I Spent a Romantic Week in Montreal and This Is What It Cost

My partner and I have dreamed about going to Paris since the early days of our relationship. Five years later, it still hasn't happened (blame COVID and financial constraints) but at the end of June, we spent a week in Montreal. We planned an itinerary of art museums, historic churches, and bakeries to evoke our romantic fantasy of Paris, plus sights and activities that celebrated Quebec’s unique culture. Most importantly? I had to stick to a $2,500 budget.

My partner and I are polyamorous, and we don’t cohabitate or share finances. I have a house and joint bank accounts with my husband, and we annually budget $3,000 apiece for trips with other partners and/or solo travel. I spent about $500 on a staycation with my partner to celebrate our fifth anniversary in February, so I had $2,500 left to use for the Montreal trip.

Job: Freelance writer and paralegal
Annual salary: $41,000-$60,000 per year
Location of residence: Minneapolis
Age: 37

Where: Montreal, Quebec
How long: Eight days
Planned budget: $2,500

Flights: $506.26. We flew directly from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to Montreal and had a layover in Toronto on the way home.
Hotels/lodging: $735.99. We split the cost of an Airbnb studio apartment in downtown Montreal.
Tickets: $84.33 for a ticket to the Museum of Jewish Montreal’s Beyond the Bagel food tour
Relevant prior purchases: $12 for data for my Wi-Fi hotspot

Total cost: $60.26
My husband dropped me and my partner off at the airport (polyamory perk: more people in your life to drive you to/pick you up from the airport). Since it was roughly lunchtime, I got my default MSP Airport meal: a Greek salad with falafel from Holy Land Deli ($20.93) and a chocolate chip cookie from Angel Food Bakery ($2). During our flight, Air Canada was doing a special promotion offering everyone free wine and beer in addition to the standard soda and snacks. Yay for little plastic bottles of red wine!

Once we cleared customs and immigration in Montreal, I bought an Opus card loaded with a 24-hour transit pass (CA$17, or $12.43) and we took a bus and the metro to our Airbnb, a studio apartment downtown.

We weren’t feeling very ambitious or all that hungry, so we walked to Tzatzi-Qui, a nearby Greek restaurant with a cute streetside patio, and split an appetizer platter with calamari, spanakopita, fried zucchini, and feta for CA$27.14 each ($19.85). On vacation, my partner and I consider dessert mandatory, so we headed down the street to get ice cream cones at Ca Lem for CA$6.91 ($5.05). We spent an hour or so wandering around Old Montreal and the Old Port, which was very touristy but also quite charming, especially as dusk fell on the stone buildings and cobblestone streets.

Total cost: $143.28
The location of our Airbnb was great (a block and a half from a metro station, a five-minute walk to Old Montreal), and it was clean, but there were some weird oversights. The bedside shelves were slanted downwards, so our phones kept falling onto the concrete floor. The bathroom lacked body wash, hooks or a bar to hang up towels, a garbage can, or a hair dryer. The bed’s central support was broken, so the mattress sagged and we kept sliding to the middle—cozy but not exactly conducive to a good night of sleep. We briefly discussed switching to a hotel, but that was out of our budget so we decided to just make do.

Luckily, the day got better from there, starting with breakfast at a L’Amour du Pain, a nearby bakery where I got a pear-chocolate pastry and cappuccino for 11.90 CA$ ($8.70). It was raining, and most of the museums on our itinerary were closed on Mondays, so we took the metro to the Biodome and I bought an admission ticket for CA$23.25 ($17.01). The Biodome is a combined zoo and conservatory with exhibits that recreate different ecosystems—I was all about the tropical rainforest section because I love sloths and capybaras, and the penguins in the sub-Antarctic section were so much fun to watch. Did I need the capybara earrings at the gift shop? No, but I bought them anyway (CA$13.80, or $10.09).

The Biodome cafe looked lackluster so we walked to the close-ish Maisonneuve Market for lunch, and I got a piece of olive, vegetable, and goat cheese-topped focaccia from a bakery stall for CA$7.48 ($5.47). The rain had cleared up by this point, so we walked to the Jardin Botanique and I bought admission for CA$20.75 ($15.18). The expansive Chinese Garden was the highlight: a tranquil pond surrounded by elegant buildings, a waterfall, and carefully manicured miniature trees.

After the botanical garden, we headed back to our Airbnb via the metro, with a stop at a convenience store to buy soap, lotion, foundation (I forgot to pack some stuff), and a snack-sized bag of all-dressed chips CA$38.01 ($27.85). For dinner, we walked to Pub Saint Pierre, which combines the vibe of a historic pub, hockey bar, and craft cocktail spot. We ordered a couple rounds of cocktails, gyoza, and truffle fries and split the tab for CA$71.75 ($52.47) each. For dessert, we walked to the Old Port so I could get a fancy ice cream sandwich from the Felix & Norton food truck I spotted the night before (CA$8.89, or $6.51).

