Montréal 2026
Wed Jul 1 – Sun Jul 5, 2026 · 5 days · Justin & Jasmine
BOS → Montréal for the closing weekend of the Jazz Festival → BOS. Food-first (Joe Beef · Damas · Bouillon Bilk), a Nordic spa, Old-Montréal walking, Mile End bakeries. Anti-stuffy.
Generated from trip notes · 2026-06-10
Contents
Action
Still to book
Museums & activities
Pointe-à-CallièrePHINotre-DameBota BotaFireworksCirque (free)Jazz Fest (free)Jean-TalonMile End/PlateauMont-Royal
Reference
Documents
Still to book
● this week · ◐ 1–2 wks · ○ anytime · ◌ waiting
🧳 Pre-trip
● Verify Global Entry ×2 + passports
◐ Phones: confirm Canada data/voice ×2
🧖 Wellness
◐ Decide: Bota Bota massage package for Jasmine
🚗 Transport
◌ YULExpress preclearance NOT YET
☑ Reconfirm closer-in
◌ Set times day-of (Patrick Watson · Smino)
Everything else ✓ booked — flights · Le Germain · Joe Beef · Damas · Bouillon Bilk · Bota Bota · Notre-Dame.
Today ·
Itinerary
Wed Jul 1 — Arrival Land YUL → hotel · keep the evening loose
- 6:50 pmDepart BOS · AC 8611, Terminal B (Embraer 175)
- 8:26 pmLand YUL · customs + bags
- ↓taxi · 20–25 min · ~$49 flat
- ~9:30 pmCheck in at Le Germain · settle
- ~10:00 pmIf hungry: hotel bar / room service — the reliable holiday-night play (Ferreira ends Wed dinner service 9:30 pm)
- ⚠Jul 1 = Canada Day (stat holiday — many spots dark or on short hours), and this flight runs late ~half the time — keep tonight loose
Thu Jul 2 — Little Italy & Joe Beef Market graze → optional Mont-Royal → Joe Beef → fireworks
- ~9:00 amCoffee near the hotel
- ↓Uber ~15 min (Metro = Green from McGill → Orange at Berri-UQAM, ~30–35)
- 9:30 amJean-Talon Market graze · Québec cheeses, peak-season berries
- ↓walk · 5 min
- ~10:30 amAlati-Caserta cannoli, Little Italy
- ↓Uber back downtown · ~15–20 min (Metro w/ transfer ~30–35)
- ~12:00 pmLight lunch downtown / drop bags
- 1:00–4:00 pmOptional Mont-Royal lookout if clear (~10-min walk to Peel St, then ~25–35 min up to the Belvedere)
- ~5:00 pmBack at hotel · freshen up
- 5:45 pmUber · ~15 min to Joe Beef
- 6:00 pmJoe Beef, Little Burgundy · chalkboard (Vin Papillon glass next door after)
- ~9:30 pmUber/taxi ~8–10 min to the Old Port quays — order it when dessert lands (walking is ~45–50 min; bridge closed to cars, so drop on rue de la Commune by Quai de l'Horloge)
- ~9:45 pmGrab a spot on the Old Port quays
- 10:00 pmFireworks (~30 min) · 105.7 FM for the soundtrack
- ↓walk ~35–40 min back to the hotel — or walk up to Place d'Armes / Square-Victoria for a calmer Uber pickup than the quays
Fri Jul 3 — Mile End, Damas & Patrick Watson Mile End → Plateau → Damas → free Jazz Fest stage (Patrick Watson)
- ~8:45 amHead to Mile End
- ↓Uber ~15 min (Metro = transfer at Berri-UQAM + a 15-min walk from Laurier, ~35–40)
- ~9:00 amBreakfast + coffee in Mile End — pick what appeals (bagels to-go, a sit-down spot, or just a great espresso — no need to do all)
- ✎Cheskie rugelach/babka is Fri-only (closed Sat for Shabbat) — if you want it, today's the day
- ↓wander Mile End → south into the Plateau · ~10–15 min
- ~12:00 pmCasual Plateau lunch (or keep grazing)
- 1:00–4:00 pmMile End → Plateau wander — Saint-Denis, Mont-Royal Ave, Parc La Fontaine, staircases & murals
- ↓Uber / Metro to hotel · ~15 min
