Montreal
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There are some countries you daydream about as a kid. Or at least, I did. I always knew I wanted to explore the world, so I would browse through nature books I picked up from my village’s library or the National Geographic Traveler magazine I was a member of, and marvel at the photos of all the treasures Earth has so generously given us. The photos I stared at the longest were predominantly originating from 3 main countries: New Zealand, Switzerland… and Canada. As I grew into adulthood and embraced full-time traveling as a lifestyle rather than just “an activity”, I made the first two of The Big Three very familiar terrain. I spent a full 9 months exploring about every inch of New Zealand. And not only did I explore Switzerland on multiple journeys, I actually also ended up working and living in the by-me-so-admired Alps, multiple times and for seasons on end.
Yet, Canada… it was just waiting up there somehow, calm and silent, yet intensely staring at me from every world map that passed my vision.
It’s just so enormous and so far away and so expensive… it’s slightly intimidating, yet so irresistible.
Yet, Canada… it was just waiting up there somehow, calm and silent, yet intensely staring at me from every world map that passed my vision.
It’s just so enormous and so far away and so expensive… it’s slightly intimidating, yet so irresistible.
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It was time. I looked at my finances, which I know would be pretty soon drowned, and I looked at myself in the mirror, out loud vocalizing the thought that usually goes through my head before all major life decisions: “Fuck it.” I clicked “pay” on the flight that would take me out of the suffocatingly hot and humid Caribbean and throw me out straight into the icy blizzards of Montreal. Alright partner, let’s keep on rolling baby, you know what time it is.
On Eastern Daylight Saving Time
Let me clearly clarify one thing: I didn’t come to Canada for the cities. It’s the promise of dramatic snow-topped peaks embraced by immaculate blue lakes, the vast wilderness and stretched out forests that drive me wild. After all, as a European I might quite cockily conclude that whatever city I encounter in the “modern west” (think the US, Canada, but also Australia, New Zealand) are rather stale compared to what Europe has to offer. These countries have other strengths… but I mean, all is rather recently pumped out of the ground since the new (also European) settlers wiped away the original population and started building from scratch… which obviously interferes with the strong historical and cultural value that makes visiting any European “Old Town” so special. Walking through Montreal, the first North American city I ever set foot in (if you don’t include Mexico), I couldn’t help but looking around “missing something.” I just felt like I was strolling through a movie set. Just how I felt in for example Sydney or Wellington. I didn’t hate it, I had just gotten used to historical authenticity which cannot be demanded from these environments.
Other impressions that dominated my thought process while roaming around my first Canadian city: It surely is Western. Everything is optimized and electricized to its highest degree of efficiency, every process has “a system” and all is carried out in an uttermost civil manner. Just an element that seems remarkable once again after a few months in Latin America. That said, I was shocked by the high quantity of homeless people. I have honestly never seen anything like it (and Canada was my country #88). Sure, where I grew up we had the occasional junkie or drunkard sleeping in the park… but to see 20-30 of ‘em in one single metro station or walk through downtown (!) streets in which every doorway or portal seems to host a person or someone’s carton mattress, that just blew my mind. Where are the homeless shelters? Where is the social security? Some more observations to add to the list: The coffee is incredibly weak, the cold is much fierier than I could have ever imagined (in late March - while the locals complained about mild temperatures due to climate change) and yes, the Canadians fully live up to their kind reputation.
On Eastern Daylight Saving Time
Let me clearly clarify one thing: I didn’t come to Canada for the cities. It’s the promise of dramatic snow-topped peaks embraced by immaculate blue lakes, the vast wilderness and stretched out forests that drive me wild. After all, as a European I might quite cockily conclude that whatever city I encounter in the “modern west” (think the US, Canada, but also Australia, New Zealand) are rather stale compared to what Europe has to offer. These countries have other strengths… but I mean, all is rather recently pumped out of the ground since the new (also European) settlers wiped away the original population and started building from scratch… which obviously interferes with the strong historical and cultural value that makes visiting any European “Old Town” so special. Walking through Montreal, the first North American city I ever set foot in (if you don’t include Mexico), I couldn’t help but looking around “missing something.” I just felt like I was strolling through a movie set. Just how I felt in for example Sydney or Wellington. I didn’t hate it, I had just gotten used to historical authenticity which cannot be demanded from these environments.
