One day trip to Montreal in winter

It all started on a bored Friday afternoon during which I decided to go to Montreal the next day with two friends. I will tell you about my great one day trip to Montreal in winter, how to best optimize your day, your time and your budget and give you my good plans. I will share with you my travel tips for students in Montréal.

How to travel cheaply to Montreal

A short day trip, even if improvised, still requires a minimum of preparation as far as the route is concerned. From Ottawa, Montreal is about two hours away. A friend of mine told me about a great way to travel cheaply in Canada: carpooling on Amigo Express. Looking at the site the day before for the next day, it offered a lot of carpooling options. I went on a very convenient departure for us at the University of Ottawa at 9 a.m., because the two friends I left with are not early risers, for a fee of 15 CAU per person. The arrival was scheduled around 11 a.m. in the centre of the city, which is ideal to not lose too much time. If you have the courage, I would advise you to leave earlier to take full advantage of your time in Montreal. The ride in the Amigo went very well, I had not expected such a comfortable car and such a pleasant driver. Here's a link to the Amigo site if you ever feel like it: https://www.amigoexpress.com/

However, for the return trip, there was no ideal carpool that would return to Ottawa on Saturday night. So we opted for a bus at 8pm from the Montreal bus station in the center of the city for 15 UCA per person with the Greyhound company, via the Busbud platform: https://www.busbud.com/fr-ca

No need to print the tickets, the e-ticket on your mobile is sufficient.

What to do in Montréal

The Vieux Montréal and the Vieux Port

We arrived in Montreal a little before 11:00. As we were in the center of the city, we decided to go directly to the Old Port. The Port is lined with a vast promenade along the St. Lawrence River that you can't help but appreciate.

We then decided to go to the Vieux Montréal. This neighbourhood is located at the foot of Place Jacques Cartier, which offers a beautiful view of the Old Port. It is also on this square that the City Hall is located. In the Cité Historique you can see old solid brown stone houses dating from the 18th century as well as the Ramezay Castle. Don't hesitate to visit the sublime Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal and its neo-gothic carved wooden decor but especially its lights that evoke paradise. There is also the Bonsecours market which houses Quebec craft shops and restaurants.

Rue Sainte Catherine

Speaking of restaurants, it was about 1:00 p.m., so it was time for us to eat. Passing through Chinatown, we went to one of the main streets of the city, St. Catherine Street. In this street is the Complexe Desjardins, at the bottom of which there are lots of small restaurants on the go and cheap for all tastes. Everyone buys what they want to eat and we eat in the centre on tables available to everyone, with no seating restrictions as it is often the case elsewhere. The street is lined with shops that we all know, but also with trendier and more original shops. In particular, there is a shop selling Levis jeans. As soon as you enter the shop, the salesman knows immediately just by looking at you, what size you would need and which model would fit you best. The prices are discounted, so if you're interested in the perfect Levi's cheap jeans, go ahead ;)

Walk on Mont Royal

Continuing on Sainte-Catherine Street and turning right on Peel Street, we reached Mount Royal Park. At the top, Mount Royal offers a breathtaking view of the city, its skyscrapers and the St. Lawrence River. The park is a real place to walk in nature, as if you were outside the city. It is a very soothing place that is a must in the city.

Plateau du Mont Royal

On our way down from the park, we then went to the Plateau du Mont-Royal neighbourhood. It's a former working-class neighbourhood that is now very fashionable. The neighbourhood has bookstores, fashion and design boutiques, and restaurants with terraces. Go to the Portuguese quarter to admire the colourful houses or to Lafontaine Park lined with Victorian houses.

End of the day and return

With all that, the day had passed and we had to catch our bus. We took the metro back to St. Catherine Street to get to the bus station. Unfortunately, our bus was late and we waited an hour before we could leave, but that's part of the unexpected part of unexpected trips.

I left town with great memories and new jeans. So if you want to explore the city for a day, one day can be enough. However, to really see all that this beautiful city has to offer, it is true that it is better to stay several days. You can plan your trip by looking at the website of the city's tourist office: https://www.mtl.org/fr

Now don't hesitate to book your Amigo Express to go to Montreal on a one day trip next week-end ;) https://www.amigoexpress.com/

Feel free to comment on this post to share your good plans in Montreal and what you would do if you could spend a day there. Share this article if you found it useful.

See you soon,

Léa