In six hours, you can drive from the loud, congested streets of New York City to the quiet, cobbled streets of Montreal. Just head straight north on I-87 until the road signs change from English to French. Sure, you could fly to Montreal, but you’ll miss out on an incredible journey through the mountains of New York State and Quebec.
The best time of year for a road trip to Montreal from New York City is when the fall foliage burns bright in shades of red, orange, and yellow. The drive is picturesque with the fall colors on the mountainside outside of your car window.
Montreal has a cool yet friendly European vibe. The walkable city is a hub for art galleries, delicious restaurants, and a great going-out scene. Best of all, it’s affordable for Americans, with an average of $0.75 USD to $1 Canadian Dollar.
The city is great for a weekend trip, but it’s an even better road trip destination because of the natural beauty that surrounds it. Drive an hour from the city and you’ll hit the Laurentides or the Laurentian Mountains. This northern region is filled with hiking trails, farm-to-table dining experiences, and quaint villages.
The cherry on top for a Planner Friend like myself is that Montreal is group trip-friendly. There are lots of Airbnbs for big groups in the city center, and it’s easy to make reservations at restaurants for a large party. So, pile your 10 closest friends in a car and drive to Montreal this fall.
On the road to Montreal
Your GPS will tell you the drive to Montreal from NYC will be under six hours. Spoiler alert: it won’t be. The traffic to get out of NYC will always take longer than you expect it to.
The drive with stops and a long lunch will take about eight to 10 hours, so if you want to arrive at Montreal in time for a dinner reservation, plan accordingly.
You can stop for lunch in Lake George or Plattsburgh (depending on when you get hungry).
To enjoy the fall foliage with a view, stop in Lake George for lunch at The Lagoon, a casual outdoor spot on the lake.
For a side quest, you can stop in Burlington, Vermont, but it will extend your trip by a few hours.
When you arrive in Montreal, treat yourself to a nice dinner. Some restaurants that you should go to for dinner during your stay are Beatrice, Flyjin, and Pubjelly.
ThatPlannerFriend Tip: Montreal is a popular bachelor/bachelorette destination for Canadians, so restaurants are no strangers to large parties. Remember to make reservations a week in advance.
Friday in Montreal
For your first full day in Montreal, you’re going to explore the heart of the city.
Vieux-Montréal: The Old Town
Vieux-Montréal means Old Montreal in French; this is the historic and oldest part of the city. Start your day at Place Jacques-Cartier, the heart of Old Town. Here, you’ll see the city hall and the Old Port.
Old Port
The Old Port is along the St. Lawrence River. It’s more of a tourist area than where the locals go, but it’s nice to walk around. On the river, you’ll find Montreal’s Clock Tower with a view of the Jacques Cartier Bridge behind it. There’s also a popular ferris wheel that you’ve probably seen in lots of photos of Montreal. You can ride it for $28 CAD (about $20 USD).
Rue Saint Paul
Rue Saint Paul is one of the main historic streets in Old Town. It’s lined with shops, bars, and lots and lots of art galleries. Go gallery hopping and visit Galerie LeRoyer and Galerie Beauchamp.
Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal
The Notre Dame of Montreal is the thing to see in the city. While the outside looks like any other Catholic church, the inside is beautiful with ornate design. It costs $16 CAD per person to enter (approximately $12 USD), but you can receive a discount by purchasing 10 tickets together if you’re part of a large group.
At night, the basilica hosts a light show, illuminating the interior. Tickets for the light show are separate and more expensive.
Shopping in downtown on Rue Saint Catherine
Rue Saint Catherine is the main commercial shopping street. It’s in downtown Montreal, which is a stark contrast to the cobblestone streets of Old Town. Even if shopping isn’t your thing, walk down the street to get a feel for the modern downtown.
Saturday in Montreal
Rise and shine! It’s time to explore the more local neighborhoods of the city, starting with Mile End.
Bagel crawl
The Montreal bagel rivals the New York bagel. We’ll start the day by tasting the city’s best bagels. Montreal-style bagels are smaller with a bigger hole and a touch of sweetness. The bagels are wood-fired and dipped in cream cheese. Bagel sandwiches aren’t really a thing here.
The two spots to hit are St.-Viateur Bagel and Fairmount Bagel. Go to St.-Viateur first. The line might be long, but it moves fast. There’s a delicious Italian coffee shop, Cafe Olimpico, around the corner from St.-Viateur, where you can get a cup of coffee to wait in line with. Get a bag of bagels and a tub of cream cheese for your group. Save your cream cheese for the next stop.
ThatPlannerFriend Tip: There are two St.-Viateur locations on the same street. The original location will have a longer line, but both locations are owned by the same people, so you can go to whichever has the shorter line.
