When you think of a typical college spring break, your mind probably goes straight to a resort in Mexico, or to the beaches of Florida. When my friends and I were planning what we wanted to do with our spring break, those were our first thoughts, too. But when flights and schedules and prices were getting tricky, we decided to broaden our horizons and look for other destinations. We ultimately landed on Montreal, Canada and we ended up having such a great time! I’m now an advocate for spring break in Montreal and here’s why.
First is its proximity to UMass. It took us about four and a half hours driving to get to Montreal. This means you can get there without paying for flights, or even for a hotel room to break up the drive. Not having these expenses was huge for us, as we were able to travel without breaking the bank.
Next are the cultural differences. Personally, I love experiencing other cultures and I try to travel as much as possible to do so. French is the official language of Montreal. However, many people were also fluent in English, especially if you were right downtown. I felt very comfortable there even though I knew no French, and we still got all the experiences of traveling to a different country. Although we didn’t have enough time to fit it into our schedules, there are many museums to go to and tours to take to really immerse yourself in the city’s history and culture.
Another thing that made this the perfect spring break trip are the activities we did. Because we were in the city, there were a ton of restaurants to eat and places to shop. One of my favorite things we did was go to a Scandinavian spa. There was a sauna, a steam room, a hot tub, an ice bath, and a ton of comfy spots to relax in for as long as we wanted to. I had never been to a spa-like that before, and I would definitely go back. We spent four hours there, unplugged and relaxing more than we had all semester. Another must-do in Montreal is the Biodome. It’s a museum that was built in the Olympic arena, with models of different ecosystems you can walk through. My favorite was the rainforest. It was super warm, with a ton of tropical plants and animals. We also dedicated a day to shopping, of course. A unique part of Montreal is the number of thrift stores it has. There were a ton of curated shops with both secondhand clothing and unique items like candles which were really fun to look around. Montreal is also known for its nightlife, so of course we were sure to check out a few bars and clubs during our nights there.
Overall, I thought this was a great trip and definitely the right choice for our spring break. It was super easy to plan, and we all thought it was more than worth it for what we had to spend. If you’re looking for a spring break destination for next year, I would definitely recommend Montreal!
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