Mon voyage à Montréal (et aux États-Unis)

I wasn’t sure whether or not I was going to come to Montreal. I have been feeling under the weather for a little while now and I just wanted to stay in bed when the alarm went off. I stayed in bed for 10 minutes past the alarm and decided to get up and shower – still not knowing whether or not I was going to come here.

I headed to the station and then to the airport. For some weird reason, I decided I would get to the airport 4.5 hours before my flight. I won’t be doing that again. The time dragged so much.

It finally came time to board and we had to wait for an extra hour before we started to taxi. No reason was given for it either. It was weird.

The flight over was ok for the most part – minus the crying babies and the plane rocking turbulence on the way and then the plane rocking turbulence on the way down for landing. I wasn’t a fan at all.

We disembarked and I just made my way to immigration so I could get out of the airport and on the bus. I just wanted to be at the hostel so I could relax.

Immigration had other ideas. The lady asked why I was in Canada. What I did for work. How long I was staying. Why my passport was brand new. What was I going to be doing here. If I had friends and family in Montreal. She then sent me off to the desk for extra screening. That lady asked all the same questions, but she wanted to see proof of onward tickets, journeys I said I was going to be doing, accommodation.

I went out and got some Root Beer and then went and got my tickets for the bus and went to the queue to wait for it. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait too long for the bus. I got on and managed to get a seat.

I just sat back and enjoyed the scenery of Montreal. The hostel said it was a short walk from where the bus dropped off – what they failed to mention was that it was up a hill and some stairs and then down another hill. Cheeky.

I checked in and then went out to find some drinks and souvenirs. I managed to speak with Addy for about 10 minutes. Whilst I am here, I will be 12 hours behind him.

I found a store to get some drinks and then I found some poutine and just headed back to the hostel. I have a walking tour booked in tomorrow, so I want to try and sleep a little before I have to get up early tomorrow.

I went to try and sleep, but the rain and wind were so loud. They call it a Squall (a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed that lasts for several minutes, rather than just a few seconds). It was so fun to watch and listen to.

Montreal

Quebec City

Ottawa

Burlington

Day 2 › Montreal

Today was not so much of an early start, thankfully. I am so done with early starts. I just want to get up around 08:30 every day and do my stuff. It’s so tiring waking up early.
I got ready and headed out to meet the tour guide for the walking tour. The meeting point was about a mile from the hostel. I left with enough time so I could just slowly wander to the metro and then slowly wander to the meeting point.
I did just that too. I took a slow walk to the metro and snapped a couple of buildings in the area.
I got inside the station (sadly, it was not cold inside; it was warm and humid) and waited for the train. The metro here is strange. The cars run on rails but also have wheels that guide them too. It’s strange. I guess one of the things you notice when you leave early and have time.
I got the metro to Bonaventure station and just took a slow walk out. There were some pretty cool buildings and churches here too.
Since I was early, I had a walk around the park and around the square. The square is called Dorchester Square and this was the meeting point for the tour. I had to message the guide asking if the tour was still on because he wasn’t there at the time the app told us to be there. I got no response. I was just about to walk off and then he showed up. He was 10 minutes late. I wasn’t impressed.
The tour took us from the park, through underground Montreal and then to Old Montreal. The weather was so hot too. It was already 30 at 10:30. I didn’t really take much in from this tour. What I did hear was the numerous times he compared Montreal to Lima (his home city). That got boring pretty quick.
I don’t know why I keep doing the walking tours. I mean, I do. I want to be able to see the main points and get some pictures. I can never take in the history or the facts anymore. It’s annoying because I used to be able to remember what was said on the tours.
One thing the guide did say to look out for were bricks that had cat paw prints on them. He said when they made bricks back in the day, they needed to dry outside. He also said that there was a mouse infestation and that cats were needed to keep the areas free from mice and it is the cats chasing them (apparently) that is the reason for the paw prints.
In the absence of more information from the tour, I will post the route we took and some pictures from the tour.

