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Montreal Travel Guide: 747 Airport Bus, Old Montreal Cobbles, and Mount Royal Views

Set on an island at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers around the triple-peaked hill of Mount Royal (Mont-Royal), Montreal pairs 17th- and 19th-century grey limestone lanes in Vieux-Montréal with spiral-staircase neighbourhoods on the Plateau and Mile End.

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STM 747 Airport Express Bus and Zone A transit passes

Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) connects 24 hours a day to Lionel-Groulx Metro station (transfer across the same platform to the Green or Orange Line) and downtown along Boulevard René-Lévesque to Berri-UQAM on the STM 747 Express bus.

Important boarding rule: the 747 bus requires a $11 24-hour All Modes Zone A pass (or a 3-day pass), which you must purchase before boarding at the STM machines inside the airport arrivals hall (cash coins are not accepted on the airport bus, and that same 24-hour pass then covers all Montreal Metro and bus rides for a full day).

  • Buy the $11 24-hour All Modes Zone A pass at the YUL airport STM machine before boarding the 747 bus.
  • Get off the 747 bus at Lionel-Groulx (first stop, 20-25 min) for an easy cross-platform transfer onto the Orange or Green Metro line.
  • Inside the city, the Orange Line connects Old Montreal (Place-d’Armes / Champ-de-Mars) directly to the Plateau (Mont-Royal) and Jean-Talon Market.

Sources: Tourisme Montréal: The most Instagrammable spots in Montréal

Choosing between Vieux-Montréal (Old Montreal), Downtown / Quartier des Spectacles, and Le Plateau / Mile End

Vieux-Montréal puts cobblestone streets, Place Jacques-Cartier, the Old Port, and Notre-Dame Basilica right outside your door in historic stone warehouses. Just uphill, Downtown and the Quartier des Spectacles connect directly to the Green Line, museums, and the indoor Underground City (RÉSO).

North of Sherbrooke Street along the Orange Line, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal and Mile End offer wrought-iron exterior spiral staircases, wood-fired bagel bakeries, and leafy residential squares.

  • Vieux-Montréal: historic limestone architecture and early morning walks before day crowds.
  • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal & Mile End: neighbourhood cafés, bakeries, and Parc La Fontaine.
  • Downtown / Quartier des Spectacles: central Metro hub and immediate access to Mount Royal trails.

Sources: Tourisme Montréal: The most Instagrammable spots in Montréal

Two-day Old Montreal & Old Port and Mount Royal & Plateau/Mile End route

Day one explores Vieux-Montréal starting on Place d’Armes to enter the blue-and-gold starry nave of Notre-Dame Basilica, walks down Saint-Paul Street past Bonsecours Market and Place Jacques-Cartier to the Old Port clock tower and Bota Bota floating spa, and visits the archaeological vaults beneath Pointe-à-Callière.

Day two climbs the Peel Street or Olmsted trail (or takes Bus 11 from Mont-Royal Metro) up to the Kondiaronk Belvedere on Mount Royal for the sweeping panorama over Downtown and the St. Lawrence River, then walks through the colourful townhouses of Saint-Louis Square into Le Plateau and Mile End (comparing warm sesame bagels at St-Viateur and Fairmount) before browsing Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy.

  • Day 1: Notre-Dame Basilica at Place d’Armes, Rue Saint-Paul, Place Jacques-Cartier, Old Port, and Pointe-à-Callière.
  • Day 2: Mount Royal (Kondiaronk Belvedere), Square Saint-Louis, Mile End bagel walk, and Jean-Talon Market.
  • Architecture & park option: Jean-Drapeau metro to the Biosphere geodesic dome or Olympic Park & Botanical Garden.

Sources: Tourisme Montréal: The most Instagrammable spots in Montréal

Summer festival street closures, October foliage, and the winter RÉSO network

From late May through September, Montreal transforms major arteries such as Rue Sainte-Catherine and Avenue du Mont-Royal into car-free pedestrian summer boulevards lined with outdoor terrasses. Late September and October light up Mount Royal’s Olmsted trails with red and gold sugar maples.

During deep winter freezes (December to March), use the 33-kilometre heated Underground Pedestrian Network (RÉSO) linking Downtown Metro stations, shopping halls, and museums.

  • Book daytime timed tickets for Notre-Dame Basilica (or evening AURA light-show tickets) online in advance.
  • Bring a few Canadian dollars in cash for historic Mile End bagel ovens (St-Viateur).
  • Take Bus 11 from Mont-Royal station up to the Mount Royal chalet if you want to skip the steep staircase climb.

Sources