Decide when you would like to visit Montreal. Summer is a popular time to visit with temperatures reaching into the 80s and sometimes 90s. Montreal is very cold and snowy in the winter, but that just makes conditions perfect for Fete des Neiges, Montreal’s winter carnival. Snow often starts early in the fall and extends into spring, but early fall and late spring offer milder temperatures and less crowded attractions.
Buy a French-English dictionary. While most people you encounter as a tourist will be bilingual, the signs you see will be printed in French. Road signs are in French, so it’s important to learn such words as “sortie” (exit) and “arret” (stop) if you will be driving.
Ride the Metro. The city’s Metro system has 68 stations on 4 lines, denoted by the colors yellow, orange, green and blue. Many tourist attractions can be reached via the Metro. Traveling by Metro is often easier than driving and trying to find a parking spot. One and three day tourist passes, offering unlimited trips, are available at select Metro stations.
Explore Old Montreal. Montreal has a large section of historic buildings and churches, museums, art galleries, restaurants and cafes. It takes one or more days to fully appreciate all that Old Montreal has to offer.
Get lost at the Shed16 Labyrinth. A favorite of young visitors, the Shed 16 Labyrinth is a maze located at the Old Port. Each year, the maze is given a new theme and visitors must follow clues to get to the end of the maze. The maze is not wheelchair accessible and requires climbing over and around obstacles. The Shed 16 Labyrinth is open from mid-May through the end of October and offers a special theme at Halloween.
Stop and smell the flowers at the Montreal Botanical Garden and Insectarium. The Garden is one of the largest botanical gardens in the world and features Alpine, Aquatic and Chinese and Japanese Gardens. After you visit the Garden, take a shuttle bus to the Montreal Biodome. The Biodome recreates ecosystems of the Americas in a temperature-controlled dome. Ecosystems represented include tropical forest, St. Lawrence marine, Artic, Antarctic and the Laurentian Forest, which changes with the seasons.
Take a break on Saint Helen and Notre-Dame islands. These islands are in the middle of the St. Lawrence River and are accessible by Metro or car. The islands offer a variety of activities. In the summer, Parc Jean Drapeau is a popular attraction, offering three pools, a lake, changing rooms and snack bars. La Ronde Amusement Park, the largest amusement park in Eastern Canada, is nearby. The Montreal Casino entices gamblers, while history buffs enjoy spending some time at the David Stewart Museum, which features antique weapons, navigational aids and other historical artifacts. Also on the island is the Biosphere, a museum dedicated to the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes ecosystems.