Fairmont Bagel is about a 10-minute walk away from St. Viateur. Because Fairmont only has one location, there’s typically a longer line, but it doesn’t mean it’s better. I’ll let you decide your favorite.
Both bagel spots are cash only. Make sure to take out Canadian dollars before your bagel crawl. Each bagel is under $2, so $20 for a big group is more than enough.
Secondhand shopping on Saint Laurent Boulevard
After breakfast, go shopping on Saint Laurent Boulevard. There are a bunch of fun and well-curated secondhand shops.
Little Italy
Walk all the way up the street through Little Italy. You’ll see all the Italian businesses along the street. You can stop at Cafe Ferlucci for an affogato.
Marché Jean Talon
You’ll end your walking tour of Little Italy at Marché Jean Talon, an open-air farmers market. It’s one of North America’s largest markets. Along with fresh produce, the market has a food stand section with vendors serving everything from Canadian poutine to French crepes.
After lunch, go back to your hotel or Airbnb to get ready for golden hour at Mont Royal.
Hike Mont Royal
Mont Royal Park is home to Montreal’s best views and hiking trails within the city. The park sits on a hill that overlooks downtown. To reach the top of the hill, go to the corner of Pine Ave and Peel St to go up the Grand Staircase of Mont Royal to Kondiaronk Belvedere.
Sunday in the outskirts
It’s time to get out of town and back into nature. The base of the Laurentian Mountains, or Laurentides in French, is an hour outside of Montreal. You’ll get the day started on a hike and visit a village afterward.
Hike Montagne Verte
For amazing views of fall foliage, hike the Green Mountain Loop. The trail takes about one hour round trip, but you’ll want to give yourself two hours to enjoy the views at the top. It’s a great hike for large groups with people of all levels of experience and physical fitness.
It’s a two-hour drive to reach Montagne Verte, but it’s the furthest point on our adventure. From here, we’ll work our way back to Montreal.
Mont Tremblant Village
After the hike, explore one of the nearby towns like Mont Tremblant. There are two towns on Mont Tremblant: Mont Tremblant Village and Mont Tremblant Resort. The village is the one with the lake in the middle of town, while the resort is the ski town with chalets.
During a busy weekend, Mont Tremblant Resort can feel like a tourist trap with crowded streets. We went on the weekend of Canadian Thanksgiving, so it was packed.
ThatPlannerFriend Tip: If you visit during Canadian Thanksgiving (the second Monday of October), be prepared for congestion in the Laurentides.
Another cool place to visit in the Laurentides is Sentier des cimes Laurentides, an observation platform above the trees.
Back to NYC
On your last day, hit any spots you missed in Montreal, then pile back into the car for the journey to NYC.
Some spots to hit before you leave the city that aren’t included in this guide but are well worth your time are Plateau Mont-Royal and Griffintown.
On your way across the border, stop at the duty-free shop to stock up on Canadian maple syrup and other goodies at good prices.
As you drive back down through the Adirondacks and Catskills, you can stop for lunch. Some cities to stop at along I-87 are Plattsburgh, Lake George, and Kingston.
Where to stay
Ville-Marie is the main central area that encompasses Old Town, downtown, and the area east of Mont Royal. Other good places to stay within walking distance from the center are Plateau Mont Royal and Griffintown.
A good point of reference is seeing how long it would take you to walk to Old Town from the place you’re looking to book your stay at.
When to go
Fall is the best time to make this drive because you’re driving through fall foliage, making an already scenic drive even better. The crisp fall air is also great for exploring the city of Montreal.
The foliage will change depending on the time of month, elevation, and location you’re at. So while the Adirondacks might not peak until later in mid-October. The Laurentides will peak in early October.
Remember, the changing of the leaves depends on many environmental factors, shifting from year to year, so these are just estimates. You can expect the further you go north and the higher the elevation, the earlier the leaves will change and fall.
To avoid traffic, try to avoid the weekend of Canadian Thanksgiving (the second weekend in October). It can make your day trip up to the Laurentides twice as long.
Renting a car
The most affordable place to rent a car in New York City is from LaGuardia Airport. You can rent a car for less than $100 per day. To save yourself the hassle, pick up the car the day before your trip so you can just get up and go.
Make sure to tell the travel agency of your plans to cross the border into Montreal. Crossing the border is very simple; they’ll just ask you a couple of questions. Don’t forget to bring your passport.
Getting around Montreal
Montreal is a walkable city with public transportation that prioritizes pedestrians over cars.
When you arrive in Montreal, you’re going to park your car and not use it until you go on a day trip outside of the city. If you search for parking on Maps, you’ll see lots of paid options. Clicknpark is a network of private garages and lots that you can pay for through an app.
While Montreal has a great public transportation system, Uber is so affordable that it’s hard to resist just ordering a car.
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