Montreal à la carte
Americans visit Montreal for its European character. But what do French tourists come to see?
As the only major French speaking city in North America, Montreal is often dubbed “Paris of the North” or “Paris without the jet-lag,” a comparison that bothers locals and seasoned travellers alike. Still, it’s compared to the French capital for a reason. Spend an evening strolling through Old Montreal’s cobblestone lanes after a dinner of steak-frites and it’s easy to forget that you’re a mere six hour drive from New York. Montreal is known as an easy substitute for Europe thanks to its architecture, cuisine, and French culture.
Yet the city also has a growing pull for the people of France, drawing tens of thousands of French expats in recent years, not to mention a growing number of tourists. If Montreal’s appeal for Americans is its European character, what do the French think of Montreal? Nexmoov looked at how the experiences of American and French visitors to Montreal compare and how they could customize their trips to get the most out of the city.
After Canadians, Americans and French travellers are the biggest groups to visit Montreal. Both are most likely to visit in July and August, Montreal’s festival season, but beyond that they have very different experiences. Travellers from the US stay for an average of four nights, while jet-lagged French visitors spend an average of 13 nights.
They also choose different types of accommodation. Overall, 10% of visitors rent an apartment through platforms like Airbnb or Homestay, a number that climbs every year. However, this share is somewhat lower for American visitors at 7% and significantly higher for French travellers at 18%. French tourists are more than twice as likely to rent an apartment than Americans.
Just like we’ve done for the Jazz Fest and Fringe, Nexmoov calculated a TravelScore for US and French visitors to suggest the best places for each of them to stay. We compiled the most popular attractions for each population and built a representative itinerary for the average French tourist and the average American tourist. We then scored every accommodation in the city based on how easy it is to reach these attractions. In this case, we assumed visitors would travel by foot or public transit to what they want to see. Our TravelScores show how US and French visitors experience Montreal differently.
Travellers from the US prefer to visit sites in Old Montreal and downtown. They want to see religious sites and monuments like the Notre-Dame Basilica and the Saint Joseph Oratory. Since sites like this are concentrated in the oldest section of the city, the ideal place for American travellers to stay is in charming Old Montreal. In addition to numerous hotels, Nexmoov lists over 160 vacation rentals, and counting, in Old Montreal. It’s also convenient to visit popular attractions from most of downtown and parts of the Plateau and the Gay Village. Check out our TravelScore for American travellers.
French travellers have more eclectic tastes. They like to spend time in Montreal’s green spaces like Mont Royal Park and explore multicultural neighbourhoods like Chinatown and the Plateau. Because of their diversity of interests, French tourists will find many places to stay in Montreal. Downtown is a great place to start, but many choose to make their second home in the Plateau borough, including the artistic hub of Mile End, which boasts close to 300 rentals in the vicinity of some of Montreal’s best cafes, restaurants, and bars. See our TravelScore for French visitors.
These maps show the different ways that American and French visitors experience Montreal. Travellers from the US tend to seek a traditional tourist experience by pursuing the European side of the city. They appreciate urbanism, cuisine, and historic sights and churches. It makes sense that the best accommodations for them are located near the traditional tourist areas of the city.
The French like to get off the beaten path and discover the city. They enjoy meeting locals, exploring neighbourhoods, and sampling local specialties. French tourists will get more out of their trip if they venture out of the downtown core and stay in some of Montreal’s bohemian and emerging neighbourhoods.
With the rise of the sharing economy, Americans are starting to travel more like their European counterparts. An increasing number of travellers want to live like a local and new travel platforms make this easier than ever. Location is the most important factor when booking a trip, but the challenge is finding the right place.
There’s something for everyone in the city- you just have to find it.