Other impressions that dominated my thought process while roaming around my first Canadian city: It surely is Western. Everything is optimized and electricized to its highest degree of efficiency, every process has “a system” and all is carried out in an uttermost civil manner. Just an element that seems remarkable once again after a few months in Latin America. That said, I was shocked by the high quantity of homeless people. I have honestly never seen anything like it (and Canada was my country #88). Sure, where I grew up we had the occasional junkie or drunkard sleeping in the park… but to see 20-30 of ‘em in one single metro station or walk through downtown (!) streets in which every doorway or portal seems to host a person or someone’s carton mattress, that just blew my mind. Where are the homeless shelters? Where is the social security? Some more observations to add to the list: The coffee is incredibly weak, the cold is much fierier than I could have ever imagined (in late March - while the locals complained about mild temperatures due to climate change) and yes, the Canadians fully live up to their kind reputation.
Montreal Wanderings
Despite the piercing rain- and snowstorms almost blasting me off my feet, I went out to explore the city every single day I was there. Whereas I would usually walk all distances, even if that adds up to a 25km downtown loop, I now quite gratefully made use of the very efficient metro system Montreal is equipped with and just focused on one neighbourhood at a time. My favorite one? Gay Village. Which is the actual queer area in town. I just went there because I saw that funny name on the map and I’m apparently still a child, but the waving rainbow-flags and lipsticked-yet-bearded-models on the local advertising soon gave it away. Boy, there’s even an HIV-memorial, how gay do you want it? In my case, very. Still straight as an arrow, but I rather stroll down a street embellished with bars called Drag Dynastie and shopping windows full of leather and strap-on-dildo’s, than through whatever grey, dull suburban area might be on offer (such as personality-lacking Laval). Another neighorhood I quite enjoyed was Mile End, the local posterboy of cultural gentrification. Whereas you can still clearly see the strong Jewish influence, with a synagogue and members of the highly recognizable Hassidic community walking the streets, they now share their space with musicians, artists, writers, filmmakers and the truckloads of hipsters they attract. A visible element I enjoyed here, but also in other parts of Montreal, are the staircases in front rather than inside of the houses. Like in any city, most houses seem to be shared with multiple residents, and these outer staircases give each and every section a private front door. It looks cute and kind of “dollhousey.” Besides that, such areas always pair up with plenty of high-quality murals and street art pieces, of which I also found plenty in the area surrounding the main bus station, The Plateau (also a great nightlife spot with plenty of live music), St. Henri, Villeray, Rosemont/Petite-Patrie and Hochelaga.* Montreal indeed excitedly surfs the wave of its reputation as “street art city”, and even has several graffiti festivals under its wing. (Such as: Under Pressure, Mural… Find a mural map here.) That said, the most famous one remains of course the downtown Leonard Cohen Mural, expressively marking the Montreal skyline with the image of its most famous resident.**
Despite the piercing rain- and snowstorms almost blasting me off my feet, I went out to explore the city every single day I was there. Whereas I would usually walk all distances, even if that adds up to a 25km downtown loop, I now quite gratefully made use of the very efficient metro system Montreal is equipped with and just focused on one neighbourhood at a time. My favorite one? Gay Village. Which is the actual queer area in town. I just went there because I saw that funny name on the map and I’m apparently still a child, but the waving rainbow-flags and lipsticked-yet-bearded-models on the local advertising soon gave it away. Boy, there’s even an HIV-memorial, how gay do you want it? In my case, very. Still straight as an arrow, but I rather stroll down a street embellished with bars called Drag Dynastie and shopping windows full of leather and strap-on-dildo’s, than through whatever grey, dull suburban area might be on offer (such as personality-lacking Laval). Another neighorhood I quite enjoyed was Mile End, the local posterboy of cultural gentrification. Whereas you can still clearly see the strong Jewish influence, with a synagogue and members of the highly recognizable Hassidic community walking the streets, they now share their space with musicians, artists, writers, filmmakers and the truckloads of hipsters they attract. A visible element I enjoyed here, but also in other parts of Montreal, are the staircases in front rather than inside of the houses. Like in any city, most houses seem to be shared with multiple residents, and these outer staircases give each and every section a private front door. It looks cute and kind of “dollhousey.” Besides that, such areas always pair up with plenty of high-quality murals and street art pieces, of which I also found plenty in the area surrounding the main bus station, The Plateau (also a great nightlife spot with plenty of live music), St. Henri, Villeray, Rosemont/Petite-Patrie and Hochelaga.* Montreal indeed excitedly surfs the wave of its reputation as “street art city”, and even has several graffiti festivals under its wing. (Such as: Under Pressure, Mural… Find a mural map here.) That said, the most famous one remains of course the downtown Leonard Cohen Mural, expressively marking the Montreal skyline with the image of its most famous resident.**
* Read more about the various neighbourhoods of Montreal on this useful website. https://www.mtl.org/en/explore/neighbourhoods
** Theres also a Saint Leonard Cavern, which is (very surprisingly) not Leonard Cohen’s former residence or fav hangout. This one is dedicated to a different Leonard: a medieval holiness who was quite the character himself as the patron saint of a.o. prisoners, captives and women in labour.