- 4:30 pmFreshen up
- 5:15 pmUber · ~15 min to Damas
- 5:30 pmDamas, Outremont · fattoush, cherry kebab, mezze
- ↓cab · ~15 min toward the Quartier des Spectacles
- ~8:00 pmDrink / wander the festival site (free stages all evening)
- 9:30 pmPatrick Watson — free TD Stage, Place des Festivals (Montréal's own dreamy indie — not jazz)
- ↓walk · ~12 min back to hotel
Sat Jul 4 — Old Montréal & Bota Bota Coffee → spa → lunch → Old-Montréal museums → Bouillon Bilk → closing night
- ~8:30 amleave the hotel — ~20–25 min walk into Old Mtl (or Uber ~8 at 8:50)
- ~9:00 amCoffee at Tommy (opens 8 am Sat — confirmed) · Crew Collective only if it's open (Sat hours unposted)
- ~9:10 amwalk ~10–12 min to Bota Bota
- 9:25 amCheck in at Bota Bota — required 15 min before the slot · booking credit card + photo ID
- 9:40 amBota Bota · 9:40 reservation · ~3-hr water circuit → out ~12:45 pm
- ✎Wet kit: bring a wet-bag for the suits (spa doesn't provide) — free coatroom / $1 lockers at Pointe-à-Callière; no bag check at Notre-Dame
- ↓walk · ~5–10 min into Old Montréal
- ~1:00 pmLight lunch (Olive et Gourmando / Tommy)
- ↓walk · ~5 min
- ~1:45 pmWalk through Notre-Dame Basilica — quick look at the blue-and-gold interior (~15–20 min · closes 4pm) · ticket ↗
- ↓walk · ~5 min
- ~2:15 pmPointe-à-Callière — archaeology museum (~2 hr · open to 6) — the main event
- ~4:15 pmOld Port stroll — the day's flex item: skip it if anything ran long
- ↓Uber ~8–10 min to the hotel (walking is ~25–30 — too slow before dinner)
- ~4:45 pmShower + change
- 5:45 pmwalk · ~12 min to Bouillon Bilk (22 Ste-Catherine E)
- 6:00 pmBouillon Bilk · à la carte; lobster chawanmushi + scallops
- ↓walk · ~10 min
- ~8:15 pmWander the closing-night site — Cirque acts + a drink on the esplanade (~3–5 min from dinner)
- 9:30 pmSmino — closing set, free TD Stage, Place des Festivals
- ↓walk · ~12 min back to hotel
- ⚠Notre-Dame closes 4pm (do the peek first); Pointe-à-Callière runs to 6pm
Sun Jul 5 — Departure Bagel + espresso → YUL (US preclearance) → BOS
- ~8:30 amQuick bagel + espresso near the hotel (packed Sat night)
- ~9:45 amCheck out
- ~10:00 amtaxi · 20–25 min · ~$49 flat to YUL
- ~10:30 amYUL · US preclearance, Global Entry kiosks (~2.5-hr buffer)
- 1:15 pmAC 750 departs YUL
- 2:41 pmLand Boston
Restaurants
Montréal · Jul 1–5
Joe Beef Québécois · Little Burgundy · Thu Jul 2, 6:00 pm BOOKED
Address2491 Notre-Dame Ouest (Little Burgundy)
✓ BookedThu Jul 2, 6:00 pm · party of 2 · in Tripsy
FormatÀ la carte off a daily chalkboard — a spread of small + large plates to share; no fixed menu.
TipVery rich — order fewer plates than you think; save room for dessert.
Locals' move: a walk-in glass at Vin Papillon (no-res wine bar a few doors down) before or after.
What to order
Lobster spaghetti — the signature; rich and unmissable.
Foie gras "double down" / terrine — the decadent house classic.
Œuf en gelée — elegant cold starter, a Joe Beef staple.
Oysters + day-boat seafood — whatever's freshest off the board.
The chalkboard itself — smoked meat, game, market fish; the board is the real menu, so order off it.
Drinks: deep, Québec-leaning wine list — ask the room for a by-the-glass match, or a glass next door at Vin Papillon.
