Introduction

Downtown Montréal is one of the most vibrant, cosmopolitan areas of the city. You will admire postmodern towers, splendid buildings and churches not to mention the fabulous art and theme museums. Amongst all this action you can still find some green spaces to relax in. If shopping is your thing then Montréal is the place for you! Head for Sainte-Catherine Street and the exceptional underground city where you will find some of the best shops in the world. Throughout the year, particularly in summertime, there are always lively and entertaining festivals that bring together the citizens of Montréal and its visitors. Montréal is the largest city in Quebec and the second largest in Canada, with a metropolitan population of 3,359,000. It has four quite distinct seasons and each of which provides a wealth of outdoor activities. The countryside around Montréal is well-known for the changing colour of its Autumn foliage and in winter you can go skiing and skating. In the warmer months choose to walk, hike, cycle, swim, sail, golf, and play tennis. Alhtough the city is known for its cold winters, its summers are hot and generally sunny, with occasional muggy days. Average temperatures vary from -13C to-5C in January to 18C to 27C in July.

Language

Even though approximately one million people in Greater Metropolitan Montréal have a mother tongue other than French, it is the official language of the Province of Québec, therefore it is still an ideal location to learn French just as much as if you were in France.

Information

As Montréal is one of the largest cities in Canada we suggest you head for the Infotouriste Centre at 1001 du Square-Dorchester Street, Montréal (Québec)(corner Metcalfe), metro Peel, 514-873-2015. This is the best reference for Québec tourist information. Here you can obtain free tourist information on Montréal as well as the rest of the Province of Québec like guided tours, currency exchange, Internet Café, bookstores, car rentals and much more.You will find it open from September to May and the opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m and from June to September from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Getting Around

We do not reccommend you drive in Montréal unless you have mobility problems. The older part of Montréal was built up before the invention of the car so parking conditions can sometimes be frustrating. Therefore sightseeing on foot and by Metro is encouraged for this reason. Montrjal has an excellent public transit system, the STCUM (Société des transports de la Communauté urbaine de Montréal) consisting of a subway system, 140 bus routes (20 all-night routes), and two major commuter train lines. Maps and information about the system are available in every Metro station. The metro lines shut down around 12:30 a.m., after which the system shifts over to night bus lines until around 5:30 a.m. A monthly pass giving full access to the system is available and you can also buy a travel card giving full access for one or three days. You can also purchase a strip of six tickets or a single fare. If you're using tickets or paying in cash, it's important to get a transfer, which will permit you to change from metro to bus or from bus to bus. You do not need a transfer to exit the metro system as you do in London or Paris - it's only needed if you want to be able to connect to a bus from the metro system. People who are not Montréal residents don't qualify for seniors' reductions or student fares.

Eating and Drinking

There are more than 3,000 restaurants offering cuisine from all around the world. If you are on a strict budget then don't worry, you can still eat well in the many sidewalk cafes, bistros and in intimate restaurants hidden away on side streets.

Don't miss

Montréal's underground city, which was started in the 1960s, provides access to 11,700 boutiques, major department stores, restaurants, theatres and cinemas - all without ever stepping outdoors! Metro stops are located throughout the underground city. Check out the Cinémathèque Québécoise on 335 de Maisonneuve Blvd, an avant-garde Museum of Moving Images, a very intersting exhibition of the history, events and future of cinema, television and new media. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Another must is "Le 1000 de la Gauchetière" situated on 1000 de La Gauchetière Street West Bonaventure, a 672 metre high building with 51 floors, it is the building that most exemplifies a new architectural philosophy. Its best feature is the indoor skating rink under a domed, sky-lit exhibition hall. Here you can skate at an ideal temperature to the rhythm of a music that keeps you on the move. You can hire the skates and buy food on the premesis.