Former resident, I must add. Although you can still pay your respects at Leonard Cohen’s grave on Mount Royal. Say that out loud. Mount Royal, Mont Royal in French. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The name giver of the city is now its most famous sight and look-out point, while on the side giving locals and tourists the chance to stay fit and outdoorsy, even right within the centre’s limits (don’t be discouraged though, with 233m it’s more a hill than a mountain). That said, there are multiple hiking ‘n biking areas in and around this 1.8mln-city, including the Old Port area (which looks pretty new and modern to me), Saint Helen's Island, Boucherville Islands National Park, Cap Saint Jacques Nature Park, Parc des Rapides, Pointe aux Prairies Regional Park, Bois de l’Ile Bizard Nature Park, Bois de Liesse Nature Park and l'Île-de-la-Visitation Nature Park. There are even some city beaches, such as Jean Dore Beach and Clock Tower Beach. That said, with gushing snowstorms blasting in your face this seems a rather uninviting activity. Safe it for the summers!*
* Another one to save for summertime is the Village au Pied-du-Courant, described as a chill, community-driven coastal public space with eateries, art installations and live bands. I was dumb enough to search for it in winter weather, to only find a deserted construction site. Upon further investigation, it’s indeed only on from the end of June until September.
That said, there are plenty of indoor activities lined up for the cold days. I’m kicking in an open door by pointing it out, but obviously the museums are a good opportunity to fill the day in an engaging manner. Due to my limited days in town, I chose one of the big shots, the Musee des Beaux-Arts de Montreal, combined with a more lowkey Barbie Expo. The Museum of the Fine Arts is everything you’d expect from such an establishment, including prestigious works of top dogs Picasso, Renoir, Monet, Degas and Pissarro (yet surprisingly few Canadian artists). The Barbie exhibition surpassed just a mere collection of these dolls through time: it actually has plenty of creative themes to it, with countries, movie themes, as well as artists and royal families represented in barbie-form. On top of that, it’s also free, just like the university-owned Redpath Museum, the Fondation Phi, the Belgo Building, the Bank of Montreal Museum, Musee de La Chine and Musee Romeo’s. Some of the more prominent ones, including the above mentioned Musee des Beaux-Arts and the Canadian Centre for Architecture, offer free entry at the first Sunday of the month. There’s a longer list of museums doing the same, but that’s unfortunately only aimed at Quebec area residents.
** Theres also a Saint Leonard Cavern, which is (very surprisingly) not Leonard Cohen’s former residence or fav hangout. This one is dedicated to a different Leonard: a medieval holiness who was quite the character himself as the patron saint of a.o. prisoners, captives and women in labour.
Former resident, I must add. Although you can still pay your respects at Leonard Cohen’s grave on Mount Royal. Say that out loud. Mount Royal, Mont Royal in French. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The name giver of the city is now its most famous sight and look-out point, while on the side giving locals and tourists the chance to stay fit and outdoorsy, even right within the centre’s limits (don’t be discouraged though, with 233m it’s more a hill than a mountain). That said, there are multiple hiking ‘n biking areas in and around this 1.8mln-city, including the Old Port area (which looks pretty new and modern to me), Saint Helen's Island, Boucherville Islands National Park, Cap Saint Jacques Nature Park, Parc des Rapides, Pointe aux Prairies Regional Park, Bois de l’Ile Bizard Nature Park, Bois de Liesse Nature Park and l'Île-de-la-Visitation Nature Park. There are even some city beaches, such as Jean Dore Beach and Clock Tower Beach. That said, with gushing snowstorms blasting in your face this seems a rather uninviting activity. Safe it for the summers!*
* Another one to save for summertime is the Village au Pied-du-Courant, described as a chill, community-driven coastal public space with eateries, art installations and live bands. I was dumb enough to search for it in winter weather, to only find a deserted construction site. Upon further investigation, it’s indeed only on from the end of June until September.
