Montreal 2025

With the Thanksgiving long weekend during the Fall 2025 work term, I felt it was the perfect time to revisit Montreal as a solo trip. I'd previously gone during my previous co-op at Blackberry, when I also worked in Ottawa, but that was during the winter and definitely isn't comparable.

Transportation

Via Rail

Ottawa Via Rail Station

Train stations at night have this storybook vibe

Last time I took Autobus Maheux, which is a tour bus which takes the slower (but cheaper) northern route. Admittedly, bussing is very cost effective, but it's just so damn uncomfortable: zero legroom, no ability to stand for a whole trip, and atrocious washrooms. This time, I decided to spoil myself a bit and take Via Rail.

On the way there, I departed from Ottawa station. I do think it's a really beautiful station with incredible architecture. To nobody's surprise, there was a 15 minute delay, but overall the journey was really comfortable.

On the way back however... Gare Central is a truly horrible station. Platforms are pitch black, sketchy, and narrow. Signage is poor (I didn't even spot the tiny Metro logo indicating the tunnel to Bonaventure, so I ended up walking to the Metro on ground level). All the stores inside are a bit dilapidated. And on the return journey, we had a pretty agonizing 20+ minute delay.

STM

I absolutely adore Montreal transit. It was truly refreshing to have a reliable, comfortable, and quick metro system. The rubber-tired trains are super smooth, well lit, and good looking. The stations, although not the cleanest, are massive and so cool to explore. Some are have towering ceilings 3 floors tall, or have unique architecture. However, again, signage could be improved, especially with where exits go.

I chose a 3-day transit pass. Could I have saved money by strategically planning? Sure, but this was so convenient, and meant that if I ever wanted to bail on walking, I had an easy fallback.

STM Metro train at Plamondon station

Cycling

Roadies, fixies, ebikes, and the like are all commonplace in Montreal

Mom and the kids in an Urban Arrow bakfiets... sheesh!

Montreal has an incredibly rich cycling culture that I've never felt anywhere else in Canada, not in Toronto, Waterloo, or Vancouver. Everyone from all walks of life cycles here, be it Lycra-clad roadies claiming the local KOM, to grandpa riding his vintage steel Peugeot to the boulangerie, to mom riding her cargo bike to ferry the kids. And I can easily see why:

Protected, bidirectional bike lanes go practically everywhere,
Excellent cycle routes connect various landmarks,
Many one-way streets, so traffic is easily predictable,
And most amazingly, drivers expect you to exist! They actually check for cyclists as they drive.

Add to that some beautiful, shaded streets, ample parking, and an excellent network of BIXIs, and you've got yourself a recipe for success.

All this alone is enough to make me want to move to Montreal.

Gear

Pack 1: Peak Design Everyday Sling, 3L

The perfect size daytrip sling for carrying my Canon R50, my wallet, a power bank, my earbud case, snacks, and a jacket cinched down by the clip-on bottom straps.

Pack 2: Gregory Nano 16L Daypack

The perfect size pack for a 3 day trip. Inside, I managed to pack 2 shirts, 3 pairs of socks and underwear, my wallet, a power bank, my earbud case, an IKEA tote bag for carrying food back to Ottawa, and a water bottle. I added a cinchable paracord loop to cinch down that pesky jacket. There was enough leftover room to stuff bike shop and farmers market souvenirs.

Cameras: Canon EOS R50 w/ 18-45mm kit lens and Google Pixel 6 Pro

I know it's sacrelige, but I use the Auto+ mode on the Canon so it behaves like a better quality cellphone. I must say though, all the photos on this page are unedited JPEGs from that mode, and the processing and color rendering is very pleasing. The only thing I wish is that the lens went all the way up to maybe 80mm, as I do wish I could zoom in more sometimes. A phone is always handy to snap quick shots, and the Pixel's 4x telephoto is great for portrait-y photos and getting close up.

Day 1

Walking around

Walking around Montreal is such an enjoyable experience. The warm fall sun combines with the vibrant colours of the streets to make an exciting visual assault. There's also a good number of pedestrianized streets. Walking lets you appreciate every little detail of the city, from the passion of the street performers, to the sleepy little parks, to the small shops hawking their wares. Pop into any little restaurant or cafe, and you're in for an incredible meal (shoutout to the Montrealaise crepe at Chez Suzette, yum). And when you get tired? BIXI and the subway is steps away.