Once we were done with the tour, he lined us up and said he wanted a $30.00 tip. I just walked off. The tours are pay what you feel and demanding a tip of that amount was not happening – couple that with him being late and unresponsive too.
I left the tour here and walked up by the Notre Dame cathedral (I didn’t go in because it costs $16.00 and I’m not a fan of giving religion my money). I decided at this point I would get some food and I went to the A&W fast food place here and had a chicken burger and copious amounts of root beer.
I decided that I would also get some bus tickets to go to Quebec City tomorrow. It looks really pretty there. I was messaging Addy and said I didn’t want to see all of the main sites today since I had Sunday and then Saturday next week in Montreal. He agreed with me.
I went into the old appeal court here and had a look around just inside. They allow you to do that for free here.
Once I was done here, I headed for the metro (I have to get my money’s worth) and decided I would go to the end of the line and look around. I realised I couldn’t do that as my ticket was only for Zone A and the end of this line was in Zone B.
I got off at a transfer station and got another metro and transferred to another line so I could go to the Walmart here.
It was nice being inside. I forgot how much they stock in the stores here in Canada and the USA. It was also nice to walk around because it was air-conditioned. It was well needed. I was in the bathroom here and someone looked at me and said my face was all red and burnt. Yeah, thanks for that. Now sod off and let me pee in peace!
I got what I wanted for the bus ride tomorrow and then decided I would just head back to the hostel to get cool and also relax for the rest of the night since I have (I know I said I don’t like them, but needs must) an early start tomorrow for the bus to Quebec City.
I took a slow walk back from the metro and it was nice just to take in the sights and sounds of the city on a Friday evening.
I did go into the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours chapel which is next to the hostel. It was nicely decorated inside. It dates from 1771 and is ornate and has quite a few stained glass windows.
Day 3 › Quebec City

Today was a super early start for me so I could go get the 07:00 bus to Quebec City. I know, I don’t know why I do it to myself either. I’m crazy.
I got up at 05:30 and showered and got ready and just headed out to the metro. I know myself well enough to give myself that time. It’s good I did, as I was meandering and taking photos along the way.
I got on at Champ-de-Mars and had to change at Berri UQAM for a train to Papineau. Once I was here, I found a Couche Tard convenience store to get something to eat and drink. The cold drink was lovely. It was already 22 at 06:45. Luckily for me, the store was just a couple of minutes’ walk from the meeting point.
As I was waiting, several others asked each other if they were waiting for the same bus. I heard them and said I was waiting for it too. It should have turned up at 07:00, but it was more like 07:10. We set off and I just enjoyed the journey. It was a journey of around 157m and took a little under 3 hours.
I was expecting a coach, but it was a minibus. I should have realised when I booked the tickets and saw the name was Jaguaride (I kid you not). Anyway, we got there on time and in one piece and the driver even stopped for a comfort break.
We got into the city and we got dropped off at the train station.

I had a look around here first. It’s a pretty cool area. The train station and the building next to it are pretty cool.
I left here and then headed up towards the city. The old city is on top of a hill, so I had to brace myself for that climb. It turned out not to be so bad. As I rounded the corner, I saw a sign that called me: McDonald’s. I went in and got some breakfast. I got a Sausage & Egg McMuffin with a Hash Brown and a large cup for some pop. I opted for root beer. I had 2 cups and I think that was about 2 litres. I felt it later in the day too.
I had stopped at some souvenir stores on the way, but they didn’t have anything that caught my eye.
I left this part of the city and then made my way to the Notre Dame de Quebec to have a look inside and for a little bit of cooler air.
I left here and then headed towards the lookout over the river. As I did, I passed another sign that called my name. It’s just a shame I wasn’t here for longer.
Poutine is delicious. Since I don’t have anything to do tomorrow, I might just sit somewhere and eat poutine! I wasn’t. I don’t want an upset stomach. If I could handle it, I totally would.
I went to the lookout area and I saw a sightseeing bus. I went to ask how much the tickets were. Reader: $50.00 (exclusive of tax). I bought one anyway as it is a good way to see the city. The route takes 105 minutes and they run every 30 minutes. It gave me enough time to do two rounds (once on the right and once on the left) and then time to see the lookout and then get some food and head to the bus station.
I forgot to pick up headphones, so you’ll have to see Quebec from the pictures. You can also see the route we took too.

I got off at the starting point and went to find a cold drink and use the bathroom. I’m way too old these days to be able to hold it in.
I managed to make it back to the bus for the second trip of the day. This time I sat on the left-hand side.
You can see the pictures I took from this side.