That said, there are plenty of indoor activities lined up for the cold days. I’m kicking in an open door by pointing it out, but obviously the museums are a good opportunity to fill the day in an engaging manner. Due to my limited days in town, I chose one of the big shots, the Musee des Beaux-Arts de Montreal, combined with a more lowkey Barbie Expo. The Museum of the Fine Arts is everything you’d expect from such an establishment, including prestigious works of top dogs Picasso, Renoir, Monet, Degas and Pissarro (yet surprisingly few Canadian artists). The Barbie exhibition surpassed just a mere collection of these dolls through time: it actually has plenty of creative themes to it, with countries, movie themes, as well as artists and royal families represented in barbie-form. On top of that, it’s also free, just like the university-owned Redpath Museum, the Fondation Phi, the Belgo Building, the Bank of Montreal Museum, Musee de La Chine and Musee Romeo’s. Some of the more prominent ones, including the above mentioned Musee des Beaux-Arts and the Canadian Centre for Architecture, offer free entry at the first Sunday of the month. There’s a longer list of museums doing the same, but that’s unfortunately only aimed at Quebec area residents.
I was on my way to the soon-to-be-renovated Museum of Contemporary Art for some more indoor fun, but unexpectedly crossed paths with a huge pro-Palestinian protest. Which I immediately joined, despite the ongoing blizzard. It honestly would’ve been more comfortable to march through the Underground City, a 33km (!) series of tunnels meandering through subterranean shopping malls, hotels and office buildings (access through Eaton Centre).
Other popular attractions-with-a-roof include the Notre Dame Basilica (tours are charged, but visitors have been reported to be let in free of charge on Sunday or for prayer), the City Hall (free tours Oct-Jun – check the status of the renovation works to see if it’s open), and the glamourous Crew Collective & Café where you can marvel at the exquisite interior of Montreal’s most photographed bar for the price of a coffee.
Other popular attractions-with-a-roof include the Notre Dame Basilica (tours are charged, but visitors have been reported to be let in free of charge on Sunday or for prayer), the City Hall (free tours Oct-Jun – check the status of the renovation works to see if it’s open), and the glamourous Crew Collective & Café where you can marvel at the exquisite interior of Montreal’s most photographed bar for the price of a coffee.
Quick Budget Fact Overview
Canada Facts
Short History Recap
Ice Age: First humans migrate from Asia. 11th century: Norse establish first known European settlement on Newfoundland island. 1583: Newfoundland England's first overseas colony. 1701: 38 indigenous groups sign peace treaty with France. ’56: Seven Years' War between New France and larger / economically-stronger British colonies. ’63: Treaty of Paris → England acquires all French colonies east of the Mississippi incl. New France (becomes Quebec). ‘74: Quebec Act recognises French language & Roman Catholic religion. ‘76 onwards: Refugees from American War of Independence settle in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec & Ontario. 1800s: Immigration from UK. ’37-38: Armed rebellions, dissatisfaction with ruling elites, poverty and social divisions. ’67: British North America Act → unites Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Dominion of Canada. ’85: Canadian Pacific railroad. 1914: WWI → Canada fights on side of England and France. ’39: WWII → Canadian forces in Europe and Atlantic. ’49: Founder member of Nato. ’50: Canada/UN participates in War in Korea. ’65: New flag. ’70: Front de Liberation du Quebec kidnap an English trade official and murder a Quebec minister. ’82: England transfers final legal powers over to Canada. New constitution. ’91: Canadian forces participate in Gulf War. ’92: Canada, US & Mexico finalise North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). ’95: Referendum in Quebec rejects independence by a margin of 1%. ’99: Territory of Nunavut created in northern Canada (self-governing region with majority of indigenous population). 2002: Troops in Afghanistan. ’10: Winter Olympics. ’14: Mission to map Arctic seabed, in support of bid to extend territory up to North Pole. ’16: Free trade agreement with EU. ’17: Promised compensation to indigenous people who were kidnapped to be brought up by primarily white middle-class families. New trade deal replacing Nafta.
Canada Facts
- Capital: Ottawa
- Language: English, French
- Population: ± 39 mln (Ottawa: 1.76mln)
- Sq km: ± 9.985 (Montreal: 365)
- Currency: Canadian Dollar ($ - CAD)
- Electricity Outlet: A + B / 120 V / 60 Hz. Check here.
