Overview about Montreal

Overview about Montreal

The second largest city in Canada, Montreal takes it name from the three-peaked hill at its heart, Mont-Royal. The official language is French, making Montreal second only to Paris as a primarily French speaking city. Dubbed Canada’s Cultural Capital, as well as City of Design, Montreal is rated highly as one of the world’s most livable cities. Montreal is built on an Island between the Rivière des Prairies to the north and The Saint Lawrence River to the south. The Port of Montreal is at the end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. 

Climate

Montreal experiences a very cold winter followed by summers that are hot, sunny and even muggy at times.  The city will see its warmest weather in July where temperatures can climb to 26 degrees Celsius.  The lowest lows are reached in January where it can get to -13 in the early morning hours.  May and October generally see some of the best and most comfortable weather.  Overall, the city receives 1050 millimeters of rain a year.  The driest weather is seen in February and the wettest period comes in July.  It will also begin to snow in late November and generally stays on the ground until sometime in mid-March.   

Transportation

Montreal is the second largest city in Canada; it is located in the province of Quebec. Montreal is home to the professional hockey team, the Montreal Canadians of the NHL.  There are many ways to get around the city, but be sure to only cross streets at designated intersections and crosswalks, the city has been cracking down on jaywalkers in an effort to reduce pedestrian/motor-vehicle accidents.

The fastest way to get around Montreal economically is the Metro System.  You can find it marked with blue and white signs with an arrow enclosed in a circle. Fares for the Metro System are very reasonable, for an up –to-date fare calendar visit the Metro System’s Website. The bus system is also integrated with the metro system and the fares are the same as those for the trains. For distances outside the Metro System coverage area, there is also the option of using a public taxi, see the website for more information.

Montreal isn’t terribly difficult to get around by car, but it is advisable to seek the advice of a local when planning your route, or just use a taxi – taxis are readily available anywhere is Montreal, including Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport. 

Quick Facts

Name: Montreal

Region/State: Quebec

Population: 1,620,693

Area: 365.13 Sq km

Elevation: 6m to 233 m

Rainfall (January / July): 3.1 in / 3.5 in

Temperature (January / July): 23 F / 79 F

Major Airports: Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport

                               Montreal-Mirabel International Airport 

Business Hours: 9 AM to 5 PM

Time Zone: EST (UTC-5)

Electricity: 110 Volts 

InterContinental Montreal

360 Saint-Antoine Street Ouest, QC H2Y 3X4 Montréal

Hotel Chateau Saint-Marc

1191 rue Saint Marc, H3H 2E4 Montréal

Hotel Le Crystal Montreal

1100 rue de la Montagne, Ville-Marie, H3G 0A2 Montréal

Luxury Hotel Le St. James Montreal

355, rue Saint-Jacques, H2Y 1N9 Montréal

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth

900 Rene Levesque Boulevard ouest, Ville-Marie, H3B 4A5 Montréal

Hotel Zero 1

1 Boulevard René Levesque Est, Ville-Marie, H2X 3Z5 Montréal

Hôtel Le Cantlie Suites

1110, Sherbrooke Street West, Ville-Marie, H3A 1G9 Montréal

Auberge du Vieux Port

97 Commune Street East, H2Y 1J1 Montréal

Best Western Ville-Marie Hotel & Suites

3407 rue Peel, Ville-Marie, H3A 1W7 Montréal

LHotel

262 Saint Jacques Ouest, H2Y 1N1 Montréal

Montreal Travel Photos