Montreal to Bagdogra Flights

  About Montreal

Montreal is a popular holiday destination in Canada that is a blend of the 18th and 21st-century architecture. The city is known for its diverse culture, be it Indian, Portugal or French. The city is known for its spectacular museums, eclectic cuisine and a busy marketplace. It is also like paradise for photographers. The city is, especially, famous for its vibrant and happening nightlife. You can party till you drop and treat yourself to a refreshing cup of coffee the next morning to cure that hangover. History and adventure lovers will also find their famous spots in the city quite conveniently and quickly. You can either head to Montreal with your family or with your friends, and the city will have something in store for all kinds of holidays. It is the perfect place just to sit back and relax. Getting around the city is also quite convenient. You can either book yourself a taxi, or you can use the trams or other means of local commute to explore Montreal on your own. Make sure you book a hotel in Montreal that is closer to the tourist attractions that you plan to visit to cut down on travel time.

Best Time to Visit Montreal

Summer is the peak season for Montreal, and it welcomes a lot of tourists during this time. The temperature ranges from 10 to 25 degree Celsius. A lot of events and festivals are hosted in summer. June to August is when the city experiences summer and sees a surge in the number of tourists. Make sure you book your hotel in Montreal in advance before there is a surge in prices and availability becomes an issue. You will also have to book your flight tickets to Montreal in advance if you don't wish to overpay. Though the days are quite warm, the evenings are chilly and the humidity increases in certain areas of the city. It is best to explore the city on foot by yourself in summer. You can attend a lot of events hosted in the city this summer like Formula One: Grand Prix of Canada, MURAL Fest, Montreal International Jazz Festival, Montreal Pride, Montreal International Tango Festival, Osheaga and MUTEK. Make sure you also pack a pair of layers, in case it gets chilly in the evenings and nights.

After the heat of summer, the fall season brings quite a relief to Montreal. September to November is the fall season in the city, and it is also the best time to visit Montreal. If you are visiting Montreal in late autumn, make sure you pack your warm clothes, too, because it will get pretty cold. The temperature ranges between -3 to 19 degree Celsius in autumn. If you don't like crowded places, autumn is an ideal time for you to visit. The weather is quite pleasant and does not affect any of your sightseeing plans. You can also sign up for outdoor activities during this time if you want You can attend events like the World Film Festival that starts in August and goes on till September, POP Montreal, Montreal Burlesque Festival and Black & Blue Festival. Though hotel prices drop in autumn since it is shoulder season for the city, you still might want to book several weeks in advance, so you get a better deal.

December to February is winter, and it can get quite brutal. It is highly recommended that you do not plan your vacation to Montreal in winter. The temperature ranges from -17 to -3 degree Celsius, and of course, it witnesses heavy snowfall. You can, however, head to the Underground City if you want to go on a shopping spree, go for a movie or binge on your favourite food at the restaurants here. You can also indulge in winter sports like ice skating, sleigh rides and skiing if you have no problem fighting the cold weather. The city also lights up beautifully during Christmas and New Year's Eve. You can also join the celebrations and have the time of your life. If you are planning to try winter sports, make sure you book your hotel in Montreal in advance since availability will be an issue at the last moment.

March to May is also an ideal time to plan a holiday to Montreal. The spring season makes the city far pleasant. The hotel prices drop, and you might even get cheap flight tickets to Montreal during spring. The temperature ranges from -8 to 18 degree Celsius. The weather becomes warmer as the months progress. If you are travelling during the beginning of spring, you might want to pack your boots and warm clothes, too, since it will snow lightly in the city. You can attend the Montreal St Patrick's Parade, Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival or Montreal Museums Day if you are planning a spring vacation.

Places to Visit in Montreal

Montreal is the economic and cultural capital of Quebec. It is also the second-largest city in Canada. Montreal is also the second-largest French-speaking city in the world. You will find a lot of French culture in the city. Mount Royal Park is in the centre of the city, and you will also find monuments dedicated to Jacques Cartier and King George IV. You can also visit the Notre-Dame Basilica, one of the oldest churches in Montreal. It was founded in 1656. The church also has a carving of Louis-Philippe Hebert, who was a popular sculptor. Just a 20-minute tour of the church will leave you amazed. Old Montreal is a popular tourist attraction in the city. Place d'Armes, Place Royale and Place Jacques-Cartier are some of the popular places in Old Montreal that date back to the 18th century. You can also head to Vieux-Montreal that reflects the Parisian culture and also has a stunning waterfront. You can take a stroll here and just admire the beautiful buildings around you. Jardin Botanique is one of the main reasons that tourists love Montreal. Not only does it have about 30 themed gardens but also has over ten exhibition greenhouses.

