Day in Montreal - ideas?

[Moriah]

I don't think I thought this all the way through...I guess I thought we'd just jump on a bus to get home... didn't realize they don't run all day... so what am I talking about?  I'll be on Zaandam for a one week, one way cruise from Boston to Montreal.  We disembark in Montreal and have to make our way home to Burlington, Vermont. Renting a car one way between countries even for a less than one day rental is over $300.  So I'm thinking we could spend that and get a tour of Montreal (yes, even though we live just over the border we have sadly seen very little of Montreal...) and take the Greyhound to Burlington that night.  It leaves at 11:30 PM so we literally have all day - from disembarkation around 9 AM until bus station at 11... how do we fill the day?  I am looking at private tours, renting a car and going to places ourselves (and returning the car in Canada, thus halving the cost), restaurants... Now, we will have some luggage... just having come from a cruise and all.. but it's a one week cruise and we're packing small carry-ons. Still, those will have to be with us all day.   The cruise starts May 6 ends May 13, which is the day discussed... so there is some time... but I like to get things planned out.  So... I'm open to any and all ideas and would greatly appreciate any input, especially from those who have spent one day in Montreal, with luggage... 🙂

[spleenstomper]

We had decided to go to the biodome. 

[Mary229]

There is quite a bit within easy walking distance.  The Anthropology/history museum, the bio dome and old town.  You can catch the hop on bus directly in front of the port also. I am not sure but perhaps there is a luggage hold available at the port, if not, perhaps check with one of the nearby hotels. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Mary229

[Cruising-along]

We loved Mont-Royal when we had a full day in Montreal.  It's a beautiful park at the top of a hill (we walked up and back but were younger then!) If you have a rental car it's one idea.  

https://www.lemontroyal.qc.ca/en 

[rafinmd]

It looks like the Montreal Bus Station has lockers for ticketed passengers.  Also check out

 

https://luggagehero.com/montreal/montreal-downtown/

 

Roy

[Rubyfisch]

32 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

We loved Mont-Royal when we had a full day in Montreal.  It's a beautiful park at the top of a hill (we walked up and back but were younger then!) If you have a rental car it's one idea.  

https://www.lemontroyal.qc.ca/en 

I've only been in the winter, but Mont-Royal is really cool. I'm also looking forward to checking out St. Joseph's Oratory, as it's been closed both times I've been to Montreal.

 

Also, the food is really good.

[Cruising-along]

54 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

I've only been in the winter, but Mont-Royal is really cool. I'm also looking forward to checking out St. Joseph's Oratory, as it's been closed both times I've been to Montreal.

 

Also, the food is really good.

I love all the spring flowers in the park -- we've only been there in May.

[kickboxrca]

I'm from Montreal and love love love Vermont!  Lots of things to do for the day.  If you're somewhat adventurous and would like to pack in a bunch of things, I'd suggest looking at the Montreal Tourist Passport - it's a flat rate and includes up to 5 activities ... it used to include Montreal transit (metro and bus) as well - not sure if it does anymore or not (whether or not you get the passport or not, you can get a day pass on transit) ... the island is very easy to get around with transit, and lots is walkable.  There is also a museum pass if that's what you like to do.  

 

If you give me some ideas of what you like to do, I can give you some suggestions 🙂 

[CGinMTL]

Montrealer here. 

It all depends on the weather. But 

A) don't rent a car.... You will regret it 

B) I would get an unlimited transit pass for the day. ( Cost $11 / per)

You can get this at the metro.

If the bus station has locker. Then go drop off the bags.

 If sunny,

 

Agree, go to top of Mount Royal and thenyou can walk all the way back down to old port.

This will take through downtown 

 

Agree with the museum.

You can also go to botanical garden 

You will want to come back 

Enjoy

 

 

 

[Destiny0315]

4 hours ago, Moriah said:

The cruise starts May 6 ends May 13, which is the day discussed... so there is some time... but I like to get things planned out. 

