Planning Your Montreal Trip
Getting around, the best seasons to visit and the practical tips that make a Montréal trip easy.
Montréal is compact and walkable, with a clean, efficient métro and bike lanes everywhere. Summer is festival season; autumn dazzles with foliage; winter is cold but magical.
French is the official language, but English is widely spoken and a friendly "bonjour-hi" goes a long way.
Highlights
- Buy a multi-day métro pass
- Visit in summer for festivals or autumn for colour
- Learn a few words of French
Nearby & related
Old Port of Montreal
Where Montréal began — cobblestone streets, river breezes and four centuries of history along the St. Lawrence.
Mount Royal Park
The green crown of the city, with the best skyline view in Montréal from its famous lookout.
Notre-Dame Basilica
A Gothic Revival masterpiece whose deep-blue, star-spangled ceiling leaves every visitor speechless.
Travel tip: Tipping 15–20% is customary in restaurants, as in the rest of North America.