- Country Code Phone: +1
- Emergency Phone: 911
- Visa: Some countries need to apply for a visa, which can be done here or here.The ones that don’t need to apply for a visa waiver, called an ETA, which is a very cheap and fast process.
- Vaccinations: None.
- Climate: The country is so huge, that we’re dealing with several climate zones. The far north has a Tundra Climate (ET). Below that a zone of Subarctic Climate (Dfc), with patches of Dwc and Dsc. The southern stretch along the US border is mainly Humid Continental (Dfb), with patches of Temperate Oceanic (Cfb).
- High season: June-September. Summer is most pleasant due to the harsh climates in the colder seasons.
Short History Recap
Ice Age: First humans migrate from Asia. 11th century: Norse establish first known European settlement on Newfoundland island. 1583: Newfoundland England's first overseas colony. 1701: 38 indigenous groups sign peace treaty with France. ’56: Seven Years' War between New France and larger / economically-stronger British colonies. ’63: Treaty of Paris → England acquires all French colonies east of the Mississippi incl. New France (becomes Quebec). ‘74: Quebec Act recognises French language & Roman Catholic religion. ‘76 onwards: Refugees from American War of Independence settle in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec & Ontario. 1800s: Immigration from UK. ’37-38: Armed rebellions, dissatisfaction with ruling elites, poverty and social divisions. ’67: British North America Act → unites Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Dominion of Canada. ’85: Canadian Pacific railroad. 1914: WWI → Canada fights on side of England and France. ’39: WWII → Canadian forces in Europe and Atlantic. ’49: Founder member of Nato. ’50: Canada/UN participates in War in Korea. ’65: New flag. ’70: Front de Liberation du Quebec kidnap an English trade official and murder a Quebec minister. ’82: England transfers final legal powers over to Canada. New constitution. ’91: Canadian forces participate in Gulf War. ’92: Canada, US & Mexico finalise North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). ’95: Referendum in Quebec rejects independence by a margin of 1%. ’99: Territory of Nunavut created in northern Canada (self-governing region with majority of indigenous population). 2002: Troops in Afghanistan. ’10: Winter Olympics. ’14: Mission to map Arctic seabed, in support of bid to extend territory up to North Pole. ’16: Free trade agreement with EU. ’17: Promised compensation to indigenous people who were kidnapped to be brought up by primarily white middle-class families. New trade deal replacing Nafta.
FREE Sights / Activities
PAID Sights / Activities
Find the full list here.
Evening Entertainment
Local Festivals
An event calendar can be found here.
- Sights: Old Montreal, Old Port, Notre Dame Basilica, Rue St Paul, Rue St Catherine, Rue St Denis, Crescent Street, Golden Square Mile, Plateau Mont Royal Neighborhood, Des Spectacles Neighborhood, Mile End Neighborhood, Latin Neighborhood, Chinatown, Westmount, Gay Village, Little Italy, McGill University, Underground City, Place d’Armes, Olympic Park, Parc Jean Drapeau, Place Jacques Quartier, Chalet du Mont Royal, Marche Bon Secours, Habitat 67, Leonard Cohen Mural, Mount Royal Cemetery (grave Leonard Cohen), City Hall, Banque de Montreal, Place du Canada, St Michel Flea Market, Montreal Clock Tower, Universite de Montreal, Victoria Bridge, BNP Tower, Palais de Justice, The Ring.
- Museums: Barbie Expo, Musee Redpath, Fondation Phi, Bank of Montreal Museum, Musee de Lachine, Musee Romeo’s.
- Hikes / Nature: Mount Royal Park, La Fontaine Park, Parc des Rapides, Ile de la Visitation Nature Park, Cap Saint Jacques Nature Park, Bois de Liesse Nature Park, Angrignon Park, Jean Dore Beach, Clock Tower Beach, Parc Nature du Bois de l’Ile Bizard, Saint Leonard Cavern, Summit Woods and Lookout, Parc Regional de la Pointe aux Prairies, Japanese Garden (free from Nov1-Apr15).
PAID Sights / Activities
- Sights: La Grande Roue de Montreal, Tour de Montreal, Biosphere, Montreal Botanical Garden.
