Montreal by Day

Arrival
If traveling by air, you will arrive at Trudeau International Airport. Taxis from the airport to anywhere in the centre of the city will cost a flat rate of $31.00 for a journey of about 25 minutes. Airport shuttle buses cost $13.00 ($22.75 return), leave every 20 minutes and take 45 minutes to the bus terminus next to the Berri-UQAM metro. Long-distance buses arrive at the same terminus. Trains arrive at the Gare Central, on Rue de la Gauchetière, near Bonaventure metro station.

Getting Around
Montreal has a relatively good public transport system consisting of buses and metros. The transit website, STM, has a nifty function on there called "Tous Azimuts", a trip planner that allows you to find out how to get from anywhere to anywhere in Montreal.

Tickets ($2.50) are good for both and can be bought in some stores, pharmacies (Jean-Coutu and Pharmaprix), and all metro stations. You can also pay cash on buses, but drivers cannot give change. One-day ($8), three-day ($16) and strips of six tickets ($11.25) are also available. One ticket will take you anywhere. Transfer tickets (cream coloured) are valid in any direction for 90 minutes, between metro and bus, and between buses, if you collect them when you pay your fare (from bus drivers, or the dispensing machine just inside the station turnstiles).

What is Going on in Montreal in August

Festivals
The Montreal World Film Festival is on from August 23rd to September 3rd. This is our largest, most international film festival, but not necessarily the most interesting one this city puts on.

St Laurent Street Festival
Unfortunately, the massive party and street festival that happens every year in the end of August, closing this major thoroughfare to traffic, is canceled this year as they are ripping up the street. Just think, you will get to look at the sewage system under our city instead!

International Flora Montreal
Apparently this garden and flower show by the Old Port in Old Montreal is quite a sight to behold. I have never been there, but plan to go this year as a friend who is a landscape architect has a design in the show. All proceeds go to creating therapeutic gardens at a children's hospital.

Markets
There is an 18th Century Public Market in the Old Port August 25 and 26. They recreate the first Montreal public markets with farmers, craftspeople and entertainers.

Museums
Musee d'art Contemporain
Museum housing a collection of Quebec contemporary art as well as temporary exhibits in all things cutting edge in the visual arts scene. Right now they are showing a Bruce Nauman exhibit, bit of a renegade who worked in neon. Pretty interesting actually. As well, my stepmother has a piece in the "With Writing" exhibit. So look out for a piece by Ewa Monika Zebrowski.

Pointe a Calliere
This is one of my favorite museums in Montreal, it is a museum of archeology and history. There is a fascinating archaeological dig in the basement, illustrating the history of the city and on the top floor there is a restaurant with beautiful views and a lookout deck. The exhibits tend to be really well done. In August you can see the exhibit: First Nations French Royal Collections. It is a collection of Amerindian art and artifacts kept by the French Royalty from the 18th and 19th century.

Montreal Science Centre
After touring most of the globe, Body Worlds 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies is coming to Montreal. Created by German doctor and anatomist, this educational exhibition displays more than 20 whole-body plastinates and 200 authentic human specimens. Some say this is creepy, others fascinating and emotional. I'm certainly curious.

Walking around town...

Walk number 1
Shops and a Park
If you start at St Laurent corner of Duluth...walk down Duluth heading away from the mountain. At the end of Duluth you will get to Parc Lafontaine and can then explore the Park from there.
Duluth - is a really nice street with paving stones, charming shops, a leisurely stroll...
Parc Lafontaine - large, leafy park with a fountain and water at its centre.

Walk number 2
The Royal Mountain
If you start at St Laurent and Rachel you head west towards our beloved "mountain" - okay, it is more of a big hill. The French Explorer, Jacques Cartier, apparently planted a cross at the top of this large mound in 1642 when he staked his claim on this city proclaiming it "Mont Royal" or "Royal Mountain" or Montreal! Many beautiful walks, bike rides, runs to be had in this oasis in the city. Frederick Law Olmsted, the renowned landscape architect who is responsible for such masterpieces as Central Park in New York, landscaped our little mountain as well. Enjoy!

Walk number 3
Our Old City
Take the metro to Place D'armes and walk up the hill heading for Notre Dame Cathedral. This is a miniature of the one in Paris, well, considerably shrunken, not exactly miniature! Old Montreal is where the European settlers first, well, settled. Beautiful cobble stoned streets (mostly paved over now) and lots of great architecture, make for so many nice walks I am going to leave it up to you. Walk along the water front, go to the Bonsecours market, explore St Paul street. Yes, some of it is pretty touristy, but still worthwhile and if you are reading this I will bet anything you are a tourist!

Shopping
These are the streets to go to if you want to go shopping!
St Laurent - used to be the old schmatta district, this street is selling different rags these days, hip ones. Still a bit of a grungy street and since they are ripping it up right now you will really be seeing its underbelly.

St Denis - Very French, dignified, upper scale shops line this boulevard as well as loads of restaurants, cafes and bars.

Mont Royal - Was a kind of bargain district, now has become rather trendy and cool.

Laurier - Tres chic and pretty expensive. Laurier has a very French feel to it, a bit like St Denis on a smaller scale.

St Viateur - A lot of really unusual shops have opened up on or around this street...either on it, on St Laurent right by it, or on Bernard, the street up from it. Kind of a design area a bit like Melbourne's Gertrude street.

Underground City - Okay, I had to mention it. I don't know whether this is a walk, or a shopping district or just a weird phenomena of Montreal. There are about 30km of shops, offices, metros, even a church, all connected underground. This came about because it is so cold in this city in winter that no one wants to go outside. If you start at the McGill Metro you can begin your explorations through the shops and then onto the business districts and beyond.