Montreal, Canada

Montréal is the largest city in Canada's Québec province. It’s set on an island in the Saint Lawrence River and named after Mt. Royal, the triple-peaked hill at its heart. Its boroughs, many of which were once independent cities, include neighborhoods ranging from cobblestoned, French colonial Vieux-Montréal – with the Gothic Revival Notre-Dame Basilica at its center – to the bohemian, artsy Plateau - to the urban reenvisioning of Griffintown, with its high-rise apartments, restaurants and bars.

Montreal is very French, which is probably one of the reasons I love it. Although the dialect is different than what you’d encounter in France, its close enough to manage. But you needn’t worry, almost everyone speaks English. I can say without any exaggerating whatsoever, the people in Montreal are not only super friendly, they’re also gorgeous. My sister, cousin and I visited and the only unattractive and impolite person we ran into was a man from Texas who was out of his comfort zone. Not only is it a beautiful place to visit, with soooo much to see and do, the US dollar and Euro are very strong there. And, to add to your delight, take the train to Old Quebec City for the day. It’s charming and beautiful and worth the trip.