Backpacking in the La Belle Province! A budget travel guide to Montreal, Canada

Learn more about Quebec's beautiful city Montreal and where to stay cheaply in Canada

Go back in time and embrace the old charm of Montreal on holiday. Canada's second largest city is also the second largest French speaking city outside of Paris. Quebec is a fascinating place to explore as a backpacker and no more so than the "City of Mary", which combines North American skyscrapers with a sophisicated European style cafe culture.

Set your eyes on Montreal and wander around the quaint cobbled streets of the Old Port. Soaring with art galleries and traditional French bistros, you can experience the Quebecan lifestyle on a backpacker's budget. With a fantastic range of budget hostels available throughout the year, you're spoilt for choice for when it comes to accommodation in the 'La Belle Province'. Here are a few handy tips to make the most of your trip to Quebec.

How to explore Montreal

Photo: Alexandre Breveglieri /Flickr Creative Commons

When you arrive in Montreal, it helps to understand that the city has distinctive neighbourhoods and they are all worth exploring individually. The most popular district is the beautiful and historic Old Montreal, while the French enclave Hochlelega and St Henri is enormously popular with French speakers, student friendly and hipster Mile End is perfect if you like beards, bookshops and artisan coffee, and the bohemian Plateua neighbourhood is ideal for lazing away in a coffeeshop. Each neighbourhood has its individual merits and colllectively they capture the historical and cultural diversity of Montreal.

When you explore Old Montreal you'll uncover a vivid sense of the French colonial period, especially walking along the cobbled streets of the Old Port. Dotted with gorgeous street cafes and bistro restaurants, you'll be transfixed by the picturesque qualities of the area. Old Montreal can be easily be explored in a day, and must see attractions include the Point Calliere Museum and Notre Dame Basilica, which dates back to 1829.

Photo: Ashwin Kumar /Flickr Creative Commons

Nature lovers will enjoy visiting the Montreal Biodôme, which is home to more than 4,800 animals from 230 different species and includes 750 plant species under a bubble shaped roof. Once you're ready to go outside again then head down to the Old Port for a glass of French wine or two.

Montreal is a foodie city and offers visitors the chance to savour the best French cuisine outside of France. Even if that means gorging on a smoked meat sandwich every day to save money. It's a big favourite with locals and you'll never grow tired of its juicy beef goodness. Even better is getting stuck into a box of Poutine after a big night out on the sauce. It's a superb mix of french fries, curds, cheese and gravy and does the trick if you're hungover and unable to get out of bed.

Photo: Eugene Kim /Flickr Creative Commons

Things to see and do in Montreal

Montreal is the cultural epicentre of Quebec and home to a superb arts and music scene. Come and enjoy the majestic splendour of Place Jacques-Cartier, a nineteenth century square packed full of boutiques and artist galleries, and sprinkled with street art and smoky blues bars. If you're a proper party animal and want to stay up all night, then embrace the hedonistic atmosphere of Crescent Street, with its international restaurants and soaring nightclubs.

Offering backpackers a distinctive French speaking culture, Montreal is a majestic choice for travellers and has a superb range of things to see and do. Uniquely Quebecan-French in its outlook you will experience the best of North America and Latin Europe when you stay here on holiday. Save a small fortune booking one of our top designer hostels and hang out with real travellers while saving your hard earned cash for the sights and sounds of this remarkable city.