Virtual
Tour
Watch
these Quebec
video clips as the intro to your virtual tour of
Montreal
Walk around Montreal virtually using this interactive
map.
See
these movie
clips about the Jazz festival and old Montreal to introduce you to
this glorious city.
Watch this video
about
Montreal attractions
See this panoramic view of
Montrealers celebrating.
Take a
virtual tour of old Montreal.
Experience
Montreal by looking at these panoramic scenes.
See
the
real time
sights of Montreal.
Watch
this award
winning FLASH presentation of the Montreal
Canadians
See this Beluga
Whale Watching Article
and Video
Read the Montreal Gazette
to find out what is happening now.
Watch TV
for the current news and sports
 See what 50
visitors say about this wonderful city
Olympic
Stadium
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City
Description
What
can I say about
Montreal? I am in love with it. In
some
ways, its more European than some cities on the continent. The cuisine
is
first class, the night life is extraordinary, the women are so elegant,
and
the ambiance of the city is beautiful.. Contrary to public perception,
Montreal
is a multi-cultural city. Although French is the major spoken language,
English is used and understood by most of the population
Geographically,
Montreal is an island in the
St. Lawrence
River, 34 miles by 9 miles with a mountain right in the"middle.of an
island.
It
has
an excellent sea port, beautiful parks, and is composed of many little
municipalities such
as Centre Ville, Dorval, Lachine, Cote de Neige, Laval, Verdun. Driving
over the Jacque Cartier Bridge connects you to the surrounding cities
like
Longueuil. Saint Catherine Street is renown for the Baie (Hudson Bay
Company), the
Eaton Center, Chapters Book Store, the clubs, and the many excellent
fashion
and clothing stores where shopping is par excellence. Rue St. Denis is
noted
for it many international restaurants and sidewalk cafes. .
Click Map to Enlarge
 Montreal
is
in the mist of an economic
recovery. New
technology and
art based businesses are sprouting up everywhere. The college student
population
is the highest per capita of any city in
North
America.. The favorable
exchange
rate creates bargains galore: Four star hotels for less than $80.00
USD a
night, off peak, (they even return your taxes), haute culture
fashions for
unbelievably low prices, and the restaurants prices -tres magnifique.
The view of
the city from Mont Royal is
breathtaking,
especially in the evening. The old city has its ancient charm. The
Basilica of Notre Dame is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the
world. The subway (Metro) is so efficient, and the streets are safe at
all hours. Hollywood has found Montreal. Over six feature films were
made there this year and a new studio has just been completed.
 Your
city
guide will direct you to the many
points of
interests including
the underground shopping malls, the Olympic Stadium to see the Expos
and
Alouettes, the Molson Center to watch Les Canadiens, the
biosphere, the
Musee
des Beaux Arts and the Casino among others. To experience Paris in
America,
visit Mont Royal Avenue with all their wonderful French bakery, fruits,
cheese, seafood and butcher shops . For travelers who are looking for
beauty,
grace, and an expressive culture, Montreal is the place for you. To
quote
Fodors: "Montreal was founded by the French, conquered by the English,
and
occupied by the Americans".
FAST
FACTS
Airport
Montreal is
served by two commercial airports, Dorval International and
Mirabel International. Dorval International is 14 miles west of
downtown and serves most domestic, U.S. and overseas flights. Dorval
Airport charges a $10 beautification tax when upon arrival or
departure. Mirabel International is 34 miles northeast of downtown and
serves mostly charter flights.
Taxicabs
serve both airports and are required by law to charge a flat
rate for the trip plus posted rates for luggage handling. The current
rate is $25 to Dorval and $56 to Mirabel. There are fees for baggage
handling: prices are explicitly posted inside all taxicabs. Shuttle bus
service runs from the downtown bus terminal (514-842-2281) with stops
at Central Station (trains and the Queen Elizabeth Hotel) and several
other downtown hotels before taking the highway to Dorval. Prices are
lower than taxis, ranging from $7.25 to $9 for a one-way trip. A
two-way ticket is cheaper if you plan on a return trip within a period
of several months.
Visas
Citizens or
permanent residents of the United States do not need
passports or visas, and can more often than not cross the US-Canada
border with no problems. Canada Customs strongly recommend that United
States citizens carry confirmation of residency, and some
identification documents showing citizenship such as a United States
passport, birth certificate, baptismal certificate, or voter's
certificate.
