Make Your Visit to Montreal a Breeze With These Helpful Tips

Canada is known for a variety of exciting travel destinations and things to do, including the beautiful parks, lively cities, and rich culture.

Among these locations lies Montreal. If you’re considering planning your vacation, work trip, or next exploration as a trip to Montreal, there are a few things to know. 

Montreal captures the charms of North America as well as the traditional spark of its European history, and this is evident through the city and its attractions. This guide examines everything you need to know about visiting Montreal, how to prepare for your visit, and tips for making your travel through the city smooth and easy. Read on to learn more! 

1. Be Prepared for Language and Currency

When you travel anywhere outside the country, it’s critical to prepare for language barriers. Montreal, Canada maintains French as its native language. However, most people in Montreal are fluent in English as well. If you encounter a language barrier with one resident, consider asking another to translate! Chances are you’ll find someone who can help.

It’s also important to know what type of money is accepted. Canadians use Canadian dollars. A single U.S. dollar is the equivalent to $1.31 Canadian dollars. There are ATMs throughout the city that can give you cash, but be prepared for hefty fees if you use your card to pay. 

2. Tips for Transportation Through Montreal

Whether you’re planning to fly into Canada, drive across the border, or take another type of transportation, it’s important to plan for how you’ll travel once you’re in the city. You can use a car if you’re familiar with French street markings and signs and don’t mind paying for parking. When driving in Montreal, you also can’t turn right on red or follow many of the familiar US traffic laws. So, unless you feel comfortable with this, public transportation is the best bet. 

There are taxi cabs available to take you anywhere in Montreal, as well as Uber drivers. You can also take the metro in the city that offers quick, efficient travel most anywhere nearby. Public bus systems also run frequently through the city. And, if you can’t figure out how to travel, you can always walk! 

3. Enjoy the Festivals

When visiting Montreal, there’s a good chance you’ll run into a festival. If you enjoy fun, partying, excitement, and celebration, you’ll love this travel destination. Summer festivals are full of music, food, outdoor shopping, and celebration. There are also some festivals in the fall and winter, such as the outdoor Igloofest that occurs each year and some types of music performances and concerts, though these become fewer as the weather gets colder. 

4. Montreal has Better Beer

The legal drinking age in Montreal is 18 years old and the beer in this city may contain more alcohol than you’re used to. In fact, beer in this city tends to contain a minimum of 6% alcohol, and average amounts in the double digits. 

While you should enjoy the beer and have fun in the city, this makes it even more essential to stay safe while traveling. Use public transportation, take a taxi, or hire an uber to take you home after a night out on the town. 

Other Travel Tips

Whether you’re visiting Montreal for the first time or have visited before, it’s important to make sure your trip goes smoothly. Here are a few additional travel tips that can level up your vacation and help it stay smooth. 

Plan Out an Itinerary

The first and most important step to any vacation is to plan out your itinerary. This looks different for everyone. Maybe you’re the type of person to write up an excel sheet or a binder with the activities you want to do and what times you allot for them. 

On the other hand, maybe you prefer setting a general idea in your head and going from there.No matter what type of planner you are, having some sort of itinerary in place can help make your trip go smoother. 

Store Your Luggage to Travel Hands-Free

In order to soak in the city and enjoy all that Montreal has to offer, you don't want to be weighed down by your luggage. However, if you have to check out of your hotel or AirBnB early, you may be left with your suitcase, carry-on, backpack and more for a while. Luggage storage montreal is an excellent way to travel the city hands-free!