So, this girl I’ve been seeing, who it looks like has good chances of actually becoming my bone fide girlfriend, and I are headed to Montreal for a day trip tomorrow. She really wants to go to the biodome (mostly for the penguins,) and we both want to go to the Museum of Fine Arts.
So, the first question is what’s the best way to get around? Should we just find some parking lot (it seems the biodome has its own parking lot,) and use bus/the metro (that’s what they call the subway, yes?) Or are they close enough that I can park at the biodome and walk to the museum? I drove around Montreal once like a year and a half ago, and while it wasn’t too bad, I’d still prefer to to it as little as possible.
Also, having been burned from Mapquest and its ilk before, what’s the best way to get to those places? (I’ll be coming in across the Champlain, it looks like.)
Secondly, anything else important we should see? I doubt we’ll have time, as we won’t get there until early afternoon (thank you for being open late, Museum of Fine Arts,) but I figure it’s worth asking on the off chance there’s something cool between the biodome and the museum.
The subway (Metro) is definitely the easiest way to get around. You can buy a one-day pass and zip around all day, but because it’s the non-touristy-season, you can only buy them at a handful of downtown stations. The biodome is at the Viau Metro station on the green line, and the museum is closer to Guy-Concordia station, on the same line. It’s definitely not a walkable distance between the two. I’m sorry I can’t help with parking/driving advice, since I only ever take public transit in town! I guess it would be smartest to park someplace downtown, in a lot, and buy a pass in one of those Metro stations for your travels.
matt_mcl has a whole website about the Montreal Metro system and it’s worth looking at as a preview.
Definitely drive through the Champlain islands. It is a beautiful drive even in wintertime. Think of where you are going to have dinner (Old Port?) and park there so you don’t have to trek to your car after dinner. Ditto if you plan to stay there late (clubbing or whatever), remember that the Metro closes early (1 am? 3?) so plan on being by your car.