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My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Canada in the next few months and would like suggestions of fun areas /places to go in Montreal. What is the best area of town to stay in for a young couple? We want a more upscale area that is the hot spot of town, with plenty of nightlife/restaurants/shopping. Can anyone suggest cool lounges or bars to go? Where is the trendier areas of town?
Is there any particular place or town we can drive to, that would be a cool "Canadian experience"?
Does Montreal have better nightlife than Toronto or is it about the same?
You should stick to downtown and Old Montreal. Old Montreal is upscale, with some very good restaurants. For nightlife, there's Crescent Street, The Main (rue St Laurent) and St. Denis. St. Denis and the Main are trendier, while Crescent Street is more for tourists. Montreal is known for its great food and nightlife, those things are pretty ubiquitous.
Head out of town in any direction north, and you'll come across quaint little villages everywhere. Just head into the Laurentians. St Sauveur is pretty popular.
When are you going? You have to keep in mind that summer is Festival Season, from the biggest International Jazz Festival in the world to the International Fireworks Festival to the Grand Prix to Les Nuits d'Afrique to the Comedy Festival to the Circus Arts Festival. The streets are packed with hundreds of thousands of partiers. Book your hotel well in advance.
Lat me know if you have further questions.
Are you driving in? I strongly suggest leaving your car at the hotel and taking public transit during major events. Le Metro is inexpensive, fast, clean and safe. The concierge at your hotel will happily help you out with directions.
There are also Bixi Bike stations all over the city. Pick one up anywhere, drop it off anywhere.
Thanks guys for so much info! Would you say Montreal has the same amount of nightlife as Toronto? Which area is the best for a hotel, in the middle of everything fun/nightlife/shopping/restaurants? We are planning to see Toronto while we are there as well, is there a train or cheap commuter flight between the two cities?
Montreal has much more of a reputation for being a party city than Toronto does, and I tend to agree with this assessment.
That said, you will have fun in both cities I am sure.
I assume that nightlife is not your sole reason for visiting because neither city is a long-distance (not sure where you are coming from) party/nightlife destination. Maybe Montreal in a modest way but certainly not Toronto.
But as I said, there are lots of things to see and do in both cities and you will have a great time in both.
As for transportation, there is no such thing as a cheap commuter flight in Canada. At least that's always been my experience. Perhaps you can luck out and get a deal though. Check out Air Canada or Porter Airlines. Or Westjet.
Thanks guys for so much info! Would you say Montreal has the same amount of nightlife as Toronto? Which area is the best for a hotel, in the middle of everything fun/nightlife/shopping/restaurants? We are planning to see Toronto while we are there as well, is there a train or cheap commuter flight between the two cities?
Well, Montreal has historically been known as "Sin City".
Toronto was always called "Toronto the Good".
Do the math.
I remember back in the 90s going to Montreal and staying for a week with my wife. We had a blast but one thing I do remember is the free papers advertising nightlife there and one in particular ad caught our attention. It was advertising, the name of the club escapes me, "Fetish Night". It read something like "Ladies wear your latex, your leather, your PVC. I thought to myself "Wow, what a place"!! Do they still do this?
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