I'm back from Montreal...

[chefbec]

and had a wonderful trip!! I highly recommend Manoir Ambrose on Stanley Street. Downtown on a nice side street with parking. Clean, nicely priced. We had a family room with a queen bed and private smaller room for the kids (yeah! :D ) The bathroom could be entered from either bedroom.

Great location. Near McGill University (beautiful) and Mont Royal. We went to the park and overlook. It was quite hot there last week, but we walked around Old Montreal in the afternoon. Very European. Ate great Mexican food in a little cafe (sorry, don't recall the name). It was on a corner near all the shopping.

Had an outstanding Indian meal downtown at Le Taj (walked from the hotel). Also had another outstanding meal at Au Petit Extra on Ontario. A very French restaurant (felt like Paris) with wonderful service and food. The kids enjoyed both these places as well.

Loved the day we spent doing the sights. Took the Olympic Park tour, Biodome, Insectarium and Botanical Gardens. The only thing we missed doing was going to La Ronde (amusement park). But we had to move on to Ithaca, NY and eat at Moosewood Restaurant (of course). We will definitely go back to Montreal again someday. It was a wonderful city (reminded me a lot of Philadelphia).

[jd]

Thanks for the reviews and tips, chefbec! Next time I am in Montreal, I will try out your suggestions.

[gobluem82]

Thanks for posting your review of the city--the hotel sounds great! We were thinking of taking the train up when we go, so we wouldn't have a car up there. How easy is it to get around on foot or by public transportation?

[chefbec]

The metro was within walking distance from the hotel. I think that taking the metro would actually be a great idea. I think it goes everywhere you'd want to go, and driving in the city was actually quite a challenge. There was a lot of traffic!! Since I never actually took the metro, perhaps one of our Montreal friends will reply and let you know more.

Bec

[funnybone]

Glad you had a WONDERFUL TIME!! Welcome back!

[AndreaU]

Montreal is a very easy city to get around, whether you're walking or taking the Metro. The city is laid out in a grid so it's pretty simple, especially if you get a good map. The Metro system is great- very clean and easy to figure out. If you don't mind walking, that's the way to go- you see so much of the city you may not see in a cab or on the subway. If you go, may I suggest a fabulous crepe restaurant in Old Montreal? Le Jardin Nelson is right on Place Jacques Cartier, in the heart of the old city.

[chefbec]

Originally posted by funnybone


Glad you had a WONDERFUL TIME!! Welcome back!

Thanks, funnybone!!

[Natasha]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Montreal is a truly beautiful - and FUN - city. I keep thinking of going back there, and to Quebec City and environs. Maybe this fall we will. :)

Natasha

[SandyM]

Realizing February is probably not the best time to go to Montreal, but what the heck - I live in Michigan, how much more snow can they have than us??? :D

We're going to Ottawa and Montreal with the Red Wings fan club to watch them play, and we're taking a train from Detroit (er.......sleeper car maybe???). I'm happy to see this thread.

[SusanMac]

How far of a drive is it from Montreal to Ithaca? We're also planning a vacation to Montreal, and hoping to learn more French while we're there. When's the best time of year to visit?

[peajaybee]

I can't answer your Ithaca-to-Montreal question, but I can give you my two cents per when to best visit Montreal, since I live on the island. My vote: summer. There're festivals galore and, since the season is relatively short, they make the best of it. There's a lot to see and enjoy, and simply doing an evening stroll at the port/Old Montreal/Centre-ville (down town) is a treat. Everyone heads outside when the weather's nice. That's high tourism season, and rightly so.

[AndreaU]

SandyM- when in Ottawa, you must have a beaver tail. It's a pastry type monstosity with cinnamon and brown sugar- kind of like an elephant ear. Oh, and they're VERY low fat :rolleyes:

SusanMac- as for driving time from Ithaca to Montreal, I would estimate between 5 & 6 hours. Depends on whether you're going up I-81 to Watertown and over (through the Adirondacks to Plattsburgh), up to Syracuse and across I-90 and north from Albany, or route 88 up and over to Albany then up I=87. Ditto on peajaybee's comment on visiting in the summer, though I must admit that when we were there on our honeymoon in mid-October, it was quite beautiful! Hope that helps.

[Luiza]

Chefbec, I'm so glad you had a good time! I love Montreal :)

Most things are happening in Montreal during the summer (specifically June, July, August), so that would be the best time to visit if you like a busy schedule. I like mid-May also when everything is in bloom and September when the weather is cooler and the humidity is under control.

SandyM, there isn't that much more snow in Montreal than in Michigan. But really, don't you want to go to Jamaica instead? :p Actually, you can get some tropical warmth here in the winter if you visit the Biodome.

[SandyM]

Originally posted by Luiza
SandyM, there isn't that much more snow in Montreal than in Michigan. But really, don't you want to go to Jamaica instead? :p

Well, sure.....but unfortunately the Red Wings don't play in Jamaica!!!:D

[chefbec]

Originally posted by SusanMac
How far of a drive is it from Montreal to Ithaca? We're also planning a vacation to Montreal, and hoping to learn more French while we're there. When's the best time of year to visit?

It was quite a lengthy drive, but certainly manageable. We left Montreal at about 10:30 AM, drove through the Thousand Islands area (and stopped to see the sights), drove into New York and had lunch. Then we continued down to Ithaca. We arrived in that vicinity during rush hour, so there was some traffic. But I think we got into town at about 5:00 PM. So if we hadn't stopped at all, I'd say it would have taken 4-1/2 to 5 hours door to door.