Jonathan and Sarah's Montreal Guidebook

The metro is one of the easiest and safest ways to get around town. Like in any big city keep your belongings secure and don’t fall for any scams of people trying to give you stuff for “free”. The closest station to our unit is Champs-De-Mars which is on the Orange line. A full metro map can be found on the STM website.

When you go to any sit down restaurant anywhere in Montreal generally speaking tip is as follows: Amazing/Excellent service (20%), Good service (15-18%), Basic service (10-15%) and if you feel like the service was really bad or mediocre don’t be afraid to not leave any tip. There is no law against not leaving a tip and if a restaurant forced a tip on to your bill demand to have it removed as this is illegal unless otherwise specified before you sit down (ex. A group of 6 or more will have a minimum service charge of 18%). Tip is completely optional at takeout or fast food restaurants.

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Both taxi and Uber in Montreal are very reliable but if you are coming from outside of Canada we recommend Uber so that there is no fussing around with rates and extra charges that may be imposed on you by a Taxi driver trying to take advantage of you.

Montreal is like many North American cities, there are no specific cultural rules other than being respectful to anyone you encounter. If you go into a store that is in a touristy area speaking in English to an employee will always be welcomed by the staff since they are used to it. You may receive backlash about not speaking French in a more rural or local store, do not panic and just explain you are not from Quebec and try your best to communicate respectfully.

If you plan on doing some groceries it is recommended you avoid going to any small food shops in the old port since you will get ripped off by high prices on basic items (ex. milk, snacks, etc). Your best option is to go to IGA on the corner of Rene-Levesque and Saint-Urbain. This is a large chain of grocery stores so the prices will be more in line with the average cost around the city. For a convenience store we recommend Couche-Tard on the corner of Notre-Dame and Saint-Pierre for late night purchases.

Montreal's weather is very drastic in the summer, so expect there to be cold wet days as well as extremely hot and humid days. Check the weather forecast a couple of days before travelling but always bring a variety of clothing for mild to very hot weather.

Montreal winters have been known to be one of the coldest winters in any North American city. Heavy snowfall and sharp temperature drops are not uncommon so pack a good winter coat if you are visiting from December to March but these months are just a suggestion since we've seen snow as early as October and well into April in the past years. Always check the forecast before your trip.

Montreal is very famous for hosting many shows, festivals and other types of entertainment. Always book tickets in advance when wanting to see a specific concert or show since most shows tend to be sold out in the days leading up to them. Contact Sarah or Jonathan for recommendations on how to book shows, festivals or anything else.

Parking is any major city is always a hassle. If staying within the downtown core we don't recommend driving around because it's always a headache to find parking. If you choose to use a car always look for street parking first before committing to a parking lot. Street parking is $3.50 per hour and you can only pay two hours at a time using a self serve kiosk or the parking app. Generally speaking a good lot price is maximum 25 bucks per day. Anything higher and you are wasting money. Outside the downtown core parking is abundant.

Always contact Sarah or Jonathan if you do not understand a parking restriction sign as pretty much all of them are only in French and are sometimes hard to understand unless you are a local who's lived with it your whole life. This will save you the headache of a parking fine which is almost 100 dollars in some parts of the city.

We recommend to all of our guests who are coming with cars to park at 330 Champs de Mars St, Montreal QC H2Y 3Z8. It is a 3 minute walk from our building. The cost is 20 dollars Canadian per 24 hours and the lot is also accessible 24 hours. This is a secure government building with around the clock security and cameras. No in and out privileges.