Yesterday I was able to spend a little time exploring the city and using their public transit. Montréal has a large system of busses, subways and commuter rails known as la Société de transport de Montréal (STM). Tip: full-time students can get a reduced fare transit card. Just bring your passport or other (non-school) id with you to 1717 Rue Berri, Montréal, QC H2L 4E9 (this is a bus terminal for intercity lines near Berri-UQAM station). If you are older than 18, however, only monthly passes are discounted. Public transit is the best way to get around Montréal and locals and visitors alike use it.
The métro is the easiest and fastest method to get around the city. There are four lines. UdeM has access via the Blue Line at Édourad-Montpetit and Université-de-Montréal stations.
The trains are fast and transfers are very easy with little wait time (about 10 mins at most during the day). Nonetheless, it could still take close to an hour if your destination is far from your original station or you have multiple transfers. One thing to note is that (unfortunately), only select stations on the orange and green lines are accessible to those with disabilities (look for ascenseur on the map).
The bus system is a bit more complex. Most busses run fairly quickly and throughout the day. I recommend downloading the Transit app to get reliable schedules and real-time locations of the bus (the STM website is not particularly easy to use). One caveat is that there is no central terminus for busses (like Kennedy Plaza for RIPTA) so most transfers must be done in the middle of lines. The Transit app or Google Maps can give you reliable directions and let you know where to get off and back onto a different bus. The busses are less convenient than the metro and can get very crowded. A lot of times it will be standing-room only, so be mindful of any stuff you bring onto the bus (the set-ups are not like American busses, there are rows of seats along the sides of the bus and large reserved sections for the elderly, families with small children, and people with disabilities).
One of the neighboorhoods that I was able to visit yesterday was La Petite Italie (Little Italy), close to the university and downtown.
This neighboorhood, right off of the de Castelnau metro station, is a charming little area with many small shops and restaurants. The atmosphere is a lot like Federal Hill in Providence. There are several Italian and Hispanic grocery stores and high-end ristoranti with sidewalk terraces. Dressing-up is a must if you’re planning to eat out in this neighboorhood. Bodegas (dépanneurs in Québec French) are on every street corner and sell a variety of everyday goods.
I stopped into Pile Ou Glace Gelateria on Boul St Laurent for a summertime treat.
I definately recommend this shop: friendly staff, good prices (about $3 USD for a small cup), even better food and outdoor seating.
The neighboorhood ends near Rue Beaubien at le Parc de la Petite-Italie (Little Italy Park), a nice spot where locals relax and play sports like basketball and a large church that has been converted into apartments. At the park, there is actually a fully-operational phone-booth. Unlike the US where payphones have become obsolete, they are everywhere in Montréal ! An interesting cultural difference is that people here actually allow their children to go alone on the streets. Given the serious problems with gun violence in the US, this is nearly unthinkable in most major cities there.
One important tip for American travelers: Try to blend in as best you can with the locals and do not make yourself stick out. From this vandalism that I saw on the train, it’s clear that anti-US sentiment is high right now because of Trump’s deeply problematic words and actions.
Anthony à Montréal 