Once we got back to the starting point, I had a quick look around this area before heading back to McDonald’s to get some food and then heading for the bus back to Montreal.
I didn’t pull the McDonald’s trick from earlier and just got a medium meal and drink. I didn’t need such a large cup anyway since the refills are free.
I headed back to the bus station and found a souvenir store there (I forgot to mention I found some when I was up at the top of the city). I got a lanyard and asked the owner where they were from. She said she was from Manila, so we had a chat about Manila and Mindanao and I headed into the bus station to wait for the bus.
It turned up on time and we left on time. The journey back was pretty uneventful – except when we got into the city. The traffic was so bad. They are doing some construction near Pont Jacques-Cartier and it took us 30 minutes to cross the bridge. I was more than ready to be off the bus at this point.
I did see a path alongside the road and I am hoping it is a pedestrian path because I would like to cross the bridge. The views from there will be really good too.
We finally made it to the bus station and I walked as fast as I could to get to the metro and then to the hostel.

I was glad when I got back to the hostel as it meant I could take my shoes and socks off and relax in the cooler air. It’s so good being back. Now to turn off the alarm and wake up a little later tomorrow since I have no plans – well, none except laundry and eating.
Day 4 › Montreal

Thankfully, today didn’t start out too early. I was able to sleep until around 08:30. By the time I fully woke up, I decided that I would do the sightseeing bus. Once from the right and once from the left.
I got the metro to near Dorchester Square as I knew this is where the ticket office was. I paid $45.00 for the ticket. The buses run every (depending on who you ask) 15/30 minutes and the route takes 105 minutes. This one was a live commentary. He did the tour in French and English. I’m not sure if I prefer live commentary or pre-recorded. I couldn’t really pay too much attention to the guide. I was mostly trying not to cook in the heat and not focus on the fact I needed to pee because I drank so much before the bus started. This happened the second time round too. I ended up drinking about 1.5l before each bus journey. Thankfully, there are toilets close to the end of the tour that were free to use.
Since I couldn’t really take much in, here’s the route we took and some pictures from the route.

Once we were back at the starting point, I found a toilet and I just made it in time. Thank you, 5G, for letting me use it.
I decided that I would then get back on the bus and dot he tour from the left side. I decided this would be the last time I did it because of how hot it was and how burnt I am. Again, this was live commentary and I couldn’t pay much attention because of the heat. You can have some pictures instead.

Once I was done with this tour, I needed to find a bathroom and I went to one in the mall and got myself a drink. It was lovely and cold and no sooner than I had reached the top of the escalator (about 20 seconds), it was almost gone. 791ml gone in a little over a minute. That’s how hot it has been and how thirsty I was.
I decided to head to the Basilique de Marie-Reine-Du-Monde Cathédrale. It was quite nice inside, but I didn’t get a chance to have a proper look around as there was a christening service starting.
I decided I would just head back to the hostel and then do my laundry ready for tomorrow and then go and get some poutine and then have a relaxing evening. I think I overdid it on the poutine and root beer though. I had 2 portions of poutine and 2 cups of root beer and 2 cups of Sprite.
I was so ready for the bathroom when I got back. I packed and then just relaxed for the rest of the night. I don’t have to be up early tomorrow, so I have set an alarm for 10:00 and then once I am ready, I will just head to the bus station and wait for the bus to Ottawa.
Day 5 › Ottawa
Today wasn’t that much of an early start for me. I woke up about 08:00 and then fell back to sleep for another 90 minutes. It was bliss. I didn’t even have to pack as I did it last night. Yay for me.
I got ready, left the hostel and went to the metro station to go to the bus station. I decided I would just go straight there and wait in there as it was cool and I didn’t want to have to drag my suitcases around with me. I got myself some drinks and something to eat and just sat in the bus station. It was nice to chill and not have to do anything.
The bus turned up and I got on. Sadly, it was pretty full and I had to have someone sit next to me whilst the guy in front refused to let anyone sit next to him. I’m glad he sat on his own because he was a scruff. Picking his nose and flicking it on the floor. He just had one of those trampy looks about him. Yeah, I know. I shouldn’t judge. Fire me!
It took about 2.5 hours to get to Ottawa from Montreal. I just sat back on the bus and enjoyed seeing Canada roll by.

