My Favourite City in all of Canada

I would say that I am a well-travelled woman. I was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I have travelled almost across Canada from its most Western point Victoria, British Colombia, all the way up to Quebec City, Quebec. I have travelled to various cities and states in the United States of America. I have travelled to numerous cities in Mexico. I have visited England. I have been to France. I spent a week in Italy. I did half a month in Spain. I spent several months in Serbia and in Montenegro.

But somewhere, somehow along the way I fell madly in love with Montreal, and I simply cannot get enough of it. My heart is in Montreal, and I am living 250 kilometres, two hours away. Although, I will not complain, as I could be on the opposite end of the coutry, right?

I moved to Ottawa, Ontario, the capital of Canada, located in the eastern part of the country, when I was 15 years old. My first time in Montreal? Well, you would be quite surprised considering that Montreal is only a two hour bus-ride away from Ottawa. My first time going to Montreal was when I was 18 years old.

I went at the very beginning of the month of August in 2015. I was going to the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival. You can read all about my amazing experience at Osheaga Music and Arts Festival here.

The quickest and easiest way to get to Montreal from Ottawa is by taking the bus. It takes two hours. But depending on weather and traffic, it can take two and a half hours, or very rarely, three hours. If you book your bus tickets early enough, they will cost you $20 or less. So book early!

I was going to Montreal for the first time with my younger brother. One of my best childhood friends lives in Montreal and attends McGill University. This worked well for my brother and I, as we did not have to spend any money on accommodation. However, if you are looking for accommodation in Montreal, I would strongly recommend AirBnB, because you can rent a room, or even an entire apartment for as little at $20CAD a night, compared to at least $100CAD for a hotel room.

If you are looking for accommodation for a semester or a whole academic year, you should not worry. Rent in Montreal is incredibly cheap, and the apartments you can rent for a little amount of money can be ridiculously nice and modern. Be sure to look around! Two area that I would suggest renting if you are a student would be Le Plateau and Mile End. Those two boroughs are very hipster, modern, and young! Many students live here as well. It is possible to live alone in Montreal, as it is an affordable city. However, living with friends or new roommates can be just as fun and even cheaper. Which means more money for cafes, bars, clubs, museums, and festivals, of course!

*For accommodation, if you are only planning to stay and study for a semester, or for half the year, then I would recommend living in a residence, or looking for a place to live well in advance before you arrive to Montreal. Most landlords in Montreal are only willing to sing year-long leases. But, I would say that it is much better to stay in Montreal for a whole year, rather than just a few months. This way, you can truly get to know the city, and significantly improve your French, and maybe even your English!

Being a student is the most affordable in Montreal, because many things are heavily subsidised for students. Transportation passes for students are much cheaper than in other Canadian cities. Many attractions around the city, such as museums and symphony performances, have special student pricing, which makes it tht much easier for young people to become educated and cultured for a very small cost.

Student life in Montreal is a dream. It is just like they show on television. Montreal's campuses are all so gorgeous, especially McGill's campus and UQAM's campus. There are in the centre of downtown Montreal, so you will always have somewhere to go, and you will always have something to do. There are so many cute hipster cafes, restaurants, and bars everywhere in Montreal. I can promise you that you will never be bored in Montreal.

There are so many cafes and restaurants that have a cute theme, and that are absolutely Instagram worthy. For example, there is a Cat Cafe in Montreal where you can drink coffee, eat sweets, talk with your friends, and pet cats at the same time! If you are feeling a nice and beachy California vibe that day, then you can always head on over to Venice. It is a California, Venice Beach themed restaurant. I must also note that eating out is much less expensive in Montreal than it is in other Canadian cities such as Toronto, Ottawa, or Vancouver. Be aware, eating out anywhere does eventually add up, so be sure to buy your own groceries and cook your own meals as much as you possibly can!

There are also lots of museums in and around Montreal. The most known and popular ones are the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art. They always have very good student pricing. The Museum of Contemporary Art even has museum club nights, where they basically turn the museum into a cool nightclub where you can drink, dance, look at art, and even make some of your own art.

There are also more science-oriented museums, like the Montreal Biodome, as well at the Planetarium. The Planetarium has amazing and interactive films that really educate you a lot about Earth, other planets, outer-space, and the universe! The Planetarium was a great experience!

These are only a few museums that I know of. However, there are tons more.

Montreal is also the city of festivals. Whether it be art, food, music, animals, or just something fun to do. If it is a thing, Montreal probably has a festival for it. The best part about all these festivals is that the majority of them are free of cost, or very cheap. This means that almost everybody can participate!

