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Field Manual No. 10: Three Days in La Belle Province's Big City

A French-speaking island city with a mountain in the middle. Cobblestones, a basilica lit like a jewel box, bagels with a rivalry, and festivals all summer long.

Itinerary

Day 1 — The Old Town
Croissant on Rue Saint-Paul → timed visit to Notre-Dame Basilica → wander Old Montréal → Old Port promenade and Clock Tower → dinner in the old town → rooftop nightcap facing the basilica.

Day 2 — Mountain & Mile End
Walk up Mount Royal to the Kondiaronk Belvedere → down the other side into the Plateau → Schwartz's for lunch → bagel reconnaissance in Mile End (both shops, no verdict) → Jean-Talon Market → festival evening or a show at Place des Arts.

Day 3 — East End or Out of Town
Métro to Olympic Park → Biodôme and the Botanical Garden → poutine at La Banquise. Or: early VIA train to Québec City, ramparts and Château Frontenac, last train home.

Packing List

Passport (book, if flying)
A few phrases of French: bonjour, merci, l'addition s'il vous plaît
Walking shoes for cobblestones and the mountain
A card with no foreign-transaction fees
Layers, or in winter, a coat you'd trust in Minnesota
An open mind about bagels

The Short List

Old Montréal, Notre-Dame Basilica & the Old Port (Vieux-Montréal, Place d'Armes to the waterfront) — The basilica charges admission and closes to visitors during services, so book a timed slot online. Walk Rue Saint-Paul early before the crowds, then go down to the Clock Tower pier for the river view.
Mount Royal & the Kondiaronk Belvedere (Parc du Mont-Royal, above downtown) — Walk up from the top of Rue Peel by the staircase trail. It takes 30–40 minutes. On summer Sundays, follow the drumming to the Tam-Tams at the George-Étienne Cartier monument on the east side.
Mile End & the Great Bagel Question (Rue Fairmount & Rue Saint-Viateur, Mile End) — Buy a sesame from each, still warm, and eat them on the walk between the two shops. Do not announce your verdict. The robot never has, and both shops still serve it.
Schwartz's & the Poutine Circuit (Boulevard Saint-Laurent ('the Main'), Plateau) — Order 'medium' at Schwartz's, which is how the regulars have it. The queue moves faster than it looks. The take-out counter next door skips it completely if you only want a sandwich to go.
Jean-Talon Market (Little Italy) — Arrive hungry and build lunch from the stalls. For a smaller, quieter version by the Lachine Canal, Atwater Market is the other one locals use.
Montréal Museum of Fine Arts (Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Golden Square Mile) — Visitors aged 20 and under get in free. Combine it with a walk along Sherbrooke and up Rue Crescent.
The Underground City (RÉSO) (Downtown, from Place Ville Marie outward) — Follow the blue RÉSO signs and don't try to memorise it. Even locals get lost. It is a winter survival tool, not a sightseeing destination. In July, stay above ground.
Olympic Park, Biodôme & Botanical Garden (Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, east end (Pie-IX or Viau métro)) — Buy a combined ticket and give it a full day. From September to Halloween the Botanical Garden's Gardens of Light lanterns run after dark. Book that evening slot early.
Quartier des Spectacles & the Festivals (Place des Arts, Rue Sainte-Catherine) — Most of the Jazz Fest's outdoor stages are free. Skip the ticketed headliners and simply walk the site in the evening. Book hotels early: festival weeks fill downtown fast.
Day trip: Québec City (VIA Rail from Gare Centrale (~3 hr 15 min)) — As a day trip it's long. Take an early train and a late one back, or better, stay one night. Old Québec at night, after the tour buses leave, is the real reason to go.

Getting There

YUL — Montréal–Trudeau International: ~25–45 min to downtown (traffic dependent)
BTV — Burlington International, Vermont: ~2 hr via I-89 and the Highgate Springs border crossing
By train from New York: Amtrak's Adirondack runs daily from Penn Station up the Hudson and along Lake Champlain to Montréal's Gare Centrale: about 11 hours. Border inspection happens en route. Slow, scenic, and the autumn views are spectacular.
From New York by car: ~6 hr via I-87 to the Champlain / Lacolle crossing, then Autoroute 15 into the city.
From Boston: ~5 hr via I-93 and I-89 through Vermont.
From Chicago / Naperville: ~13 hr via Detroit and Ontario's Highway 401. Better to fly: about 2 hours nonstop from O'Hare.
At the border: Have passports out, the car radio off and sunglasses up. Declare everything: food, alcohol, firearms (no). Expect 10–60 minutes. Holiday weekends run longer.

Reading for the Train

Lonely Planet Montreal & Quebec City by Lonely Planet
The History of Montréal by Paul-André Linteau
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler
The Tin Flute by Gabrielle Roy
The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier

Where to Stay

Ritz-Carlton Montréal, Rue Sherbrooke, Golden Square Mile ($$$$)
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Downtown, above Gare Centrale ($$$)
Hotel William Gray, Old Montréal, Place Jacques-Cartier ($$$)
Hôtel Place d'Armes, Old Montréal, facing the basilica ($$–$$$)
Hôtel Zero 1, Downtown, near the Quartier des Spectacles ($$)

Live Events

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