I got off at Tremblay rail station and went for the tram to the stop next to the hostel. I had done a little research beforehand, so it wasn’t entirely new to me. I headed upstairs and then to the hostel. I made a wrong turn and ended up on a bridge and I had to take stairs down to the hostel. If I had kept walking straight, I would have gotten to the hostel without needing stairs. Oh well, you live and learn.
The hostel itself is ok. It is situated in a former jail. I am right on the top floor (9th floor), but luckily the floors are only up half a flight of regular stairs. It has no lift either, so it wasn’t too fun carrying my bags up.
Once I was checked in, I decided I would head out and souvenir and supermarket hunt. I did see there was a Walmart right next to the Blair tram stop. I headed there to get some aloe vera for my arms, head and neck.
I left here and got back on the tram and headed to the end of the line so I could look around and see what it was like. It was quite nice. I came across a convenience store (got myself some pop and a Slushie) and then I saw a church that looked like a Russian or Ukrainian Orthodox Church. I headed in that direction so I could get some pictures.
It turned out to be a Russian Orthodox Church.
I decided to head back towards the tram to go to the city, as I was getting hungry and I also wanted to buy some souvenirs.
As I was walking back, I came across a cute little box that said to make a wish and open it.
I headed back towards the tram and I almost didn’t notice the cute little bunnies that were on the grass next to the path. They were very tame too. They didn’t really move much when people were close by. I decided to take a video and get a couple of pictures.

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I left here and got the tram back to Rideau so I could go and get my souvenirs and some food. I found the souvenirs and I was going to go to McDonald’s but it didn’t have anywhere to sit – at least not that I could see. I couldn’t be bothered to ask anyone, so I went to Subway instead.
Once I was done here, I just headed back to the hostel so I could relax, ready for the walking tour I have booked for tomorrow. I am also trying to decide if I should do a riverboat tour on Wednesday. I guess I’ll see what the weather is like and if the guide tomorrow has any suggestions.
Day 6 › Ottawa
Today was another one of those not-so-early starts and I loved it. I woke up several times in the night because some inconsiderate guest wanted the main light on in case he needed to get out of his bed and go to his locker. I won’t be having that tonight.
Anyway, I digress. I got up and got ready and headed to the store to get something to drink for the tour. It was going to be 3 hours and I didn’t want to be without a drink for that entire length of time.
The meeting point was the war memorial and as I was walking there, a group of older tourists asked me if this was the meeting point for the tour. I told them where I needed to be and said I would imagine all the tours start from there.
I met the guide and we waited for the rest of the group to join us. There were 10 of us in total. Right after we started, 6 of them left. My guess is it was because they were asked to tip at the end and they didn’t want to. Oh well, their loss and it made for a smaller group, so we were able to listen properly. The guide said there were 2 English speakers and 2 French speakers and that she would do the tour in both languages. Multilingual people wind me up because I cannot do it.
We set off on our way and the main sites we saw were:
War Memorial
Flags of Canada
National Arts Centre
Confederation Park
City Hall
Lord Elgin Hotel
Terry Fox Statue
Parliament Hill
Rideau Canal & Locks
Major’s Hill Park
I wish I could remember a fraction of what our guide was telling us, but I really can’t. I have had a headache all day and that has stopped me from processing too much information.
What I do remember is that the tour was good and the guide was good with her information. The views were stunning too – especially those from Parliament Hill overlooking the river.
Below you can see the route we took and some pictures from the tour.