- Museums: Musee des Beaux-Arts de Montreal (free first Sunday of month), Pointe-a-Calliere Montreal Archaeology and History Complex, Montreal Insectarium, Chateau Ramezay, Montreal Science Centre, McCord Stewart Museum, Montreal Planetarium, Maison St Gabriel, Musee d’Art Contemporain de Montreal, Lachine Fur Trade Museum, Musee Marguerite-Bourgeoys, Arsenal Art Contemporain, Musee des Hospitalieres de l’Hotel-Dieu de Montreal, Canadian Centre for Architecture (free first Sunday of month), Musee Regimentaire les Fusiliers Mont Royalty, Ecomusee du Fier Monde, Musee des Ondes Emile Berlienr, Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre.
- Booze: Cirka Distilleries, McAuslan Brewing, Beauregard Brasserie Distillerie.
- Other: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Formula 1 Grand Prix de Canada, Casino de Montreal, Rage Axe Throwing, Aqua Dome, Dodgebow Archery Games, Montreal Bagel Making Workshop.
Find the full list here.
Evening Entertainment
- Nightlife Areas: Crescent Street, St Laurent Street, The Plateau / Rue St Denis, Old Port.
- Theatres: l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, National Theatre, Symposia Theatre, MainLine Theatre, Centaur Theatre, l’Opera du Montreal, Tohu, Segal Centre for Performing Arts, Scotiabank Theatre, Theatre St Denis, Theatre Corona, Theatre Rialto, Theatre du Nouveau Monde, Theatre Desjardins, Theatre Sainte Catherine, Theatre Maisonneuve, Concordia Theatre, Moyse Hall Theatre.
Local Festivals
- Igloofest – January
- Poutineweek - February
- Festival des Musiciens du Monde – May
- Festival Transameriques – May-June
- Fuego-Fuego Festival – May
- Montreal Beer Fest - May
- Mural Festival – June
- Francofolies - June
- Montreal International Jazz Festival – June-July
- Fierte Montreal festival – August
- Osheaga - August
An event calendar can be found here.
Budget Bites
Sleep Cheap
- Main Supermarket Chains Quebec: Provigo, IGA, Maxi, Metro, Super C, Costco.
- Markets: Jean Talon Market, Atwater Market, Maisonneuve Market.
- Local Dishes: Poutine (fries with cheese curds and gravy), Tourtiere (meat pie), Wild Pacific Salmon, Pate Chinois (layered ground beef, cream corn and mashed potato), Alberta Beef, Rappie Pie (grated potatoes pattie with pork fat, sea food and ground meat), Hodge Podge (vegetable/potato stew), Yukon Reindeer, Caraquets (oysters), Nova Scotia / Newfoundland Lobster, Fish and Brewis (hard biscuits mixed with cod or pork), Pealmeal Bacon (broiled lean pork loin), Split Pea Soup (incl. pork), Jiggs Dinner (beef, greens and split pea pudding), Fiddle Heads (cooked rolled fern leaves), Bannock (typical bread), Beavertails (deepfried bread with sweet toppings / Canadian donut), Montreal Bagel (boiled in honeyed water), Trempettes (crispy sweet pancakes), Touton (thick pancake), Cipaille (meat pie), Maple Taffy / Tire d’Erable (maple syrup frozen over snow), Butter Tarts (pastry), Saskatoon Berry Pie, Nanaimo Bars (crumb-custard-chocolate cake), Pouding Chomeur (cake with hot syrup), Cretons (pork spread), Oreilles de Crisses (deepfried pork rinds).
- The Veg Situation: Going veg is not so complicated in Canada, as vegetarianism and veganism is widely accepted. Most supermarkets contain veg products, be it very processed at times. Veg restaurants can be found here.
- National Drink: Ceasar Cocktail (Canadian bloody mary, sometimes with food hanging off it), beer, wine.
Sleep Cheap
- Hostels / Hotels / Guesthouses: You probably knew already, before even booking your trip, that visiting Canada isn’t cheap. This goes for accommodation as well. Without being paid to say so, I love Booking.com: They have the biggest selection, are transparent about the final price and have an efficient search engine tailored to your specific needs (cheapest first!). If you use it often enough, Genius-discounts are applied. Air BnB is not what it used to be, price-wise, but in Canada they usually offer cheaper stays than in hotels or even hostels. Be mindful of the additional booking and cleaning costs though, as they can really add up. Writer’s Choice: I stayed in an AirBnB in Montreal. The second visit, when I cycled through on my bicycle tour across Canada, I stayed with a Couchsurfing friend I hosted 12 years earlier in my home country.
