Identity card
Formalities : valid passport.
Currency : Canadian dollar (CAD). 1 euro = 1.31 dollars (January 2013).
Time difference : -6h.
Area code : +1 (Canada), 514 (Montreal).
How to get there
AIR FRANCE operates two flights a day between Paris and Montreal. At Paris CDG, business passengers can enjoy a recently refurbished lounge in terminal 2E, with huge picture windows looking out directly onto the runways. Here they can surf the Internet free of charge, read the newspapers, take a shower and enjoy a hot or cold meal before take-off. The flights, operated by B747 or A340, are equipped with First and Premium Economy seats offering 40 % of additional space. The fixed-shell seat is 48 cm wide, offering even more space. In Business, since February Air France has been offering dishes by Michel Roth, the two Michelin-starred chef from the Ritz who succeeds Joël Robuchon and Guy Martin.
Tel.: 0820 320 820
Internet: www.airfrance.com
AIR CANADA operates one flight a day from Paris to Montreal, using a bi-class B777.
From 11 July, passengers will have access to the Privilege premium economy class which the airline is gradually introducing on its international flights. On departure from CDG, the national airline is enhancing the experience of its premium passengers, who can now take advantage of the Accès n°1 priority service launched by Aéroports de Paris. Air Canada has also given its Maple Leaf Lounge a facelift.
Tel.: 0825 880 881
Internet: https://beta.aircanada.com/ca/fr/aco/home.html
AIR TRANSAT connects Paris to Montreal up to three times a day by direct flight this summer, most often in two-class Airbus A330s, including a 12-seat Club class on its recently refurbished aircraft. The airline, hailed by Skytrax as the world's best leisure airline, has embarked on a plan to modernise its fleet, with a personal touch screen and leather seats in all classes.
Tel.: 0825 120 248
Hotels
HYATT REGENCY MONTREAL
Winner of the Prix du tourisme québécois in 2012, the Hyatt Regency, with its clean lines and soothing colours, is an ultra-refined 605-room hotel whose main asset is its location opposite the Musée d'art contemporain, in the bustling entertainment district. The hotel boasts a beautiful swimming pool overlooking the city. The Regency Club lounge and its pretty terrace are ideal for cocktails, summer or winter!
1255, rue Jeanne-Mance
Tel.: +1 514 982 1234
Internet: montreal.hyatt.com
FAIRMONT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH
This legendary hotel with over 1,000 rooms, which John Lennon and Yoko Ono chose as the setting for their famous 'bed in', will be completely renovated over the coming months. It will be sublimated, but its originality will remain: as well as being located above the central station, honey is made on its roof.
900, bd René-Lévesque Ouest
Tel: +1 514 861 3511
E-mail : queenelizabeth.hotel@fairmont.com
Internet : www.fairmont.com
THE CRYSTAL
Opened in 2008 just off rue Sainte-Catherine, the Crystal and its tower of light have already become a Montreal hotel classic. 130 rooms and 59 flats with a superb spa, restaurant, wine bar, conference rooms and boutiques.
1100, rue de la Montagne
Tel.: +1 514 861 5550
LOFT HOTEL MONTRÉAL
Opened in spring 2010, this hotel located between the Quartier Latin and the trendy Plateau Mont Royal is all about getting to know the city from the inside. Guests stay in 50 loft suites in the heart of an Art Deco building, in a highly theatrical setting - oversized paintings, grandiose chandeliers - with high ceilings and huge windows. Two loft-style rooms are dedicated to events and can accommodate up to 750 people.
AUBERGE DU VIEUX PORT
For longer stays, the lofts with kitchen and hotel services at this Old Montreal establishment are a great option. Located near the Quartier International, but overlooking the banks of the St Lawrence, it is set back from the hustle and bustle of the city.
97, rue de la Commune Est
Phone: +1 514 876 0081
HOTEL LE SAINT-JAMES
A beautiful late 19th-century building in the heart of the Quartier International, a fine spa, terraces, charm and racy elegance: these are the distinguishing features of this unique member of Leading Hotels of the World in Montreal.
355, rue Saint-Jacques
Other business hotels
HILTON MONTRÉAL BONAVENTURE
900 de la Gauchetière Street West
Tel.: +1 514 878 2332
Internet: www.hiltonhotels.com
PLACE D'ARMES HOTEL
55, rue Saint-Jacques Ouest
Tel.: +1 514 842 1887
GAULT HOTEL
OPUS MONTRÉAL
Internet: montreal.opushotel.com
EMBASSY SUITES BY HILTON
208, rue St Antoine Ouest
Tel. +1 514 288 8886
Internet: www.embassysuitesmontreal.com
Budget hotels
LE PETIT HÔTEL
Opened in 2009, this 24-room boutique hotel in Old Montreal is a warm, trendy place where old stonework is exposed and historical elements blend with a sparkling, lively decor. Good value for money and often interesting offers, such as the third night free.
