48 Hours in Montreal

Aug 23, 2017 | Food Blog, Lifestyle Blog, Travel Blog

When you only have 48 hours for a quick getaway, you make the most out of it! This year is Montreal’s 375th anniversary and also, Canada Pride! We were fortunate enough to have been invited to celebrate. I used to go annually but one year we decided to check out Montebello and Kenauk and I hadn’t been back until this weekend!

Montreal has always been one of my favorite cities – it is like the more ‘cultured’ sister to Toronto, where everything has more of a European spin. It is also only a short drive/flight from Toronto, New York, and other cities, making it super convenient to visit when you just want a quick vacation somewhere close, yet amazingly fun!

Montreal _ CanadaWe stayed at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. The hotel just reopened this summer after a yearlong transformation project to renovate the hotel. Its brand new design, which blends contemporary décor with a vintage flair, encourages guests and locals alike to enjoy the new space. The lobby area now includes Roselys Restaurant – a gastropub-type restaurant (replacing the old dated Montrealais restaurant), a mixology bar called Nacarat Bar,  a cute café called Krema Caféwhere you can enjoy your coffee and relax by the fireplace, a “business campus” where you can work, relax and be inspired! I was told that an urban market will also be opening at the end of Summer.

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth

Oh, and this is the hotel where John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their bed-in, and where the song “Give Peace a Chance” was composed and recorded. You can still rent out this suite and enjoy many of the mementos of that time. We, unfortunately, did not stay in that suite. Our room was beautifully renovated and overlooking the Cathedrale next door. The first thought I had walking in was “this feels and looks like a New York hotel”, where there’s a sense of sophistication and luxury. The bathroom was small but was well appointed with the perfect light for selfies! 🙂

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth _ Montreal

We were also given a tour of the rest of the property, including the redesigned gym/pool and all the unique meeting spaces.

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth _ Montreal

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth _ Montreal

In what was one of the best parts of the weekend, the Fairmont hosted a pride party on the 3rd floor terrace and we were invited! It was the perfect venue with a great view of the parade.

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth _ Montreal

We managed to pack in a weekend filled with activities! We hiked up Mont-Royal where you can enjoy some great views of the city below.

We shopped on Rue Sainte-Catherine, explored the “underground city” connecting downtown core, enjoyed Montreal smoked meat, and checked-out the pride events in the gay village.

We also walked around the cobble lined streets in Old Montreal where you feel like you are in a Canadianized version of a European city. We didn’t have enough time this trip, but make sure you check out Scandinave Spa or Bota Bota spa, if you are in the area.Montreal

With only 48 hours, we even squeezed in a short trip to Quebec City. The Fairmont is conveniently located right above the rail station, so we took Via Rail from Montreal to Quebec City taking just over 3 hours. There’s something about taking the train that makes a trip feel extra special, especially with the gorgeous views of the Quebec countryside along the way. Quebec city is another “European-like” getaway that is unlike any U.S. city, and it is way closer than flying overseas.

Quebec City

We had 5 hours in Quebec City and we made the most of it. We checked out the Fairmont Frontenac since it is one of the most iconic buildings in Canada. I hear it’s also one of the most photographed hotels in the world, and I totally can see why.

Quebec City

We strolled around the cute streets and decided to eat at Lapin Saute. They focus on a lot of rabbit dishes and it was amazing!

IMG_7351
IMG_7427
IMG_7428
IMG_7429
IMG_7430
previous arrow
next arrow
IMG_7351
IMG_7427
IMG_7428
IMG_7429
IMG_7430
previous arrow
next arrow

Our trip ended with a short flight back to Montreal for a connecting flight to NYC. In a blink of the eye, our weekend adventure was over, and it was worth every second.

Montreal

Comments

3 Comments

  1. Jason

    Great read, as usual Barry. And wonderful photos ????

    Reply
    • admin

      Thanks Jason! Stayed tuned for me! I am trying to post regularly 🙂

      Reply
  2. Deon Geiger

    Excellent blog here! Also your site loads up very fast! What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Posts

Summer in New Hampshire

Summer in New Hampshire

This past summer, we traded the crowds and stifling humidity of New York City for a much needed weekend of adventures in the beautiful Granite State. New Hampshire has seven regions - the Great North Woods, White Mountains, Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee, Lakes, Monadnock,...

read more
Letters from Verona

Letters from Verona

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Face it, we’ve all wanted a love like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (okay, without the double-suicide, but still.) Even in 2022, hoards of hopeless romantics travel all of the way to Verona, Italy in hopes that one of the most...

read more
Our First Trip to Alaska

Our First Trip to Alaska

Spending a week in Alaska with my boyfriend, Teraj, truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience (although I know I will be back!) We were unsure about spending time in the Final Frontier during the beginning of the “off-season,” but although it was cold, there was...

read more

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This