But really, Montreal is known for hosting some of the best and most unique music festivals in the entire country. It hosts music festivals in the summer like Ile Sonique, Osheaga, and Picnik Electonique. It also has BeachClub, which is literally a party beach where artists like David Geutta, Tiesto, and Steve Aoki come. You are bound to see a famous person perform if you live in Montreal for a year. Most outdoor music festivals take place in the summer, right? Well, Montreal actually has a super cool outdoor music festival in the winter called IglooFest! Tons of igloos, ice sculptures, hot chocolate, and cabanes a sucres to keep you entertained! And the good DJ's will keep you bouncing and dancing all night long, so you will not even feel the cold!

That is really what took me aback when I visited Montreal for a mere three days. There was just so much to see, and so much to do. You really have to live in Montreal to experience everything that this incredible city has to offer.

Just walking around the streets and boroughs of Montreal is like visiting an art gallery. Montreal has this urban, yet old vibe to it. Montreal is not flashy and glamorous like Los Angeles, or New York City. I would argue that Montreal is, in fact, slightly run down and a little bit ghetto. However, it is this unkemptness of Montreal that gives it that romantic charm. This what makes Montreal beautiful. It is difficult to explain unless you see it for yourself. I know that you too will also fall in love with the graffiti on the walls of buildings and the smell of cigarettes everywhere.

Despite this, Montreal is also an incredibly safe city. At no point have I ever felt unsafe or in danger in Montreal. Ottawa, and Gatineau on the other hand, can be quite dangerous at times. Many women even feel comfortable walking through Montreal at night by themselves. Moreover, Montreal is a rather busy city. Therefore, there are always people out, regardless of the day of the week. The streets are always busy, even at 1:00AM on a Thursday. So, God forbid, if something bad were to happen, somebody would definitely see it. However, it is rare that you will be alone in Montreal, as people here are very friendly, and it is very easy to make a lot of friends. Most people in Montreal go out together in groups!

Montreal is also a party city. Most nightclubs and bars are open seven days a week. This is extremely rare in Canada, especially in a government city like Ottawa. In Montreal, partying is not just limited to Friday and Saturday. There is always a party somewhere in Montreal. Yes, this is amazing. But, be careful, because Montreal can be dangerous. It can be dangerous in the sense that it is almost too easy to get sucked into the party life, thus losing focus on school and work.

Yes, Montreal does, in fact, boast the best university in Canada, as well others that are some of the best in Canada. McGill University is the top university in Canada, and one of the best in the entire world. It is safe to say that Montreal is quite an educated city. On the other hand, Montreal does also have one of the highest first-year-student dropout rates in the entire country, and most of the dropouts are due to course failure due to too much partying. So remember, you are here to study and learn! Do not get too distracted!

Montreal universities, especially McGill University and Concordia University, are known for having amazing frosh weeks. Frosh week is the week before, and sometimes part of it is during the first week of university. It is basically an entire week full of alcohol, partying, games, concerts, and making new friends! Unlike other universities in other cities, anyone can join a frosh and have fun! At most other universities in other cities, Frosh is only limited to first year students and new transfer students. If you want to kick off your semester abroad, or your year-long exchange the right way, then it is in your best interest to participate in a frosh week! You will have the time of your life, start off university right, and make tons of friends!

Drinking and smoking are the norm in Montreal, as are drugs. It is not hard to get sucked into the Montreal underground after-party scene, and get sucked into drugs. Please do be careful if you are doing such things, because it is very hard to get out once you are in.

Montreal, like every big city, has a lot of sketchy things about it. As long as you steer clear of all that negative stuff, I am sure that you will be fine. In a way, living in Montreal will definitely make you more street-smart, and that is a good thing to have, wherever you may be!

Do not let this scare you, though. It is simply a warning, but it is also very, very common sense. Especially to anyone that has ever lived in a larger city.

All in all, I am absolutely in love with the city of Montreal. I would be lying if I said I did not think about it everyday. I would also be lying if I told you that I am not always planning my next visit to Montreal. Montreal is a city made for students and young people. Even though it is one of the oldest, if not the oldest city in Canada, it is still very modern, fresh, and hip. The vibes are always good. You too will eventually find the spots and places that you will love. You'll find an amazing friend group, and you will live some of the best experiences of your life. And, you will also probably fall in love with a Montrealer. Do not worry, legend has it that they are the best lovers in the whole country. Maybe having descendants from France is part of it? Who knows.

You will never want to leave Montreal, and that is a guarantee.

If you are debating where to come do an exchange in Canada, pick Montreal. You will not regret it,

Have fun, dance, get drunk, fall in love, and do not forget to study.