I would not recommend driving in Montreal. It is confusing and expensive. I'm going to take the train from Ottawa, but taking the train from New York is a 11+ hour ride. I'm told it's very pretty! There are also coaches (Flixbus / Greyhound / etc) but I have no experience with those. You can rent a bicycle by the minute: https://bixi.com/en/ Scooters are probably not available to rent during winter. Beer ==== The closest brewer to the conference is Benelux. They don't open until mid-afternoon, but the Provigo grocery store across the street sells their beer if they're not open. It's not generally legal to drink on the street; take the beer back to the hotel before opening it. Other worthwhile breweries include Dieu de Ciel, 4 Origines, Saint Bock, Brewsky and McAuslan (aka St Ambroise). Don't be afraid to use the metro to visit them. There are many pubs on Crescent and de la Montagne streets; most will serve local beer. Cans of beer are readily available at corner shops (referred to as "dep", short for Depanneur). Molson is headquartered in Montreal. It is not usually considered local beer. Food ==== Montreal prides itself on food. Classic dishes include poutine, smoked meat and tourtiere. As a major city, there is plenty of international food. Montreal and New York have different styles of bagels from each other and much ink has been spilled on the subject of which is superior; try St Viateur or Fairmont for a fair example of Montreal bagels. There is also fierce competition as to whether Quebec, Ontario or Vermont produces the best maple syrup. You should probably find a Cabane a Sucre / Sugar Shack to form an opinion of your own, eg https://www.parcjeandrapeau.com/en/urban-sugar-shack-spring-restaurant-sainte-helene-bistro-terrace-montreal/ Outside ======= We're going to be there in March. It could be -30C or +20C. Montreal has an underground city (RESO) which has shops and restaurants, as well as being a sheltered route between office towers and the metro. There's an entrance at Union street, just two blocks from the hotel. https://www.mtl.org/en/experience/guide-underground-city-shopping (yes, that is a chunk of the Berlin wall in the picture) If the weather is clement, Mont Royal is a popular destination, but it can be icy and not much fun at this time of year. The Lachine canal may be a better bet, or you can walk or cycle on the Formula 1 circuit on Ile Notre Dame. It's not the Nurburgring; while you can drive on it, the speed limit is 30kph. A more unusual route would be the Samuel De Champlain bridge Multiuse Path which is some of the best tarmac in the city (but ends on an unsurfaced path that connects to the Formula 1 circuit). The local sport is hockey. The Habs are not having a good year, so you may be able to buy tickets to a game. The Colorado Avalanche are in town on Saturday 22nd; otherwise you should be able to watch a game in a pub. Women's hockey is gaining in popularity, and the Montreal Victoire are playing Toronto at Place Bell at noon on Sunday 23rd. St Catherine, St Laurent & St Denis are the major shopping streets. There are markets at Atwater and Jean Talon. The Vieux Port area is full of tourist tat (but maybe you want a sweatshirt with Montreal written on it). The Biodome and Biosphere are both worth a visit. There's also a planetarium, the Musee des Beaux Arts and the botanic gardens. I like the Archaeology museum.
