Le Petit Hotel is firmly in the French camp with all the elegance that goes with that most stylish of countries, located near boutiques, art galleries and cafés this hotel is a true beauty. Although only boasting two dozen rooms each one is decorated to the highest of standards, combining the traditional, the modern and the most chic of styles. Highly recommended by all that stay here this hotel is a gem amongst all the fine hotels that the city has to offer.

The Victorian Heritage Bed & Breakfast in the Latin quarter started life as a judges house and is incredibly grand but without the high end hotel price tag, priding themselves on the comfort of the rooms and the quality of the breakfast, the hosts aim to please each and every one of the guests by offering affordable grandeur and luxury.

The food of Montreal is a pleasing mix of rustic dishes made from the best of local seasonal produce and highly evolved classical French cuisine, always plentiful and generally excellent this city is a foodies paradise with its mix of world cuisines and cultural favourites.

The local dish of poutine (fries traditionally topped with gravy and cheese) may be an acquired taste but for the young party crowd it is the nectar of the Gods and nowhere has quite as many varieties as La Banquise – not only is the traditional poutine served but also a whole range unexpected twists,always busy and enduringly popular this is a restaurant that understands that the foundations of success are built by knowing your strengths and playing to them.

Robin des Bois is an excellent French restaurant with great ethics, almost all the profits are poured back into local charities, the ever changing menu reliant on local and seasonal produce is a great reason to visit and the warm glow that you get not only from the food but from knowing that you are part of a greater good is an even better reason to return.

Although a two day trip the opportunity to take a coach tour to Niagara Falls should not be missed, the observation platforms that allow you to really enjoy this spectacular natural phenomena give some of the most awe inspiring views known to man.

Montreal has some of the best parks and open spaces anywhere in the world, organised botanical gardens or small quaint recreational parks, Montreal has them all in abundance. The feeling of open green space is all around but it pays to take the time to stop and appreciate all that the city has to offer.

It is important to remember that Montreal has some of the best shopping in the world, tiny exclusive French boutiques and huge household names fill the ancient streets and the large modern shopping malls giving Montreal the reputation of a city with great shopping experience.

Montreal has very specific seasons, each one with extremes of weather – the summer months are often gloriously warm if not a little humid and the winters are postcard pretty with their freezing temperatures and snow covered streets – the Canadians expect these conditions and rarely is the weather adverse enough to disrupt any events or travel plans.

As a city of culture the summertime months are often packed with a programme of events centring around the arts, music and film, all culminating in the famed Montreal Film Festival held at the end of August. Visitors to the city swell in numbers during this period, although the electric atmosphere is often worth the increase in cost, noise and general bustle.