Destination:
Montreal

Overview

The world's largest inland port, Montreal was founded as a missionary village in 1642, a century after Jacques Cartier discovered the area. The French stayed in control of the growing settlement until 1760 when the British stepped in, sparking a now centuries-old French resentment of the British interference. Despite some undeniable English architectural and cultural influences, Montreal is today one of the world's largest French-speaking cities, set on an overwhelmingly English-speaking continent, and a metropolis of international repute, framed between Mont Royal and the St Lawrence River.

The city is in the south of Canada's Quebec province, only 37 miles (60km) from the United States border, and is an important hub of North American trade. It is a spacious, beautiful city characterised by a series of underground shopping and recreation complexes, linked by walkways and the metro. This subterranean city contains more than 18.5 miles (30km) of office and apartment complexes, major stores, hotels, restaurants, metro stations, parking garages, movie theatres, concert halls and more, all snugly accessible during the snowy winters.

Its population is a multicultural mix, which has fostered a vibrant cultural life, cemented by its French and British roots. There are several theatres offering year-round theatre, ballet and music performances, and a number of art galleries and museums. Like most Canadian cities, Montreal has interspersed urban development with green areas. In this case pride is taken by the spacious Parc du Mont-Royal, designed by Frederic Olmsted, the American landscape artist who also designed Central Park in New York. The city also has 30 museums and numerous other attractions of interest to visitors all year round.

GettingAround

Montreal's sensible layout combined with an extensive and super-efficient public transport system (Metro, bus and commuter rail services) make getting around the city easy. In fair weather hundreds of kilometres of bike paths that span the island offer a healthier, pleasant option. Public transport is run by the Montreal Transport Society, or STM. The pristine metro has dozens of stations along four different lines with numerous stops in the subterranean mall. The metro stops are all integrated with a comprehensive network of city bus routes. The metro and buses run between 5.30am and 1am, with a limited night bus service filling in. The inner city services in turn connect to a commuter rail network that serves the suburbs. Fares are standard on both the bus and metro and transfers are free; a discounted tourist pass is available for bus and metro. Metered taxis can be hailed in the streets downtown or ordered by telephone. There are numerous car rental firms in the city, but roads are often heavily congested and traffic jams are common.

Events

Attractions

Dining

Le Club Chasse et Peche

Cuisine style: French

One of the most highly rated restaurants in Montreal and a multi-award winner with the local press. Known as CCP, this eatery has reinvented Surf 'n Turf with mouth-watering Kobe beef and lobster tail. The décor enhances the dining experience with low ceilings fostering an intimate atmosphere while the chic décor further suggests that this is a truly special dining experience. The restaurant is open for lunch Monday to Friday from 11:30 to 2:30pm, and for dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 6 to 10:30pm.

Address: 423 St-Claude

La Chronique

Cuisine style: French

For a taste of Montreal's rural surrounds visit this highly regarded eatery that exclusively uses fresh local ingredients in its modern French cuisine with interesting Mediterranean and Southwestern touches. The décor is centered on dark wood and red hues framed with black and white photographs, and the wine list, exceeding 250 titles, can be ordered by the glass or bottle.

Address: 99 Laurier West

Reservoir

Cuisine style: International

Although a micro-brewery Reservoir is developing a name as the best value restaurant in the city, combing perfectly fresh ingredients with inventive recipes from the fertile imagination of Chef Samuel Pinard. The brunch has been described by one critic as (single for quotes) 'the most interesting (and for my money, the best) brunch experiences in town'. The evenings are naturally a bit lively - this is a microbrewery after all - but this is no way detracts from the dining experience.

Address: 9 Duluth E.

L'Express

Cuisine style: French

It would be remiss to list Montreal eateries without mentioning the one best known in cinema and literature: L'Express, Montreal's beloved brasserie. The eatery has handwritten menus in the style of Parisian sidewalk cafes with similar décor and serving staff attitude. The noise reaches epic proportions when the premises is full but the food, decent prices and all-you-can-eat pickles and baguettes makes this an essential experience for visitors to Montreal. Open weekdays 8am-2am; Saturdays 10am-2am; and Sundays 10am-1am.

Address: 3927 Rue St. Denis

Jun I

Cuisine style: Japanese

Montreal does not have a great reputation for sushi, a sore point for maki-addicted and sashimi-fixated locals. Thank goodness then for Jun I, which flies the flag high for high-quality authentic Japanese sushi. Chef Junichi Ikematsu has developed an interesting menu based on fresh local fish, exotic rolls and flawless nigiri, all complemented by a fine range of sake.

Address: 156 Laurier W.

Airports

Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport

Website: www.admtl.com

Location: The airport is located 15 miles (24km) west of Montréal.

Contacts: Tel: +1 (514) 394 7377.

Time Zone: GMT -5 (GMT -4 from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November).

Departure tax: None.

Facilities: The Departures level offers ATMs and bureaux de change as well as duty-free and other shops. A variety of restaurants, bars and cafes, and shops are available on both levels and wireless Internet access is available from anywhere in the terminal. Business facilities are available in the VIP lounge. Disabled travellers are well catered for; passengers with special needs should contact their airline in advance.

Parking: Express Parc (for pick-ups and drop-offs) is charged at CA$4 for the first 20 minutes and CA$40 per day; short-term parking is available in Proxiparc and Hotel Park, charging CA$6 for half an hour and CA$19/CA$23 per day respectively. Long-term parking is cheapest in Econoparc at CA$14 per day and CA$75 per week, and the lot is connected to the terminal by a free shuttle service. Valet parking is also available; the reception area is next to the terminal.

Transfer to the city: There is an airport shuttle bus service into the centre of Montreal and to the major downtown hotels. The shuttle bus also transfers passengers between Montréal-Mirabel and Montréal-Trudeau airports, taking about 45 minutes. Taxis are also readily available.

Car rental: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, National and Thrifty are represented on site.