Travel & Stay

Canada: your travel destination! The country is so large that you can fit Belgium into it 327 times. People speak English and French, and Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted. Entering Canada requires a passport with at least 6 months of validity left and an eTA visa (valid for 5 years). More info here.

Airport: Aéroport International Montréal Trudeau (YUL) is just 30min by car from downtown. The handy 747 bus line runs day and night with several stops in the city for $11. You can also grab a taxi or an Uber for about $50.

Prices and Tipping Culture:  prices are displayed without taxes, which amounts to roughly 15%. It is also customary to tip at least an extra 15% when seated at bars and restaurants, as well as when using taxis.

Car Rental: If you plan on travelling outside of the Montreal-Hudson area, we recommend booking a car through Globe Car which has various locations and easy drop-offs.

The Hilton Garden Inn and DoubleTree by Hilton are both popular safe bets,

Holiday Inn Centre-Ville strikes a great balance between location and affordability.

The William Gray is a luxury hotel in the Old Port for anyone looking to spoil themselves.

Airbnb offers a ton of options for any kind of budget and set-up.

Must-Try Food:

• Poutine: fries, cheese curds, and gravy define this Quebec dish.

  • Try it at La Banquise or Poutineville.

• Bagels: famous bread rolls with various toppings!

  • St-Viateur Bagel and Fairmount Bagel are top spots.

• Smoked Meat: cured, smoked beef brisket on rye with mustard.

  • Schwartz’s, Dunn’s and Reuben’s are all great.

Best Restaurants

• Club Chasse et Pêche ($$$$): refined Quebec fish & game dishes with outstanding service

• Monarque ($$$): trendy brasserie with high end dishes inspired by French cuisine

• Gibbys ($$$): typical North-American steakhouse with large pieces of meat (and pickles)

• William Gray ($$$): beautiful terrasse in the old port, ideal for brunches and cocktails

• Tuck Shop ($$): seasonal casual fine dining in Saint-Henri, Mariah's old neighborhood

• Bivouac ($$): modern bistro with a terrace overlooking Place des Arts (if weather permits)

• Vallier ($$): enhanced comforting dishes inspired by traditional Quebec cuisine

• Shabu Shabu Kagayaki ($$): delicious Japanese hot pot, first place we had dinner together!

• Il Focolaio ($): even if Mariah disagrees, Julian insists that this the best pizza in town

• Elena or Fugazzi ($): Mariah’s preferred spots for pizza ;) (Julian says the salad is ok)

• Mount Royal: city’s namesake and designed by the creator of Central Park in NY, it hosts Montreal’s most iconic viewpoint, the Belvedere, accessible by walking from Peel Metro. Head over to St Joseph's Oratory next, a massive basilica that is also the tallest building in the city.

• St-Helen and Notre-Dame Islands: these 2 islands were artificially created using the soil extracted from digging the metro for Expo 68. Head to the The Trois Disques sculpture for a breathtaking view, spend a few dollars at the Casino and make Julian proud by stepping foot on the F1 track!

• Old Montreal and Old Port: the Notre-Dame Basilica is where Mariah and Julian met for the very first time! Stroll along the St-Lawrence river, take a ride on the Ferris wheel or visit art boutiques around Place Jacques-Cartier. A lot of the photos on this website were taken there ;)

• Olympic Stadium: built for the 1976 Summer Olympics, this compound features the world’s tallest inclined tower that you can visit through an elevator. A zoological park called the Biodome is nestled within it, while the Botanical garden nearby is a wonder to discover.

• Shopping: Saint-Catherine is the main street for shopping, with various malls all connected by a network of underground tunnels that spans over 32km (useful by -30°C!). Stop by the famous blue doors of the oldest jeweller in Canada, Birks, where Mariah works and where we got our rings from.