If your interested in experiencing a bit of European culture but don’t want to fly across the ocean then Montreal is the place for you. Situated in eastern of Canada, Montreal is only 1 hour from the New York / US border. It is a short flight from most cities in North America by plane. The train is also an option, all trains arrive at “Bonaventure” Montreal’s main train station, which is situated right in the center of the city.

Montreal is Canada’s second largest city and one of the largest cities in North America. It’s population is close to 4 million people. Over 50% of the population speak french (Quebec’s official language) while around 20% speak English. If you can’t speak french you still will have no problem as most people living in Montreal are bilingual and will switch to English.

The weather in Montreal is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. If you plan on doing a lot of exploring outside then it’s recommended to visit during the summer. The winter can also be fun as downtown Montreal has many shopping malls and metro stations that are connected by underground tunnels. During the winter it’s possible to spend a whole day shopping throughout different parts of downtown without ever stepping foot into the cold. Winter’s bring strong cold winds and quite a bit of snow. It’s not uncommon to see people digging out their cars in the morning after a night of snow.

Montreal is famous for it’s street festivals. Most take place during the summer but you can still find some when visiting in the winter. Two of the most popular festivals are the Montreal World Film Festival and Just For Laughs.

There are many sights to see in Montreal, you can easily spend a month here without seeing everything. Mont Royal park is one of the biggest parks in Montreal, it’s located downtown at the top of Peel Street. There is a long footpath leading to the top, on a hot summer day it may seem like quite a hike but in the end the view is worth it. Montreal’s architecture is very unique, walking through the old part of the city (old Montreal) it’s easy to forget that you are in North America not Europe. Close by to Old Montreal is the financial district with many modern skyscrapers. Notre-Dame Basilica or in french Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal is located in Old Montreal. The Gothic architecture of this church makes it one of the most unique churches in the world.

Getting around Montreal is very easy due to it’s great Metro and Bus network. The Metro runs in a grid pattern with two lines running parallel through downtown. Each station has been decorated by a different artist, so just riding the Metro can seem like a visit to an art gallery. The Metro does not run 24 hours but after each line closes a network of night buses begins to operate with stops outside each Metro station. If you want to visit somewhere in the outskirts of the city there is also a network of commuter trains.

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