Cobblestone streets, adorable bistros, scenic river cruises, impressive basilicas, and artsy enclaves — this isn’t France, it’s Montréal in Canada.
Recently, I planned a girls’ weekend to the captivating French-Canadian city, which some have dubbed the “Paris of North America. “
We felt like we were in Europe and, most productive of all, our getaway was affordable, thanks to quick, reasonable flights and a favorable exchange rate between the United States and Canada.
Here’s why Montreal is my new destination for a vacation abroad, especially when I’m longing for more options in Paris.
One of the most productive parts of this was that our flight prices can be quite low and we didn’t have to spend a lot of time traveling.
This time, I booked a Breeze Airways flight from my home in Orlando to Plattsburgh, New York, just south of Quebec, for $135 round-trip (that’s about $68 one-way).
From there we took a car (we paid about $160 to rent one for 3 days) and drove about 90 minutes to Montreal.
I also could’ve flown directly from Orlando to Montréal on discount carriers, such as Breeze and Allegiant Air, or a major airline like Air Canada. I’ve seen one-way flights as low as $80 and round-trip ones under $200.
Either way, the prices seemed like a smart deal. I’ve noticed that similar flights to Paris charge five times more and it would take me at least 4 hours longer to get there than to Montreal.
Despite being just a three-hour flight from Orlando, Montreal’s captivating cobblestone streets and European-style buildings seem like a scream from Florida’s modern cityscapes and sandy beaches.
Because it is walkable, the city was easy to explore on foot and its architecture made the experience charming.
The cafe culture here adds to the charm, with outdoor bistros serving everything from delicious French cuisine to casual Canadian classics like poutine.
Plus, Montreal offers wonderful bites. It was even named one of the world’s most productive food cities in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards.
We enjoy buying groceries at the city’s many local boutiques, where our cash is more profitable than in Paris. The U. S. dollar is now abundantly priced in Canada: $1 is worth more than $1. 40 in Canada.
This made the numerous food shopping opportunities even more appealing and also helped us feel splurged on some experiences.
One of our highlights is the relaxing hydrotherapy experience on the floating Bota Bota, a historic river ferry converted into a luxury spa.
It may not be on the Seine, but a cruise along the St. Lawrence River is a wonderful way to see the city.
Although nothing tops floating past the Eiffel Tower, we loved seeing many of Montréal’s own unique landmarks, including the tallest observation Ferris wheel in Canada.
In addition to wandering the charming streets on foot and cruising past scenic sights along the river, we had access to the city’s extensive Metro transit system.
It has a lot of French influences and I especially liked its easily identifiable symptoms that fit with the iconic ones noticed in Paris.
Europe is renowned for its majestic churches, but don’t sleep on Montréal’s Notre-Dame, which is stunning inside and out.
Featuring striking neo-Gothic architecture, the basilica hosts a soft, middle-of-the-night exhibit that uses projection mapping to bring the interior to life.
Its beauty certainly rivals the Notre-Dame in Paris.
My friends and I spent hours getting lost in the charming Montreal Botanical Garden, next to the Olympic Stadium that hosted the 1976 Summer Games.
We enjoyed several other local exhibits but still barely scratched the surface of the city’s many cultural and artistic offerings.
The Canadian city reminded me of Paris in many ways and I enjoyed being able to stopover there at a much easier to digest cost.
So while few things could be better for the “City of Light”, I would return to the captivating streets of Montreal whenever I longed for the charm of Europe at a more affordable price.
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