Being just a small village, Montreal grew into a huge, very beautiful and developed city, which today is often called the ‘Canadian Paris’, because the French language remains native for the locals.

Nowadays, Montreal is not only a great place for tourists, but also a significant city for the country, because here is an important transport hub of the country, and Montreal is considered Canadian cultural center. In addition, it is quite an old Canadian city, so there are plenty places of interest here. You are able to visit them all with the help of car rental in Montreal Airport.

Located at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers, Montreal is on the same name island, and a few more small islands enter the city line. The environment there is very clean; tourists are pleased with the fact that there are trees and flowerbeds at each street, giving the city shining and extra beautiful look. Montreal looks especially stunning in summer, when poppies and tulips blossom in flowerbeds, and there are many squirrels in the parks. In winter, the nature rejoice the townspeople with frozen canals and rivers, where you can have a great time skating.

On the hill of Mount Royal, there is an excellent observation deck, from where, a beautiful view of the city and its surroundings, opens. Most often, the newlyweds and romantic couples come here to enjoy the view. Montreal is very picturesque. Many people perceive it as a large botanical garden. Moreover, on the islands, located right near the city, there are amusement complexes not only for entertainment, but also for sports and recreation. This is a great place for family holidays with children. In order to make your trip to Montreal perfect, read our useful travel tips.

1. First of all, travelers are advised to find the stand of ‘Guide D’aeroport Montreal-Trudeau’, on the first floor the Montreal airport.

Here you can take for free a few useful booklets with a description of the city, routes and fare of public transport.

2. There are several tourist centers in the city, which also provide various booklets and maps for travelers. The largest tourist office is the ’Infotouriste Center’, where you can buy tickets for cultural events and specify the dates for their holding.

3. Travelers, who expect to spend a lot of time on excursions, are recommended to buy the so-called “museum card”, which gives you free visit to 20 museums and galleries. The cost of the card for one day is about $15, and for three days – $30.

4. It is necessary to remember about safety in each unfamiliar city. In general, Montreal has always been quite and safe, although petty thieves and scammers could be met everywhere. Therefore, to avoid trouble, do not carry large amounts of cash and documents with you. Also, do not change the currency with the help of dubious people on the street, because you can be deceived. Nevertheless, Canadians are always very friendly.

5. In local stores and supermarkets, prices for goods are rather high, so thrifty travelers are advised to go shopping to one of the markets.

The system of clearing settlement is widespread everywhere, so there is no need to carry large amounts of cash with you all the time. Virtually all of the city’s shopping complexes are located underground, either under the main squares or under other city streets, which makes it seem that there is a separate underground city. Streets Mont-Royal and Sherbrooke will suit any customer, but on Saint-Denis Street, only exclusively expensive and elite boutiques are concentrated. Anyway, shopping in Montreal is quite expensive, except domestic goods and souvenirs. Although, there are several excellent outlets, which offer decent discounts.

6. Popular souvenirs are maple syrup and jam, or original Indian stuff, like amulets or kitchen utensils. In addition, on urban streets, you can always meet merchants of Arab, Mexican or Oriental nationality, who offer their national stylish trinkets.

Talking about maple syrup, it is a traditional Canadian treat, made by boiling maple juice of sugar or black maples. From one maple tree, processed at the right time of the year (late winter, early spring), about 4 liters of juice is obtained. No preservatives, dyes or flavors are added to maple syrup. Unlike ordinary white sugar, which loses all nutrients during the processing, maple syrup retains potassium, calcium and iron. In addition, it is 100% fat free. A wonderful gift for both adults and children.