Oratoire Saint-Joseph is near Mount Royal Park is another tourist spot where you can know more about the belongings and lifestyle of the saint. Head over to Musée des Beaux-Arts if you are an art lover. The museum houses 1400 paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures. You will also find a lot of masterpieces by Canaletto, El Greco, Mantegna, Veronese, Goya and so on. If you love history and archaeology, you can visit the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History. It was established in 1992 to celebrate the city's 350th anniversary.

Things to do in Montreal

You can visit museums and historic landmarks in Montreal. Sign up for a sightseeing tour of the4 city, or you can explore the city on your own. Montreal is also known for its vibrant and colourful nightlife. Apart from that, the city also has a lot of spots for you to go shopping and dining. Canada is known for its Maple syrup, and you can also sign up for a tour to Sugar Shack to sample some and see how it is made. Jean-Talon Market is where you head to if you want to buy fresh produce, home-grown spices, cheeses, handmade chocolate or binge on grilled sausages. If you are visiting the city with your family, you can also take your kid to the Barbie Expo.

Food and Restaurants in Montreal

Even though you will find a lot of restaurants in Montreal that serve French cuisine, you will also find restaurants that serve Portuguese, Mexican, Indian, Thai, Moroccan and other cuisines. Poutine, bagels, smoked meat are some of the popularly ordered foods here. Fairmount Bagel and St-Viateur Bagel Shop are the most popular eateries in the city for bagels. Le 409 is a popular place that serves Indian food. You can head to La Campagnola Italian steakhouse for authentic Italian food, steaks and Sicilian cuisine. Bistro 1843 and Bistro L'entrepont are some popular restaurants to try traditional French and Canadian food.

How to reach Montreal (Transportation)

Montréal–Trudeau International Airport is about 20 km away from Downtown Montreal and has been named after Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the father of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The flight connectivity to Montreal from India is excellent. British Airways, American Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, United Airlines and Air Canada have frequent flights to Montreal with layovers at London, New York, Newark, Washington and Toronto. If you book in advance, you might get cheap flight tickets to Montreal. If you are travelling to Montreal during the offseason, you might even get exciting flight deals to Montreal online. It is not very difficult to get a taxi or car rental from the airport. The Montreal airport also has premium lounges, restaurants, cafes, shopping areas, currency exchange, and a lot more for passengers. You can also book a hotel in Montreal that is closer to the airport, so you are boarding an early flight and want to avoid the commute. You can also call for an airport shuttle service from your hotel.

  About Bagdogra

North-East India and the Himalayas are a trendy tourist destination in India, for all the right reasons. Bagdogra is a hill station near the foothills of Himalayas and in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Bagdogra is considered as the gateway to the North-East and the Himalayas. This small hill station is so beautiful; you'll love being here even if it is for a couple of hours. It's the perfect place for all you nature lovers out there. You can either laze around and admire the scenery or take a walk around the town to explore it.

The hill station is a perfect holiday spot. It's also like paradise for tea lovers since tea gardens surround it. River Teesta also flows through the town, which makes it the ideal place to indulge in river rafting. Or you can sit by the river and embrace solitude for a while. You pass through Bagdogra to get to Darjeeling, Sikkim, Siliguri and Bhutan. Bagdogra will make you fall in love with it. Apart from sightseeing and river rafting, there are quite a few activities that you can opt for in Bagdogra. It's not the most popular vacation destination, but you will surely not regret spending time in this town.

Bagdogra is connected to all major cities in the country. It is pretty easy to reach Bagdogra by flights, trains and road, too. The Bagdogra Airport connects to domestic routes from Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Guwahati. You can also quickly get a bus or taxi from the neighbouring cities to Bagdogra.

Make sure you do add Bagdogra to your itinerary when you plan a trip to the North-East. You will love this small town for its lush green surroundings and the beautiful weather. The people, too, are quite friendly and helpful. Even though there is very little that you can do in Bagdogra, it is worth stopping by. If you have a long layover at Bagdogra airport, you can make the most of it by going sightseeing somewhere near the airport. Since it is a small town, you won't have to worry about making it back on time for your flight. But if you are going to Darjeeling, Bhutan or Shillong and the town falls on your way, make sure that you do visit this town.

Best Time to Visit Bagdogra

July to February is the best time to visit Bagdogra. While the hill station witnesses monsoon from July to October, the winter sets in from November to February. This is the ideal time for you to witness the beautiful, scenic hill station. The temperature can fall to as low as 5 degree Celsius. You can see the snowy mountains that surround the town and be mesmerized by the beauty of it. The summer is also quite pleasant in the City, and the maximum temperature touches 38 degree Celsius.

