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Five Things to Do in Montreal: A Student Travel Guide to Montreal
Category: Travel & Holidays
Article added by: Paul Collins


Any student traveler looking to settle on an <a href="http://www.languagecourses.net/languages-studies-abroad-countrys/en/41/canada.html">English course in Canada</a> will know that the country has a number of fantastic cities to choose from. Few, though, are as packed with things to see and do outside of the classroom as marvelous Montreal.

In fact, so full of things is it, that it can be a little overwhelming at first, and a good logical approach to getting to know the city is crucial. As such, listed below are the first five things that any student traveler in Montreal should really start with.

<b>1. Explore the Old City</b>

Montreal’s Old City is one of the oldest and most beautiful quarters to be found anywhere in Canada. From the point of view of a student on an <a href="http://www.esl-languages.com/en/adults/learn/english/canada/index.htm">English course in Canada</a> it’s the perfect way to while away many a happy hour, as taking in its charming network of narrow streets and cobbled alleyways or watching the street performers in Place Jacques-Cartiers is, of course, absolutely free!

The Old City is also home to a handful of great museums. From the Marguerite-Bourgeoys Museum which sits alongside the 17th century Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, to the Pointe a Calliere, the area’s museums are both fascinating, and reassuringly cheap.

<b>2. Park Life!</b>

Montreal is a very open city that’s blessed with a number of fantastic parks and vibrant green spaces. Along with the Parc Maisonneuve and the Parc du Mont-Royal there’s the delightful Parc Lafontaine. In addition to being a pleasant place for a stroll, all allow a wide range of outdoor pursuits from cycling, inline skating and ‘river surfing’ (the latest fad) in summer, to cross country skiing in winter.

<b>3. Ice Skating</b>

Ice-skating isn’t so much a winter pastime in Canada as a full-on national obsession. In winter, there are plenty of free places to go – from the Parc Mont Royal to the Vieux Port – when the big chill hits the city. Outside of the winter months, meanwhile, a great place to get your skates on is the Le 1000 de La Gauchetiere (rue De La Gauchetiere).

<b>4. Go Underground</b>

And when winter does hit Montreal, it hits hard. Thankfully, the city is more than equipped to deal with it, and one of its most attractive features is the RESO, or the Underground City. Quite apart from being packed with shops and places to eat and drink, it’s a fascinating experience in and of itself.

<b>5. Eat, Drink and Be Merry!</b>

Although it undeniably has its swankier quarters, Montreal is on the whole a fairly reasonable place for a night out. Food-wise, particularly, the city is an incredibly varied proposition. There’s a bustling – and very reasonable – Chinatown (La Gauchetiere Street) to provide a change from such Quebecoise classics as ‘Poutine’.

And it’s this Quebecoise element, really, that makes Montreal unlike anywhere else in North America to travel to as well as study and live in. Ultimately, the city’s cuisine is a reflection of its general atmosphere: a vibrant, cosmopolitan hub of different cultures standing side by side.

Language students in Montreal, often find another unexpected bonus to the city’s multiculturalism. Even though you’re going to the city to learn English, it’s quite likely that you’ll come away speaking a little French, too. As a two-for-one deal that’s pretty hard to beat!


Posted By: Paul Collins
Contact: e-mail


About the Author:
Paul Collins is a travel writer who has spent many a happy week in Montreal. As a former English teacher with a number of close teacher friends in the city, he has an extensive knowledge of how to get the best <a href="http://www.esl-languages.com/en/adults/learn/english/canada/index.htm">English course in Canada</a> while at the same time, really making the most of a stay in the city.