Travel Guide: Montreal

There is something about road trips that are just so appealing. Maybe it’s because I have to fly around for work so much, or the fact that being able to just in the car with friends allows you the chance to get to know them better. What their musical tastes, what sights they deem worthy to stop and wander through, and what their driving habits are. The beauty of road trips is that it’s rarely the destination that lets you have fun, but more so the journey.

The problem with road trips these days, however,  tends to be the price of gas, right? Wrong. Chevrolet Canada reached out to us 2 months ago to take a road trip through Quebec, and see how far a tank a gas can get us. That’s right- ONE TANK OF GAS.  We flew into Montreal, and made our way to La Malbaie and back.  That’s over over 1,000 kms on one tank. Let’s just say that my car, as cute as it is, does nothing even close to that.

The Chevy Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel was loaded with satellite radio, and Onstar (which we used multiple times on our quest to find sushi restaurants), and is a diesel car that has everything that you could want when you’re on the road for 20 hours or more.

Because we had the pleasure of visiting 4 cities on our 4 day road trip, we’re breaking the trip by city as we want to share the best places to eat, and stay, and let’s not forget-shop!

Montreal is a city the blends the modern and cultural sites so seamless. Historical a french city in a very french province, it has been able to hold on to that with vigour. While most of the city centre has a blend of english and french, the outskirts are primarily french, giving it that old Europe charm. If you want to experience Europe, and are short on funds, we suggest a trip to Old Montreal to get the feeling right in your backyard.

If you’re planning on taking the trip down to Montreal this spring, here’s a suggested travel guide:

[separator type=”double”]

Where to stay in Montreal:

 Hilton Montreal Bonaventure, 900 Rue de la Gauchetière Ouest, Montreal, QC H5A 1E4, Canada

The hotel is located in the heart of the entertainment district. It’s steps away from the Bell Centre, Saint Catherine St (which  can be accessed through the underground), and all the shopping you could want. They hotel has a great outdoor pool, and      pretty much every other amenity you can imagine.

 

 

[separator type=”thin”]

Where to Eat in Montreal:

Budget: Schwartz’ s Deli  3895 Boulevard Saint-Laurent‎ Montreal, QC H2W 1Y2

You can’t come to Montreal and not have a smoked meat sandwich, and you can’t have a smoked meat sandwich without fries, and a cherry Coke. It’s pretty much against the law or something. If you’re driving along Boulevard Saint-Laurent‎ looking for where to get said sandwich, look no further than the store with the longest lineup.

 

Splurge:  Holder Restaurant Bar  407 McGill 100-A Old-Montreal, QC H2Y 2G3

 

 

 

 

[separator type=”thin”]

Where to Shop in Montreal:

Simons 977 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Montréal, QC H3B 4W3, Canada

Simons is one of those stores that you can’t find outside Quebec (although that’s about to change soon). The family owned business is a full 2-4 storey department store right in the heart of Montreal on Saint Catherine St. Regardless of what your style is, you can find something in this store. They carry a full range of private label, and designer brand collections. But beware, you need at least 2 hours to get the get the full experience.

 

Quai 417 417 Rue Saint Pierre, Montréal, QC H2Y 2M4, Canada

Located in Old Montreal, Quai 417 boasts  a large hand picked collection. You can find everything from clothes, accessories and decor. You can spend days here looking at the collections from international designers.

 

 

[separator type=”double”]

 

Images via @renjie