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Once I had left the guide, I was going to walk down the hill and across the river. I wanted to see the sign that shows the boundary between the 2 provinces: Ontario and Quebec. I didn’t realise it, but Ottawa is in Ontario and Quebec. The main part of the city is in Ontario.
I turned around as I was starting to feel unwell and I needed to find a bathroom and then some cold water. Once I had done this, I went to the booth where they were selling tickets for the sightseeing bus and the boat. I booked a ticket for the boat tomorrow at 11:00 (which means another not-so-early start for me. Result). They also suggested that the 11:00 tour would be better because it was due to be hot in the afternoon. I will do 2 laps on the bus tomorrow after the boat. I am looking forward to this because the views from the walking tour were really good.
Once I had done that, I went and got the tram to Bayview (where it meets with line 2) and I took that all the way to the end to Limebank. As I was on the train, I saw a Walmart and decided I would come back here as I wanted some nail clippers and a little gift for Ken (I got him some candy that he likes). I had some food at McDonald’s and it was the worst I have been to (yep, even more so than the one in Kidapawan). It took them 10 minutes to come and serve me and then the drinks weren’t free refills. I was gutted at that because they serve Barq’s root beer and that is the best tasting for me.
I left here and got back on the train to Bayview and sat for 45 minutes chatting with Addy. I have only really talked to him for about 20 minutes since I got here and I missed talking to him (shut up Addy, I know it’s cheesy!).
He commented on how swollen the corners of my eyes were and I told him I would find a pharmacy and get some advice.
I got back on the tram and went to the last stop as I knew there was a Walmart there and they had a pharmacy. I asked the pharmacist for advice and he said to take some antihistamines and then just let the redness go away on its own. I might find another pharmacy for advice tomorrow, as I’m not sure what he said was right. I don’t know why I need an antihistamine as this is caused by the sun.
I messaged Addy and said he told me to go to urgent care because the swelling of the eyes signifies a bad infection. I didn’t get an immediate response and it was only when I was on the tram on the way back to Rideau that he responded. The joke didn’t work quite so well by this point. Sorry.
I just went back to the hostel to chill for the rest of the night. I say rest of the night; it was almost 21:00 when I got back.
Day 7 › Ottawa

Today was one of those days where I didn’t really want to do much walking. I got up about 09:00 and decided I would go find another pharmacist to get a second opinion about my eye. She said that the only thing that would help would be a cold compress a few times a day. She said that with that, the swelling would go down in a couple of days.
I took her at her word and then made my way to the meeting point for the boat tour. The map said it would take 17 minutes to get there. I wasn’t sure that was right, but it turned out to be.
I got there with 12 minutes before the boat was due to leave. I got myself a seat next to the edge and just sat back and waited for the tour to begin. This one had a live commentary and I couldn’t really hear him for the tons of other people talking over him. You’re just gonna have to look at the pictures below to see what I saw.

Once I was done here, I headed for the bus as I was limited on time due to the last bus being at 16:00 and I wanted to do a full route from the left side and a full route from the right side. There was live commentary on this too, but I wasn’t really paying much attention.
You’re just gonna have to see the route and some pictures from the first time round below.

We got back to the starting point and I asked how long until the bus left again. I thought he said 22 minutes, but it turns out he meant 14:40. It gave me enough time to go to the information centre and use the toilet and drink plenty of cold water. Had I heard properly, I could’ve gone to McDonald’s and had some Barq’s root beer. Oh well.
I tried to listen to music on the way round, but the wind was strong so I took my headphones out as I didn’t want to lose them. You can see some pictures from this time round below.

Once I was done with this route, I went to the A&W by Parliament tram stop and got some food. They have free refills and I was game for that. They gave me an ice-cold glass for the root beer and it was deliciously cold. It was very refreshing and very needed in this heat.
Once I was full up on root beer, I made my way to Byword Market to get some more pictures and some pasalubong for Addy’s mam. I then just made my way back to the hostel so I could do some laundry before packing for heading back to Montreal tomorrow.
The hostel has free laundry, but you pay $3.99 for the capsule to do the washing. I should’ve just waited until I got back to Montreal and saved myself $2.50. Oh well. I had to wait for the machines too as someone was using them. I wasn’t impressed as I wanted to get it done and get packed.
Thankfully I didn’t have to wait long and I put it in to wash and then just chilled until it was done and I could put it in the dryer.
I can have a little longer of a lie-in tomorrow too, as I will just go straight for the coach back to Montreal.
Day 8 › Montreal

Today was a day of doing not very much at all. I got up around 10:00 and went to shower. I realised I had lost my toothpaste and I was angry with myself for it. There wasn’t anything I could do other than find a store once I got back to Montreal.
I had already packed, so it was just a case of putting the dirty clothes in the case and then checking out. I asked them when I checked out if they had found any toothpaste. She said they had in one of the showers on the 8th floor. It was my toothpaste. Yay for not having to buy more.
I went to the store to get some pop and then to Tim Hortons to get breakfast. I decided I would just head to Tremblay and wait for the coach. I had about 70 minutes to wait.
I went and sat inside the rail station for about 30 minutes and then headed out to the meeting point for the coach. It was still raining, so I was under cover. I wanted to be there so I could get on the coach before anyone else and get a window seat.
When the coach pulled up, I headed straight to the door and showed my ticket and left my case with the driver. I got on and it was almost full. Thankfully, there was a window seat free so I got that. Nobody sat next to me either – result.
I just sat back and enjoyed the drive to Montreal. It was about 2.5 hours to get here.

