, boutiques, and antiques shops; and basically the whole of Place Jacques Cartier, a pedestrian mall that houses most of the Old Montreal's activity.

The view from Chalet Mont Royal is worth seeing as it provides a great outlook of downtown Montreal. Inside the chalet are murals depicting scenes from Canadian history. Nearby is the Parc Du Montreal, designed by the same man who designed New York’s Central Park (Frederick Law Olmstead). Down the hill from the Mont on Sherbrooke Av is the McGill University campus. The McGill precinct is becoming one of the more popular places to eat, drink and hang out in the evenings. But it is worth going to in the day as well as the campus has some of Montreal’s nicest Campus buildings in Canada.

From a sporting perspective, Montreal was host of the Olympics Games in 1976. One way of visiting the Olympic Stadium is to go to an Expos baseball game, if they are still around in 2003. There was conjecture during 2002 that the Montreal Expos were on their last legs. At the time of writing, the Expos were expected to be playing in 2003 but the Olympique Parc is still worth going to nonetheless.

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Dorval International Airport is 18km from downtown Montreal. A Skybus connects downtown Montreal with the Airport from the Terminal Voyageur in downtown. Greyhound buses also leave from this terminal. The Via Rail Station is also smack-bang in downtown Montreal at Gare Central.

Public Transit - in the form of rail, bus and the Montreal Metro (subway) - is provided by AMT (Association Montreal Transit). Public transportation is so good in Montreal that this is one city you do not need a car. In fact the Montreal Metro is exactly the same design and feel of the Paris Metro – right down to the trains having rubber wheels. The Metro is also connected to the 29 km of Underground City, which is basically one pedestrian retail mall all underground. However, it is a godsend to be shopping or walking to your destination in the underground warmth in winter. Each Metro station connects with one or more bus routes, which cover the rest of the metropolitan Montreal.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

LE CENTRE BELL

Ticket information through NHL

MONTREAL EXPOS

OLYMPIC STADIUM

Ticket information through MLB

Le Centre Bell hosts the Canadiens and is located at 1260 de la Gauchetiere Street West, Montreal. The Centre was opened in 1996 and has a capacity of 21,000 for ice hockey. Le Centre Bell is next to the Windsor Station (corner of de la Montagne and St. Antoine) in the core of downtown Montreal. After residing at 2313, rue Sainte-Catherine oust since November 29, 1924, the Montreal Canadiens, following the lead of the Canadian Capital, Ottawa, decided to build a new arena for its team. Fans claim that the old stadium was haunted, but the new arena has not attracted the same ghosts.

By public transit take the Metro rapid transit to the Bonaventure Station on the line that runs from Henri-Bourassa to Cote-Ventu.

The Olympic Stadium hosts the Expos and is located at 4549 Pierre de Coubertin, Montreal. Opened in 1976 in time for the Montreal Summer Olympics, the Olympic Stadium has a baseball capacity of 44,000. Now an indoor stadium with a new opaque blue roof, the major design feature of the Stadium is the leaning tower that used to control the retractable roof. The tower is now used as one of Montreal’s favourite tourist attractions. By taking the 2-minute cable car up to the top, you can catch great views of the city of Montreal. The 45-degree leaning tower is actually the tallest inclined building in the world.

By public transit take the Metro to the Pie IX or Viau stations. They are both a short walk to the Olympic Stadium.  

Early August - ATP Tennis Masters Series, du Maurier Stadium, Jarry Park, Montreal, Canada

Ticket information to come

Mid August - LPGA Bank of Montreal Canadian Open, Summerlea Golf and Country Club, 1000 Rue de Lotbiniere, Vaudreuil Dorion, Quebec. 

Ticket information to come

Hippodrome de Montreal, 7440 Decarie Boulevard, Montreal (season: all year except between Dec 29 and Jan 4)

Tickets available at course

Early June – Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, Gilles Villeneuve Circuit, Ile Notre Dame, Montreal

Ticket information to come

Early September – CART Montreal Grand Prix, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal.

Ticket information through CART