168, rue St-Paul Ouest
Phone: +1 514 940 0360
LE DAUPHIN MONTREAL CITY CENTRE
This attractive three-star 72-bedroom hotel, just a stone's throw from the Palais des Congrès, is a pure product of the Quebec hotel industry.
1025, rue De Bleury
Tel.: +1 514 788 3888
SPRINGHILL SUITES VIEUX-MONTRÉAL
Convenient for longer stays, the Springhill Suites offers studio suites equipped with kitchens, iPod docking stations and free internet access.
445 rue St-Jean-Baptiste
Tel.: +514 875 4333
Restaurants
TOQUÉ!
This well-known address in Montreal has been around for 20 years, but is constantly renewing itself. The menu changes every day, and the classics are typically Quebec products, most of them organic, such as Boileau venison, piglet or seafood from the Gaspé, all locally produced, in the 'farm to table' spirit that drives chef Normand Laprise. In this Relais & Châteaux establishment, where the plates are presented like paintings by Riopelle, the great master of Montreal modern art, you'll find yourself familiar with unfamiliar tastes: fir mousse, daylily emulsion or cranberry ice cream.
900, place Jean-Paul Riopelle
Tel.: +1 514 499 2084
E-mail : info@restaurant-toque.com
Internet : www.restaurant-toque.com or www.relaischateaux.com
CULINARY LABORATORY
An integral part of the Society for Arts and Technology, an interdisciplinary hub, the Labo Culinaire is a place for gastronomic experimentation. But there's nothing molecular here: we're 'testing' flavours from all over the world, fusion blends of Middle Eastern flavours and maple syrup... just one of many examples.
HAMBAR
Opened in spring 2012 in one of Montreal's first boutique hotels - the St Paul - Hambar offers, as its name suggests, ham-centred menus. Serrano, Parma and Bayonne hover in a huge glass pantry, lit by clusters of electric bulbs. The setting is designer, the atmosphere elegant but unpretentious, and the menu simple and tasty.
355 McGill Street
Tel.: +1 514 879 1234
VERSES
The restaurant at the Hotel Nelligan has two strong points: firstly, its bay windows that open onto the prettiest streets of Old Montreal; secondly, its top-quality local produce - freshly caught fish and lamb from Quebec pastures - enjoyed in front of a roaring log fire.
106, rue Saint-Paul Ouest
Tel.: +514 788 4000
L'AUBERGE SAINT-GABRIEL
The building has a unique history, being the home of a 17th-century French soldier. This former address for tourists was recently bought by the singer Garou, who put Éric Gonzalez, a Michelin-starred chef from Provence, in charge of the kitchen, and has been transformed into a gastronomic mecca. With a real star: Atlantic salmon.
426, rue Saint-Gabriel
Tel.: +1 514 878 3561
Information
QUEBEC TOURISM
3, rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré 75008 Paris
Tel: 0800 90 77 77 (7/7, between 3pm and 11pm)
E-mail : andre.martel@destinationquebec.fr
Internet : www.quebecoriginal.com
MONTRÉAL TOURISM
1255 Peel Street. Suite 100
Tel.: +1 514 873 2015
UBIFRANCE MONTRÉAL
1501 McGill College, Suite 1000
Tel.: +1 514 878 4385
Internet: www.consulfrance-montreal.org
FRENCH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN MONTREAL
1819, bd René-Lévesque Ouest
Tel.: +1 514 281 1246
E-mail :
info@ccfcmtl.ca
Internet: www.ccfcmtl.ca
PALAIS DES CONGRÈS DE MONTRÉAL
159, rue Saint-Antoine Ouest
Tel.: +1 514 871 8122
Business Centres
REGUS UNIVERSITY STREET
2001 University Street, Suite 1700
Tel.: +1 514 228 7400
ASHANTI CENTRE
507 Place d'Armes, Suite 1505
Tel.: +1 514 844 6555
Practical guides
MONTRÉAL CARTOVILLE, Gallimard (2012)
MONTREAL AND QUEBEC, Lonely
Planet (2012)
A BIG WEEKEND IN MONTREAL, Hachette (2011)
MONTRÉAL, Wallpaper, (2006)
