NYC to Canada or Bust! How to Eat and Sightsee Your Way Around Montreal

The road to Montreal, a city in Quebec, Canada. (Photo: Igor Aronov/iStock/Getty Images)

The Travelers

Ben Castaldo, Tess Cohen, and Lady (the dog)

The Plan

We wanted to take a long weekend and trade the hustle and bustle of New York City for the refinement of Montreal, in the Canadian province of Quebec . 

The Route

From New York City, it's a straight shot (about a six-hour drive) north on I-87 to Montreal. But after a quick Google Maps check, we decided to take the scenic Taconic State Parkway to avoid construction.

A bison burger and sweet potato fries await! (Photo: 12th St David /Flickr)

The Drive

New York City can be a traffic nightmare. So to beat the weekend rush, we piled into our two-door, yellow Fiat with Lady, an 85-pound Rhodesian ridgeback, and headed out at 2 p.m. on a Friday.

By 4:30, it was time for us to refuel the car and our stomachs, so we stopped at the West Taghkanic Diner . It's the quintessential diner experience, from the long metallic counter with attached-to-the-ground swivel chairs to the no-nonsense waitress. The only modern touch is the food: bison burgers and sweet potatoes fries are the specialties.

Scenic Lake George was a great pit stop. (Photo: Judy Baxter /Flickr)

With our bellies full, we got back on the highway. But by the time we hit Lake George in upstate New York, Lady needed to stretch her legs, again. We parked at the legendary Sagamore Resort and headed into town. Amid the shops and restaurants, we found a tiny beach area for Lady to take a dip. (She loves splashing around and retrieving sticks from the water.)

After an unplanned pit stop in in the college town of Plattsburgh to get Lady a rabies shot (Hers was overdue — oops! — and she needed it to be allowed to cross into Canada.), we headed for the border.

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The Destination

Once we arrived in Montreal, we settled into a centrally located apartment that we found through Airbnb. Then it was time to ditch the Fiat (Parking in Montreal can be tricky, so brush up on your French and pay special attention to parking permit signage.). The city is a biker's paradise with a great public bike-share program called Bixi , wide bike lanes aplenty, courteous motorists, and some hills to get your heart rate going.

Ben and Lady taking advantage of Montreal's bike-friendly roads. (Photo: Tess Cohen)

We bought our three-day, unlimited Bixi access passes for $14 and headed out. (The streets of Montreal are so bike-friendly that we were even able to have Lady tag along on some of our bike rides.) 

Such gorgeous produce at Jean-Talon (Photo: Megg /Flickr)

The Sights (and Food!)

On Saturday morning, our first stop was Montreal's famous Jean-Talon market — a huge outdoor farmer's market in the Little Italy section of town — and it did not disappoint. Aisle after aisle was flush with fresh produce, and the scent of vibrant basil floated in the air. As we walked by the stands selling beautiful flowers, fruit, and buckets of ripe tomatoes, a local cheese station whet our appetites with some samples – as well as a lunch recommendation from the vendor to visit Capitol , a brick-and-mortar Italian market. We munched on delicious sausage and prosciutto sandwiches alfresco, as Lady lay at our feet and enjoyed the perfect weather.

The quaint streets of Old Montreal (Photo: DenisTangneyJr/E+/Getty Images)

Later in the day, we biked to Old Montreal , a mash-up of palatial government buildings, gothic inspired churches, an ample supply of tourist shops, and a scenic view of the port.

Picture any old European city with its meandering cobblestone streets and French-inspired architecture, and you have an idea of what Old Montreal looks like. It's amazing to walk along and hear French as the predominant language and know you're a mere hour from the U.S. border. 

Marché Bonsecours market in an old government building (Photo: DenisTangneyJr/E+/Getty Images)

We started at the Marché Bonsecours (Bonsecours Market). Housed in a majestic dome-topped building that was once the home of the Legislative Assembly of the province of Quebec, this market is the perfect place to get that Montreal-inspired trinket for a loved one, with dozens of local artists' and designers' wares to choose from.

The famed Notre-Dame Basilica and its amazing Gothic revival architecture was also another must-see.

Get the butterscotch crepe at Chez Suzette. (Photo: Adam Fagen /Flickr)

We topped off our afternoon of exploring with a stop at Chez Suzette , famous for its scrumptious butterscotch crepes. Located on the busy Rue Saint Paul, it was also a prime spot for people watching. 

Pulled pork on poutine? Yum! (Photo: Jon Chiang /Flickr)

On Saturday evening, we decided to try Montreal's signature dish, poutine. Described in one guidebook as "leftovers from a large dinner party all slopped into one giant pile, scraped onto a plate," in reality, it consists of french fries covered with cheese curds and smothered with gravy. With some pulled pork on top, found at the chain Frite Alors (We went to the location on Rue Rachel in Mount Royal.), it goes from yummy slop to delicious!

Related: Oh, Canada — You Crazy! 12 Weird Adventures Up North

After an adventurous and sunny Saturday, Sunday brought rain; all the more reason to enjoy Montreal from the inside. Within walking distance from Old Montreal sits downtown Montreal , which has a decidedly more urban feel with its high-rises, swanky hotels, and museums.

Checkout artists from Monet to Picasso at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. (Flickr/ Simon Li )

The expansive fine arts museum, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts) has works by everyone from Pablo Picasso to Claude Monet as well as funky interior design pieces, and we saw it all. After hours spent lost amid the great artists, we walked a couple of blocks south to enjoy the best Cuban cigars you can't smoke in the U.S. at La Casa Del Habano Cigar Lounge . With large, supportive leather chairs, fine dark liquors, and great ventilation, this cigar lounge is fun for a weekend visit or for after-work relaxation time for the suits.

Jazz Street Boyz at the Upstairs (Photo: Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill/Facebook)

Every summer, Montreal holds the world's largest jazz festival, Festival International de Jazz de Montreal . We missed the festival, but in honor of the city's love of the music, every visit should include a stop at a local jazz club. We ended our Sunday night at the most highly touted one in town, Upstairs Jazz Club . The trio performing that night was equally as great as our conversation with the friendly Canadians afterward (We discussed everything from the differences between U.S. and Canadian healthcare policies to the fact that they should definitely cross the border for a trip to the not-too-far-away Lake George, N.Y.).

Soon it was time to hop back in the Fiat for another six-hour ride back home to New York City. Even with a restless, 85-pound dog and a constant leak in the rear driver's side tire, we'd make the trip again in a minute. We hit so many great spots, but all of Montreal's treasures cannot be discovered in a mere three days, and we look forward to our next visit.

Related: Airport Review: The Lowdown on Montreal's International Airport

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