Places to Visit in Bagdogra

Check out the Coronation Bridge that is 37 km from Bagdogra. It is on the way to Gangtok from Bagdogra, and the view is just beautiful. The Surya Sen Park in Siliguri, which is close to Bagdogra, is a bright picnic spot. The park sees quite a few families on vacation spending quality time with each other while enjoying the view. Madhuban Park, which is 24 km ahead of Bagdogra in Siliguri, was established by the Indian Army. This is yet another picnic spot that tourists love. You'll even spot deers, peacocks and rabbits in the park, along with butterflies.

The Umrao Singh Boat Club in Siliguri has a lot of activities in store for you, including boating. They have a huge variety and different shapes of boats for tourists. You can get in touch with your spiritual side at the ISKCON temple in Siliguri and at Kali Mandir in Binnaguri which is also quite close to River Teesta. You can visit the temple and combine it with river rafting at the river. You can also visit Salugara Monastery while you are here.

Bagdogra has no hotels since it's only a pitstop to get to the other neighbouring cities and Bhutan. You can, however, book a hotel room in Siliguri or Darjeeling or any of the nearby towns. The bus services to Bagdogra are widespread, so you won't have to worry about travelling to and from the City.

Things to do in Bagdogra

Bagdogra is the gateway to reaching Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan and everything North-East. You can take a cab or a bus to visit Siliguri, which is the nearest City to this hill station. If you have a couple of hours left to catch another flight, you can get around the town in less time. Since Bagdogra is just a pitstop, you will find fewer tourist things to do, but the hill station is entirely worth it. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, Bagdogra has the most beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains that surround it.

If you do have time on your hands, make sure you go river rafting at River Teesta. Or you can admire the river and meditate by the river for a while. You can also visit the Coronation Bridge that is quite close to the river stream. Whether you are with your friends or family, be assured that you will have a great time here. You can also visit the Salugara Monastery and the Kali Mandir to offer your prayers and to enjoy your solitude.

Even if you don't feel like indulging in any activities, grab your favourite book and get engrossed in the stories amid the best of what nature has to offer to you. You can also put on your headphones, play your favourite music and get lost in the tranquillity of the hill station. If you are on a solo trip, you will love spending time here in Bagdogra, even if it is for a little while. Bagdogra is quite accessible to most cities in the North-East, and travelling will not prove to be troublesome for you.

Food and Restaurants in Bagdogra

If you are travelling via plane, you have to try the restaurant that is inside the Bagdogra airport. It is run by the Bagdogra Airport Restaurant Workers Co-operative Society Ltd, and it serves a unique dish that grabbed headlines for all the right reasons. The airport serves you chicken cutlets that are made in Bagdogra style and are a one-of-its-kind dish. All foodies must try this out at least once. The restaurant can seat up to 150 people, and you'll be treated to a runway view as you finish your meal. It won't even burn a hole in your pocket.

Marina's Motel is one of the best restaurants near the airport if you are craving for Chinese or Continental cuisines. The staff is quite friendly, and the restaurant has a very cosy ambience. Bagdogra also has a solution to your biryani cravings. Naz Biryani House is known for serving and cooking the most delicious biryani, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. For a quick bite, you can head over to Hunger Stop restaurant near the airport. You can even try the dessert here.

The Gourmet Central Family Restaurant and Bar is approximately 11 km away from the airport. It has a charming decor with cosy seating and friendly staff. It is also one of the best restaurants in the town. Do make sure that you try the food at the airport restaurant though. You can also opt for street food or the local chai, which will be available quite easily. Don't hesitate to try out the local street food, too.

How to reach Bagdogra (Transportation)

By Air

The Bagdogra Airport is well-connected to major domestic routes from Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bangalore and Chennai. The flight connectivity is quite functional, and getting to Bagdogra is not very difficult. You can get pretty good flight deals online and cheap flight tickets, too.

By Rail

The nearest railway station is in Siliguri, which is 5 km away from Bagdogra. There are no direct trains or buses to Bagdogra, and you will have to change a taxi or bus from Siliguri to reach the hill station.

By Road

There are lots of transport options and services are available to reach the town. You can opt for whichever suits your convenience. The transport is quite affordable, too. The roads are also quite smooth and won't be uncomfortable for you. You will also find a lot of convenient options to go to other neighbouring cities of the North-East and the Himalayas. Travelling by road is also one of the best options. The journey will surely be a treat for the eyes and the soul.