Permanent
residents of the United States who are not United States
citizens are advised to carry their alien registration receipt card (US
Form I-151 or Form I-551). If you are traveling with persons under the
age of 18, they MUST have their birth certificate AND a letter from
their legal guardians, giving permission to travel to Canada.
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Citizens of
Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland
must have valid passports. Visitors from other countries ought to
contact the Canadian consulate or embassy in your country. You will be
required to carry at least a valid passport, and perhaps a visa.
Currency
Canadian
money is in dollars and cents, similar to the United States.
Coins are the copper colored 1 cent (penny), silver colored 5 cents
(nickel), 10 cents (dime), and 25 cents (quarter), brass colored $1.00
(loonie), and the $2.00 (toonie) which is made of two different colored
metals and quite unique. Notes come in $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 with
a different colour for each bill. $1,000 bills are obtainable from
banks, but are not in everyday circulation. Some stores are cautious
about accepting bills larger than $20 because of counterfeits.
Credit Cards
Credit
cards are accepted widely, with Visa and MasterCard dominating
the market, followed by American Express, Diners Club, and its Canadian
cousin, enRoute. The Discover and Carte Blanche cards fall well behind
the others in usage. Charge slips are written up in Canadian dollars
and card companies convert the amount to U.S. dollars when they credit
the transaction to the account.
Tipping
Practices
are similar to those in the United States: 15% to 20% of
restaurant bills, 10% to 15% for taxi drivers, C$1 per bag for porters,
C$1 per night for the hotel room attendant. Hairdressers and barbers
expect 10% to 15%. Hotel doormen should be tipped for calling a taxi or
other services.
Useful Numbers
Ambulance:
911
Police: 911
Fire: 911
Sexual
Assault Center: (514) 934-4604
Suicide
Action: (514) 723-4000
Poison
Centre: (800) 463-5060.
Non-emergency
police matters: (514) 280-2222
Electricity
110 volts
AC, 60Hz;
regular two-pin and grounded three-pin plugs are
standard.
Health Risks
Health care
is of a high
standard but it is advisable to get
travellers' insurance because it is not free for visitors. Make sure to
have the insurance documentation in case of emergency. Also, sufficient
quantities of prescription medicines and other medications should be
kept in handy.
Sanitation
is equal to
any developed country and tap water is
drinkable. Special immunizations is not needed to visit Canada.
Crime rate
in Montreal is
low and no particular area of the city is
marked off as dangerous. Nonetheless it is a large city and visitors
should remain normally vigilant about their possessions and their
persons. It is not recommended to wander around Mount Royal or other
large parks alone at night. The Metro is safe at all times.
Time Zone
Montréal
is in the
eastern time zone. Daylight saving time is
observed, moving clocks ahead an hour in the spring and back an hour in
the fall.
Business Hours
Stores are open from 9
a.m. till 6 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, from 9
a.m. till 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m.
Saturdays. Many large pharmacies, some grocery stores and some
bookstores stay open late all week, and some smaller boutiques may open
their doors later in the morning. It is advised to phone in
advance to
check a store's hours.
Holidays
Jan 1, New
Year's Day;
Apr 13, Good Friday; Apr 16, Easter Monday; May
21, Victoria Day (Fete de Dollard); Jun 24, Ste. Jean Baptiste Day
(National Day); Jul 1, Canada Day; Sep 3, Labor Day; Oct 8,
Thanksgiving; Nov 11, Remembrance Day; Dec 25, Christmas; Dec 26,
Boxing Day
Climate
Temperatures
in Montreal
are usually a few degrees higher than in
Québec City. Spring is short and arrives around the middle of
May. Summer (mid-June through mid-September) tends to be humid. Intense
but usually brief heat waves mark July and early August, but
temperatures rarely remain oppressive in the evening. Autumn (September
and October) is as short and changeable as spring, with warm days and
cool or chilly nights. Canadian maples blaze with color for weeks.
Winter brings dependable snows for skiing in the Laurentians, Estrie,
and Charlevoix. After a sleigh ride or a ski run in Parc Mont-Royal,
Montréal's Underground City is a climate-controlled blessing.
Snow and slush are more-or-less constantly present from November to March.
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