Hi Moriah. I you want please join our roll call for this cruise as we have over two dozen people that are on this cruise including some from the Montreal area who are doing the back to back with the cruise before this...Rob

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2887739-zaandam-may-6-13-2023-boston-to-montreal/

[Moriah]

Oh boy!  I went away from my computer for a few hours and came back to this embarrassment of riches in the form of your responses!! Thank you all SO much!  I'm getting excited for my day in Montreal, and I agree with you, I'm sure I'll want to come back.  It's shameful that I live so close and haven't really "been" to Montreal except a few times flying out of YUL to Europe.  Again, thanks a million - this is very very helpful!! And Yes, I am going over now to join the roll call!  I'm a four star mariner going on this cruise with a friend who has never stepped foot on a cruise ship in her life and has anxiety.  I'm thinking it's going to be like taking a child to Disneyland for the first time LOL! 

[Rubyfisch]

2 hours ago, CGinMTL said:

Montrealer here. 

It all depends on the weather. But 

A) don't rent a car.... You will regret it 

Driving in Montreal without a GPS was one of my worst travel decisions ... We drove up from Boston and deeply underestimated how hard it would be to navigate a city where the signs weren't in English and there was construction every three blocks. 

[ontheweb]

We had a wonderful 2 days post cruise in Montreal. IIRC, there was a tourist information place. In fact at there we saw a brochure for a mall that had a Barbie Doll exhibit, literally thousands of dolls. Dolls from every country and state and of celebrities. It was something we never would have known about if we had not gone there. The other major highlight of our stay that I can remember was a major museum (whose name I cannot recall) that had an exhibit of African art that inspired Picasso and the art by Picasso that was inspired by that art.

[Tutone56]

It’s been many years since I’ve been to Montreal but I really enjoyed Old Montreal. Norte Dame Basilica was just beautiful.  I’m dating myself but I will never forget seeing Pink Floyd in concert in the 70’s. 

[roomba920]

On 4/15/2023 at 1:50 PM, spleenstomper said:

We had decided to go to the biodome. 

Same here

[Destiny0315]

On 4/22/2023 at 6:37 PM, Tutone56 said:

It’s been many years since I’ve been to Montreal but I really enjoyed Old Montreal. Norte Dame Basilica was just beautiful.  I’m dating myself but I will never forget seeing Pink Floyd in concert in the 70’s. 

Wow Pink Floyd at the Notre Dame Basilica your right who could forget that! 🤣

[GTJ]

On 4/15/2023 at 7:04 PM, Rubyfisch said:

Driving in Montreal without a GPS was one of my worst travel decisions ... We drove up from Boston and deeply underestimated how hard it would be to navigate a city where the signs weren't in English and there was construction every three blocks. 

I don't drive, so I can't relate to the issue of reading signs while also operating a motor vehicle, but from both walking and being a passenger on buses, I can't recall ever having difficulty navigating because the signs are not in English. The most important words, the cardinal directions (nord, sud, est, ouest), are all cognates of English words, and so I would think that there's really only one other important word to know, sortie (exit). But maybe I am just so used to reading signs in Québec that the fact they're all written in French is just second nature to me. I have not given it much thought about persons not knowing any French being able to navigate in Montréal. In any case, I would recommend using public transportation, and not driving, in Montréal, if not for the signs but rather that the traffic and highway engineering makes it challenging, just as it is in New York City.

[Rubyfisch]

1 minute ago, GTJ said:

I don't drive, so I can't relate to the issue of reading signs while also operating a motor vehicle, but from both walking and being a passenger on buses, I can't recall ever having difficulty navigating because the signs are not in English. The most important words, the cardinal directions (nord, sud, est, ouest), are all cognates of English words, and so I would think that there's really only one other important word to know, sortie (exit). But maybe I am just so used to reading signs in Québec that the fact they're all written in French is just second nature to me. I have not given it much thought about persons not knowing any French being able to navigate in Montréal. In any case, I would recommend using public transportation, and not driving, in Montréal, if not for the signs but rather that the traffic and highway engineering makes it challenging, just as it is in New York City.

I was not expecting to be as hard as it was - I've done a lot of city driving in San Francisco, Houston, and Boston, and I assumed it would be about the same. It's particularly confusing in Montreal because there are bus lanes that are only bus lanes at certain times, but figuring that out and quickly processing that information in military time while driving wasn't much fun. The second time we went we flew and it was much more relaxing as the public transit is wonderful.