Damas Syrian · Outremont · Fri Jul 3, 5:30 pm BOOKED
Address1201 Van Horne (Outremont)
✓ BookedFri Jul 3, 5:30 pm · party of 2 · in Tripsy
FormatÀ la carte mezze — a spread of cold + hot small plates to share, then 1–2 lamb mains.
TipEasy to over-order — a few mezze + 2 lamb mains is plenty.
After dinner, cab ~15 min toward the Quartier des Spectacles for Patrick Watson (free TD Stage, 9:30 pm).
What to order
Fattoush — bright sumac-and-toasted-pita salad to start.
Cherry kebab — Aleppo sour-cherry lamb; the signature dish.
Fattet mozat — slow lamb shank over yogurt + crisped bread.
Kibbeh nayyeh + muhammara — raw-lamb tartare with the smoky red-pepper-walnut dip.
Charred octopus — among the best of the hot mezze.
Drinks: Levantine-friendly wines + arak; the room will steer pairings.
Bouillon Bilk Modern · downtown · Sat Jul 4, 6:00 pm BOOKED
Address22 rue Ste-Catherine Est (corner of St-Laurent, Quartier des Spectacles) · ~12-min walk from hotel
✓ BookedSat Jul 4, 6:00 pm · party of 2 · Resy · in Tripsy
HoursDaily 5:00–10:30 pm
FormatÀ la carte (3–4 plates each), not the tasting — modern, French-rooted with global accents.
⚠ MovedRelocated here in 2024 after a fire — do NOT go to the old 1595 Boul St-Laurent building.
BookingResy ↗ · 514-845-1595
Drink nearbyCadet — Bouillon Bilk's relaxed sibling around the corner at 1431 St-Laurent, ~2 min (wine + shared plates), before or after
Booked for Sat 6:00 pm — finishing ~8:00 leaves a ~3–5 min stroll to Place des Festivals and an hour to wander before the 9:30 Smino closing set.
What to order
Lobster chawanmushi — silky savory custard; the standout.
Scallops — zucchini, shiitake, brown butter.
Striped bass — with apple & shiso; bright and clean.
Mussel & razor-clam pasta — briny and generous.
Dessert — leave room; the pastry side is serious (Bilk's roots).
Drinks: smart, mostly private-import wine list strong on low-intervention bottles — trust the by-the-glass.
Bakeries & brunch Mile End bagels · cafés · Old-Montréal brunch WALK-IN⚠ CHESKIE FRI-ONLY
Fri AMPick what appeals — bagels to-go, a sit-down breakfast, or just a great espresso. No need to do all.
BagelsFairmount + St-Viateur (Mile End) — wood-fired, hot from the counter; locals lean Fairmount. Grab-and-go.
Sit-downLarry's (beloved all-day Mile End breakfast) · Sparrow (crafted brunch) · Beauty's (1942 Plateau diner) · Pigeon (great shakshuka)
CoffeeCafé Olimpico — iconic Italian espresso + sunny terrace. Pastry: Hof Kelsten (babka/rye).
CheskieTop rugelach/babka (kosher) — ⚠ Fri only, closed Sat for Shabbat.
CannoliAlati-Caserta (Little Italy) — pairs with the Thu Jean-Talon morning.
Sat AMCoffee en route to the spa — anchor on Tommy (opens 8 am Sat, confirmed); Crew Collective (former-bank hall) only if open, Sat hours unposted. Not a big brunch. Small late lunch post-spa — Olive et Gourmando counter (sandwiches) or Tommy.
Backups & bench If Bouillon Bilk falls through, or to swap BENCH
Mtl PlazaPlayful food-destination (#22 N. America); $80 surprise share-menu or à la carte. OpenTable, ~1–2 wks out. Petite-Patrie.
Le ViolonSoulful Italian/French (Danny Smiles). OpenTable.
Nora GrayItalian, perfect pasta, Little Burgundy. OpenTable.
Vin PapillonDay-of walk-in insurance: no-res, veg-forward small plates, next to Joe Beef.
FerreiraPortuguese/seafood, 5-min walk from hotel — easy downtown safe anchor.
DroppedMastard (closed Sat/Sun), Vin Mon Lapin (wine-led, hardest Sat book), Beba (Verdun friction).
IgnoreClosed/renamed on old lists: Pastel, Le Fantôme, Tinc Set (→ Bar Luz), Patrice Pâtissier.