Total cost: $110.43
My partner wanted crepes for breakfast, so we walked downtown to Cafe et Crepe and I got a strawberry Nutella crepe and an iced coffee for CA$25.11 ($18.40). Next up was the Musee McCord Steward, with an admission cost of CA$20 ($14.65). The museum’s permanent exhibit tells the story of the Indigenous nations of Quebec with artifacts and first-person stories, and there were two temporary photography exhibits with fashion and portrait photography—my partner has a side gig as a photojournalist so he especially appreciated that aspect.

For lunch, we went to Mono, a delightful sandwich spot en route to our next destination. My “Lucie & Mom” sandwich was loaded with mozzarella, Parmesan, avocado, fresh vegetables, and pesto, and it was well worth CA$20.73 ($15.19).

Next up was the Musee des Beaux-arts, where the ticket desk staffer asked if I qualified for the discounted under-30 admission. My twenties have faded into the rearview mirror so I purchased a regular admission for CA$24 ($17.58). The Musee des Beaux-arts is gigantic—it’s the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space—with five different buildings connected by underground tunnels. Our strategy with art museums is to cover a few areas that interest us rather than trying to see it all, so we focused on late 1800s-early 1900s European art, the Cabinet of Curiosities, and Inuit art. Our favorite find was a Salvador Dali chess set with finger-shaped pieces modeled on Dali’s and his wife’s actual fingers.

After a few hours, museum fatigue set in and the on-site cafe looked sad, so we left for the pint-sized Cote Bar a Cafe and I got a chocolate chip cookie and a sparkling hibiscus drink for CA$12.57 ($9.21). We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking around Mont Royal Park, which has a scenic viewpoint over downtown Montreal and lots of trails. On the way from the park to the metro, we stopped at a neighborhood grocery store and a bakery to pick up dinner: cheese, strawberries, and a baguette for CA$14 ($10.27). I also loaded my Opus card with a weeklong transit pass for CA$30 ($22.02) and got gummy candies from a convenience store for CA$4.24 ($3.11). I firmly believe that gummies taste better outside the US.

We spent the evening at our Airbnb watching Bodies on Netflix—perhaps not the most thrilling vacation activity, but since we don’t cohabitate it was really nice to have some low-key time together.

Total cost: $249
Our unofficial goal for the trip is to eat as many pastries as possible, so we headed to Le Petit Dep, a picturesque cafe and gift shop stocked with Quebec-produced goods. I got a chocolate croissant and cappuccino for CA$10.06 ($8.49). The croissants are so damn good in Montreal.

The Basilique Notre Dame was just down the street so we stopped in for a quick visit. Admission felt a little spendy at CA$16 ($11.74), but it must be incredibly expensive to maintain a historic church so I can’t begrudge them. Neither of us is Catholic but we appreciated the serene and beautiful surroundings, including a soaring blue ceiling painted with golden stars and elaborate wood carvings.

Next up was a Pointe-a-Calliere, an archeology and history museum, with an admission fee of CA$27 ($19.82). The museum is constructed on top of an excavated archeological site, so you can see the subterranean remains of building foundations and sewers as you learn about the city’s history. There are several models and interactive exhibits that bring Montreal’s history to life—the touchscreen game about historic firefighting is probably intended for 10-year-olds, but we’re kids at heart.

For lunch, we hit up Boulangerie Caviste where I got an enormous piece of olive bread and a croissant roll filled with pistachio cream for CA$24.13 ($17.71). Next, we popped into Notre Dame de bon Secours Chapel, the oldest church in Montreal—admission to the church is free, but I wanted to climb up the tower to see the view so I bought a ticket to the Site Historique Marguerite-Bourgeoys museum for CA$14 ($10.27).

We both love walking around and people watching, so we took the metro to the Mont Royal neighborhood and spent the afternoon wandering down Avenue du Mont-Royal, one of Montreal’s seasonal pedestrian streets. Each summer, several of Montreal’s streets close to cars and transform into pedestrian paradises, with extra seating and sidewalk cafes. It’s genius, and I wish we did something similar in Minneapolis.

For dinner, I treated my partner to a birthday meal at Gibbys—he turned 40 on Sunday but didn’t want to celebrate on a travel day. Gibbys is an upscale steakhouse that my parents visited on their honeymoon in 1983, and it seems to have barely changed since then. It’s romantic and charmingly old-school, with little touches like croutons spooned onto your salad tableside and fancy chocolates with the check. My partner got beef Wellington, I got the whiskey-glazed filet mignon kebab, and we split the chocolate delight for dessert (CA$246.97, or $180.97). The next morning, I emailed my parents a photo that my partner took of me outside the restaurant, and my dad emailed back a scanned photo he took of my mom in almost the exact same spot over 40 years ago.

Total cost: $15.59
We loved L’Amour du Pain so we went there again for breakfast, and this time I ordered a cappuccino and a raspberry-chocolate danish (CA$11.30, or $8.28).

