Some people visit Montreal to party. Others visit for the architecture.
I made a trip to Montreal to see and ride a train. Yes, that is right, a train.
First, let me provide some context: I have been a train fanatic for most of my life. As a kid, the romance of hopping on a train and arriving at a new destination was enthralling.
I was eager for the arrival of the O-train. Well, you know how that has gone so far.
Not to give up, my wife and I decided to visit Montreal and check out the new REM train with the line to the West Island opened in early July.
One does not go to Montreal without visiting other attractions besides trains. We had out-of-town guests as well, so we had to check out the famous ferris wheel in Old Montreal.
My fear of heights held me back, but they were thrilled to get a panoramic view of Old Montreal and beyond via the ferris wheel.
Our guests have a six year old and it was fun to see her passion when describing the experience on the ferris wheel. She said it was like touching the sky.
We then went on to visit Place Jacques-Cartier, which is the main pedestrian area in Old Montreal. There you will find multiple artists selling their creations, food vendors, and musicians.
We passed by a violinist who was performing a beautiful classical piece. Our guest’s daughter did a beautiful interpretive dance to the music. I am sure she has a future as a ballerina if she so chooses.
For supper, we ate at Yokato Yokabi, a Michelin-rated ramen place in Plateau Mont Royal. The restaurant delivered on all levels. The ramen soup was delicious, and the appetizers were tasty as well. The service was pleasant and professional.
One of the fortunate occurrences of our trip to Montreal was that it also coincided with the World Cup final. All over the city, people were sporting jerseys for either Argentina or Spain.
After our meal was over, we strolled along Avenue du Mont-Royal, which is pedestrian in the summer. Every bar, cafe and hole-in-the-wall was packed with fans. We were lucky enough to see Spain score the winning goal. Up and down the Avenue, half the fans erupted in pandemonium. After a few minutes, even some of the Argentinian fans got into the festivities. It was an amazing atmosphere.
The next day, it was train time. Our hotel, Residence Inn by Marriott Montreal Downtown, was about a ten-minute walk to the central train station. The REM is a light metro transit system providing service to the Greater Montreal region. The first portion of the REM opened in 2023, linking up the south shore to downtown Montreal.
My wife and I were visiting the portion that had been recently opened on the West Island in July 2026.
The first thing one notices is that it is a completely automated system. The second thing I noticed was the speed of the train. There was none of the lurching, stopping and wheels squealing on turns. It felt efficient, safe, and, most importantly, fast.
Photo: Tom Middleton
We made our way out to the West Island, chatting with locals who seemed happy there was a new transit option.
The most fun part was the huge windows at the ends of each train. When we reached the end of the line, we ran to the front train and got a seat by the front window. It felt like a very gentle roller coaster. A highlight was entering the Mont Royal tunnel. I am still amazed by the architectural feats we are able to achieve.
Whenever we are in Montreal, we stay at the Residence Inn by Marriott Downtown. It is right in the centre of the city and is located very close to the Metro Peel Station. The staff have always been very friendly, and the rates are reasonably priced considering the location and quality of the hotel.
The hotel offers a breakfast buffet style that will give any traveller a good start to their day.
For more information about tourism in Montreal, visit www.mtl.org.
Header image: All OLM files except for REM, photo courtesy of ARTM
