To call Montreal merely the Paris of North America is to sell it short. True, the island in the Saint Lawrence River has the architecture, the food and joie de vivre of the French capital, but it is a mix of more than 40 ethnic groups, a complicated history and a vibrant and edgy bohemian scene that confounds that description. Canadians on flights to Montreal are truly escaping to another world for a weekend adventure or a much-need vacation.

Cheap flights to Montreal are likely in the wintertime, when the city freezes and temperatures plummet to -30 degrees Celsius. But Montrealers make the most of it with Fête des Neiges de Montréal (January/February); shopping in Ville Souteraine, the underground city, with more than 30km of shopping, and its hearty fare (including poutine, a rib-sticking mix of fries, cheese curd and meat gravy).

The starting point for the Montreal tourist is Vieux Montreal. Here, you’ll find City Hall, Bonsecours Market, and the awe-inspiring Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel. In “new” Montreal, Le Plateau is the city’s creative heart, home to designers, writers and artists. Montreal is human scale with Mont Royal of course, 1,000 parks, 350km of bicycle paths and 900 outdoor skating rinks. Party-goers on Montreal flights head to Prince Arthur Street, Saint-Laurent and Les Eclusiers – bars stay open until 3 a.m. and some never close.

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