Museums & Activities
Montréal · Jul 1–5
Bota Bota Floating Nordic spa · Old Port · Sat Jul 4, 9:40 am · 18+ BOOKED
WhereFloating spa on a boat, Old Port (Quai du Vieux-Port)
✓ BookedSat Jul 4, 9:40 am · Accès au circuit d'eaux · Justin Feng + guest Jing Wang (Jasmine) · check in by 9:25 (15 min before the slot) · bring the credit card used to book + photo ID. Confirmed 06-10 (Tripsy can't parse the email — details live here).
⚠ CancelChanges/cancellation by phone only (514-284-0333), ≥24h ahead — nothing can be modified on site; free cancel to 24h; overrun past the ~3-hr slot auto-charges the next.
What~3-hr water circuit (timed slot — changing time counts: be out of the water ~12:10 to exit by 12:45)
Price~$90/pp pre-tax (the "from $75" headline is low-season only — won't apply to July)
Contactbotabota.ca ↗ · 514-284-0333
BringSwimsuit, sandals, shatterproof (non-glass) water bottle, a wet-bag for the suits — the spa doesn't provide bags (they provide robe + towel + locker & key)
JasmineLess into the hot/cold circuit — option: a massage + water-circuit package (she relaxes/gets a massage while you do the circuit; book ahead, sells out)
⚠ Go at open18+. NOT the 2:30pm Sat-afternoon peak — that's when it hits max capacity and the outdoor view-decks (the part Jasmine will like) get mobbed.
Dropped altLe Scandinave (dropped 2026-05-30) — silent Nordic spa, same Old-Mtl block, no time limit, ~$95/pp. Re-book there if Bota Bota falls through.
Chose Bota Bota for the floating decks + river/skyline views — a shared outing. Going at open neutralizes the scene.
How to run the circuit
1One cycle: ~10–15 min hot (sauna/steam) → 10–20 sec cold plunge/shower → ~10 min relax. Repeat ~3×.
2Claim an outdoor deck spot early — the river + Old-Montréal views are the whole point.
3Phones/cameras away; voices low (the garden is the one social zone).
Jasmine: skip the cold plunge — hot tubs + decks + garden are plenty, or take a massage slot while you cycle.
Notre-Dame Basilica Old Montréal · Sat Jul 4, ~1:45 pm BOOKED⚠ CLOSES 4PM SAT
Address110 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest (Place d'Armes)
✓ BookedSat Jul 4, ~1:45 pm · 2× Adult · Fever Ticket ID 132793096 · e-ticket ↗ (also in the Fever app) · date-valid, any time in opening hours
WhenA quick walk-through (~15–20 min) — it's right beside Pointe-à-Callière
HoursSat 9:00 am–4:00 pm · venue's full self-guided route ~1 hr (your plan: a 15–20 min highlights pass)
PriceCA$36.80 for 2 (CA$18.40/pp) · paid
⚠ HoursThe 4pm Sat close is the day's one hard timing constraint — slot it after lunch, before close.
Booked — slot it after the Bota Bota circuit + a light lunch, before the 4pm close.
Recommended path & highlights (~15–20 min)
Walk it like this
1Enter from Place d'Armes; stop mid-nave for the full view of the deep-blue, gold-starred vault.
2Up the side aisles — the stained glass shows Montréal's own history, not bible scenes (unusual).
3Behind the altar to the Sacré-Cœur Chapel (the "wedding chapel") — Charles Daudelin's huge modern bronze altarpiece.
4Turn back toward the doors for the 1891 Casavant organ (7,000 pipes) above the entrance.
Highlights
The blue-and-gold vaulted ceiling — the signature view
Ornate wood pulpit carved like a miniature temple
Sacré-Cœur Chapel + Daudelin bronze
Casavant Frères organ — 7,000 pipes, 4 keyboards
AURA (optional)
Evening light-and-sound show ($37 adult + Fever fees · 40–45 min · showtimes vary by season — check Fever). ⚠ No open evening this trip — skip unless you drop something.
