Colby’s first passport stamp was from our northern neighbor, Canada! Ryan and I were itching to travel internationally, as we hadn’t left the country for exactly a year. Nine months of a pregnancy and the newborn months didn’t exactly allow for much vacationing. We had a long weekend in early November, thanks to NJ teachers’ convention, and we couldn’t wait to put Colby’s passport into action! There’s not much that Ryan loves more than the sound of the immigration stamp as we enter into a new country.
Although we could get to Montreal by car in about 8 hours from southern New Jersey, we chose to fly out of Newark. This was the best decision for our family for a few reasons. First, Colby did not like taking a bottle, so we knew that an 8 hour car ride really meant 10 hours with lots of stops for feeding. Second, we only had 4 days, and we wanted to visit Quebec as well. Finally, I was able to score some great United flights with points. I had just enough points leftover from the sign up bonus for the United Explorer Credit Card. Tip: use travel credit cards to your advantage! They often have high interest rates to offset the great reward ratios, but if you are a responsible credit card holder, then you can score lots of free flights or hotel nights!
The flight time was shorter than our ride from home to the airport, and Colby was a champ! We brought his car seat along, knowing that we would be renting a car for half of the trip, and relying on uber for the second portion. Driving and parking in Montreal was comparable to most U.S. cities – a hassle. If we were to visit again, we would forgo the rental car altogether. Montreal is such a large city, that you will need to rely on some other form of transportation because it is not entirely walkable. It’s also worth noting that the Olympic part and Space for Life center is just outside of the city.
Because I had visited Montreal many times before (I went to college in Vermont, a short drive from Montreal), I knew that we wanted to base out of old Montreal. The small, winding streets were lined with cobblestones. The restaurant walls were exposed brick. Most importantly, it was walkable. The Embassy Suites Hilton is in a perfect location, but the rates were a bit higher than we had hoped to pay. Luckily, I found an AirBnB property in the apartment/condo building directly next door. Our total price was under $100/night, had a full kitchen, sitting area, and portable crib. Most hotels have cribs available, but I made sure that we rented a condo that could provide a crib.
No trip to Montreal is complete without a stop at Schwartz’s Deli. The prices are super reasonable, the smoked meat sandwiches are huge, and it’s been there forever. Although it was a small deli, they were super accommodating. They parked our stroller right next to our table, and the staff took turns making faces at Colby, hoping for a smile. The poutine was pretty delicious too; if you haven’t had poutine, then add it to your list! It’s a Canadian dish, but you can find it many places. Traditionally, it’s french fries, topped with cheese curds and brown gravy. However, you can get some pretty cool variations.
That evening, we stayed close to our AirBnB in case we had to “punt”. Ryan is a longtime football coach, so we love using this football analogy: it’s always third down, and sometimes you can convert for the first down and sometimes you have to punt. In other words, if Colby hits a wall, we like to have an easy exit strategy. Old Montreal is my favorite neighborhood in the city. It feels European with one way cobblestone streets, lively plazas, small shops and restaurants, and lots of character. It’s along the Saint Lawrence River, so the views aren’t too shabby, either. We stumbled into this chic bar and restaurant called Wolf & Workman. The craft cocktails were amazing, and so was the food. To top it off, the wait staff loved Colby.
You could easily give yourself 2-3 days in Montreal. There are some really great restaurants, neighborhoods, and scenery to explore. Due to our short time frame, we chose to only spend one night in Montreal so that we could add Quebec onto our itinerary. We were lucky enough to be in the city for the first snowfall of the year, which was Colby’s first snowfall too! The white blanket that coated the streets made it magical.
Platt Family Passport 