While visitors to Montréal can profit monstrously from bus tours – essentially a mobile city sampler pack that offers a taste of everything – they are also the ticket for Montrealers looking to reconnect. Take it from one who knows: there’s nothing quite like taking a tour on a vintage London double-decker bus for falling in love with Montréal all over again, for seeing the city through the eyes of a visitor, and feeling like a tourist in your own town.
There are two types of Grayline double-decker bus tours on offer throughout the spring, summer and early fall. Each tour follows a different itinerary, or “loop,” and is fully narrated with lively and entertaining commentary. The daytime Red Loop (10 am to 4 pm) is the “Hop-On Hop-Off Double-Decker Tour” whereby riders can exit the bus at points of interest and then climb back on the next available bus (they come at regular intervals).
Some of the many amazing places on the Red Loop route include the architecturally incredible Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montréal, the skyscraping Place Ville Marie and the monumental art installation The Ring, the artistically rich Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, the iconic Saint Joseph’s Oratory and both of the spectacular lookouts at the top of Mount Royal. The Red Loop has 10 stops in total and, best of all, the Hop-On Hop-Off bus ticket is good for two consecutive calendar days, so you don’t need to worry about missing out on anything.
The “Montréal by Night Tour” on the Blue Loop is also highly recommended: the view of the city skyline at dusk is singular and striking, and you’ll have an opportunity to take it in from must-see spots like picturesque Île-Notre-Dame and Île Ste-Hélène, the history-laden Old Montréal and the Old Port, the action-packed Quartier des Spectacles and the beautiful vistas of Mount Royal. And if you can’t decide between the daytime Red Loop or evening Blue Loop, then don’t. You can package both together with the “Double-Decker Day and Evening Combo” (two days, one evening) and save money in the process.
The tours run in the one-and-a-half to two-hour range for those of us simply looking for a quick and zippy rekindling of our romance with Montréal. All tours start in the historic Dorchester Square (1001 Dorchester Square, to be precise) in the middle of downtown Montréal with departures every 15 minutes.
Some useful dos and don’ts:
Do bring something to drink and/or munch on. If you’re on a bus tour that doesn’t make stops, you may find yourself parched and/or peckish at some point.
Don’t forget to dress warmly. It can get cool atop the roofless double-decker buses, especially in the evening.
Do bring sunscreen and/or a hat on warm, sunny days as you are quite exposed to sunlight.
Don’t expect to come back with the same hairdo you left with: it can get windy on top of the buses.
Do check the availability of tours on the Grayline website before you plan your trip.
Don’t forget to go to the bathroom before you go – there are no restrooms on these old carriages.
And finally, do keep your eyes peeled for low-hanging branches when going through treed areas so you don’t lose your prized sunhat.
