Planning a trip to Montreal

[diskids2]

I believe there's still a dress code for the casino--no jeans. My suggestion would be to leave your DS16 at your hotel for your casino evening. Let him order a meal through room service and enjoy the hotel amenities.
I've only been to that casino once, and it struck me that although it is reasonably close to the La Ronde fairgrounds, I am not sure that there is a convenient way to go from the fairgrounds to the casino. We took a cab to the casino from our hotel and back.
Perhaps casino devotees can chime in here?

Glad you told me about the dress code! I'll check into that. I had a feeling even though La Rhonde looked "close", it would be a logistical nightmare. I really don't want to leave him alone at the hotel, although he would be rolling his eyes at me at the moment and yelling that he wants to be left alone! My mom has already volunteered to stay with him, but I think I may do it. Who knows at that point I may need some rest and relaxation from the rest of my group!

 

[gem21]

Honestly, I don't think there really isn't much close to the Casino, there are some things to do on the island, but I don't think they would really appeal to a 16year old boy. Although there is a race track which is cool, but I don't think you can make a night of it. Although without a car it's not super close, La Ronde is probably the closest thing that your son would enjoy.

I'll look around a bit and see what I can find.

 

[mommasita]

I believe there's still a dress code for the casino--no jeans. My suggestion would be to leave your DS16 at your hotel for your casino evening. Let him order a meal through room service and enjoy the hotel amenities.
I've only been to that casino once, and it struck me that although it is reasonably close to the La Ronde fairgrounds, I am not sure that there is a convenient way to go from the fairgrounds to the casino. We took a cab to the casino from our hotel and back.
Perhaps casino devotees can chime in here?

No dress code
There was years ago when it opened, but nothing now. There is a bus that could bring you to La Ronde to/from the casino

Very close to LaROnde, and the racetrack where the Formula racing is. THe Villeneuve track. Very nice to see, and YES I am mailing soon. I am sorry

 

[diskids2]

No dress code
There was years ago when it opened, but nothing now. There is a bus that could bring you to La Ronde to/from the casino

Very close to LaROnde, and the racetrack where the Formula racing is. THe Villeneuve track. Very nice to see, and YES I am mailing soon. I am sorry

Thank you everyone...I did go to the casino website and saw that the dress code was no beachwear and anything portraying violence, so that will make it easier. We plan on doing one day at LaRhone and I will probably get annual passes since we have two six flag parks near us as well. If there is a bus that goes from LaRhone to the casino, that might work as well.

I saw that the Formula racing was back in Montreal! I think it comes in June before our visit, but my DS-16 might enjoy the visit as well.

I'm off to check out bus schedules, etc. Thanks again...we are really looking forward to our visit.

 

[YukiPhnx]

Hey everybody! I'm planning a last minute trip to Montreal. Will be there in less than 2 weeks!

I love the tips that have already been offered here. I can't wait to try out Shwartz!

I looked into Pied de Cochon and tried to make a reservation with no luck. Are there restaurants around that restaurant that you Montrealans would recommend? My DBF and I figure we can try to see if they have an opening on the day, if not, we'll eat somewhere close to there. It's already pretty far from our hotel in downtown Montreal, so we want to make the best of the trip.

 

[diskids2]

Hey everybody! I'm planning a last minute trip to Montreal. Will be there in less than 2 weeks!

I love the tips that have already been offered here. I can't wait to try out Shwartz!

I looked into Pied de Cochon and tried to make a reservation with no luck. Are there restaurants around that restaurant that you Montrealans would recommend? My DBF and I figure we can try to see if they have an opening on the day, if not, we'll eat somewhere close to there. It's already pretty far from our hotel in downtown Montreal, so we want to make the best of the trip.

You will have to tell me all about your trip when you get back! What downtown hotel are you staying at? We picked the Le Centre Sheraton. I'm curious to hear about the restaurant recommendations you get as well.

 

[weewuvvdisney]

No dress code
There was years ago when it opened, but nothing now. There is a bus that could bring you to La Ronde to/from the casino

Very close to LaROnde, and the racetrack where the Formula racing is. THe Villeneuve track. Very nice to see, and YES I am mailing soon. I am sorry

Just to let you know .... the bus between the casino and Laronde is not exactly direct.

When you get to the island (By Metro), you have a choice of 2 or 3 buses (depending on the time of year) One will go directly to the Casino, one will go to Laronde and the third one (summer only) will go to the man made beach that is on the island.

If you need to go from LaRonde to the Casino. You would take the bus from outside Laronde to the Metro Station and then transfer to the Casino bus. The bus rides are only about five minutes each.

Very easy to get around.

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[weewuvvdisney]

Just thought of something...

Here is the link to the STM which is the public transportation in Montreal.

http://www.stm.info/English/a-somm.htm


There you will find lots of info about the buses and metros (schedules, routes etc).

