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You don’t swipe your own credit card, or give it to restaurant staff to run it for you. They pull out a old-timey calculator type device which you can even punch in the percent tip on it, then hand it back to the vendor. This was with hotels, cab drivers, tourist shops, everywhere.
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It doesn’t HURT to learn some French, but if you are too lazy to do so, everyone is extremely friendly and speaks English. Your token effort to try and say a few things in the language is greatly appreciated, and builds rapport and maybe a few shared chuckles, nonetheless. But again, if you cant, its not a big deal (Ive heard this is NOT the case everywhere else in Quebec----maybe someone from there can confirm or deny!).
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Downtown Montreal is vibrant, young, energetic with amazing architecture. A few miles outside downtown its bland, with a lot of graffiti and construction projects everywhere.
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Despite how much Canadiens laugh at us Americans, there were a surprising amount of homeless people in Montreal.
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Most bars and restaurants are open air in the summer. This sucked because it was in the 90s last week when I was there.
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If you are forced to check in a wheeled carry-on bag, you must pick it up upon arrival in Montreal at a garage door like opening in the tunnel away from the plane; same deal dropping it off----unlike the US where you drop it off and pick it right before you get on and off the plane.
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During baseball season, Toronto Blue Jays games are on in every sports bar. Yet Montrealers long for the return of the Expos, and you can still find Expos merchandise everywhere. Say what you want about attendance, Montrealers feel the Expos are a big part of the city’s legacy (and Ill be happy to debate why they SHOULD come back on another thread, BTW)
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It pays to get Canadian cash upon arrival. While the exchange rate is 30%, bars will usually only give you 20, and there was a gas station that would only give dollar for dollar. I used my credit card to buy $66 CA at a souvenir shop, and I shudder to think how badly that will be converted in my favor. Bottom line: don’t expect to get the exchange rate if you use American dollars— this is Montreal, not Mexico.
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Did I mention how friendly everyone is? Great city, great people! I love THE people of Montreal!
I love Montreal. One of my favorite places.
I wonder if wearing a Nats jersey would go over poorly.
Probably. But that’s just because the Nats blow.
Apparently my high school French accent is beyond dismal. The one time I tried using French in Montreal “un vin blanc, s’il vous plait”, the waitress just stared at me in polite bewilderment. After a couple of repetitions, I just asked for a glass of white wine and all was well. I have never felt less worldly.
I didn’t realize the Expos were no more. I just checked the Wikipedia article to learn they’re now the Washington Nationals. I suppose I don’t follow baseball very much. I also realize that their logo looks like a pair of cock-and-balls rubbing up against each other, although I won’t mention that if I’m ever in Montreal (and it really is on my bucket list).
When I lived in the Toronto area for a while, a lot of the local natives taught me about their “cereal box French.” What types of things did you try to say to the locals? It sounds like it went down well.
When the Nats play in Seattle, they always get a big turnout of fans from Montreal. There are a lot of Expos fans who follow the Nats and it’s not that uncommon to see Expos gear at Nats games. Also, a lot of the Nats administrative offices are still in Montreal, I have a season plan and I get mail from the Nats with a Montreal return address.
I love Montreal as well. In my youth we used to go up a few times a year, just to bring back a case of Brador, since it’s only a couple of hours from here. I don’t remember even being asked for ID at the border in those days. We must have been, but it was such a small thing that I don’t even remember it.
I’ve spent a couple vacations in Quebec - mostly Quebec City, but a bit of Montreal, Mount Tremblant, and other smaller towns. I found that as soon as they found out we were Americans, English was fine. They were, however, pissy at the thought of other Canadians not speaking French.
Last time we went, about 2 years ago, we couldn’t get anyone to even speak French to us, which was a bummer because we wanted the practice.
I was in Montreal last year and greeted people in French and said please and thank you in French, which is nearly the limit of my French skills. Most people seemed to find it amusing. I assume my accent is atrocious but luckily they seemed good natured about it and switched to English after a brief grimace and chuckle.
I just roll with it proudly. I speak English with a bad French accent, think Inspector Clouseau, and they usually pretend I’m speaking perfectly. I think about them telling their friends about their experiences with the worst French speaker in the world.
No, you’re correct. Back in those days you did not have to show ID most of the time. You would be asked what your citizenship was, where you were going, what you were bringing into the respective country, and how long you were staying.
I lived in a border town back then and wet over to Michigan quite often.
Probably not. I didn’t even have to show ID coming in from Mexico until more recent security tightenings.
Interesting. I know some other franchise movings have caused some bitterness. Or so i hear. See Cleveland and the Ravens.
What’s the connection to Seattle?
I have Grade 9 French, tops. One time in Montreal I asked at a restaurant “Pardon moi, ou est la salle de bain, sil vous plait?” (Excuse me, where is the bathroom, please?) The server answered me in French but when I just looked at him wide-eyed he said in English “Upstairs on the left.” 
Nice to see some Montreal love in this thread. 
I love living here.
Yes, most people in Montreal can speak English, and aren’t resentful about it.
I was wondering the same thing. Expos fans showing when the Nats are in Boston, I could see. But Seattle? Does British Columbia have a large population of ex-Montrealers?
I think Expo fanship covered a lot of Canada and fans from Canada come down to see Nats when they are that close.
In Montreal, you can always get service in English, and usually (but not always) without attitude. Outside of Montreal, you can usually get by in English, but there are many areas where this is not the case.