Coffee / snack
Steps away: Crew Collective & Café — coffee in a breathtaking former bank hall (St-Jacques)
Or: Tommy — a couple of blocks up Notre-Dame
Fireworks — L'International des Feux Free · Old Port · Thu Jul 2, 10pm FREE
WhenThu Jul 2, 10:00 pm · ~30 min (opening night of the competition)
WhereFree from the Old Port quays or the Jacques-Cartier Bridge (closed to cars for the show)
WhyThe world's top fireworks competition — a 30-min pyromusical over the St. Lawrence by the bridge
TipsJoe Beef → Old Port = Uber ~8–10 min (NOT walkable in time — it's ~4 km); order the car at dessert, arrive ~9:45. The 105.7 FM soundtrack = streaming on a phone (needs data); bring a light layer (windy)
Where to stand (+ a drink with a view)
Free vantage points
Quai de l'Horloge (Clock Tower quay) — unobstructed river view, all ages
Jacques-Cartier Bridge — closed to cars, walk out onto the deck right over the launch (windy)
Anywhere along the Old Port waterfront works; the bridge end has the best line of sight
Drink with a view
Terrasse sur l'Auberge or Terrasse William Gray — Old-Port rooftops facing the bridge (reserve on fireworks nights)
Montréal Complètement Cirque Free outdoor circus · Quartier des Spectacles · Jul 2–12 FREE
WhatThe city's circus festival — free outdoor acts on the Place des Festivals esplanade (same plaza as the free jazz stages)
WhenDrop in whenever you're in the Quartier des Spectacles (e.g. Sat near Smino) — no booking
TicketedSkipped — indoor shows (e.g. La Chute des Anges at TOHU) sit ~25–30 min north and clash with every booked evening
Jazz Fest — free stages Free outdoor · Place des Festivals · drop-in WALK-IN
Thu Jul 2Saint Levant plays the free TD Stage — but you're doing the fireworks instead (opposite direction)
Fri Jul 3Patrick Watson — 9:30 pm, free TD Stage. Montréal's own dreamy indie/chamber-pop (not jazz) → your Friday night after Damas
Sat Jul 4Closing night: Smino (funk/soul-rap) — 9:30 pm, free TD Stage (published program; re-check day-of)
Festival46th edition, Jun 25 – Jul 4 · ~⅔ of 350+ shows free · hub = TD + Rogers Stage at Place des Festivals
Just missedSt. Vincent Symphonique = Jun 28 (ticketed), before you land. Also skip: Taj Mahal Thu (clashes w/ Joe Beef), McBride/Lage 9pm Sat (too late pre-travel).
Jean-Talon Market Public market · Little Italy · Thu AM graze WALK-IN
Address7070 Avenue Henri-Julien (Little Italy)
WhenThu Jul 2 morning
GrazeQuébec cheeses, peak-season berries; Alati-Caserta cannoli nearby in Little Italy
Getting thereUber ~15–20 min · Metro = Green from McGill → Orange at Berri-UQAM, ~30–35 min door-to-door
What to hit
Québec artisan cheeses (Fromagerie Hamel / Qui Lait Cru)
Peak-season Québec strawberries & raspberries (early July)
Première Moisson for pastry; maple everything
5-min walk to Alati-Caserta (277 Dante) — cannoli filled to order
Coffee nearby
Caffè Italia — no-frills Little-Italy espresso institution, ~7 min
Pointe-à-Callière Archaeology & history · Old Montréal · $30pp · Sat WALK-IN
Address350 Place Royale (Old Montréal · ~5 min from Notre-Dame)
WhenSat Jul 4 afternoon · ~2 hr
HoursDaily 10–6 in summer · last tickets 5pm
Price$30 adult · pre-book online to skip the closing-weekend ticket line (walk-in fine)
WhyBuilt on the city's actual 1642 founding site — you walk through an underground crypt of real excavated ruins with multimedia. The immersive history museum (your CDMX-anthropology wheelhouse)
Route, highlights & a coffee stop
Walk it like this
1Start with the multimedia show in the Éperon building, then descend into the archaeological crypt.
2Underground to the Fort de Ville-Marie (Québecor Pavilion) — the actual 1642 founding site + remains of Callière's 1688 residence.
3Walk the William collector sewer — Montréal's first sewer, built over the buried Little Saint-Pierre River — out to Place Royale.