The bus company offers different ways to pay. YOu can pay cash or buy tickets at a discounted rate. YOu would need to look at the "Magnetic Card" tickets as they are the paper ones. (The Opus cards are plastic and are used by people who travel all the time). They have an option for multiple day-unlimited travel fares. They have weekly passes but if I remember correctly, they start on Monday and end on Sunday and are only sold a few days in advance.

There are machines in each Metro where you can purchase tickets. The machines work in french and english. Here is the link for bus fares.

http://www.stm.info/English/tarification/a-tarifmontreal.htm


Hope I didn't make this too confusing.... if you have any questions, just post them!

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[YukiPhnx]

I'll be staying at Hotel Dauphin Downtown Montreal. It's a really small chain or hotels but it's gotten a lot of great reviews. Doesn't have a pool, but has a nice continental breakfast and only cost us $80 a night!

Jan, I've decided to get the 3-day pass. Would you recommend buying the OPUS card for that? It's a resuasable and reloadable card right? Does it ever expire?

When I was on the transit website, I was under the impression that I HAD to buy the card, but it also comes in paper form, right? I saw the cost of the card itself was under $10/person.

From your experience, if you've been, how long did you spend at the Biodome? I'm thinking that will take about 2-3 hours so I have time to go somewhere else.

Also, can you tell me about the Museum of Archeology and History?

@diskids2, I'll be writing up a mini-TR in my current TR, so I'll let you know when I've done that!

 

[glendalais]

Jan, I've decided to get the 3-day pass. Would you recommend buying the OPUS card for that? It's a resuasable and reloadable card right? Does it ever expire?

When I was on the transit website, I was under the impression that I HAD to buy the card, but it also comes in paper form, right? I saw the cost of the card itself was under $10/person.

The OPUS Card is $6 per person and can be loaded with fares from most public transit agencies in the Greater Montreal region, as well as from the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) serving Quebec City and region. The card itself never expires and is supposed to last five years, if I remember the advertisements correctly. It works well if you plan on using Montreal/Quebec City public transit frequently.

If you just need a Three-Day Tourist Pass, which seems to be the case here, you can purchase it on the L'occasionelle Card, which uses the same touch card technology as the OPUS Card, but is paper-based instead of plastic. You can purchase it at no additional charge from the vending machines located in any Montreal Metro station. The disadvantage to it is that it can only be used on the services of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) on the Island of Montreal and at the Metro stations in Longueuil/Laval. However, if you're just visiting, it shouldn't be that much of an issue.

 

[YukiPhnx]

The OPUS Card is $6 per person and can be loaded with fares from most public transit agencies in the Greater Montreal region, as well as from the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) serving Quebec City and region. The card itself never expires and is supposed to last five years, if I remember the advertisements correctly. It works well if you plan on using Montreal/Quebec City public transit frequently.

If you just need a Three-Day Tourist Pass, which seems to be the case here, you can purchase it on the L'occasionelle Card, which uses the same touch card technology as the OPUS Card, but is paper-based instead of plastic. You can purchase it at no additional charge from the vending machines located in any Montreal Metro station. The disadvantage to it is that it can only be used on the services of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) on the Island of Montreal and at the Metro stations in Longueuil/Laval. However, if you're just visiting, it shouldn't be that much of an issue.

That is exactly what I wanted to know, thank you very much!! Do you know how much the 3-day pass is?

 

[glendalais]

That is exactly what I wanted to know, thank you very much!! Do you know how much the 3-day pass is?

The Three-Day Tourist Pass is $16, $22 when purchased with a new OPUS Card.

 

[Queila]

Not sure if anyone already suggested this but when you go to the Old Port you have to eat at Jardin Nelson. You will not regret it. Every time I have guests from out of town I bring them over there and it is always a big hit.

http://www.jardinnelson.com/
Q

 

[diskids2]

The OPUS Card is $6 per person and can be loaded with fares from most public transit agencies in the Greater Montreal region, as well as from the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) serving Quebec City and region. The card itself never expires and is supposed to last five years, if I remember the advertisements correctly. It works well if you plan on using Montreal/Quebec City public transit frequently.

If you just need a Three-Day Tourist Pass, which seems to be the case here, you can purchase it on the L'occasionelle Card, which uses the same touch card technology as the OPUS Card, but is paper-based instead of plastic. You can purchase it at no additional charge from the vending machines located in any Montreal Metro station. The disadvantage to it is that it can only be used on the services of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) on the Island of Montreal and at the Metro stations in Longueuil/Laval. However, if you're just visiting, it shouldn't be that much of an issue.

Naturally I'm still confused...We will be in Montreal from Monday - the following Tuesday. I am considering the weekly pass and then dealing with the last two days. I see on the site that it is $22, but do I need to purchase the OPUS card for $6 to get that? Also, I have a 16 year old and a 75 year old who would qualify for reduced rates, but I think I have to get the photo Opus card for that which is $15, pretty much negating the discount. Am I reading this correctly?

