Montreal is the closest thing to Europe in North America, a French-speaking city of cobblestone streets, grand old churches, world-class food, and a legendary festival scene. Here is how I would plan it.
Old Montreal is the heart of it, cobblestone lanes, the stunning Notre-Dame Basilica, and the old port along the river. It feels like a European capital dropped into Canada.
Montreal eats brilliantly: the famous wood-fired bagels, Montreal smoked meat (Schwartz’s is the institution), and, of course, poutine, do not leave without it, alongside a serious fine-dining and cafe culture.
Wander the Plateau and Mile End, climb (or drive) up Mount Royal for the city view, and time your trip around one of Montreal’s world-famous festivals if you can.
The timing is the whole trick. Montreal is magic in summer, but the big jazz and music festivals fill hotels fast and spike rates, and winter swings brutally cold, so when you go shapes everything. The food and neighborhoods reward a plan too, and getting the order right is the difference between a great weekend and a rushed one, which is where I come in.
It is a romantic, easy-to-love city, close to home but a world away. I base you well, plan the food and the festivals, and add nearby Quebec City if you have time, in English or Español.
A local’s picks for hotels, Old San Juan food and bars, El Yunque, and the islands.
Read the guide →Parrandas, coquito, Three Kings Day, and the island’s months-long Christmas.
Read the guide →Region by region, from Casa de Campo to Punta Cana, Las Terrenas, and Santo Domingo.
Read the guide →