Once we got back to the coach station, I headed for the metro and headed to the hostel to check in. I didn’t really want to do much for the rest of the day. It was still raining and I couldn’t be bothered to do anything either.
I got mad at check-in too as they said I needed to show my passport again even though I had just checked out a few days ago. I asked if they had deleted my data from my last check-in, and they couldn’t answer it. That wound me up.
I don’t have to climb stairs for the room and I have a lower bunk too. Result. I do, however, have to go downstairs for the toilet and the shower. I better not drink anything for the rest of the day.
I decided I wanted to go back out, so I went to the metro and went to the end of the line. I decided to go out and have a look around. As I was doing so, I was stopped by some Mormon missionaries. I had a chat with one of them and I headed to McDonald’s and got some nuggets and some Barq’s root beer. Barq’s is my favourite by far.
I then headed back to the metro and got off at Place D’Armes and decided to walk to the A&W so I could have some dinner and drink copious amounts of A&W root beer.
I went back to the hostel to chill for the rest of the night, as I need to be up at 06:15 tomorrow to get ready and head to the bus station for the trip to Burlington, Vermont, USA.
Day 9 › Burlington, Vermont, USA

Today was a super early start and not one of my making. The bed was awful. The mattress was hard and it was hurting my back and my chest. I’m delicate and I need a soft mattress.
I got up at 06:00 and went to shower and then got ready and just headed out of the hostel to the coach station. I figured I would sit in comfortable (ish) chairs and have something to eat and drink there too.
I had time to call Addy whilst I was waiting for the coach. The coach arrived about 07:40 and I showed my passport and went to my seat. I had the very back seat on the right. Someone was next to me and she stayed there the entire journey instead of sitting one row up so we both could be comfortable. I know seats are assigned, but the next stop was 2 hours away and she would have had at least 2 hours on a row to herself. Oh well.
We got to the US/Canada border and we had to get off the bus and take our carry-on items with us. We just had to wait in the queue until we were called forward.
They called me and asked where I was coming from. How long I would be in the US for. Where I was going in the US. What I would be doing in the US. Where I was going after the US. I answered them all and also told them I was just bringing pre-packaged snacks and nothing else.
I was told I had to pay $30.00 for the privilege of a stamp (even though they didn’t actually put a physical stamp in the passport). It was a record of it and then an I-94 form for travelling into the US by land. So greedy. You pay $42.00 for the privilege of an ESTA and then this crap on top. It makes the US look less and less attractive for visiting!
We finally got back on the bus and headed on our way to Burlington. The driver made a stop at a petrol station as we were ahead of schedule. He said we had 5-10 minutes to get some food and drink. I made my way off and found some 3 Musketeers bars. I was happy.
We finally got to Burlington and I got off the bus.

I decided to make my way straight to the souvenir store to get some souvenirs. I also asked in the shop if they had recommendations and they only suggested cycling along the river.
I went on my way from here and just decided to walk around the city and see where my feet would take me.
It was a quaint little city. It was nice with the trees and the green grass. I noticed there were a lot of churches here too. I enjoyed walking around and walking around the park and then sitting by the water.
You can see some pictures from my trip here.

I decided around 16:0 I would head to Subway and get something to drink and wait for the coach. I left here at 18:05 and went to the stop. I looked at the app to track the coach and it was showing it would be almost an hour late. It seemed to creep up every time I would look. Around 6 other people were waiting for the same coach.
It ended up being 90 minutes late to Burlington.
The driver got off and was checking us in and they were querying if I was allowed to enter Canada. I showed my Canadian eTA and they said it was for entry by air only. They had to make a call and they were told on the call that a UK passport holder can cross into Canada by land with just a passport. On the bus I got.
We were about to set off and a passenger asked if this was Burlington and the driver got annoyed with her – and rightly so too. She got off and we went on our way.
We made one stop at St Albans on our way to the Canadian/US border. Once we were at the border, we had to take all of our luggage off and speak to immigration. It was so much easier coming into Canada than it was going to the USA. They just asked where I was from, where I am staying and when I leave for home.
Once I was back on the bus, I just sat back and relaxed for the journey to Montreal. It took a little over an hour to get there.