 

[diskids2]

Not sure if anyone already suggested this but when you go to the Old Port you have to eat at Jardin Nelson. You will not regret it. Every time I have guests from out of town I bring them over there and it is always a big hit.

http://www.jardinnelson.com/
Q

I have been studying that menu for a few days now, LOL! We have six people in our group and we have 8 dinners, so I decided that each person would pick one restaurant and I'd pick the remaining....Hey, I'm doing all the planning!

However, this has become quite a job, LOL! I have packets of restaurants that have been recommended with menu's when I can find them, assorting by area. When I'm done I may know more about restaurants then attractions!

 

[weewuvvdisney]

Naturally I'm still confused...We will be in Montreal from Monday - the following Tuesday. I am considering the weekly pass and then dealing with the last two days. I see on the site that it is $22, but do I need to purchase the OPUS card for $6 to get that? Also, I have a 16 year old and a 75 year old who would qualify for reduced rates, but I think I have to get the photo Opus card for that which is $15, pretty much negating the discount. Am I reading this correctly?

I'm so frustrated.

I just had a big post explaining all about the bus fares and it didn't post.

I will try again.

To purchase the Weekly pass, you will need to purchase an Opus card. The current price for the Opus card is $7.00

If you would like to purchase the L'Occasionelle (Occasional Card), the price for 3 days is $16.00. There is no additional cost for the paper card. When you use it, it is also your transfer. Make sure that you take it with you when you use the ticket machine on the bus or at the entrance to the Metro. The explanation for the 3 day pass is as follows: if you validate the card at noon on MOnday, it will expire at Midnight on Wednesday.

For your 16 year old, I think you will have to pay full fare. To be eligible for reduced fare, you need to attend a local school. Most students here have their pictures taken for their Opus card at their school. If you try to pay the reduced rate - they would be asked where their Opus card is.

I"m not sure if you will be able to purchase a reduced Photo Id for your older person. They require a birth certificate, passport (I would imagine a Cdn one but not sure), health insurance card (Provincial) or a drivers license. The Opus Card would cost $7.00 and the photo costs $15.00.


You should look at your schedule and see if you could group together the days that require public transportation.

In can't remember where you are staying but I think it was downtown. Montreal is very accessible by foot. We have our Underground City which allows to easy mobility. If you are all energetic, you could walk to the Old Port. There is also a bus which is #515 which goes from downtown to the Old Port. It is a seasonal bus and I would assume it will be back this summer. You could also take the Metro a couple of stops to the Old Port.

If you give us an idea of where you would like to go, I could probably tell you the bus way to get there. Also it depends on how many are in your group. Sometimes, it could be cheaper taking a taxi.

If I remember anything that I had originally posted, I will post again later.

 

[weewuvvdisney]

Okay, so I just checked back and you are staying at Centre Le Sheraton and that you are 6 people with one older person. Guess taxis are out unless you see a van (there are quite a few now and you can call for a taxi and request a van) If you are paying $16.00 x's 6 (for 3 day Occasional Pass), that's $96.00 in taxis fare. If you buy 6 Opus Cards with weekly passes, it would cost you $174.00 and you would still have one day without a pass. It all really depends on where you are going.

You will be close to the Peel Metro. You can connect to the Underground from the Peel Metro.

To go to Old Montreal, you would take the Metro in the Direction of Montmorency and get off at Champ De Mars or Place D'Armes (depending on where you wanted to go in Old Montreal). Also, I think the #515 bus stop is fairly close to your hotel.

Hope this helps

 

[diskids2]

Thanks for all the info and taking the time to post again. I will re-read everything to digest and then check back with questions.

 

[diskids2]

I think I've come to the conclusion that we should buy the OPUS card for $6 and then the weekly pass for $22. The three day card will not be enough (we will be in Montreal for 6 days when we need metro service).

Now that I've solved that....off to restaurants....any other suggestions than those on the thread already?

 

[glendalais]

Schwartz's on St. Lawrence Boulevard (boulevard Saint-Laurent) is quite popular. They serve smoked meat, which is similar to what is known as pastrami here in the U.S..

Montreal-style bagels are the best. By general consensus, the two best bagel bakeries in the city are St-Viateur Bagels on St. Viateur Avenue and Fairmount Bagels on Fairmount Avenue. I would say try both and see which one you like better.

There are also a wide array of what are known as "casse-croûtes". Montreal bylaws prohibit street vendors from operating, so this is what's popped up instead. They serve up a wide variety of foods unique to Montreal and/or Quebec: poutine, Montreal-style hot dogs, etc. Everyone has their favourites, but if you look around, you'll eventually find one (the La Belle Province chain is a major one, though).