- Couchsurfing: allows you to stay with locals. Nowadays it has a moderate sign-up cost (unless you put a third-world country as homebase), but paying extra for verification is unnecessary: Positive reviews are way more important. Once active, there are no costs for staying at someone’s house. In order to get accepted, make sure to write an elaborate review explaining why you applied to this specific profile and think you and your host are a good match (copy-pastes tend to be ignored). The Couchsurfing community in Canada definitely is a rather active one, incl. events organized in most of the cities. If your’re bikepacking you can also look into Warm Showers, which is a bikepacking community focussing primarily on 1-night stays.
- Wild Camping: is officially legal in Canada, but the rules change per province. In national and provincial parks camping is only allowed on designated campsites or with a permit, and you’ll have to pay a nightly fee (wild camping in these areas is heavily fined).
Mama Said
Transport
Next?
- Safety: Canada is a very safe country with a low crime rate. Outside of the main cities, I met people who don’t lock their houses or cars. In nature, there are several wide animals to take into account, including black bears, grizzly bears, rattle snakes, coyotes, lynxes and cougars.
- Tap Water: is safe to drink.
- The best credit/debit card for traveling is Wise, as they use the live conversion rates with minimal exchange fees. Wise also has the lowest fees for sending money to foreign accounts. That said, I do find their customer service rather questionable. Revolut is comparable, but they have higher exchange fees in the weekend and less wallet-options. Also, you can only wire money to Revolut in the currency you opened the account with, whereas Wise has IBAN’s from a wide variety of currencies, so you don’t have to pay a double exchange fee. Both Revolut and Wise have the option to open a Canadian Dollar wallet. Most Canadian ATMs charge a fee for cash outs, but card payments are accepted everywhere.
- Simcard: Data is known to be incredibly expensive in Canada, with one of the highest rate-per-gb in the world. Prices are even higher if you buy your SIM at the airport. Therefore, either go to the flagship stores to buy a sim (yes, you also pay seperately for the sim, without anything on it), or simply buy one in supermarkets, post offices, gas stations and even in the Dollarama. You can then add credit or a bundle online or via the app. The brands with the cheapest deals are known to be Lucky Mobile, Chatr, Koodo Mobile and Fido (although still terrible money-worth compared to basically everywhere else in the world). The best network coverage is known to be by Telus, Bell and Rogers. If your phone supports eSims, this might be worth looking into, as it’s in most cases more affordable. I used Lucky Mobile which had the cheapest data packages (sim bought in Dollarama), and noticed I had a similar coverage compared to any of the more expensive brands.
Transport
- Walking: Montreal is a pedestrian friendly city. Yet, as it’s rather big, alternative transport from neighbourhood to neighbourhood might be recommended.
- Cycling: Montreal has 1065km of bicycle lanes. Find a map here. There’s a bikesharing system called BIXI, which charges an unlocking fee and a rate-per-minute.
- Public Transport: Montreal has buses and an efficient metro system. You can pay per ride (incl. 1 transfer to bus) or 2 rides, or get a 3-day, unlimited evening, unlimited weekend or week ticket. Oddly enough, the week ticket runs from Monday to Sunday, so if you buy it on a Sunday it only works one day. The weekend ticket starts Friday 4PM. You can pay at the ticket machines, at the metro desks or get an Opus Card. Buses also sell tickets. Children travel free.
- Taxi / Uber: Canada has taxi apps such as Uber, Lyft and Zoomzoom. Car2Go is a car sharing app.
- Train: Canada has a train network operated by Via Rail, but this is a notoriously expensive option (generally double the bus prices, which are also not cheap). Book as early as possible and buy tickets on Tuesday to save some money. There’s a train line to the suburbs as well, called Exo.
- Car Rental: This is not a cheap endeavour in Canada. However, the best deals can generally be found when the car is picked up from an airport.
- Airport: Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Reached by Bus 747 (special ticket needed) runs 24/7.
- Hitchhiking: is relatively safe and easy in Canada, but definitively not common. Don’t bother with the ride-share websites or Facebook groups, as people dare to ask more than the bus and even train tickets. More info on hitchhiking in and out of Montreal can be found on Hitchwiki.
Next?
- In Canada: Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto, Mont Tremblant National Park, Thousand Islands National Park.
- International Destinations Close By: United States, Greenland.
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