Don't miss
"Where Montréal Began" — the Maisonneuve & Jeanne Mance origin story, staged on the real fort foundations
"Memory Collector" — a light-and-sound installation projected onto the stone walls inside the old sewer
"Building Montréal" — the city under French then British rule, 17th–19th c.
On now: "Heroes of Greece. The Age of Troy" (to Mar 7, 2027) + "A parliament under your feet" (opens Jun 22)
Calibrate: a brilliant, intimate city-origin museum (~2 hr) — not a sweeping national-anthropology epic. Go in expecting that and you'll love it.
Coffee / snack
After: Tommy — plant-filled Old-Mtl café, ~4-min walk
Or: Olive et Gourmando — cult sandwiches/bakery on St-Paul (your lunch spot)
PHI Foundation Contemporary art · Old Montréal · sliding-scale ticket TICKETED · OPTIONAL
WhenOptional · ticketed contemporary add, ~1–1.5 hr · Sat 11 am–6 pm — fits the post-museum window only
Where451 Saint-Jean + 407 Saint-Pierre (the Pivi building), Old Montréal
PriceSliding scale — pick $10 / $16 / $20 / $30 (kids 12&under free) · buy on phi.ca; closing-Sat slots can sell out
WhyTwo heritage buildings, ambitious rotating contemporary shows — PHI's own estimate ~1.5 hr
On now (summer 2026) & how to do it
Showing during your dates
"Otherworlds" — Jakob Kudsk Steensen (Apr 23 – Sep 13, 2026): an immersive digital-nature video/sound environment — atmospheric, the standout.
"Come check it out. Lies lies lies" — Paola Pivi: playful, large-scale speculative installation.
How to do it
1Buy on phi.ca (one ticket covers both shows); start with the Steensen immersive room at 451 Saint-Jean and let your eyes adjust.
2~45–60 min total across the two buildings.
3It's in Old Montréal — easy to fold into the Sat afternoon alongside Pointe-à-Callière if you want more.
Hours verified 2026-06-10: Sat 11 am–6 pm — re-check phi.ca day-of.
Coffee / snack
Nearby: Marché de la Villette — cozy French deli-café, ~5 min
Mile End & Plateau wander Neighbourhood walk · Fri afternoon · on foot WALK-IN
WhenFri Jul 3 · drift from the Mile End bakeries south into the Plateau until you head back for Damas
WhyThe city's most charming residential neighbourhoods — leafy, low-key, full of cafés, murals and the famous exterior staircases
A loose loop & coffee stops
The walk
1Mile End: St-Viateur St + Bernard Ave — bagels, the Drawn & Quarterly bookshop, terraces.
2South down Boulevard Saint-Laurent ("The Main") — vintage shops + big MURAL-festival murals.
3Into the Plateau: Avenue du Mont-Royal + Rue Saint-Denis — the iconic spiral staircases everywhere.
4Wind down in Parc La Fontaine (pond, willows) before heading back to freshen up.
Coffee / snack
Mile End: Café Olimpico — the iconic espresso terrace
Plateau: Café Névé — easygoing stop mid-wander
Mont-Royal Skyline lookout · optional · Thu PM · 1–2 hr WALK-IN
WhatThe Kondiaronk Belvedere skyline lookout — optional Thu afternoon, weather-permitting
AccessPeel St entrance — short walk from hotel
Route, the views & a snack
Walk it like this
1Peel St entrance → the switchback path or the staircase.
2~25–35 min up to the Kondiaronk Belvedere — the postcard downtown-and-river panorama.
3Optional loop to Beaver Lake (Lac aux Castors) and back the same way · ~1–2 hr round trip.
Up there
Chalet du Mont-Royal — Beaux-Arts hall behind the lookout, hung with historical murals (Fortin, Borduas, Holgate)
The Mount Royal Cross — the summit's illuminated landmark, a short detour
Coffee / snack
At the top: Café des Amis at the Chalet — lemonade / ice cream right by the belvedere
Or: the Beaver Lake Pavilion café if you loop past the lake
Logistics
Flights — Air Canada Conf C2M8BK · BOS ⇄ YUL ⚠ RECONFIRM
OutWed Jul 1 · AC 8611 · BOS→YUL 6:50 pm → 8:26 pm EDT (1h36) · Terminal B · Embraer 175
BackSun Jul 5 · AC 750 · YUL→BOS 1:15 pm → 2:41 pm EDT (1h26) · A220
ConfC2M8BK
⚠ VerifyRe-verified 2026-06-10: the current AC schedule matches the TripIt printout (the 05-28 "verification" had read the May–mid-Jun seasonal block). Re-confirm on the AC app ~48h out. Outbound runs late ~half the time (avg ~38 min).