Our main activity of the day was the Museum of Jewish Montreal’s Beyond the Bagel food tour, which we booked in advance. The four-hour walking tour covered the history of Montreal’s Jewish community and Jewish contributions to the city’s cuisine, especially bagels and smoked meat sandwiches. Our tour guide was great, and the places we stopped at were fascinating: St-Viateur and Fairmount, so we could compare the two O.G. Montreal bagel bakeries, as well as Schwartz’s for smoked meat sandwiches, Wilensky’s Light Lunch, Cheskie’s Bakery, and Hof Kelsten. We prepaid for the tour, but we each tipped our tour guide in cash (CA$10, or $7.31).

Our tour guide mentioned that the Montreal Jazz Fest started today, so after the tour we caught a few of the free performances. I’m not typically a jazz fan but it was a beautiful evening and a fun vibe.

Since we were the only people on our tour, we ended up with leftover chocolate babka, bagels, and kokosh, a rolled pastry with a poppy seed filling. We had some groceries from a few days ago, so we snacked on carbs, cheese, and fruit at our Airbnb for dinner. We also watched the presidential debate between Biden and Trump, which was hands down the low point of our trip.

Total cost: $76.91
We still had a ton of leftovers, so we slept in and ate babka and kokosh for breakfast. I love food markets, so we took the metro to Marche Jean Talon, where we wandered around and I stocked up on locally-produced goat cheese from Fromagerie Hamel (CA$13, or $9.51), strawberries (CA$5, or $3.66), and a box of maple candies for my husband (CA$10, or $7.31). I also bought a mug depicting an anthropomorphized bagel, smoked meat sandwich, and poutine for CA$22.98 ($16.81), because I always need more cuteness in my life. On the way back to our Airbnb, I got olive bread from L’Amour du Pain (CA$5.52, or $4.04) to fill out my lunch.

The forecast looked lousy for our final day in Montreal, so we crammed in as many outdoor things as we could for the rest of the afternoon and evening: geocaching and a walk in Parc Jean-Drapeau, an island park with great views of downtown Montreal, and another stroll around Old Montreal, with stops for vanilla soft serve at Le Petit Dep for CA$9.58 ($7.01) and spritz cocktails on the patio at Maggie Oakes, which my partner picked up the tab for. We also walked back to Jazz Fest to catch another performance.

We unanimously decided that we needed to eat vegetables for dinner—there is, in fact, a limit to how many pastries we can consume. We had a pleasant dinner at Le Petit Sao, a fun Vietnamese spot, and I got a tofu bun bowl and a cocktail for CA$39.07 ($28.57).

Total cost: $54.59
As the forecast promised, it was a gloomy, rainy day. We started our morning at Crew Collective & Cafe, a coffee shop in a beautiful historic bank lobby, where we took a ton of photos and I got a cortado and croissant for CA$12.22 ($8.94). Then we split up so my partner could get a massage (I was invited but being touched by strangers stresses me out, which negates the purpose of a massage). Instead, I browsed some art galleries and boutiques in Old Montreal. I ended up mostly window shopping but I did buy a locally-made craft chocolate bar for my husband and a kombucha myself for CA$18.95 ($13.86) at Le Petit Dep.

I decided that I couldn’t leave Canada without eating poutine, so we took the metro to Restaurant Chez Claudette, a laid-back neighborhood diner, where I got an amazing plate of classic poutine and a cup of coffee for CA$16.21 ($11.86). The rain lightened up a bit, so we explored some nearby pedestrian-only streets—Plaza St-Hubert and Saint-Denis Street—and I got bubble tea for CA$12.55 ($9.18).

My partner’s parents offered to pay for a nice meal during our trip, so we made a reservation at Paparmane Tea Room for an early evening tea. It was perfect—whimsical instead of stuffy, with a magenta accent wall and fake birds perched in the chandelier, plus a delicious spread of miniature sandwiches and tiny desserts.

I was still thinking about the crookie (a croissant stuffed with a chocolate chip cookie) I saw at Boulangerie Caviste a few days ago, so we took one last walk through Old Montreal so I could grab one to eat later (CA$9.20, or $6.73). We also stopped at a convenience store and I bought a couple of small bags of all-dressed chips to bring home in my suitcase (CA$5.50, or $4.02).

Total cost: $4.49
We woke up at 4:30 am to take the metro and bus to the airport. I got a stale cinnamon danish at a random kiosk by our gate for CA$6.14 ($4.49)—after a week of top-notch pastries, it was a brutal return to reality. Also brutal: After we boarded our flight, it was delayed nearly two hours by mechanical issues, so our comfortable layover in Toronto completely disappeared.

I hate transferring to US-bound flights at the Toronto airport. The airport is huge, you have to go through security again, and you’re required to clear US customs, which is usually understaffed. Our flight to Minneapolis was delayed, so there was a chance we could still catch it and we decided to run for it. One of the wheels broke off my partner’s suitcase en route and we arrived at our gate sweaty and disheveled, but we made our flight.

My husband picked us up at the airport. My partner and I were happy to be home—he missed his other partner and his cat, I missed my husband, and we both missed sleeping in a functional bed—but we’re already looking forward to our next trip together. Note for next time: budget for a hotel!

Upfront and travel costs: $1,338.58
Costs from the week: $714.55
Final total: $2,053.13
How much I spent compared to my original budget: $446.87 under budget

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