C&L Cycles

Store full of their own Bassi bikes

Montreal is really lucky to have such nice niche bike shops. C&L Cycles carries all kinds of niche goods: Japanese goods like Nitto and Blue Lug, Stridsland, Paul Components, Velo Orange extensive dynamo equipment, and more. Very cool to see is that they sell framebuilding components, which seems hard to source here in Canada. Their flagship Rachel store is packed full of cool products and displays.

Me? I got myself a bunch of braze-ons, a white Spray.Bike paint pen, shop-branded Voile strap, and this nice postcard. I plan to spray my fixie a glossy red, scrawl on a logo, and TIG weld on some braze-ons for rack mounting. Maybe even cut off my brake bridge and replace it with the new one I bought, so I can get more rear tire clearance.

Check out those chainrings! In the other window: some beautiful Bridgestone frames.

Free postcards? Hell yeah.

Jean Talon Market

People bustling everywhere, vendors packed in every corner. I thought that St. Jacobs was a huge farmer's market, but this easily topples it. The vegetables are some of the brightest and freshest I've ever seen. I just had to get some maple butter - after all, what is more Quebecois than maple syrup?

One of these would be enough to take me out

There's so many delicious veggies

McGill University

One thing Waterloo severely lacks in comparison to other universities is a certain sense of grandeur. Visiting McGill really shows the steep contrast between the two universities - the beautiful buildings, incredible surrounding views (downtown Montreal, Mont Royal) make being on campus very fulfilling. It's really quite a beautiful school.

Day 2

Cafe Chat L'Heureux

These kitties deserve this full size image carousel. Go visit and support! Their food is great too.

Strolling the streets

Slava Ukraini!

When the street leads to the mountain, you know it's going to be pretty

Bike Rental

As I've said, Montreal is THE city for biking in Canada. I took full advantage of bike lanes and did a large circular route, starting with my rental at Ca Roule, wandering around the Grand Quay, crossing the Concorde Bridge to explore Parc Jean-Drapeau and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, heading south along the Canal de la Rive Sud, and returning via the Piste cyclable de l’Estacade.

It was thrilling to be able to ride the F1 track and just imagine what it must be like to be a driver. The path along the St. Lawrence was one of the most beautiful routes imaginable, with gorgeous city views and trees. Renting a bike was the right choice. Afterwards, I stopped at the Crêperie Chez Suzette and had the most mouthwatering crepe (I still dream of the Montrealaise crepe).

Mont Royal

Mont Royal is the most classic place to visit when you go to Montreal, but it's always worth it. The view of the city is unparalleled and you can get some amazing photos. Next time, I would go at sunrise to watch the sun climb above the city skyline.

Woah W I D E photo!

Chinatown! It's surprisingly busy.

A more stereotypical evening McGill photo

Notre Dame

A church bathed in light

I went to check out the AURA Experience at the Notre Dame this time. I've seen the church plenty of times, but that's just walking around during the daytime. Maybe it was a combination of the sleep deprivation and dinner beer, but the light show was a experience beyond words. The combination of light, music, and lasers blew my groggy mind. This was worth every bit of the $31 ticket.

Day 3

Montreal Biodome

The Biodome isn't the cheapest attraction, but well worth it. There's an Arctic display with penguins and puffins waddling around, a misty rainforest display with beautiful parrots, monkeys, flamingos, and capybaras, as well as displays featuring more local wildlife.

Carbs!!!

Another classic stop - St. Viateur bagels

Smoked salmon, cream cheese, and bagels are a divine invention

I felt that my last lunch in Montreal had to be bagels at St. Viateur. The lineup was long, but I will always appreciate smoked salmon. It also meant that I could pick up a dozen bagels for the road without having to haul them around all weekend. I then wandered the streets waiting for my return train, picking up a pumpkin for my office cubicle, apple maple butter for my parents, and a baguette for dinner.

I grabbed a mini pumpkin for my desk

Pedestrian streets are something every city needs. Just look how beautiful this is

Le Toeledo. Some of the prettiest loaves.