Le Germain Hotel Montréal 2050 Rue Mansfield · downtown · 4 nights BOOKED
Address2050 Rue Mansfield, Montréal QC H3A 1Y9 (near McGill / Quartier des Spectacles)
Phone1-877-333-2050 · reservations.legermainmontreal@germainhotels.com
Conf#36542394 · stay confirmation ↗
Check-in / outWed Jul 1 from 3:00 pm · checkout Sun Jul 5 by noon
⚠ CancelFree until 4:00 pm on arrival day (Jul 1); later/no-show = one night + tax. Card + ID at check-in (pre-auth).
RoomPrestige King with View · $445.50 CAD/night + tax · booked direct
Late checkout not needed — Sunday departure (~10am) beats the noon checkout anyway.
YUL departure — US preclearance Clear US customs in Montréal · allow ~2.5 hr ⚠ ALLOW 2.5 HR
WhatUS-bound flights clear US customs in Montréal before boarding
BufferAirport recommends 3 hrs; with Global Entry, ~2.5 hrs is reasonable
TaxiFlat rate downtown ↔ YUL: CAD $49.45 (5am–11pm), ~20–25 min off-peak. (REM train airport stop not open until end-2027.)
OptionalYULExpress — free US-preclearance appointment, bookable up to 72h before via admtl.com (nice-to-have given Global Entry already covers you)
Getting around From hotel — walk / Metro / Uber times
Jazz FestPlace des Festivals ~12–15 min walk
Old Port / spa~25–30 min walk (Uber ~8–10). Metro doesn't help — hotel is on the Green line; Square-Victoria (Orange) is itself a ~15-min walk
Mile EndUber ~15 min (Metro + the Laurier walk ~35–40)
Jean-TalonUber ~15–20 min (Metro = Green → Orange at Berri-UQAM, ~30–35)
Joe Beef / Damas~15 min Uber each
Bouillon Bilk~12 min walk (22 Ste-Catherine E, by Place des Festivals)
Mont-RoyalPeel St entrance, short walk + easy 1–2 hr loop
Metro faresTap your own contactless card at the gate (~$4/ride) — one card can't cover two riders
Confirmations Every code in one place REFERENCE
FlightsAir Canada C2M8BK — AC 8611 out Jul 1 · AC 750 back Jul 5
HotelLe Germain #36542394 · confirmation ↗
DiningJoe Beef Thu 6:00 pm · Damas Fri 5:30 pm · Bouillon Bilk Sat 6:00 pm (Resy) — all in Tripsy
TicketsNotre-Dame — Fever ID 132793096 · e-ticket ↗ (+ Fever app)
WellnessBota Bota Sat 9:40 am · under Justin Feng + guest Jing Wang · check-in 9:25 · booking credit card + photo ID
EntryPassports (no visa/ETA for US citizens) · Global Entry for the YUL preclearance kiosks
Good to know Weather · money · language · what to pack
WeatherEarly-July Montréal: warm + humid, highs ~26°C/79°F, evenings ~16°C/61°F; afternoon thunderstorms possible — bring a packable rain shell
MoneyCAD · cards everywhere · sales tax ~15% (GST+QST) added at checkout · tip 15–20% pre-tax · pay in CAD when a terminal offers USD (declining DCC saves ~3–5%) — use a no-FX-fee card
LanguageFrench is official — a "bonjour / merci" goes far — but English is widely understood downtown
PhonesConfirm Canada data/voice before Jul 1 (carrier travel pass or eSIM; T-Mobile includes Canada) · download an offline Google Map · the fireworks 105.7 FM sync = streaming (needs data)
WaterTap water is potable; bring a reusable bottle (Bota Bota requires a non-glass one)
PackSwimsuit + sandals + a wet-bag (Bota Bota), comfortable walking shoes, light layers, smart-casual for Joe Beef / Damas / Bouillon Bilk