I walked as fast as I could from the coach station to the metro station and then I took a slow walk from the metro station to the hostel. It was nice to see the city lit up.
As soon as I got to the hostel, I got my clothes ready for tomorrow and then just chilled before heading to bed.
Day 10 › Montreal

I woke up today super late (around 10:00) and not feeling super great. I just stayed indoors for a couple of hours to see if I felt better.

As I started to feel better, I decided I would head to the metro and just go for a ride on each line. I had already gone from end to end on the Blue line. I decided I would go end to end on the Green line.

I did get out at Agrignon (mostly because I needed the toilet) and had a wander. There was some sort of event going on – from what I could tell with my limited French, it was something to do with firefighters. I had a walk around the park and then headed back onto the metro.

I got back on and went to the other end of the Green line to Honore-Beaugrand. I went out to look for another bathroom and for something to drink. I found both and then headed back to the metro to Berri-UQAM. I then got the Yellow line and I came unstuck at the end of this line. I had to buy a $5.00 ticket to get back onto the other platform. I went back to Berri-UQAM and went outside and had a wander.

Rue Saint-Denis has some fancy-looking buildings on it and a lot of them are food places.

I went into the McDonald’s here and got some chicken nuggets and root beer. They do Barq’s and going there is worth it just for that.

I left here and walked towards the hostel. I called Addy on the way and sat outside for about an hour chatting with him and letting him see what was around where I was.

I went back to the hostel and did laundry and chilled for most of the evening.

I was hungry enough to go out to A&W and get some food. I came back and just chilled and packed ready for tomorrow. I was so tired by this point that I just went to bed and went to sleep.

For as sick as I was feeling, I still managed to walk over 5.00 mi | 8.05 km!

As my flight wasn’t until 22:05 today, I got up at 10 and showered and got ready. I checked out at 11:00 and sat in the hostel for an hour. This was long enough for me.

I left and then headed to the McDonald’s I had found yesterday and sat in there with my nuggets and Barq’s for an hour or so.

I left here and crossed the road and just sat and people-watched for another hour and then I decided I was bored enough to go to the airport. I went to the bus stop and got on the bus to the airport. The ride was uneventful until we got close to the airport.

There was really bad traffic and some people decided to get off the bus and just walk to the terminal. I’m almost certain they got there before the bus – that’s how bad the traffic was.

As I got off the bus, I was looking down and saw a passport lying on the ground. I picked it up and took it to the information point. I messaged Ken saying I had found it and that I was going to keep it. He told me I needed to hand it in as it would cause trouble if I was found with it. I replied and told him it was already handed in and that I wouldn’t keep a passport – especially with how lost I was without mine.

I sat in the airport for an hour just charging my phone and people watching.

Earlier in the day, I had booked myself a fast-track spot for security at 18:30. I went through and then found the area where the gate was. I had to pass through automated immigration barriers. I did this and went to Subway and got a seat overlooking the apron. I called Addy and spoke with him for an hour and then headed to the gate.

They asked for volunteers to check their trolley bags and I did. It was nice not to have to wheel it around anymore.

I got on the plane and sat in my aisle seat. 2 women got on and one of them said (about the woman she was with), “We asked for a middle seat for her”. I ignored it. I knew what she wanted. She again said that she thought they would get an aisle seat as the woman she was with needed to use the bathroom quite often. Again, I ignored it and we were on our merry way.

Reader: Guess how many times she was out of her seat for the bathroom? A big fat 0 times!

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chris | Friday July 17th 2026 | Travel| Burlington, Canada, Montreal, North America, Ottawa, Quebec City, Travel, United States, Vermont | 0 Comments

Mon voyage à Montréal (et aux États-Unis)

Montreal

Quebec City

Ottawa

Burlington

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